Live Stats // Video Stream
YORK, Pa. -- With playoff positioning on the line, the Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team will wrap up the regular season on Saturday at 1 p.m. when the Captains travel north for a Capital Athletic Conference battle with No. 3 York (Pa.) at Kinsley Field.
Entering the regular season finale, CNU currently sits at 10-4 on the season, including 5-2 in league action. Meanwhile, York (Pa.) is 14-2 with a 6-1 mark in CAC play.
For those fans unable to make it to the game, York will provide live stats and a video stream of the action at YCPSpartans.com. Direct links to both features can be found at the top of this release and on the CNU schedule page.
PLAYOFF POSSIBILITIES
With their win on Wednesday, the Captains locked up a home game in the upcoming CAC playoffs. Entering the weekend, the squad is currently in sole possession of third-place in the league standings and will finish with either the No. 2 or No. 3 seed in the postseason depending on the result of Saturday's game. The winner on Saturday will earn the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye, while the loser will finish with the No. 3 seed and host a first-round match-up against either Southern Virginia or Marymount on Wednesday.
A LOOK AT THE CAPTAINS
Entering the final weekend of the regular season, the Captains rank among the league-leaders in a slew of categories. CNU leads the conference in faceoff percentage (.644) and save percentage (.590). The defensive unit also ranks second in the CAC with 164 caused turnovers, and the offense sits third with a 13.64 goals-per-game average.
On an individual level,
Will Geise is tied atop the conference with 47 goals, while his 66 points place him third overall. Both of those totals are also single-season program records. Meanwhile,
Matthew Crist is second in the Capital with 36 assists, which also stands as a CNU record. Additionally,
Randy Foster is ninth in the conference with 32 goals, and
Ryan Mills is slotted 10th with 31.
Among other league leaders,
Tony Cruz is first in the conference with a .645 faceoff percentage, and
Matt Hayden is first in save percentage (.587).
Will Cogan and
Drew Cornell are also tied for fifth with 22 caused turnovers.
SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
One of the nation's most dominant defensive units, York ranks 11th in the NCAA with a 6.53 goals-against-average. Landry Marshall has anchored the team between the pipes, sporting a .567 save percentage. Three Spartans have also forced at least 10 turnovers this year, including a dozen by Nick Roman.
Offensively, York has been both efficient and opportunistic. The squad ranks fourth in the nation with a .902 clearing percentage and 20th with a 14.40 goals-per-game average. The man-up unit has been especially effective, capitalizing on 48 percent of its opportunities this year. That rate ranks 13th in the country and second in the CAC.
Individually, Brendan McGrath leads the team and sits third in the CAC with 45 goals. His 64 points also place him fourth in the league, while Cameron Leech is third among conference performers with 35 assists. Equally dominant at the 'X,' Billy Sasso ranks second in the league with a .635 faceoff percentage. His 168 victories are also the second-most in the CAC.
SERIES HISTORY
York and CNU have met seven times with the Spartans holding a 6-1 edge in the all-time series. Last year, YCP swept a pair of meetings, including a 13-8 triumph in the CAC semifinals. During that contest, Crist came through with four points, while Hayden notched 14 saves. On the other side, Hunter Davis had five points for the Spartans.
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