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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team will hold its annual Senior Day ceremony on Saturday prior to the squad's Capital Athletic Conference showdown with Wesley at 1 p.m. at Captains Turf Field.
Entering the contest, CNU sits at 8-4 overall and 3-2 in league action. Wesley is currently 4-9 with an 0-5 mark in CAC play.
For those fans unable to make it to the game, live stats will be available at CNUsports.com. The Captains will also provide a broadcast of the action with Andy McGregor and Jake Myers on the call. Links to both features can be found at the top of this release and on the CNU schedule page.
CELEBRATING THE SENIORS
Prior to Saturday's game, Christopher Newport will honor the achievements of its decorated senior class. Over the past four years, the veterans have helped CNU post a 42-20 record, which stands as the finest four-year stretch in program history. Along the way, the squad has broken the single-season record for victories during each of the last three years and has been listed in the USILA National Coaches Poll during the past three campaigns.
The class includes
Randy Foster, who is the program's first-ever All-American, and
Will Geise, who holds the school's career records for points (164), goals (105), and assists (59). Fellow senior
Ryan Mills also stands sixth in CNU history with 113 career points, while
Nick Kirschke is third in faceoff victories (312) and sixth in ground balls (138).
On the defensive side,
Matt Hayden has a program-record 41 victories and ranks second all-time with 574 saves and a .547 save percentage.
Trevor Royce has also started 25 games as a member of the squad's back line, while
John McAndrew and
Shane Palmateer have been consistent contributors on the defensive unit as well. Meanwhile, Casey Devine-Rosser was a member of the midfield unit in 2014 and has been a team manager and creative director for the squad over the past three years.
A LOOK AT THE CAPTAINS
Christopher Newport earned votes in the latest USILA National Coaches Poll, marking the third straight season that the squad has received national recognition. The Captains were one of three teams from the CAC to earn a spot in the poll, joining No. 1 Salisbury and No. 3 York (Pa.).
At the conference level, CNU currently sits in sole possession of fourth-place in the league standings. The top-four squads are guaranteed at least one home game in the postseason tournament with the two highest-seeded teams earning a bye to the semifinals.
On an individual level, Geise currently ranks second in the CAC with 40 goals. That total also stands as the single-season program record. Meanwhile,
Matthew Crist has been the top facilitator with 26 assists, marking the third-highest total in the league. Additionally,
Will Cogan and
Drew Cornell are tied for sixth in the Capital with 20 caused turnovers, and
Tony Cruz's .610 faceoff percentage is the third-finest in the conference.
SCOUTING THE WOLVERINES
Wesley is currently on a seven-game skid, including a 21-0 setback against No. 3 York (Pa.) on Wednesday. Tested throughout the year, freshman James Cella leads the CAC and ranks second in the NCAA with 187 saves. He has had 20 or more stops on four occasions, including 26 against top-ranked Salisbury last Saturday.
Offensively, the Wolverines are led by Josh Wassum, who has a team-high 30 points and 22 goals. The sophomore has five hat-tricks this year, including a four-goal effort against St. Mary's (Md.) last week. Joe Fingles has also scored 13 times and is tied for the team-lead with eight assists, while Nate Gemmato has 16 points and a team-best 55 faceoff victories in 155 attempts.
SERIES HISTORY
Wesley and Christopher Newport have met three times with the Captains holding a 3-0 edge in the all-time series. Last year, CNU registered a 20-10 victory in Dover. Foster had four goals for the Captains, while Geise chipped in with three. Gemmato added a hat-trick for Wesley as well.
UP NEXT
Following Saturday's action, Christopher Newport will remain at home for a Wednesday match-up with St. Mary's (Md.) beginning at 4 p.m.
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