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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- After opening the season with four straight victories, the Christopher Newport field hockey team has climbed to 18th in the NFHCA National Coaches Poll, which was announced on Tuesday afternoon by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association.
 
Making their first appearance in the national poll since September 20, 2016, the Captains opened the year receiving votes in the rankings before vaulting into the top-20. This week marks the 94th time Christopher Newport has been ranked in the top-20 since the program's first appearance in the NFHCA poll in 2006. Last year, CNU climbed as high as 14th in the rankings, while the 2013 squad set the program benchmark after reaching third in the national poll.
 
Along with Christopher Newport, fellow Capital Athletic Conference members Salisbury and Mary Washington are also in the top-20. The Sea Gulls are third in the poll, while the Eagles are 17th. Meanwhile, York (Pa.) is receiving votes as well.
 
At the top of the rankings, Messiah continues to hold down the No. 1 position, while Tufts, Salisbury, TCNJ, and Middlebury round out the top-five.
 
The Captains will put their national ranking on the line on Wednesday when the squad hosts Catholic at 5 p.m. The Cardinals come into the midweek match-up with a 2-1 record. Their only setback this year came in the season opener against nationally-ranked TCNJ.
 
For those fans unable to make it to the contest, live stats and a video stream of the action will be available at CNUsports.com. Direct links to both features can be found at the top of this release and on the CNU schedule page.
 
Christopher Newport has been dominant on the defensive side of the ball so far this season. The squad opened the year with three straight shutouts before upending Kenyon, 2-1, on Sunday. Senior Stephanie McKinney boasts a league-high .909 save percentage and a 0.33 goals-against-average during her time between the pipes. Meanwhile, Brittan Muir and Mackenzie Neylon both have defensive saves, and Kennedy Johnson and Rachel Cooke have been equally stingy on the back end.
 
Offensively, the Captains have featured a well-rounded attack that is averaging 4.50 goals per game. Madison Doss leads the conference with 11 points, including her first collegiate hat-trick against Kenyon on Sunday. Meanwhile, Lily Bryngelson and Rachel Allshouse both have three goals apiece, while Courtney Fiest leads the squad with three assists.
 
On the other side, Catholic comes into Wednesday's meeting on a two-game roll after upending Gettysburg, 4-2, and Rowan, 2-0, last week. Senior Rachel Day has paced the CUA attack with five points, including a pair of goals. The two-time first-team All-Conference performer is coming off of a 2016 campaign that saw her lead the Cardinals with 13 goals, including three game-winning strikes.
 
Along with Day, Katie Anderson has two goals, while Lizzie Ireland has a pair of assists this season. Defensively, Sophia Hamilton has started all three games in goal and sports a .667 save percentage, including a four-save shutout against Rowan on Saturday. Meanwhile, Kelly Cancelmo and Kelly Cousoulis have added defensive saves for Catholic as well.
 
Longtime rivals, Catholic and CNU have met 14 times with the Captains holding a 9-5 edge in the all-time series. Last year, Christopher Newport registered a 3-1 victory in Washington, D.C. Kana Hashigami led CNU with three points in that contest, while Doss and Allshouse also tallied goals.
 
Following Wednesday's tilt, the Captains will return to action on Saturday with a noon battle at Bridgewater.
 
---CNU---