Live Stats // Video Stream
SALISBURY, Md. -- With playoff positioning on the line, the 15th-ranked Christopher Newport field hockey team will cap off the regular season on Wednesday at 6 p.m. when the Captains travel to No. 7 Salisbury for a Capital Athletic Conference clash at Sea Gull Stadium.
Entering the bout, CNU stands at 11-4 on the season, including 3-1 in league action. Salisbury is 13-2 overall with a perfect 4-0 record in the league.
For those fans unable to attend the game, live stats and a video stream of the action will be available at SUSeaGulls.com. Direct links to both features can be found at the top of this release and on the CNU schedule page.
Currently, the Captains find themselves tied for second in the league standings. With one game to go, they have already secured at least one home game in the CAC Tournament and can earn anything from the No. 1 seed to the No. 3 seed in the playoffs. To earn a first-round bye and one of the top-two seeds in the tournament, CNU needs a victory on Wednesday to force a tiebreaker scenario. The result of the York (Pa.) - Frostburg State game also has major implications on the playoff race. A victory by the Spartans could force a three-way tiebreaker, which would include goal differential against conference opponents.
Focused on the task at hand, Christopher Newport enters the battle riding a three-game winning streak. During that run, the Captains have out-scored the competition, 10-1, including shutouts against St. Mary's (Md.) and Frostburg State. Overall this season, CNU has registered eight shutouts, which is tied for the 10th-highest total in the NCAA.
Boasting one of the country's elite defensive units, Christopher Newport also ranks 10th in the NCAA in save percentage (.838) and 12th in goals-against-average (0.78). On an individual level,
Olivia Davis sits among the top-20 nationally in both categories while boasting a league-best .821 save percentage. Meanwhile, four different Captains have registered a defensive save this year, including two by
Brittan Muir.
Izzy Diz,
Kennedy Johnson, and
Nyla Lewis also have defensive stops.
On the offensive end,
Courtney Fiest is tied for second in the conference with 13 goals and 31 points.
Rachael Allshouse and
Jackie Kotoriy are also tied atop the CAC with seven assists apiece. Allshouse has been especially effective lately with at least two points in each of her last three appearances.
Courtnie Greene also has two goals and an assist since last Monday.
Capitalizing on an equally effective defensive unit, Salisbury is 10th in the NCAA in goals-against-average (0.73). The Sea Gulls also have a lethal offensive unit, which ranks 16th in the NCAA with a 3.73 goals-per-game mark. Entering Wednesday, SU has won seven straight games while allowing just four goals during that stretch.
On an individual level, Tara Daddio leads the conference and ranks 21st in the NCAA with a 1.13 goals-per-game average. Her 17 total strikes also lead the league. Additionally, Tara Flavin is fifth in the CAC with seven goals, while Dom Farrance has a conference-best 0.75 goals-against-average.
In 22 previous meetings, Salisbury holds a 17-5 advantage in the series. Christopher Newport did win both meetings last year, including a 2-1 double-overtime triumph in the CAC Championship.
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