Live Stats // Live Broadcast
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The 18th-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team will put its six-game winning streak on the line on Wednesday at 4 p.m. when CNU hosts Illinois Wesleyan in a non-conference battle at Captains Turf Field.
Entering the contest, CNU sits at 6-0 on the season, including 4-0 at home. The squad has won 14 straight games at Captains Turf Field, which stands as the third-longest active streak in the nation. Meanwhile, Illinois Wesleyan is 4-1 overall and 2-1 on the road this year.
For those fans unable to make it to the game, live stats will be available at CNUsports.com. There will also be a live broadcast of the game with Jake Myers and special guest analyst Will Geise on the call. Direct links to both features can be found at the top of this release and on the CNU schedule page.
The Captains are coming off of a hard-fought 8-7 victory over Elizabethtown on Friday. During that game, CNU overcame a 5-3 halftime deficit to steal the victory.
Matthew Crist registered three goals in the second half after
Drew Magnusson notched a hat-trick in the first half.
Shane McKenna and
Jackson Deal also handed out a pair of assists. The defense was equally impressive with
Josh Puterbaugh and
Drew Cornell forcing three turnovers apiece and
Scott McAneney making five saves to earn the win.
So far this season,
Tony Cruz leads the Capital Athletic Conference with a .643 faceoff percentage and ranks second with 43 ground balls. Meanwhile,
Dylan Rice stands fourth in the league with 17 goals, and fellow freshman Deal is fourth with 11 assists. Rice and Crist are also tied for sixth in the CAC with 24 points apiece.
As a team, Christopher Newport has excelled during man-up situations this year. The Captains currently rank 10th in the nation with a 50 percent conversion rate. On an individual level, Rice and Crist are tied for 19th in the NCAA with four man-up goals apiece.
On the other side of the field, Illinois Wesleyan boasts one of the nation's most powerful offensive attacks. The Titans enter Wednesday ranked first in the NCAA with a 21.60 goals-per-game average. The squad has dropped at least 20 goals on four of its five opponents this year. The only shortage came during an 18-11 setback against No. 15 Ohio Wesleyan on March 1.
Along with their work on the offensive side, the Titans also rank first in the nation in ground balls per game (51.20) and 11th in faceoff percentage (.687). Individually, J.C. Grabarek is ninth in the NCAA with a .743 faceoff percentage and second with a 13.40 ground balls-per-game average. James Maibuecher has anchored the attack and is averaging 6.60 points per contest. That stands fourth in the country. Bailey Marth, who is the reigning CCIW Player of the Week, is also averaging 5.20 points per game, which places him 25th in the NCAA.
Wednesday's tilt will mark the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
Following their match-up with the Titans, the Captains will return to action on March 21 for a 7 p.m. showdown at Virginia Wesleyan.
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