Live Stats // Video Stream

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- The 18th-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team will head to Virginia Wesleyan for a non-conference battle with the Marlins at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at Birdsong Field.
                                  
Entering the match-up, the Captains currently sport a 7-0 record with an equally pristine 2-0 mark away from Newport News. Meanwhile, Virginia Wesleyan sits at 3-4, including 0-2 at home.
 
For those fans unable to attend the contest, Virginia Wesleyan will provide live stats and a video stream of the action at VWUathletics.com. Direct links to both features can be found at the top of this release and on the CNU schedule page.
 
Christopher Newport was last in action on Wednesday when the squad upended Illinois Wesleyan, 24-14. Facing the nation's top-ranked scoring offense, the Captains flashed their firepower with a season-high 24 goals. That total also marked the third-highest single-game output in program history. Matthew Crist led the way with eight points, including five goals, while Lucas Barry also struck five times. Dylan Rice added four goals and three assists as well.
 
So far this season, CNU ranks among the national leaders in a variety of offensive categories. The squad is 10th in the nation in shooting percentage as the Captains are currently capitalizing on 36 percent of their shots. The man-up attack has been especially effective with Christopher Newport ranking fifth in the nation with a .563 conversion percentage. Additionally, the team is 19th in scoring offense (14.71 goals-per-game) and 15th in total assists (63).
 
On an individual level, Crist is 16th in the nation with five man-up goals, while Tony Cruz is 28th with a 7.29 ground balls-per-game average. The senior standout also leads the league and ranks in the top-50 nationally with a .620 faceoff percentage.
 
On the other side of the field, Virginia Wesleyan snapped a three-game skid on Saturday with a 23-6 triumph at Randolph. The 23 goals marked the most by the Marlins since 2009. Nick Zepko and Tyler Conn both tallied four goals apiece, while Joe Couture added a hat-trick of his own.
 
Along with a high-scoring attack, VWU also ranks 16th in the NCAA with 101 saves this season. Senior Chris McTague leads the team with 75 stops and a .551 save percentage. Meanwhile, on the offensive side, Joey Rayman has a team-high 23 points, while Zepko has 18 goals. The squad has also used several different players on faceoffs with four different Marlins winning at least 10 battles this year. Conn headlines the group with 29 victories in 55 attempts.
 
Wednesday's match-up marks the 12 all-time meeting between the two programs. The Marlins currently hold a 6-5 lead in the series, although CNU has won four straight games. Last year, the Captains posted a 20-3 win in Newport News.
 
Following the midweek contest, Christopher Newport will return to action on Saturday to continue Capital Athletic Conference play against Frostburg State at 1 p.m.
 
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