Live Stats // Video Stream

LYNCHBURG, Va. -- The 12th-ranked Christopher Newport field hockey team will put its four-game winning streak on the line when the Captains battle Lynchburg in a non-conference tilt at the Liberty Field Hockey Complex on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Entering the contest, Christopher Newport sits at 8-2 overall and 3-2 away from Newport News. Lynchburg is 7-3 with a 5-2 record at home.

For those fans unable to attend the game, Lynchburg will provide live stats and a video stream of the action at LynchburgSports.com. Direct links to both features can be found at the top of this release and on the schedule page.

Christopher Newport extended its winning streak to four games on Tuesday when the squad upended Virginia Wesleyan, 5-1, at Jennings Family Stadium. During that contest, Sarah Mueller erupted for her first collegiate hat-trick and the first by a Captain since 2017. Meanwhile, Mauri Ware also contributed three points, and freshman Morgan Arthur drilled her first goal of the year to cap off the scoring.

With her performance on Tuesday, Ware bumped her team-leading point total to 17 so far this season. That marks the most points by a Captain in her first 10 games with the program since Annie Gehring had 24 to kick off her career in 2005. In fact, only Gehring and Christopher Newport Athletics Hall of Famer Wendy Wilson had more points in their first 10 games. Wilson recorded 19 over the same span in 2000.

Along with the offensive efforts, Christopher Newport has limited the scoring opportunities of its opposition throughout the year. Opponents are averaging under 10 shots per game this season. Virginia Wesleyan was held to only one attempt on Tuesday, while Rhodes and Bridgewater combined for only five on-target attempts during a pair of games last week. Additionally, the Captains continue to rank among the national leaders in goals-against-average (1.06) and defensive saves (7).

On the other side of the field, Lynchburg has won its last two outings, including a huge 4-3 victory against No. 2 Rowan at the Liberty Field Hockey Complex last Sunday. Against the nationally-ranked Profs, Jackie Lerro posted a hat-trick and finished with seven total points, while Laurel Nicks made five saves to earn the victory. Lerro, who currently ranks among the top-20 nationally in both goals- and points-per-game, has been especially effective recently. The junior has nine goals and four assists in her last five outings.

Sunday's game will be Lynchburg's third appearance at the Liberty Complex this season. So far, the Hornets are 2-0 on the field and 8-1 at the facility dating back to the 2017 campaign. Along with the squad's 4-3 victory over Rowan, the team also upended Dickinson, 2-1, at Liberty on September 15.

A hotly-contested rivalry, Christopher Newport and Lynchburg have met 17 times with the Captains holding a 9-8 edge in the series. Last year, Christopher Newport picked up a 1-0 victory as Ariana Samuel came through with the game's lone goal and Olivia Davis notched the shutout. The Hornets won the last road tilt with a 3-2 victory at Shellenberger Field in 2015.

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