Messiah: Live Stats // Video Stream
Rochester: Live Stats
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Kicking off the 2019 campaign with a pair of epic battles, the 16th-ranked Christopher Newport field hockey team will face two nationally-ranked opponents this weekend as the Captains open the year at No. 4 Messiah on Friday at 7:30 p.m. before facing No. 9 Rochester in a neutral-site tilt at Spooky Nook in Manheim, Pennsylvania on Sunday at 11 a.m.
Friday's showdown with Messiah marks the first time the Captains have opened a season against a nationally-ranked opponent since 2008 when the squad squared off with No. 11 Johns Hopkins in the lid-lifter. Coupled with the team's match-up against Rochester, this weekend's twin bill also marks the first time in program history that Christopher Newport has faced back-to-back top-10 opponents in the regular season.
For those fans unable to attend Friday's bout, Messiah will provide live stats and a video stream of the action at GoMessiah.com. Meanwhile, live stats for Sunday's game will be streamed through CNUsports.com. Direct links to all of those features can be found at the top of this release and on the team's schedule page.
Christopher Newport is coming off of a 2018 campaign in which the squad advanced to the finals of the Capital Athletic Conference Tournament while compiling a 13-6 record. The team was a staple in the NFHCA National Coaches Poll throughout the year and finished the season ranked 16th in the country.
The Captains welcome back nine players who started at least half of the game's last season, including eight from the CAC title bout. Headlining the group,
Courtney Fiest returns after securing second-team All-American accolades in 2018. The junior led the team with 14 goals and 35 points, while her seven assists tied for the conference-lead. She also established a new single-season record with 109 total shots during the year.
Along with Fiest,
Rachel Cooke and
Olivia Davis also earned spots on last year's All-Region squad. Cooke anchored the midfield unit and started all 19 games while serving as a centerpiece on the program's elite penalty corner defense. Meanwhile, Davis was a stalwart between the pipes while leading the CAC with a stellar .809 save percentage. That was also the 20th-best mark in the NCAA.
In addition to the decorated returners,
Kennedy Johnson and
Izzy Diz helped anchor the defense while starting all 19 games last season.
Jackie Kotoriy, who also tied for the league-lead with seven assists, started 14 games in 2018, while both
Ariana Samuel and
Bailey Miller were starters in at least 10 games as well.
Overall, Christopher Newport returns five of its top-seven leading scorers from last year and the majority of its defensive unit, which ranked 15th in the NCAA with a 0.93 goals-against-average while holding the opposition to a microscopic .093 shooting percentage.
Messiah enters the new year ranked fourth in the nation after compiling a 20-1 record last season. During the 2018 campaign, the Falcons claimed their 12th straight MAC Commonwealth Championship and advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight. One of their victories was a 2-0 decision against Christopher Newport during a neutral-site battle in Fredericksburg on October 10.
Although the Falcons graduated three All-Region performers, including a pair of All-Americans, the squad brings back a collection of veteran contributors. The defense will be anchored by juniors Mackenzie Brubaker and Claire Myers, who helped Messiah rank eighth in the NCAA with a 0.67 goals-against-average last year. Meanwhile, Hannah Palm is the squad's top returning scorer after depositing nine goals in 2018, including one against the Captains last season.
Rochester comes into the year ranked ninth in the NFHCA poll after advancing to the NCAA Elite Eight while notching a 19-3 overall record in 2018. The Yellowjackets were selected as the favorites in the Liberty League and have made four consecutive trips to the national playoffs. UR will open the year against York (Pa.) on Friday before facing the Captains on Sunday.
Following an impressive 2018 campaign, Rochester returns a pair of All-Region midfielders in Colleen Maillie and Maya Haigis. Maillie led the team with 10 assists last season, and Haigis ranked third on the squad with 1,413 minutes of action. Additionally, the team welcomes back senior goalkeeper Kate Kujawa, who was an All-Conference performer last year while logging a 0.69 goals-against-average. Amanda Strenk is also the reigning Liberty League Rookie of the Year after depositing nine goals during her debut campaign.
Sunday's meeting will mark the first-ever match-up between Christopher Newport and Rochester.
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