vs. Concordia: Live Stats // Video Stream
vs. Centre: Live Stats // Video Stream

MEQUON, Wisc. -- The 12th-ranked Christopher Newport field hockey team will take its show on the road this week as the Captains open up a trip to Mequon, Wisconsin with a Friday battle against Concordia (Wisc.) before facing Centre in a neutral-site tilt on Sunday at Tomasini Stadium.

Friday's game against Concordia begins at 3 p.m. Central Time, while Sunday's contest kicks off at 11 a.m. CDT. For those fans unable to attend the games, Concordia will provide live stats and a video stream of both contests at CUWFalcons.com. Direct links can be found at the top of this release and on the schedule page.
 
Entering Friday's tilt, the Captains are on a three-game roll and sit at 3-1 overall. Meanwhile, Concordia is 2-1, and Centre is a pristine 4-0.
 
Christopher Newport is coming off of a stellar weekend at home as the team opened up its new stadium with a pair of wins over DePauw and No. 5 Johns Hopkins. Showcasing a well-balanced attack, Courtney Fiest and Bailey Miller both scored a pair of goals during the homestand, while freshman Abby Asuncion added the game-winner against the Blue Jays and both Marcella Sabbagh and Mauri Ware contributed assists.
 
Along with her offensive efforts, Sabbagh stockpiled awards for her performance during the two games. The first-year star made a pair of defensive saves against Johns Hopkins and helped lead a unit that surrendered just 17 total shots during the two bouts. For that effort, she was named the NFHCA National Defensive Player of the Week, becoming the first freshman field player in history to secure the prestigious honor.
 
In addition to the NFHCA award, Sabbagh was also celebrated as the CAC Defensive Player of the Week and the Synapse Sports National Rookie of the Week, which was announced on Thursday afternoon.
 
While Sabbagh hauled in awards for her work, the entire defense stepped up over the weekend and has been tremendous so far this season. Sabbagh and Miller both have two defensive saves this year, and Kennedy Johnson has one. Meanwhile, Sarah Mueller, Rachel Cooke, and Nyla Lewis have also been regulars in the starting lineup while making key contributions on the defensive side of the field.
 
Between the pipes, Olivia Davis also sports a .750 save percentage and is just five stops shy of becoming the seventh goalie in program history with 100 career saves.
 
Concordia is coming off back-to-back wins over Earlham and Ohio Wesleyan. Sam Dunn, a reigning All-Region performer, leads the team with three goals this season. Megan McPike, who joined Dunn on last year's All-Region squad, also has a strike in the early going. Meanwhile, on the other side of the field, Emily Binley and Katelyn Fitzgerald have split time in the cage while compiling a combined 1.94 goals-against-average and an .800 save percentage.
 
Concordia is in just its fourth year of existence and coming off of a record-setting 2018 season, which saw the program set a new standard with seven victories despite only playing one home game. The Falcons returned 11 players from last year's team, including the aforementioned All-Region honorees.
 
Friday's match-up will mark only the second meeting between Christopher Newport and Concordia. The Captains won the inaugural bout, 8-0, last season. During that contest, Miller and Johnson both scored twice for the hosts, while Jackie Kotoriy handed out three assists. Fitzgerald made 12 saves for the Falcons.
 
Centre enters the weekend on a four-game roll and will battle Concordia on Saturday before facing the Captains. The Colonels have been terrific in the early going as the team has outscored its opposition by a 22-1 margin so far this season. For their efforts, Centre earned 55 points in the latest NFHCA National Coaches Poll, which placed the program just outside of the top-20.
 
On an individual level, Savannah Elpers has a team-high six goals and 13 points this year. Meanwhile Caroline Brotzge has 10 points, including four assists. Incidentally, she was named the NFHCA National Offensive Player of the Week on Wednesday, setting up a decorated showdown with Sabbagh, who brought home the nation's weekly defensive honor. Additionally, Kristen Mulcahy has started the year off strong with a 0.31 goals-against-average during her time between the pipes.
 
Christopher Newport holds a 7-0 lead in the all-time series against Centre, including a 3-0 victory last year. Davis came through with seven saves to earn the shutout victory over the Colonels in 2018, while Fiest found the back of the cage on the other end.
 
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