While Christopher Newport looks forward to the return of intercollegiate competitions, our friends at TowneBank are partnering with CNUsports.com to spend some time throughout the fall semester looking back at a few of the more memorable moments in the storied history of the athletic department. Over the course of the next three months, the Captains will honor the anniversary of three dozen record-setting accomplishments, championship-clinching victories, and other historic events in order to celebrate the past while preparing for even more great moments in the future.
 
AT A GLANCE
 
The 2011 Christopher Newport men's soccer team was inarguably one of the finest assemblies of talent in program history and the magnum opus penned by hall of fame head coach Steve Shaw. On November 5, 2011, the Captains defeated North Carolina Wesleyan, 1-0, in the USA South Athletic Conference Championship to complete an unbeaten run through the regular season and conference tournament. The win punctuated a perfect run through the conference as the Captains captured the team's third consecutive league championship and logged an unprecedented 17-0-1 record heading into the NCAA Tournament.
 
BACKSTORY
In the three years prior, Christopher Newport had established itself as one of the top men's soccer destinations in all of NCAA Division III. The Captains were ranked No. 1 in the nation several times, piled up countless victories, and advanced in each of the three NCAA Tournament appearances.
 
In the two previous seasons, Christopher Newport had posted an overall record of 38-4-5 for a winning percentage of 86.2%. In conference play, only one loss marred two championship-winning seasons as the Captains were 11-1-0 with a pair of conference rings.
 
In the previous season, Christopher Newport won a record 20 games, scored 65 goals and held opponents to just 16 total tallies in 23 games played.  
 
The continually-impressing storyline would beg the question, what more could the Captains do?
 
CHAMPIONSHIP RECAP
Recapping just the championship game of the 2011 season would be a disservice to the mind-boggling campaign that preceded it. Heading into the fourth consecutive matchup between Christopher Newport and N.C. Wesleyan in the conference title game, the Captains had posted an unblemished 16-0-1 record and ranked second in the nation.
 
In the title bout, the Captains scored early in the second half and held on for the 1-0 win over the Battling Bishops to win their third straight conference championship. Senior Winston Mattheisen netted the gamewinner and became the program's all-time leader in scoring en route to securing Conference Tournament MVP honors. The goal, which was scored just over a minute into the second half, would give Mattheisen 116 career points and sole possession of the all-time mark.
 
Assisting on the championship winner was defender Sean Moriarty, who also helped the Captains lock down its 11^th shutout of the season. Senior goalkeeper Justin Wolfe stopped all four shots he faced to tie the program record for shutouts in a season with 10. Overall, the Captains outshot the Bishops 16-10 with an 8-4 advantage in shots on-goal.
 
During the season, the veteran-laden squad shattered records offensively and defensively. The championship victory would be a program-record 13^th consecutive victory for the Captains. Since the inception of the conference tournament in 2000, it was just the third time a team went through the entire USA South Athletic Conference regular season and tournament without a loss or a tie.

The 2011 season was one built for success, as the Captains senior class included five starters who had helped win its first two USA South Conference Championships in 2009 and 2010. During the 2011 regular season, the Captains never dropped out of the top three in the national rankings; they started 4-0-0 before a 1-1 draw with Oneonta State eliminated the chance at a perfect season. After the tie, Christopher Newport ran off 13 straight wins including a 3-0 shutout of nationally-ranked Salisbury and a perfect 6-0-0 record in league play. The streak featured six consecutive shutouts with five coming at Captains Field. 
  
POSTSCRIPT
A record six Captains were honored as NSCAA All-Region selections before another record three were named All-Americans.  That's possibly the simplest way to accentuate how special the 2011 group of Captains was, while pointing out that future all-time leading scorer Jalon Brown was not one of them.  
 
On defense, Justin Wolfe (GK), Sean Moriarty (D), and David Haas (D) each collected All-Region honors. Offensively, Winston Mattheisen (F), Brian Lybert (F), and Steven Farmer (MF) were named among the best in the Atlantic South. Mattheisen, Moriarty, and Lybert would all go on to earn All-American certificates after the magical season.
 
Leading the way was Shaw, who earned Region Coach of the Year plaudits for his efforts guiding the special conglomeration of talent. In his 16^th season as head coach of the Captains, he led CNU to a 17-1-1 overall record for a .921 winning percentage – that mark still ranks first in men's soccer and is in the top-ten all-time among all sports at Christopher Newport. CNU was ranked No. 1 in the nation for the third consecutive season in the polls and was statistically one of the finest teams nationally as well. The Captains ranked fourth in Division III scoring (3.26 goals per game) and in the top-20 nationally in five statistical categories.
 
Despite outshooting the WildCats, 28-7, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, it was not meant to be for the Captains against Randolph College as CNU dropped a 2-1 decision in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The loss prematurely ended a marquee season in Captains lore, but would not diminish the memorable season, and careers, of one of the most accomplished rosters in CNU Athletics history.
 
Playing on the 2011 team were three current Hall of Famers while then-rookie and fifth-leading scorer Jalon Brown is also likely destined for enshrinement after the minimum five-year wait has elapsed. Lybert, Mattheisen, and Moriarty have all accepted their plaques alongside legendary head coach Steve Shaw, who also earned a spot in the HOF.
 
Contributors like Justin Wolfe, arguably the finest goalkeeper in program history, Haas, Farmer, Caleb Lewis, Alec Faulkner, Tommy O'Neal, and Andrew Bonorden could not be overlooked as the Captains put together one of the most dominant lineups ever. Christopher Newport outscored opponents 62-12 during the 2011 season, posting the second-highest goals per game average in program history while holding opponents to the lowest goals-against average ever.
 
 
For a full listing of the fall 2020 features published to date, click here.