Live Stats // Video Stream
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The Christopher Newport field hockey team will polish off the regular season on Saturday at 5 p.m. when the Captains host York (Pa.) in a non-conference tilt at Jennings Family Stadium.
Entering the weekend, Christopher Newport boasts a 10-4 record, including a 6-0 mark at home. Meanwhile, York (Pa.) is 14-3 overall and 5-2 on the road.
For those fans unable to attend the game, live stats and a video stream of the action will be available at CNUsports.com. Direct links to both features can be found at the top of this release and on the schedule page.
The Captains are coming off of a 1-0 victory over No. 20 Salisbury on Wednesday, which locked up the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference Regular Season Championship. Defensively, the squad blanked its fourth straight opponent and extended its shutout streak to 260:13 dating back to October 9. That stands as the fourth-longest run in program history and the finest since 2017.
Headlining the defensive showcase,
Marcella Sabbagh and
Brooke Billhimer combined for three defensive saves, while
Gabi Gray made five stops between the pipes. Coupled with her 2-0 win over No. 18 Lynchburg last Friday, Gray became just the second goalie in school history to register back-to-back shutouts against nationally-ranked foes. Former All-American Bailey Lien was the only other player to accomplish that feat after brushing aside No. 13 Lynchburg and No. 11 DePauw in two straight tilts during the 2013 campaign.
Meanwhile, on the offensive end,
Maddison Steele made a little history of her own. The freshman phenom scored the game's lone goal off a feed from
Mauri Ware in the 48th minute. With that tally, Steele became just the second freshman in program history to register the game-winning goal during a 1-0 victory against a nationally-ranked opponent. All-American Brittan Muir was the only other Captain to accomplish that feat after sinking No. 18 Catholic during a 1-0 triumph on October 19, 2015.
Wednesday's victory over Salisbury also marked Christopher Newport's 22nd consecutive triumph at home dating back to the start of the 2018 season. That stands as the longest winning streak in program history and the third-longest active run in the nation. Only Middlebury (44 games) and Johns Hopkins (28 games) have won more consecutive home bouts than the Captains have.
Overall this season, Christopher Newport ranks 13th in the NCAA in goals-per-game (3.86), while the squad's seven shutouts are tied for the 16th-most by any team in the country.
York (Pa.) also enters the weekend on a roll. The Spartans have won six straight games, including shutout victories over Alvernia, Eastern, and Hood in their last three appearances. Boasting one of the nation's top defensive units, the team has compiled a microscopic 0.94 goals-against-average this season, which ranks 20th in the NCAA. Equally imposing on the other end of the field, the squad has also averaged 12.06 corners-per-contest, which stands seventh in the entire country.
On an individual level, Hannah Huffman leads York (Pa.) with 32 points, including 14 goals. Maggie Spadafora and Sam Collis have eight strikes apiece as well. Meanwhile, on the defensive side, Kaitlyn Wallace has a .722 save percentage and 0.97 goals-against-average. She has not allowed more than one goal in any of her past six appearances, and she currently has a 179-minute scoreless streak entering Saturday's tilt.
In eight previous meetings between the two programs, Christopher Newport holds a 5-3 edge in the series, including a 5-1 victory in Pennsylvania in 2019.
Abby Asuncion scored twice for the Captains during that showdown, while Collis added the lone goal for the Spartans.
Following this weekend's battle, the Captains will return to action on November 6 when the team hosts the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference Championship. Christopher Newport will take on the winner of the semifinal match-up between Mary Washington and No. 20 Salisbury, which will take place on Wednesday.
---ISH---
