Live Stats // Video Stream
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The 18th-ranked Christopher Newport field hockey team will host the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference Championship on Saturday at 6 p.m. when the Captains square off with Salisbury in a battle for league supremacy at Jennings Family Stadium.
Entering the title bout, Christopher Newport sits at 11-4 on the season and earned the league's top seed after claiming the regular season conference championship last week. Meanwhile, Salisbury is 10-7 after knocking off Mary Washington, 3-1, in a semifinal showdown on Wednesday.
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.
Christopher Newport comes into the weekend riding an eight-game winning streak, including a 4-1 win over York (Pa.) in the squad's last action on October 30. During that tilt,
Marcella Sabbagh posted three points for the Captains, while freshmen
Lainey Pratzner,
Katie Abendschoen, and
Maddison Steele all found the back of the cage during an epic showcase by the team's first-year phenoms.
Collectively, Pratzner, Abendschoen, Steele, and
Brooke Billhimer have totaled 44 points this season, which makes them the fourth-highest scoring freshman contingent in program history. Overall this season, Abendschoen leads all first-year competitors in the league with eight goals and 19 points. Meanwhile, Pratzner is second among conference freshmen with 13 points, while Steele is third with 10.
Rounding out the first-year standouts, Billhimer was named the league's Rookie of the Year after piecing together a breakout campaign while helping anchor the defensive unit. She also has two assists to go along with her work on the back line.
Along with the newcomers, the veterans have been equally electric in 2021. Asuncion wrapped up the regular season as the league-leader with 13 goals, which helped her earn the conference's Offensive Player of the Year award.
Mauri Ware also sits fourth in the league with 26 points, while Sabbagh is second overall with seven assists and first with five defensive saves.
Meanwhile, on the defensive side, Christopher Newport has held its opposition to one goal or less in each of the last eight games, including a streak of four straight shutouts from October 12-27. Along with Billhimer and Sabbagh,
Izzy Diz and
Nyla Lewis also earned first-team All-League accolades for their work on the defensive and midfield units.
Salisbury punched its ticket to the championship game after erasing an early 1-0 hole with three unanswered goals during a 3-1 victory over Mary Washington on Wednesday. McKenzie Mitchell posted three points during the comeback, while Allie Davis and Mack Dinopoulos also found the back of the cage. Dom Farrace added four saves between the pipes.
Overall this season, Farrace boasts a 0.98 goals-against-average and .795 save percentage. Both of those totals lead the league and earned her the conference's Player of the Year honor. Meanwhile, on the offensive side, Mitchell has a team-high 16 points, while Davis and McKenzie Jamison have six goals apiece as well.
Salisbury and Christopher Newport last met on October 27 when the Captains pulled out a 1-0 win in Newport News. Steele scored the game's lone goal off a feed from Ware in the 48th minute. On the back end,
Gabi Gray made five saves for the hosts, while Farrace added six stops for the Sea Gulls.
In 27 meetings between the two programs, Salisbury holds a 21-6 edge in the series. Saturday's game will mark the sixth time the teams have met in the conference championship, including the fourth straight season. The Sea Gulls are 5-1 in the title match-ups with three of the bouts going to overtime, including Christopher Newport's 2-1 double-overtime victory at home in 2017.
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