NCAA Bracket

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- After piecing together a historic run during the 2021 regular season, the Christopher Newport field hockey team will continue its campaign in the NCAA Tournament as the Captains secured an at-large bid to the national playoffs and will kick off the postseason on Wednesday when the squad hosts Centre in a first-round match-up at Jennings Family Stadium.
 
Boasting an 11-5 record, Christopher Newport earned its spot among the top teams in the country after winning the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference regular season championship. During the year, the Captains climbed as high as 14th in the NFHCA National Coaches Poll despite facing one of the toughest schedules in the NCAA, which included six bouts against teams that qualified for the national tournament.

Christopher Newport will open the playoffs against Centre, who also earned an at-large bid after falling in the Southern Athletic Association Championship on Sunday. The Colonels won eight straight tilts before their loss in the title bout and currently have a 14-3 record.

The winner of Wednesday's contest will advance to the Sweet 16 for a showdown with the survivor of the Bowdoin - Eastern Connecticut State match-up. The second and third rounds will be hosted by Johns Hopkins beginning on November 13.

The national champion will be crowned on November 21 at Robin Sheppard Field in Hartford, Connecticut. 

During the 2021 campaign, Christopher Newport went undefeated in conference play while compiling a stellar 7-1 record on its home turf. Entering the NCAA Tournament, the squad currently sits 13th in the country in scoring average with a 3.69 goals-per-game rate. Meanwhile, on the other end, the Captains have posted seven shutouts, including two against nationally-ranked competition.

With the at-large selection, Christopher Newport has now qualified for the NCAA Tournament 10 times since 2006, including seven trips to the Sweet 16 and an appearance in the 2013 Final Four. Putting the Captains' run of dominance into perspective, since Carrie Moura took over as the head coach in 2003, 67 different players have spent four years with the field hockey program. Incredibly, all 67 have advanced to the national playoffs at least once during their tenure.

Wednesday's contest will also mark the eighth time that Christopher Newport has hosted a game in the NCAA Tournament. Overall, the Captains are 5-2 at home in the playoffs with their last appearance coming against Kean during the Sweet 16 in 2017. The squad previously defeated Centre at home during the second round of the 2013 tournament.

Stay tuned to CNUsports.com for all of the latest information on the NCAA Tournament.

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