Live Stats // Video Stream
SALISBURY, Md. -- For the first time since joining the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference in 2014, the Christopher Newport women's lacrosse team will compete in the league's championship game as the 20th-ranked Captains will square off against No. 4 Salisbury in the title bout on Saturday at 4 p.m. at Sea Gull Stadium.
Entering the weekend, Christopher Newport boasts an 11-6 record, including a 6-4 mark on the road. Meanwhile, Salisbury sits at a perfect 14-0, including 9-0 at home.
Adhering to their campus COVID-19 guidelines, the Sea Gulls will not allow visiting fans to attend their home games this spring. However, Salisbury will provide live stats and a video stream of Saturday's action at SUSeaGulls.com. Direct links can be found at the top of this release and on the schedule page.
The Captains advanced to the finals of the conference tournament after toppling No. 24 Mary Washington, 12-9, in the semifinals on Saturday. That victory marked the squad's first at UMW in program history and the fourth over a nationally-ranked opponent this season.
Leading the way,
Cat Leighty came through with six assists, which equaled the sixth-highest total by a Captain.
Sam Wettengel also added 12 draw controls during the contest. That marked the third-highest total in program history and her fifth double-digit effort of the season. The senior now has 99 draws this year, which stands second on the school's all-time single-season charts.
In addition to the history-makers,
Becca Creekmore added a season-high 13 saves, while
Emma Jackson and
Julia Iapicca combined for five caused turnovers and four ground balls against the Eagles.
Coming into Saturday's game, several players are on the cusp of historic performances. Wettengel is one draw shy of reaching 100 for the season, which would put her alongside All-American Meaghan Galvin as the only Captains to accomplish that feat. Meanwhile, Leighty is two points away from becoming the ninth player in program history to reach the 200-point plateau for her career.
In addition to the seniors,
Zoe Dyer is also closing in on a milestone. The junior has 96 goals in her career. With four more strikes, she would become just the 16th player in program history to reach 100 goals. Incidentally, she would also become the second to reach that mark this season after Leighty deposited her 100th strike last month at Mary Washington.
Salisbury advanced to the conference championship for the 17th straight season after upending No. 22 St. Mary's (Md.), 16-7, in the semifinals. Against the Seahawks, SU stormed out to an 11-0 lead just before halftime. Although SMC chipped away at its deficit with six goals in the second stanza, the hosts eventually rolled to the victory.
Alexis Strobel, who was celebrated as the league's Offensive Player of the Year, finished with six assists against St. Mary's while pushing her NCAA-leading total to 63 this year. The Sea Gulls also boast the conference's Defensive Player of the Year as senior Carrie Hesen earned the prestigious honor. She ranks fifth in the league with 21 caused turnovers and sixth with 51 draw controls.
In the two meetings between the teams earlier this year, Salisbury picked up a 17-14 win on April 3 and a 19-11 triumph on April 14. However, Christopher Newport was tied with the Sea Gulls in the second half of both contests. Dyer leads the Captains with 11 goals against SU this season, while Leighty has a team-high seven assists. Wettengel also has 23 draws, including a record-tying 13 during their most recent match-up.
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