Live Stats // Video Stream
BALTIMORE, Md. -- The Christopher Newport field hockey team will face its second top-10 test of the season on Saturday at 11 a.m. when the Captains square off with No. 2 Johns Hopkins in a non-conference tilt at Homewood Field.
Christopher Newport enters the weekend with a 3-3 record, including a hard-fought 2-1 setback against 10th-ranked Kean earlier this month. Meanwhile, Johns Hopkins sits at 5-0 overall and 3-0 at home.
For those fans unable to attend the game, live stats and a video stream of the action will be available at HopkinsSports.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 well-rounded 4-0 victory against Catholic on Wednesday. Coupling a high-scoring attack with a suffocating defensive effort, Christopher Newport rolled to the victory. Leading the way,
Abby Asuncion collected her second hat-trick in five days after posting three goals and an assist against the Cardinals. That performance also marked her third career hat-trick, equaling the second-highest total in program history.
Along with Asuncion,
Ainsley Miller notched her first collegiate goal, while
Vivian Pope and
Emma Logue added assists. With her second-quarter strike, Miller became the fifth Captain to record her first collegiate goal in 2021, joining senior
Logan Beal and freshmen
Katie Abendschoen,
Lainey Pratzner, and
Maddison Steele.
On the defensive side, Christopher Newport has found a nice blend of youth and experience in the starting lineup. Seniors
Izzy Diz and
Nyla Lewis have teamed with junior
Marcella Sabbagh to form the veteran foundation of the defensive and midfield units. Meanwhile, freshman
Brooke Billhimer and sophomore
Chloe Thompson have also earned starts in each of their first six collegiate contests.
Johns Hopkins enters the weekend on a five-game roll, including three straight wins over nationally-ranked competition. The Blue Jays beat No. 19 Lynchburg, 2-1, on September 8 before toppling No. 8 Rowan, 3-2, on September 11. Most recently, the squad took down No. 9 Salisbury, 3-0, on Wednesday.
Showcasing a well-rounded offensive attack, Johns Hopkins has six players with at least two goals this season, including All-American midfielder Abby Birk, who leads the way with six total points. Meanwhile, on the back end, Alexis Loder and Morgan Seward have split time between the pipes while compiling a combined .750 save percentage and 0.80 goals-against-average.
In nine previous meetings between the two programs, Christopher Newport holds a 6-3 edge in the series, including a 2-1 triumph at Jennings Family Stadium during the last battle on September 8, 2019. During that showdown, Asuncion notched her first collegiate goal with the game-winner in the 55th minute, while Sabbagh had an assist and two defensive saves.
No. 2 Johns Hopkins will be the highest-ranked opponent faced by the Captains since a similar showdown with No. 2 Messiah on October 10, 2018. Diz and Lewis are the lone holdovers from that contest as Diz earned a start, while Lewis saw significant action off the bench in the 2-0 setback in Fredericksburg, Virginia.
Following this weekend's contest, Christopher Newport will return to action on September 25 when the Captains host St. Mary's (Md.) at 1 p.m.
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