Live Stats // Video Stream

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The 16th-ranked Christopher Newport field hockey team will kick off the NCAA Tournament on Wednesday at 4 p.m. when the Captains host Cabrini in the first round of the national playoffs at Jennings Family Stadium.

Entering the midweek matchup, Christopher Newport boasts a 14-5 record, including a 9-2 mark at home. Meanwhile, Cabrini is 14-4 overall and 7-3 on the road. The Cavaliers earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament after winning the Atlantic East Conference Championship, while the Captains secured an at-large berth after placing second in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference Tournament.

Tickets for Wednesday's game will be $6 for adults and $4 for children. Christopher Newport students will be admitted free with a valid university ID.

For those fans unable to attend the contest, 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.

Wednesday's game will mark Christopher Newport's 11th appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2006 and the squad's ninth postseason tilt at home. Overall, the Captains are 5-3 in playoff games in Newport News, including a 1-0 victory over Cabrini during the 2009 tournament.

Featuring a veteran-laden roster, Christopher Newport has 11 players who have experience in the NCAA Tournament. Among the standouts with playoff résumés, 10 Captains took part in last year's first-round battle against Centre. Of those, seven earned a start in that contest, including Marcella Sabbagh, who notched the squad's lone goal on a penalty stroke in the 58th minute.

Along with last year's veterans, senior Alexis Morales saw action in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament while playing at Syracuse.

So far this season, Christopher Newport has already had five battles with programs that advanced to the NCAA Tournament. The Captains knocked off Catholic and Wilson while also dropping a hard-fought 2-1 decision against Washington & Lee. Additionally, the team battled top-ranked Salisbury twice, including a showdown in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference Championship on Saturday.

In addition to the NCAA Tournament foes, Christopher Newport also posted victories over No. 17 Lynchburg and No. 13 Shenandoah during the regular season.

Entering the playoffs, Abby Asuncion has 11 assists, which is just two shy of matching Haylie Black's all-time single-season record. Her 33 total points are also tied for the 10th-most by a Captain, while Emma Logue's four game-winning tallies are currently the seventh-most in school history.

On the defensive side, Lily Kerr currently ranks third in the NCAA in goals-against-average (0.55) and fourth in save percentage (.862). Both of those totals also stand second on the program's all-time single-season charts.

Cabrini comes into the playoffs on a six-game winning streak, including a 3-0 triumph at St. Mary's (Md.) in the Atlantic East Conference Championship. The Cavaliers have also faced a challenging slate of opponents in 2022, including a 2-1 overtime victory against No. 11 TCNJ and a 5-2 setback at No. 3 Rowan.

Led by a high-powered offensive attack, Cabrini ranks ninth in the nation in goals-per-contest with a 4.17 average. The squad has recorded at least two goals in all but one game this year, including back-to-back eight-goal eruptions at the end of the regular season. Overall, the team has outscored its opposition by an average of 2.76 goals per contest, which stands as the 11th-highest rate in the NCAA.

On an individual level, Caroline Gallagher is seventh in the country in goals-per-game (1.28) and ninth in assists-per-contest (0.67). She is one of only four players in the entire NCAA to rank in the top-10 in both categories. Meanwhile, Adrianna Jones sits second on the team with 15 goals and 37 points, while Courtney Keith has a .775 save percentage and 1.41 goals-against-average.

The winner of Wednesday's tilt will advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for a showdown at No. 3 Rowan on Saturday at 11 a.m.

---ISH---