Live Stats // Video Stream
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The fourth-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team will face another key non-conference test on Sunday at 1 p.m. when the Captains welcome Illinois Wesleyan to Jennings Family Stadium.
Entering the weekend, the Captains currently sit at 6-0, including 3-0 at home. Meanwhile, Illinois Wesleyan is 3-1 overall and 1-1 on the road.
For those fans unable to attend the contest, live stats will be available at CNUsports.com. Christopher Newport will also provide a broadcast of the game with Will Geise and Randy Foster calling all of the action. Direct links to both features can be found at the top of this release and on the schedule page.
The Captains are coming off their second top-20 victory of the season after knocking off No. 19 Ursinus, 16-5, on Wednesday. Against the Bears,
Max Wayne registered six caused turnovers, which equaled the seventh most by a Captain in program history.
Burke Widhelm and
Phoenix Hines also added four takeaways apiece, while
Zac Hanway contributed 10 saves.
On the offensive side,
Coby Auslander posted six assists, which equaled the second-highest total in school history.
Brady Altobello also notched five points against Ursinus. That bumped his career total to 143, which moved him past former All-American Randy Foster for the most by a midfielder in program lore.
Overall this season, Christopher Newport currently ranks third in the nation in assists per game (12.67), fourth in takeaways per contest (19.50), and sixth in ground balls per game (48.50). The squad is also averaging 18.67 goals per outing, which stands fourth in the NCAA.
On an individual level, Hines has 21 caused turnovers, which is tied for the most by any player in the nation. Meanwhile, Wayne is fourth on that list with 20. Offensively, Auslander is third in the country with 19 assists, and Rice is eighth with 34 total points.
Illinois Wesleyan comes into the weekend slotted just outside of the top-20 in the latest USILA National Coaches Poll. The Titans were the top-ranked team in the "Others Receiving Votes" category. After advancing to the NCAA Elite Eight in 2021, the team has continued to excel this year while compiling a 3-1 record, including a 14-7 win over No. 7 Colorado College in the season opener.
So far this year, Rick Smith leads the squad with 17 points, including 12 goals. He also boasts five assists, which ties him for the team-lead with Connor Kiichle and Carson Kiichle. Meanwhile, Zac Taylor has won 39 of his 72 faceoff attempts this year, while Thomas Laduzinsky has a .609 save percentage and 7.20 goals-against-average.
Sunday's match-up will mark only the second time that Illinois Wesleyan and Christopher Newport have squared off in lacrosse. The Captains won the previous battle, 24-14, on March 14, 2018. Rice had seven points in that game, including four goals.
Jackson Deal added three helpers and a pair of strikes as well.
Following this weekend's game, Christopher Newport will return to action on March 18 for a showdown with Gettysburg on the opening day of the Mustang Classic in Owings Mills, Maryland.
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