Chicago: Live Stats // Video Stream
Illinois Wesleyan: Live Stats

CHICAGO, Ill. -- The Christopher Newport women's lacrosse team will head to the Midwest for a pair of games this week as the Captains square off against No. 22 Chicago on Friday at 6 p.m. before taking on Illinois Wesleyan on Sunday at 1 p.m.

So far this season, Christopher Newport sits at 6-6 overall and 2-3 on the road. Meanwhile, Chicago is 9-1, while Illinois Wesleyan is 2-9.

For those fans unable to attend the games, live stats will be available for both contests. There will also be a video stream of Friday's bout at Athletics.UChicago.edu. Direct links can be found at the top of this release and on the schedule page.

Christopher Newport enters the road trip after knocking off St. Mary's (Md.), 17-16, during a back-and-forth thriller on Tuesday at Jennings Family Stadium. Against the Seahawks, Syd Guidi posted a career-high seven goals, which equaled the fifth-highest single-game total in program history. She also added seven draw controls, becoming only the second Captain to register at least seven strikes and seven draws in a single contest.

Along with Guidi, Alexis Kasuda contributed six points, while Zoe Dyer had four goals. Meanwhile, Taylor Schoolar notched 10 saves, and Emma Jackson, Riley Rafterry-Lee, and Joely Stevens all had two takeaways apiece.

Boasting a well-rounded attack, three different Captains rank in the league's top-five in goals this season. Dyer is third with 31, Kendall Krause is fourth with 30, and Guidi is fifth with 28. Meanwhile, Kelsey Winters is first in the league and fourth in the NCAA with 51 assists.

On the other end of the field, Christopher Newport's defense has been equally adept at stopping the opposition. Rozgonyi ranks second in the league with 18 caused turnovers and 22 ground balls. Additionally, Emma Jackson is third in takeaways (16) and first in ground balls (24). The sophomore star also slots second among conference competitors with 54 draw controls.

As a team, the Captains rank 16th in the nation in shooting percentage (.511) while sporting league-best marks in draws per game (13.92) and points per contest (20.58).

Chicago enters Friday on a five-game roll, including three straight wins by double-digits. In the squad's last appearance, the Maroons blanked Elmhurst, 22-0, on Wednesday. Flashing a well-balanced attack, 11 different players scored a goal against the Blue Jays, including hat-tricks by Ali Sheehy, Anneke Pulkkinen, and Olivia Escoffery. Lally Johnson also had five points and two caused turnovers, while Rachel Keefe and Emily Feigen teamed up for the shutout.

Through 10 games, Chicago features one of the nation's elite defensive units. The Maroons are allowing only 5.40 goals per contest, which stands as the fourth-best mark in the NCAA. On an individual level, Keefe is 10th in goals-against-average (6.50) and 15th in save percentage (.556). On the offensive end, Lulu Hardy has a team-high 27 goals, and Johnson has handed out 20 assists. 

Illinois Wesleyan enters the weekend on a two-game skid and will host Augustana on Saturday before battling the Captains. In their last outing, the Titans dropped a hard-fought 11-10 decision during a marathon overtime battle. The team used a huge five-goal surge in the fourth quarter to force the extra session, but the Pioneers landed the final blow in the 66th minute to steal the victory.

Overall this season, Sarah Gleason and Mia Fiandaca lead Illinois Wesleyan with 18 goals, while Landry Elliott has a team-high 26 points and nine assists. Defensively, Cassandra Jones has tormented opponents with 20 caused turnovers while also boasting 39 draw controls and 17 goals. Between the pipes, Rebecca Rymarcsuk has a .382 save percentage and 16.46 goals-against-average.

Previously, Christopher Newport has never faced Illinois Wesleyan or Chicago in women's lacrosse.

Following the Midwest match-ups, the Captains will return home on April 16 for a 1 p.m. test against Mary Washington.

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