NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Closing out a full slate of activity on campus Saturday evening, the nationally-ranked Christopher Newport men's soccer team will host Mary Washington (4-2-1) at 6:00 p.m. on Family Weekend. The Captains are 5-1-0 and have won three straight coming into the matchup at Captains Field.
The game will serve as the nightcap to a busy day around CNU Athletics facilities. The top-ranked CNU women's program will kick things off at 11:00 a.m., followed by a 2:00 p.m. opening kick for the Captains' football team. The 6:00 p.m. start against the Eagles for men's soccer will be the 52nd all-time meeting between the two programs, with Christopher Newport holding a 25-21-5 edge in the all-time series.
The rivalry has been back-and-forth over the last several years, with neither team winning two in a row since 2017-18. Saturday's bout will be the first of two matchups against the Eagles this season as CNU will make a return trip to Fredericksburg for the penultimate game of the regular season on October 22 at 2:30 p.m.
For fans unable to make it to Captains Field on Saturday, live stats and a live video webcast will be available of all the action. Links to both can be found on the CNU Men's Soccer schedule at CNUsports.com.
The Captains moved back into the national rankings after a pair of wins against quality sides last weekend, defeating then-No. 23 Covenant and No. 25 UT Dallas, each by a 1-0 score. This weekend, the tough schedule continues as they face a Mary Washington squad that is receiving votes in both the United Soccer Coaches National Rankings and the D3soccer.com Top 25. The Eagles are coming off a 2-2 draw against nationally-ranked Lynchburg in their last contest.
CNU has been powered by a dominant defense that has limited opposing chances this year. They will face a potent Mary Washington attack that is averaging nearly three goals per game so far. The Captains back line of
Jonah Fitz,
Kyle Stenzel,
Ryan Kiely, and
Jacob Dudley has been complemented by reserve
Jonathon Leiding and the sturdy services of starting defensive midfielder
Trevor Smith.
Offensively, the Captains have showed some depth with eight different goal scorers contributing to ten tallies this season. Rookie
Asher Kuzemka and senior
Brendan Todd have scored a pair with three game-winning goals between them.
Mary Washington will counter with a veteran scoring corps led by senior Josh Kirkland. The Eagles' leading scorer has 15 points on seven goals and one assist and was named the United Soccer Coaches National Player of the Week earlier this season. Six of the team's seven leading scorers are juniors or seniors, including Juan Vargas, who ranks second on the team with seven points on three goals and one helper.
The match on Saturday closes a seven-game homestand to start the 2022 season for Christopher Newport men's soccer, who will hit the road for two before returning to Captains Field on October 5. Next up, CNU will travel to Hampden-Sydney College on Wednesday, September 28 at 7:00 p.m.
