GRANTHAM, Pa. -- In a mid-season Top 25 showdown, the 17th-ranked Christopher Newport men's soccer team will travel to No. 2 Messiah University (8-0-1) on Saturday for a 6:00 p.m. kickoff against the Falcons. The Captains are 7-1-0 and winners of five straight heading into the weekend bout against Messiah. 

Messiah enters the contest with an unbeaten record and seven straight victories. The Falcons are 5-0-0 at home this season while Christopher Newport is 1-0-0 in games away from Captains Field. The all-time series favors Messiah, 7-0-0, with the last matchup coming in the 2016 NCAA Tournament on November 13, 2016. 

Weather permitting, live stats and a live video webcast will be available for all the action from Shoemaker Field in Grantham, Pa. Links to both can be found on the soccer schedule at CNUsports.com. 

This season, the Captains have leaned on a dominant defense that ranks in the top-ten nationally in goals-against average with a 0.384 mark. CNU ranks 16th in shutout percentage (.625) and ninth in save percentage (.885). Senior goalkeeper Ethan Larson is ranked in the top-15 natioanlly with a 0.410 goals-against average and has quickly raced out to seven wins in his first eight starts. 

Offensively, the Captains enjoyed a burst of goals in the last game, winning 4-0 at Hampden-Sydney College. Senior defender Kyle Stenzel netted the winner, his second of the season, and ranks second on the team in scoring with five points. Fellow senior Brendan Todd also has a pair of game-winning goals and leads the squad with six total points on three goals scored. 

Alex Risko scored off a rebound against the Tigers, getting into the goals column for the first time this year and becoming the 11th different CNU player to register at least one goal scored in 2022. Elton Quintanilla also scored his first goal while wearing the Captains' Royal Blue and Silver, while Todd picked up his third goal in four games. 

Messiah will counter with one of the nation's top offensive units, having scored 34 goals in the team's first nine games. The Falcons have scored 90 points, averaging 10 per game, and ranking fourth in the nation. Senior forward Matt McDonald leads the way with 21 points already this season, scoring 10 goals with one assist. Cole Cristian and Ben Lefever have each chipped in nine points so far. 

Following Saturday night's matchup, the Captains will return home to take on Virginia Wesleyan University on Wednesday, October 5 at 6:00 p.m.