NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- For the second time this season, a battle of nationally-ranked unbeaten teams will be played in Newport News as the top-ranked Captains welcome in No. 17 Swarthmore College (10-0-2) on Wednesday night. Christopher Newport held onto the No. 1 ranking in this week's United Soccer Coaches national poll and will put up it's 12-0-1 overall record against the Garnet at 6:00 p.m.
There are only 15 teams that have yet to take a loss this season with both Christopher Newport and Swarthmore among them ahead of Wednesday's matchup. Earlier this season, CNU welcomed No. 12 Wisconsin-La Crosse when they were also undefeated before the Captains turned them away, 1-0. It will only be the second-ever matchup between the two teams after Christopher Newport secured a 3-2 win over the Garnet last season in a trip to Pennsylvania.
Swarthmore is the last team to net more than one goal in a game against the vaunted Captains' defense, spanning 29 games since. In those 29 games, Christopher Newport has earned 24 shutouts and allowed just five goals for a goals-against average of 0.17. A pair of CNU defenders have started every game in that stretch as
Nyah Savage and
Reanna Slater have helped lead the suffocating back line throughout the last three seasons. This year, Slater, Savage, and sophomore
Jackie Stallard have played the bulk of the minutes in the back, piling up 11 shutouts in 13 games with just two goals allowed this season.
In goal, rookie
Amy Sidaway has started nine straight for the Captains with seven solo shutouts and a 0.11 goals-against average. The rookie has made 16 saves and allowed just a single goal for a .941 save percentage in her first look against collegiate competition.
Offensively, twelve different CNU players have found the back of the net while being led by newcomer
Hanna Heaton with nine points on three goals and three assists.
Corinne Kulik,
Alex Devers, and
Katy Bronski have each added three goals so far this season as well.
Swarthmore will counter with a dangerous attack that ranks in the top-50 nationally in scoring offense with 2.83 goals scored per game. The Garnet earned a tough draw last week against nationally-ranked conference rival Johns Hopkins and picked up a 2-0 win over then-No. 25 Franklin and Marshall earlier this season. Swarthmore is led by one of the top rookies in the country in forward Ava Gizzie, who has scored a team-high 25 points on ten goals and five assists. She is one of four Swarthmore players in double figures this season including defender Karen Maze, who has three gamewinners and five assists while also leading the back line to five shutouts.
For fans unable to come out to Captains Field for the nationally-ranked showdown, live stats and a live video webcast will be available at CNUsports.com.
Following Wednesday night's matchup, the penultimate game of the regular season will be Senior Night for CNU as the Captains host Roanoke College this Saturday evening for the final home game of the year. Kickoff against the Maroons is set for 5:00 p.m.
