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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The fourth-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team will open up the 2023 campaign at home on Saturday at noon when the Captains welcome Grove City to town for a non-conference showdown at Jennings Family Stadium.
Saturday's bout will mark the first collegiate contest for both teams since they took part in last year's NCAA Tournament. Christopher Newport reached the Elite Eight in 2022, while Grove City was knocked out in the second round of the national playoffs.
Fittingly, both squads kick off 2023 with high expectations as the Captains were slotted fourth in the USILA National Coaches Poll, while Grove City received votes and settled into a spot just outside of the top-20.
For those fans unable to attend Saturday's game, live stats will be available at CNUsports.com. Christopher Newport will also provide a broadcast of the contest 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.
Christopher Newport welcomes back an impressive contingent from last year's squad, which posted an 18-2 record while spending three weeks as the unanimous No. 1 team in the USILA National Coaches Poll. Among the headliners,
Coby Auslander was named the
USA Lacrosse Magazine National Preseason Player of the Year, while
Campbell Pozin is the reigning National Short-Stick Defensive Midfielder of the Year.
Along with Auslander and Pozin, seven other Captains were named Preseason All-Americans. The decorated standouts include seniors
Andrew Cook,
Ryan Young,
Burke Widhelm,
Zac Hanway,
Alex Brendes, and
Drew Miller as well as sophomore faceoff specialist
Warner Cabaniss.
Auslander finished last season ranked 25th in the NCAA with 46 assists, while Cabaniss was 27th with a .651 faceoff percentage. Meanwhile, on the defensive end, Hanway finished 2022 ranked 13th nationally with a stellar 8.09 goals-against-average, while Young and Widhelm were key figures on the back line that helped the squad lead the country with an average of 17.95 takeaways per game.
Grove City returns a pair of USILA All-Americans from last year's roster. Cody Adams and Brett Gladstone both received national plaudits for their efforts. Adams anchored a defense that surrendered just 8.90 goals per game. Meanwhile, Gladstone produced 17 multi-goal efforts before finishing with a team-high 84 total points.
Along with Gladstone, Matt Blythe collected 56 goals and 20 assists during an electric freshman campaign. Overall, the Wolverines finished 2022 ranked fifth in the nation in scoring offense after producing 18.45 goals per contest.
Grove City finished last season with a 15-5 record while capturing the program's third consecutive Presidents' Athletic Conference Championship. Eventually, the team was nipped in the second round of the national playoffs during a 14-13 setback against No. 19 Denison.
Saturday's contest will mark the second match-up between the two programs. Christopher Newport recorded a 21-9 triumph last year. Brendes deposited four goals for the Captains, while Miller, Cook, and
Robby Adams all had a pair of strikes. Cabaniss also won 15 of his 26 faceoffs and snatched eight ground balls.
Following Saturday's game, Christopher Newport will return to action on February 25 when the team travels to Owings Mills, Maryland for a 7 p.m. test against No. 16 Stevenson.
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