Live Stats // Video Stream
ST. MARY'S CITY, Md. -- The Christopher Newport women's lacrosse team will continue its five-game road swing on Wednesday at 4 p.m. when the Captains travel to St. Mary's (Md.) for a non-conference test at Jamie L. Roberts Stadium.
Entering the contest, Christopher Newport sits at 6-5 on the season, including 2-0 on the road. Meanwhile, St. Mary's (Md.) is also 6-5 with a 2-1 mark at home.
For those fans unable to attend the game, live stats and a video stream of the action will be available at SMCMAthletics.com. Direct links to both features can be found at the top of this release and on the schedule page.
The Captains come into the battle on a four-game winning streak, including a 17-9 victory at Randolph-Macon last Wednesday. Against the Yellow Jackets, Christopher Newport secured 23 draw controls, which marked the fourth-most in program history and the highest total since 2013. Leading the way,
Syd Guidi pocketed 13 draws of her own, which equaled the second-most by a Captain.
Along with her work on the draw, Guidi also contributed five points, including four goals. For that performance, she was celebrated as the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week.
In addition to Guidi's award-winning performance,
Kelsey Winters handed out seven assists, which equaled the sixth-highest total by a Captain.
Julia Iapicca also chipped in with a career-high seven points, while
Brookelyn Morrison added a hat-trick. On the other end of the field,
Riley Rafterry-Lee scooped up a season-high four ground balls, while Morrison added three takeaways.
Showing off her well-rounded skill set, Morrison eventually finished the game with three goals, three caused turnovers, three ground balls, and three draw controls. She became just the third Captain in school history to record three of each in a single game, joining former legends Julia Golden, who did it against Frostburg State on April 13, 2019, and Lauren King, who accomplished it against Ferrum on March 17, 2012.
In addition to the squad's historic work against Randolph-Macon, Christopher Newport has controlled possession throughout the season. The Captains currently rank first in the league with an average of 13.73 draws per contest. On an individual level, Guidi slots third in the conference with 34 draws, while Morrison is fourth with 33. Iapicca and
Emma Jackson also rank in the top-10 on the league charts.
Along with their work on the draw, the Captains also lead the league - and rank 15th nationally - in takeaways per game with a 13.55 average. Jackson leads the way with 18 caused turnovers, while
Maddie Rusinko sits second with 17.
St. Mary's enters the midweek battle on a two-game roll, including a 13-10 triumph over Lebanon Valley last Friday. During that game, Bella Dunigan and Hailey Betch had five points apiece, while Colin Horton added four strikes and five draw controls. Between the pipes, Maddie Clemmer collected 12 saves to earn the win.
Overall this season, Betch ranks 16th in the NCAA with a .769 free-position percentage. As a team, the Seahawks have converted 49 percent of their eight-meter attempts while also slotting 24th in the NCAA in draw controls per game (16.82). Betch leads the squad with 42 goals and 14 assists, while Dunigan has a team-high 40 draws. On the defensive end, Rachael Freeman has 11 takeaways, while Clemmer boasts a .428 save percentage and 12.64 goals-against-average.
In 20 previous meetings between the two programs, Christopher Newport holds an 11-9 edge in the series. Last year, the Captains picked up a 17-16 win in Newport News. Guidi had seven goals for the victors, while Betch secured a game-high eight draw controls for SMC.
After Wednesday, Christopher Newport will return to action on April 15 for a 6 p.m. trip to Roanoke.
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