NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- After making history with a pair of wins last week, the Christopher Newport women's soccer team continues to climb the NCAA Division III rankings. The Captains (7-0-1) are now ranked No. 3 in the nation after running their win streak to seven games and continue an unbeaten streak that has reached 75 straight games. On Wednesday, CNU will host Marymount University (2-6-2) at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday to put their new designation on the line for the first time. 

Live stats and a live video webcast will be available at CNUsports.com for all the action from Captains Field on Wednesday evening. Admission is free to watch the third-ranked Captains take on their former conference foes in the Marymount Saints, coming off a 2-0 win at Delaware Valley University on Saturday. 

CNU is 10-0-0 all-time against Marymount with the last win coming in a 7-0 final score during the first round of last year's NCAA Tournament. Christopher Newport has scored at least four goals against the Saints in each of the last six matchups dating back to the 2013 season. 

Heading into the Wednesday evening matchup, the Captains offense has heated up, scoring 11 goals in the last three contests against quality competition. First, against Trinity (Texas) on Friday, September 20, the Captains scored four goals against a defense that had previously not allowed a single goal this season. Then, they traveled to face Wisconsin-La Crosse, receiving votes in each of the last two top-25 polls, and earned a 3-1 win on the road. Finally, the Captains wrapped up the three-game stretch with a 4-0 win against Wisconsin-Eau Claire to cap a dominant goal-scoring spurt. 

The CNU offense has scored three or more goals in five of their eight games this season while being led by junior midfielder Hanna Heaton. The three-time Coast-To-Coast Offensive Player of the Week leads the team with 21 points on seven goals and seven assists this season with one gamewinner. Fifth-year senior Emma Ricci has a pair of game-winning goals while ranking second on the team with nine points on three goals and three helpers. Eight total CNU players have logged at least one goal and four more have at least one point on the year. 

The team has been anchored by a stalwart defense that continues to dominate opposing attacks. Over the 75-game unbeaten streak, CNU has 55 shutouts while featuring one of the most consistent units in Division III. Graduate student Nyah Savage has started all 75 games in her career while holding down the outside of the defense and senior Reanna Slater has 64 starts as the center back. Joining them in the starting lineup this year is sophomore Bella DiTommaso and the trio have helped limit the chances against a pair of historically great goalkeepers in Jaya Daniel and Amy Sidaway for CNU. Daniel and Sidaway each rank in the top-three in career save percentage and goals-against average while both rank in the top-ten in career wins with 20+. 

Marymount comes into the game on Wednesday night having played five road games already this season. The Saints have been led by Nicole Alvarado with nine points on four goals and one assist. Breanna Harkins has added five points on a pair of goals and one assist. 

Following the mid-week matchup, the Captains will return to action on the road this weekend as they travel to Swarthmore College, receiving votes in this week's poll, for a Noon kickoff on Saturday, October 5. 
 

National - Poll 4 - October 1, 2024

Rank	School	Prev	W-L-T
1	Washington University (Mo.)	1	9-0-1
2	Amherst College	2	6-0-2
3	Christopher Newport University	4	7-0-1
4	Carnegie Mellon University	5	7-0-3
5	Misericordia University	6	8-1-1
6	Middlebury College	7	5-0-3
7	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	3	7-1-1
8	Messiah University	9	4-1-3
9	Johns Hopkins University	11	5-1-3
10	The College of New Jersey	10	7-0-2
11	William Smith College	12	5-2-2
12	Case Western Reserve University	13	7-0-3
13	Emory University	14	6-1-0
14	University of Rochester	16	6-1-2
15	Williams College	18	5-2-1
16	New York University	19	6-0-3
17	California Lutheran University	24	5-0-3
18	Calvin University	17	4-2-2
19	Loras College	20	9-0-0
20	Washington & Lee University	21	5-1-0
21	Brandeis University	23	8-1-0
22	McDaniel College	25	7-1-1
23	Wesleyan University	RV	6-0-1
24	North Central College	15	8-3-0
25	Tufts University	22	4-2-1

Records shown are through games of September 29, 2024

Also receiving votes: Pacific Lutheran University, University of Scranton, Pomona-Pitzer Colleges, Rowan University, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, Ithaca College, Swarthmore College, Carleton College