FREDERICKSBURG, Va. -- The third-ranked Christopher Newport women's soccer team will look to continue its successful 2024 season with a road trip to the University of Mary Washington on Saturday afternoon as the Captains put their unbeaten record on the line against the Eagles. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. as CNU (10-0-1) will face a Mary Washington squad coming off a top-25 win over McDaniel on Wednesday night.
Live stats and a live video webcast will be available for fans unable to attend in person, courtesy of the Mary Washington Department of Athletics. Links to both can be found on the CNUsports.com schedule page.
Mary Washington is 6-3-3 so far this season and unbeaten over their last four games including a 1-0 win over No. 24 McDaniel on Wednesday night. CNU has a six-game win streak against the Eagles while building the advantage in the all-time series to 18-5-2.
Riding a ten-game winning streak, the Captains have continued to add to the NCAA Division III record unbeaten streak that now stands at 78 straight games (70-0-8). Christopher Newport is coming off a 5-0 win over Southern Virginia that saw five different players register goal-scoring strikes in the contest. It also marked the seventh time in 11 games this season that CNU has scored multiple goals in a game as the offense is averaging 2.45 goals per game this season.
Leading the way is junior midfielder
Hanna Heaton, who has scored a league-high nine goals and eight assists for 26 total points this year. Graduate student
Corinne Kulik has added 10 points on four goals and two assists while fifth-year senior
Emma Ricci is close behind with nine points on three goals and three helpers. The depth of the offense has been on display all season with 10 different goal scorers and 15 players in the scoring column for the year.
One of the biggest strengths of the squad has been a dominant defense that has been difficult to score on both this year and over the span of the last four. This season,
Reanna Slater,
Nyah Savage, and
Bella DiTommaso have done the lion's share of the work on the back line with
Kyleigh Gough holding in the defensive midfield to help snuff out opposing attacks as well. The Captains have eight shutouts in 11 games, ranking 13th nationally with a .727 shutout percentage, and are among the toughest teams to score on, ranking 14th nationally with a 0.364 goals-against average.
Mary Washington will counter with a tough defense of their own, ranking 38th nationally in GAA and 39th in shutout percentage. The Eagles have allowed more than one goal in a game only twice this year, in losses to Dickinson and Bridgewater, but have also logged seven shutouts including four straight heading into Saturday's bout. In goal, Morgan Hicock, who has started six games, has surrendered just one score for a 0.17 goals-against average to rank fifth nationally. Offensively, Mary Washington is led by Eliza Franklin with three goals and Maci Landel with one goal and five assists.
Following the quick trip to Fredericksburg, the Captains will travel to Roanoke College on Tuesday evening for a 5:00 p.m. kickoff against the Maroons.
