Live Stats // Video Stream

LEXINGTON, Va. -- The 24th-ranked Christopher Newport women's lacrosse team will kick off the 2024 campaign on Wednesday at 6 p.m. with a nationally-ranked showdown against No. 7 Washington and Lee at Alston Parker Watt Field.

The midweek battle will mark the first action of the year for the Captains, while the Generals enter the contest with a 1-0 record after knocking off No. 4 Franklin & Marshall, 17-10, on Sunday.

For those fans unable to attend the game, live stats and a video stream of the action will be available at GeneralsSports.com. Direct links to both features can be found at the top of this release and on the schedule page.

CNU enters the new season with a veteran-laden roster that helped the program advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season. The current Captains accounted for 91 percent of last year's points and 237 of the 264 total goals. Meanwhile, 10 players are back after starting at least half of the games last year, including three starting defenders and the top-six leading scorers.

Kelsey Winters enters her fifth year with the Captains as a Preseason All-American after being recognized by USA Lacrosse Magazine earlier this month. Her 203 career assists are not only the most in school history, but they also rank ninth on the all-time Division III charts.

Along with Winters, Julia Iapicca was an IWLCA All-American in 2023, while Emma Jackson picked up national plaudits from USA Lacrosse Magazine. Syd Guidi and Brookelyn Morrison also were named All-Region performers for their work last year.

Among other veterans on the squad, Hope Hunter joins Winters and Iapicca as a fifth-year Captain after producing 25 goals in 2023, including a school-record five man-up tallies. 

In addition to Jackson and Guidi, the program also features a talented collection of fourth-year seniors. Eleanor Collins has served as the centerpiece of the program's draw control unit over the past three seasons, while Sloane McDonald contributed 29 points in 2023. Blake Hopkins has also earned multiple starting assignments during each of her three years with the program, including 15 as a junior in 2022.

Washington and Lee enters Wednesday after piecing together a decisive victory against No. 4 Franklin & Marshall over the weekend. Leading by four at halftime, the Generals opened the second half with four straight strikes on the way to the 17-10 triumph. Julia Thomson led the victors with eight points, while Caroline Kranich had 15 saves. For their work, they were named the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week.

Similar to the Captains, the Generals welcomed back an outstanding group of veterans from last year's team, which notched a 19-2 record and advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament. Among the squad's top returners, Eugenie Rovegno, Hanna Bishop, and Shannon Timoney were all named Preseason All-Americans.

In 16 previous match-ups between the two programs, Washington and Lee holds a 15-1 edge in the series. Last year, the Generals posted an 11-8 win in Newport News. During that contest, Iapicca netted her third goal of the game to knot the score at eight at the end of the third period, but the visitors collected the game's final three tallies to secure the win.

Following Wednesday's bout, Christopher Newport will make its home debut on Saturday at 1 p.m. when the Captains host No. 16 Roanoke at Jennings Family Stadium.

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