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NORTHBOROUGH, Mass. -- After opening 2024 with a pair of victories over top-25 opponents, the Christopher Newport women's lacrosse team vaulted up the IWLCA National Rankings as the Captains were listed 14th in the latest poll, which was released by the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association on Monday.
Earning 249 points in the poll, CNU shot up to 14th in the rankings after opening the year slotted 24th in the nation. The 10-spot leap marked the largest of any team in the country.
The No. 14 position is also the highest attained by the Captains since April 30, 2013 when CNU climbed to 13th in the IWLCA rankings.
Along with the Captains, fellow Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference member Salisbury was ranked fifth in the latest poll. In addition to the Sea Gulls, CNU has four other upcoming tests against nationally-ranked non-conference foes. The squad will face No. 15 St. John Fisher on March 5, No. 7 York (Pa.) on March 27, No. 23 Denison on March 30, and No. 21 Kenyon on March 31.
Middlebury continued to hold down the top spot in the latest rankings, while Gettysburg, William Smith, and Tufts rounded out the top-four.
Christopher Newport earned its spot in the top-15 after knocking off Washington & Lee and Roanoke in a pair of bouts last week. Both the Generals and Maroons continue to hold positions in the latest IWLCA rankings as W&L is eighth in the country, while Roanoke is 17th.
To take down their nationally-ranked counterparts, the Captains showed off a lethal attack last week. Despite facing elite competition, CNU currently ranks 21st in the NCAA with a .548 shooting percentage and 20th with a .667 free-position rate.
Julia Iapicca paced the offense with 10 goals on just 13 total shots during the squad's first two games.
Meanwhile, on the defensive side,
Hadley Chadwick made 17 saves last week, including seven on eight-meter shots. The Captains also forced 19 turnovers, including five apiece by Iapicca and
Emma Jackson.
Looking to continue its winning ways, Christopher Newport will square off against Randolph-Macon on Wednesday at 7 p.m. The Yellow Jackets are 3-0 on the season, including 2-0 on the road. The team has gotten outstanding contributions from its goalie this year as Emma Taylor ranks third in the NCAA with 36 saves and 15th with a .590 save percentage.
Offensively, RMC has been led by Annie Bartley, who leads the team with 13 points, including 12 goals. Rianna Lowery also has eight strikes, while Evie McNeally has seven. Meanwhile, Emma Moxham has helped control possession with 14 draws to go along with six ground balls.
Wednesday's tilt will mark the 20th meeting between the two programs with CNU holding a 12-7 edge in the series. The Captains won last year's showdown, 17-9, in Ashland. During that battle, Iapicca had five goals,
Kelsey Winters added seven assists, and
Syd Guidi notched 13 draw controls.
For those fans unable to attend Wednesday's game, live stats and a video stream of the action will be available at CNUsports.com. Direct links to both features can be found at the top of this release and on the schedule page.
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