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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The fourth-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team will wrap up its four-game homestand on Saturday at noon when the Captains welcome Grove City to town for a non-conference test at Jennings Family Stadium.
CNU enters the weekend with a pristine 4-0 record, including a 3-0 ledger at home. Meanwhile, Grove City is 3-3 with a 1-3 mark on the road.
For those fans unable to attend the game, Christopher Newport will provide a broadcast of the action with Will Geise and Randy Foster calling all of the action. Additionally, live stats 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.
CNU is coming off of a pair of victories last weekend as the Captains knocked off Stevenson, 14-9, on Saturday before upending Ohio Wesleyan, 15-7, just 24 hours later. During the two contests,
Andrew Cook led the victors with 12 points, including nine goals. For that performance, he was celebrated as the Coastal Lacrosse Conference Offensive Player of the Week and earned a spot on the USILA National Team of the Week.
Along with Cook,
Warner Cabaniss was named the league's Defensive Player of the Week after winning 28 of his 38 faceoffs while nabbing 17 ground balls. Equally effective on the back end,
Brandon Young forced four turnovers, while
Mark Davison,
Ryan Almassian,
Ryan Young, and
Aidan Wheeler had three takeaways apiece.
Overall this season, Christopher Newport ranks sixth in the nation in caused turnovers per game with an average of 16.50 per contest. The program is also 14th in the nation in scoring offense (17.50 goals per game) and 21st in faceoff percentage (.692). Additionally, the team has gotten fantastic contributions from its transition units. CNU is 26th in the country in clearing percentage (.900), while the opposition has been held to a .676 rate. That stands 16th in the NCAA.
On an individual level, Cabaniss is 16th in ground balls per game (10.75) and 18th in faceoff percentage (.747), while
Drew Miller is fifth with four man-up goals.
Grove City enters the weekend on a two-game skid after dropping a 22-7 decision at No. 2 RIT on February 23 before falling, 17-14, at Roanoke on Wednesday. Facing a demanding early-season slate, the Wolverines also traveled to top-ranked Salisbury in the opener and dropped a 17-11 decision at Sea Gull Stadium.
Despite facing a tough gauntlet, Grove City sits among the national leaders in several key categories. The squad is averaging 45.00 ground balls per game, which ranks 15th in the NCAA. Additionally, the Wolverines are second in total points (152) and fifth in saves (73).
On an individual level, Matt Blythe leads the team with 20 points, including 16 goals. Zachary Hougan has also handed out nine assists, while Colton Lehberg has won 72 of his 117 faceoffs and collected 48 ground balls. Defensively, Sam Stevenson has seven takeaways, and Danny Stone boasts a .538 save percentage and 13.50 goals-against-average.
Saturday's showdown will mark the third match-up between CNU and Grove City with the Captains holding a 2-0 edge in the series. Last year, Christopher Newport notched a 23-11 win at Jennings Family Stadium.
Brett Jackson led the victors with eight points, including seven goals, while Cook handed out five assists. Cabaniss also won 26 of his 30 faceoffs and scooped up 16 ground balls.
After this weekend, CNU will hit the road for a top-five test at No. 3 Tufts on March 6 at 6 p.m.
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