Live Stats // Video Stream

YORK, Pa. -- After improving to 8-2 with a pair of wins last week, the Christopher Newport women's lacrosse team moved up to 17th in the IWLCA National Coaches Poll ahead of the program's top-20 showdown against No. 14 York (Pa.) on Wednesday at 4 p.m. at Kinsley Field.

In the latest rankings released by the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association on Monday morning, the Captains earned 183 points to secure the No. 17 position. CNU has been a mainstay in the top-25 all season long, climbing as high as 14th in the poll.

At the top of the rankings, Middlebury continued to hold down the No. 1 position, while William Smith, Tufts, Salisbury, and Franklin & Marshall rounded out the top-five.

After moving up one spot in the latest poll, the Captains will put their lofty position on the line on Wednesday when the squad squares off with York (Pa.), who remained at 14th in the latest poll. For those fans unable to attend the top-20 showdown, the Spartans will provide live stats and a video stream of the action at YCPSpartans.com.

Christopher Newport enters the week after knocking off St. Mary's (Md.) and Meredith in a pair of lopsided battles at Jennings Family Stadium. The Captains beat the Seahawks, 20-8, on Wednesday before upending Meredith, 20-3, on Saturday. That marked the first time CNU registered at least 20 goals in back-to-back games since 2018.

Headlining the offensive onslaught, Kelsey Winters led the victors with 15 total points during the two games. After posting a season-high four goals against St. Mary's (Md.), she came back with eight assists in the triumph over Meredith. Her eight helpers equaled the fourth-highest total in program history.

In addition to Winters, 14 other players registered at least one point during the week, including the first career goals by Emily Snyder and Jacqueline Thomas. Julia Iapicca and Syd Guidi also had eight strikes apiece during the two victories.

Brookelyn Morrison also pieced together a well-rounded week for the Captains. The second-year sensation led CNU with eight takeaways and 19 draw controls. Against the Seahawks, she plucked 11 draw controls, which equaled the 10th-most by a Captain in program history. On Saturday, she came back with eight draws and five takeaways, including four strips that led to goals on the other end.

Overall this season, Morrison ranks sixth in the NCAA with 33 caused turnovers. She is already nine shy of matching the single-season program record of 42, which was established by former legend Sam Wettengel in 2019. Incredibly, Morrison also ranks second in the conference in draw controls (54), third in ground balls (26), and fourth in points (31).

Among other top performers on the national stage, Winters is second in the country with 37 assists and 18th with 51 points. Hadley Chadwick is also 15th in goals-against-average with a stellar 7.21 mark. As a team, CNU is eighth in clearing percentage (.910), 23rd in scoring defense (7.40 goals-against-average), and 24th in shooting percentage (.500).

York (Pa.) comes into the week on a two-game skid after dropping hard-fought decisions against No. 6 Gettysburg and No. 7 Washington & Lee. Overall, the Spartans sit at 2-5 on the season, although all of the program's setbacks have come against nationally-ranked competition, including an 11-10 overtime loss at No. 3 William Smith.

Meanwhile, both of York's victories have come against teams receiving votes in the IWLCA poll. The squad defeated Haverford, 9-7, and Washington (Md.), 16-11. Starring during the early-season gauntlet, Madison Kurland leads the Spartans with 21 points, while Sydney Mentzer has a team-high 17 goals. Mentzer also has 34 draw controls and 18 caused turnovers, while Bella Garabo has a .442 save percentage and 11.05 goals-against-average.

In nine previous match-ups between the two programs, York holds a 9-0 edge in the series. Last year, the Spartans posted an 18-7 win in Newport News bolstered by a 10-goal third quarter. Morrison, Winters, and Iapicca all had two points for the Captains.

After Wednesday's tilt, Christopher Newport will head to Ohio for a Saturday game at Denison and a Sunday showdown at Kenyon.

---ISH---