Live Stats // Video Stream
FREDERICKSBURG, Va. -- The sixth-ranked Christopher Newport field hockey team will return to action on Saturday at 1 p.m. when the Captains square off with Messiah in a neutral-site tilt at Mary Washington's Battleground Turf Field in Fredericksburg.
Entering the weekend, CNU sits at 3-0, including 2-0 on the road. Meanwhile, Messiah is 1-2 overall and 0-1 in road games.
For those fans unable to attend the contest, live stats and a video stream of the action will be available at UMWEagles.com. Direct links to both features can be found at the top of this release and on the schedule page.
On a trip to Pennsylvania last weekend, Christopher Newport knocked off No. 18 Franklin & Marshall, 3-0, and Haverford, 4-1, on back-to-back days. Coupled with their win in the opener, the Captains improved to 3-0 for just the second time since 2018.
Headlining the program's early-season efforts,
Lily Kerr was named the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week on Monday after stretching her individual shutout streak to 174 consecutive minutes. That stands as the third-longest streak to open a season in school history, trailing only Elexa Nonsonchuk's 425-minute run in 2007 and Emma Stout's 224-minute stretch in 2006.
Along with Kerr, the back line has helped limit the opposition to a microscopic .077 shooting percentage.
Brooke Billhimer has already blocked three shots this season, including a pair against the nationally-ranked Diplomats on Saturday.
Ellie Nuckols has also deflected two rips, including a stellar play on a corner attempt by Haverford on Sunday.
Aided by those efforts, CNU currently ranks seventh in the NCAA in scoring defense with a 0.33 goals-against-average.
Offensively, the Captains are averaging 3.67 goals per game, which stands as the 13th-highest rate in the country.
Emily Evans has scored in every outing this year, becoming just the fifth player in program history to open a season with a strike in three straight games.
Avery Mast has also found the back of the cage in the last two bouts, while
Caroline Hughlett leads the squad with seven points.
Led by their early-season eruption, Caroline and
Courtney Hughlett also added their names to the history books. The twin sisters have combined for 10 points this year and 46 since arriving on campus last fall. They are now the highest scoring sister tandem in program lore, topping Bailey and Ainsley Miller, who combined for 40 points.
The Hughlett twins have also collected 13 career goals, which ranks third among sibling pairs. The Millers totaled 15 strikes at CNU, as did Corey and Kelsey Rigby.
After opening the year ranked fifth in the NFHCA National Preseason Coaches Poll, Messiah comes into the weekend on a two-game skid after dropping a pair of top-five battles. Facing one of the most difficult schedules in the country, the Falcons fell to No. 2 Johns Hopkins, 3-1, and No. 3 Salisbury, 4-0. Prior to that gauntlet, the squad kicked off the season with a 5-0 win over Dickinson.
After leading Messiah to the third round of the NCAA Tournament last year, four members of the current squad were named to the NFHCA National Preseason Watch List. Reigning All-American Aubrey Clark received the recognition after a dynamite debut season in which she posted 21 points, including nine goals. Mallory Kline, Jenna Lutz, and Teagan Murrie also earned spots on the Watch List after starring in 2023.
Saturday's match-up will mark the third all-time meeting between CNU and Messiah. The Falcons have won both previous battles, including a 2-0 decision at Mary Washington's Battleground Turf Field during a similar neutral-site showdown in 2018.
Following this weekend's action, Christopher Newport will return home on September 20 for a 4 p.m. test against Ohio Wesleyan at Jennings Family Stadium.
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