COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- After improving to 6-0 on the season, the Christopher Newport field hockey team climbed to fifth in the NFHCA National Coaches Poll and earned a first-place vote in the most recent rankings, which were released by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association on Tuesday morning.

After spending the previous two weeks ranked sixth in the poll, the Captains hauled in 1,333 points to move to fifth in the latest release. CNU also secured a first-place vote for the first time this season.

Holding down the top spot, Middlebury earned 60 first-place votes, while Salisbury picked up three to secure the No. 2 position in the poll. Williams, Johns Hopkins, and CNU rounded out the top-five.

Christopher Newport has a pair of top-25 tests remaining in the regular season. Along with a Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference clash against No. 2 Salisbury on October 16, the Captains will also host No. 21 SUNY New Paltz in a non-league battle on October 19. Meanwhile, CNU already holds a win over York (Pa.), who climbed to eighth in the latest NFHCA rankings.

After posting a pair of triumphs last week, Christopher Newport is off to a 6-0 start for just the third time in program history. Capitalizing on an outstanding defensive unit, the Captains currently rank fifth in the nation in scoring defense (0.50 goals-against-average) and eighth in save percentage (.864). The squad has shut out three of its first six opponents while allowing one goal or less in every contest.

Also boasting a well-balanced offensive attack, CNU is one of only three field hockey teams in the nation that has scored at least two goals and surrendered one or less in every game this season. In that exclusive club, the Captains are joined by North Carolina and Middlebury, who happen to be the top-ranked teams in both Division I and Division III.

Christopher Newport will return to action on September 28 when the Captains travel to Poughkeepsie, New York for an 11:30 a.m. showdown at Vassar.

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