GRANVILLE, Ohio -- After starting the season with eight straight home games, the nationally-ranked Christopher Newport men's soccer team will hit the road for the first time this weekend with a trip to Ohio. The Captains (5-0-3) will first take on Denison University at 7:00 p.m. on Friday night before traveling to Kenyon College, ranked in the top-five nationally, for a 11:00 a.m. tilt on Sunday morning. 

Live stats and a live video webcast will be available for both games. Links to both can be found on the men's soccer schedule at CNUsports.com. 

CNU will be facing Denison for just the third time with the previous two matchups coming in the early 2000's. CNU captured a 1-0 win at home in 2004 and a 3-1 win on the road in 2005. The bout against nationally-ranked Kenyon will be the first ever between the two programs. 

The Captains are coming off a 1-0 win against then No. 9 Rowan University and a 1-1 draw against No. 3 Colorado College. The back-to-back matchups against top-ten teams concluded an eight-game homestand that saw CNU go 5-0-3 to start the year. In those eight games, CNU has posted five shutouts to rank 22nd nationally in shutout percentage this season with a 0.625 goals against average that ranks in the top-40 in Division III. 

Sophomore goalkeeper Hayden Dewey has played the majority of the season between the pipes for the Captains and has contributed to all five shutouts. He has four solo efforts and one combined shutout this season in eight starts while boasting a 73.7% save percentage. In front of him, junior Asher Kuzemka, senior Caleb Jones, sophomore Yazan Yaghmmour, and rookie Declan Karney have combined to hold opponents to just 8.4 shots per game this season. 

Offensively, sophomore Manzi Siibo has had a solid start to head the team with eight points on four goals, including two gamewinners. His strike from 20 yards out last weekend toppled the top-ten Profs of Rowan and he has also scored against Rosemont and Stockton this season. Jason LaViola leads the team in assists, with four, and ranks second on the team in scoring with six total points. 

Denison is off to a great start as well, logging an overall record of 4-1-2 this season. The Big Red defeated Transylvania on the road and tied Case Western Reserve in their last two contests. Denison ranks ninth nationally in shutout percentage and 14th in GAA while featuring a formidable defense led by goalkeeper Tommy Prokos. 

Kenyon will play against Otterbein on Friday night but enters the weekend with a pristine 5-0-2 overall record. The Owls have already faced three teams in the top-25 and earned positive results against all three with one-goal victories against No. 15 Ohio Northern and No. 24 Johns Hopkins before earning a 1-1 draw at No. 17 Franklin and Marshall. Kenyon is averaging 2.29 goals per game while being led by Alem Duratovic with 17 points on eight goals and one assist. 

Following the trip to Ohio, the Captains are off until Wednesday, October 9 when they welcome Washington and Lee University to Newport News for a 5:00 p.m. kickoff.