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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- After securing all 19 first-place votes, the Christopher Newport field hockey team remained at the top of the NFHCA National Coaches Poll for the fourth straight week as the Captains continue their preparation for Wednesday's showdown with St. Mary's (Md.), which will begin at 6 p.m. at Jennings Family Stadium.
CNU hauled in a perfect score of 475 to retain the No. 1 spot in the latest poll. Following the Captains, Johns Hopkins finished second in the rankings, while Babson, Salisbury, and Tufts rounded out the top-five.
So far this season, the Captains hold victories over six squads currently listed in the national poll. In addition to wins against No. 2 Johns Hopkins and No. 4 Salisbury, Christopher Newport also defeated No. 12 Stevens, No. 18 Williams, No. 23 York (Pa.), and No. 24 Washington and Lee. Meanwhile, another top-25 test awaits on Saturday as CNU welcomes No. 14 Rowan to town for a 1 p.m. bout.
Christopher Newport has not been in action since last Tuesday when the Captains wrapped up their Fall Break trip with a 1-0 win at New Paltz. That contest capped off a hectic month-long stretch for CNU, which saw the squad play 10 games in six different states, including four battles against nationally-ranked competition.
As a result of recent trips to Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and New York, Christopher Newport has only played two games at home since September 10. Overall, the Captains are 5-0 at Jennings Family Stadium this season and have outscored their opposition by a commanding 20-1 margin during those contests.
Putting that into perspective, six different Captains have scored more goals at home this season than all five of their opponents combined.
Lindsey Loar leads the roster with four strikes at Jennings Family Stadium, while
Courtney Hughlett has three tallies and a team-high 11 points. Additionally,
Riley Iasiello,
Emily Evans,
Ellie Nuckols, and
Emma Weber have all struck twice at home as well.
Along with the well-balanced offensive attack, Christopher Newport continues to boast one of the top defenses in the nation. CNU is currently tied for the NCAA-lead with 11 shutouts, while the team's 0.34 goals-against-average is the finest mark in the country. On an individual level,
Lily Kerr is ninth nationally with a stellar .857 save percentage, while
Kendall Gibson,
Morgan Shealer, and
Kelly Via have helped stabilize the back line.
St. Mary's (Md.) also comes into Wednesday's showdown with one of the country's top defensive units. The Seahawks are 10th in the nation in shutouts-per-game (0.50), 11th in save percentage (.853), and 24th in goals-against-average (1.10). The squad has not allowed a single goal in the month of October while boasting five consecutive shutouts.
St. Mary's (Md.) has been led by Sophia Kent, who sits 14th nationally with an excellent .846 save percentage. Jena Vanskiver also ranks 24th in the NCAA with five defensive saves. Offensively, Brenna Ziegler leads the team with 27 points, including 12 goals, while Emma Watkins also has 10 strikes of her own.
In 21 previous meetings between CNU and St. Mary's (Md.), the Captains hold a 19-2 edge in the series, including a pair of victories last year. After posting a 5-0 triumph during the 2024 regular season in Maryland, CNU added a 4-0 win at home in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
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