Live Stats // Video Stream
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Remaining at the top of the NFHCA National Coaches Poll for the second straight week, the Christopher Newport field hockey team earned all 19 first-place votes in the latest rankings ahead of Wednesday's top-five test against No. 3 Salisbury, which will take place at 4 p.m. at Jennings Family Stadium.
Continuing to make history, the Captains became just the third program since the end of the 2016 season to be the unanimous No. 1 team in the country. Previously, Middlebury earned every first-place vote earlier this year on September 16 and 23, while Messiah accomplished the feat on October 17, 2017.
Following CNU, Johns Hopkins moved up to second in the latest poll, while Salisbury, Middlebury, and Bates rounded out the top-five.
In addition to the Sea Gulls, two more of Christopher Newport's upcoming opponents earned a spot in the most recent rankings. CNU will travel to No. 11 Williams on Sunday at noon before hosting No. 16 Rowan on October 25 at 1 p.m. Meanwhile, the Captains already hold wins against No. 2 Johns Hopkins, No. 9 Stevens, and No. 19 York (Pa.).
Entering Wednesday's midweek matinee, Christopher Newport sits at 11-0 on the season, including 4-0 at home. Meanwhile, Salisbury is 9-1 with a 4-1 mark on the road.
For those fans unable to attend the game, live stats and a video stream of the action will be available at CNUsports.com. Direct links to both features can be found at the top of this release and on the schedule page.
Coming into Wednesday's tilt, the two teams have similar statistical résumés. On the back end, Christopher Newport is first in the nation in scoring defense with a 0.35 goals-against-average, while the Sea Gulls are fifth with a 0.50 rate. Additionally, CNU leads the country with nine shutouts, and SU is second with eight.
Meanwhile, on the offensive side, the Captains are averaging 3.73 goals per game, which is the 13th-best mark in the NCAA. Salisbury stands 14th in that statistic with a 3.70 average.
On an individual level,
Lily Kerr is second in the country with a 0.40 goals-against-average, and
Lindsey Loar is 48th with a 0.82 goals-per-game rate. On the Salisbury side, Kelly Davis is fifth with a 0.58 goals-against-average, while Marli McDorman is producing 0.90 goals per outing.
Both programs also have three wins against teams currently listed in the latest national rankings. Earlier this year, both squads defeated No. 19 York (Pa.) with CNU registering a 2-0 win and the Sea Gulls posting a 4-0 triumph. Additionally, Christopher Newport has defeated No. 2 Johns Hopkins and No. 9 Stevens, while Salisbury has topped No. 15 Shenandoah and No. 25 Stevenson.
Along with the three victories, SU also dropped a hard-fought 3-2 decision to No. 3 Johns Hopkins on September 10. Since then, the Sea Gulls have not allowed a single goal, collecting six straight shutouts, including the aforementioned wins over York, Shenandoah, and Stevenson.
In 35 previous meetings between the two programs, Salisbury holds a 27-8 edge in the series, including three wins during the 2024 campaign. After securing a 3-1 triumph in the regular season last year, the Sea Gulls notched a pair of overtime shootout victories in the playoffs, including the final triumph in the NCAA Elite Eight.
Following Wednesday's game, Christopher Newport will hit the road for a trip to No. 11 Williams on Sunday at noon before trekking to SUNY New Paltz next Tuesday at 11 a.m.
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