NFHCA Poll

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Heading towards the NCAA Tournament, the Christopher Newport field hockey team remained on top of the NFHCA National Coaches Poll for the seventh straight week as the Captains held onto the No. 1 position in the final rankings released by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association on Tuesday morning.

After rising to the top spot on September 30, CNU was selected as the unanimous No. 1 team in the nation the following week and stayed in that position for the rest of the year. Along with the Captains, Johns Hopkins remained second in the rankings, while Babson, Bates, and Salisbury rounded out the top-five.

Because the NFHCA does not rank teams after the start of the NCAA Tournament, Tuesday's poll was the final one of the 2025 season. Christopher Newport began the year ranked sixth in the preseason release before climbing to fourth in the first regular season poll. Then, after two weeks slotted second in the rankings, CNU settled into the top spot and never looked back.

The 2025 Captains are the first team in program history to finish first in the final NFHCA National Coaches Poll. Previously, three other squads earned top-five marks. The 2023 team concluded the year ranked third in the nation, while the 2013 and 2017 crews both finished fourth.

During the regular season, Christopher Newport recorded victories over six teams that wrapped up the year ranked in the top-25. The Captains knocked off No. 2 Johns Hopkins, 5-3, on August 31 before upending No. 22 Washington and Lee, 1-0, on September 7. Later, the program topped No. 10 Stevens, 2-1, on September 28 before matching that score in a double-overtime thriller against No. 5 Salisbury on October 8.

CNU also posted a pair of shutouts against nationally-ranked competition at the tail end of the regular season after blanking No. 18 Williams, 2-0, on October 12 and No. 13 Rowan, 3-0, on October 25.

Overall, the Captains concluded the regular season as the nation's only undefeated team after compiling a 17-0 record entering the NCAA Tournament. Along with boasting the country's highest winning percentage, Christopher Newport also ranks first in goals-against-average (0.34) and shutouts-per-game (0.76) while slotting second in save percentage (.887) and 15th in goals-per-contest (3.47).

Selected as the top seed in the national playoffs, CNU earned a first-round bye and will host the opening weekend of action at Jennings Family Stadium. The Captains will open up the tournament on Saturday at 11 a.m. with a match-up against the winner of a first-round tilt between No. 13 Rowan and No. 17 Lynchburg.

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