NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- After surviving all the way to the NCAA Division III National Semifinals and being one of four teams remaining in the 2024 season, the third-ranked Christopher Newport women's soccer team will open the 2025 campaign on Friday night with a fresh start alongside the rest of Division III. The Captains will welcome in the United States Merchant Marine Academy (0-0) for a 5:00 p.m. start at Captains Field before also welcoming in the College of Saint Benedict (0-0) for a Sunday afternoon tilt at 1:00 p.m.

For fans unable to attend in person, live stats and a live video webcast will be available online at CNUsports.com. Links to both can be found on the women's soccer schedule. Admission to Captains Field is free of charge for all women's soccer games throughout the season and the gates will open one hour prior to kickoff. On Friday, the women's game against USMMA is the front end of a doubleheader with the men's teams, who will face off at approximately 7:00 p.m. 

The Captains will take the field under the direction of head coach Jamie Gunderson as he enters his fifth season with an overall record of 79-2-9 for a winning percentage of nearly 93 percent.  In his four years at the helm, CNU women's soccer has outscored opponents by a count of nearly +200 (221-32) in 90 games played as the defense has been stalwart, registering 65 shutouts in that span. This season, CNU will be forced to replace three key components to that defense in graduating record-breaking stars Reanna Slater, Ellie Cox, and Nyah Savage, but an impressive contingent of the Final Four roster remains from last season. 

That includes first team All-American Hanna Heaton readying for her senior season. In two years as a Captain, Heaton has logged a mind-boggling pace of offensive production with 1.48 points per game (third-best all-time) including 0.52 assists per game (a program record). In just two seasons, she has already vaulted to sixth all-time in career assists with 23 and sits just four points shy of the top-ten all-time in career points with 65. On the other end of the field, All-Region goalkeeper Amy Sidaway is back for her third year after starting 20 games and holding opponents to just 0.48 goals against in her sophomore season. Sidaway currently ranks second among all active NCAA goalkeepers with a 0.35 career goals-against average and she has logged 22 career shutouts in her first two years. 

The Captains will be facing a Merchant Marine squad that finished the year with a 10-3-4 overall record in just the third year of the program. The Mariners reached the Skyline Conference semifinals a year ago while being powered by five All-Conference selections. First team All-Conference defender Faith Sammons is back for 2025 alongside second team forward Alexx Forman. It will be the first ever matchup between the Captains and Mariners. 

On Sunday, CNU will take on CSB for the fourth time in the all-time series while owning a 2-1-0 edge in the series. The Bennies will open the season on Friday at Virginia Wesleyan before the Sunday matchup against the Captains. Last year, Saint Benedict was 5-8-4 including wins against Wisconsin-Stevens Point and Wisconsin-Oshkosh. 

Following the first weekend of the season, Christopher Newport will remain at home next week to take on the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (Sep 5) and Mount St. Joseph (Sep 7).