KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- After posting an unbeaten record through the first six games of the season, the Christopher Newport men's soccer team has garnered attention on the national level as the Captains have checked into the United Soccer Coaches Division III Coaches Poll in the second poll of the regular season. CNU is ranked No. 20 in the nation in the poll released on Tuesday while sporting a 4-0-2 overall record heading into this week's action. 

Sliding up to No. 20, the Captains are the highest ranked team among programs that were not listed in the Week 1 poll released a week ago. The Captains have now been nationally ranked in every season since 2018 and at least once in ten of the last eleven seasons overall. Since head coach Justin Chezem took over the program in 2019, Christopher Newport has been ranked as high as No. 8 overall and has been in Division III's top 20 in each of his six seasons. 

This year, Christopher Newport is riding a four-game winning streak after starting the year with a pair of draws. The wins have come against talented competition including William Paterson (2-1), Redlands (2-1), Rutgers-Camden (1-0), and Hampden-Sydney (3-1). Hampden-Sydney is receiving votes in the rankings this week. 

Statistically, the CNU defense has been leading the charge with just four goals allowed so far this season. A young back line that features three sophomores and one junior have played the bulk of the minutes while senior goalkeeper Hayden Dewey has played the full 540 minutes this season. Sophomore Declan Karney has also played all 540 as a key center back while classmates Josh Monzon and Carson Friedlein have helped lead the way. Junior Yazan Yaghmmour, the reigning C2C Defensive Player of the Week, rounds out the starting group that has held opponents to 0.67 goals per game. 

Dewey has posted a pair of shutouts and a perfect 4-0-2 record in goal for the Captains in his senior season. He boasts a 0.67 goals-against average and an .833 save percentage while logging 20 saves so far. 

Offensively, Christopher Newport has been balanced with nine different goal scorers through the first six games. In addition to Yaghmmour (4 pts) and Friedlin (3 pts), seven more have scored for CNU including Drew McWhinney, Caleb Jones, and Barry Jones, who have each logged game-winning goals. 

CNU will return to action this weekend as they travel to Texas for the first road trip of the 2025 season. Their first oppoonent in the Lone Star State also moved up in the rankings this week as CNU will face No. 4 Trinity University (Texas) on a neutral field this Friday, September 19 at 7:00 p.m. Then, on Saturday, September 20, the Captains will take on Hardin-Simmons University on their home field at 7:00 p.m. to wrap up the trip to the South. 

National - Poll 2 - September 16, 2025

Rank	School	Prev	W-L-T
1	Denison University	1	5-0-0
2	Rowan University	2	5-0-1
3	Emory University	3	6-0-0
4	Trinity University (Texas)	6	5-0-0
5	Augsburg University	7	7-0-0
6	Williams College	5	2-0-2
7	North Park University	8	4-0-0
8	Middlebury College	9	3-0-1
9	SUNY Cortland	4	5-1-0
10	Dickinson College	11	4-0-2
11	Ohio Northern University	12	4-0-1
12	Babson College	10	4-0-2
13	Wheaton College (Mass.)	21	4-0-1
14	Bowdoin College	17	3-0-1
15	Southwestern University	13	5-0-1
16	Amherst College	20	2-0-2
17	University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire	18	3-1-1
18	Catholic University	19	3-0-1
19	Montclair State University	16	4-0-2
20	Christopher Newport University	NR	4-0-2
21	Ithaca College	NR	5-0-0
22	Calvin University	NR	4-1-0
23	Roanoke College	15	4-1-0
24	SUNY Oneonta	14	3-1-1
25	Colorado College	RV	3-0-3

Records shown are through games of September 14, 2025

Also receiving votes: University of Mount Union (16), Brandeis University (11), St. Olaf College (10), Vassar College (9), University of Scranton (7), Hampden-Sydney College (5), University of Mary Washington (4), Washington University (Mo.) (4), Gustavus Adolphus College (3), Plattsburgh State University (1), Stockton University (1)