BRIDGEWATER, Va. -- After a two-week layoff in the middle of the season, the Christopher Newport women's soccer team returns to action on Saturday afternoon as the Captains (6-1-3) travel to Bridgewater College for a 4:00 p.m. kickoff. Bridgewater enters the matchup with a 10-1-2 overall record with a 10-game unbeaten streak on the line.
Live stats and a live video webcast ($) will be available online courtesy of the Bridgewater College Department of Athletics. Links to both can be found on the women's soccer schedule at CNUsports.com.
Prior to the two-week break, the Captains had registered a six-game unbeaten streak and are coming off back-to-back 1-0 road wins at Catholic and Roanoke. In that six-game segment, Christopher Newport earned a 1-1 draw at No. 8 Emory University and also picked up wins against Stockton and Oglethorpe.
It will be just the fourth ever matchup between Christopher Newport and Bridgewater women's soccer and the first pairing since the 2006 season. CNU earned the win in each of the first three meetings with wins in 2001 (1-0), 2002 (3-1), and 2006 (9-1).
Christopher Newport has leaned on its suffocating defense throughout the season and ranks third nationally in goals-against average (0.30) so far this year. With senior goalkeeper
Amy Sidaway leading the way, the CNU defense also ranks fifth in Division III save percentage (.917) and 20th in shutout percentage (.700). The Captains have logged seven shutouts in ten games so far this season and Sidaway has earned the clean sheet in all seven, climbing to 17th all-time in career shutouts at the Division III level.
Playing in front of the more-than-competent netminder is a back line that continues to strengthen as the year goes on. Senior Bella DiTomasso pairs with rookie
Catie Borsuk on the outside while sophomores
Malayah Warner and
Nora Cook patrol the middle of the defense. Warner and Cook have not yet left the field of action this Fall with a full complement of 900 minutes, joining Sidaway for the team lead.
On the other end of the field, the Captains have displayed tremendous depth of goal-scoring ability with eight different CNU players finding the back of the net and five different game-winning goal scorers. Junior forward
Grace Shifflett has a team-high five points on two goals and one assist while junior
Ellie Diehl has also registered multiple goals with a pair.
Bridgewater will counter the CNU squad with a dominant defense of their own that ranks fifth nationally in goals-against average with a 0.308 mark. In 13 games played, the Eagles have surrendered a goal in just three of them and rank fourth nationally with a .769 shutout percentage. Erinn Lockard leads the way in goal with a 0.32 GAA and .914 save percentage for the Eagles. Offensively, Bridgewater is averaging over 3.75 goals per game and features a pair of 20-point scorers in Brianna Curro (21 pts; 6g, 9a) and Laura Narby (20 pts; 8g, 4a).
Following the road trip to Bridgewater College, the Captains will return to the home field on Tuesday, October 20 with a matchup scheduled against Southern Virginia University. Kickoff against the Knights is slated for 7:00 p.m.
