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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- After finishing the regular season with a 14-1 record, the Christopher Newport field hockey team received a first-round bye and was selected to host the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament, which will include second and third-round games beginning on Saturday at Jennings Family Stadium.

CNU will welcome three first-round winners to town for an action-packed weekend of top-flight competition. On Saturday at 11 a.m., the Captains will kick off the postseason with a second-round match-up against the survivor of Wednesday's tilt between Ursinus and Stevens.

Along with CNU's opening foe, the two other teams in the Newport News Regional will be determined during an additional pair of midweek clashes. On Wednesday in the first round of the tournament, Salisbury will face Penn St. Harrisburg, while York (Pa.) will battle Washington and Lee. The victors of those two contests will then meet at Jennings Family Stadium on Saturday at 2 p.m..

Following the second-round action, Saturday's advancing teams will square off on Sunday at 1 p.m. with a spot in the Final Four on the line. The national semifinals will take place on November 20 at William Smith's McCooey Field in Geneva, New York before the NCAA champion is crowned on the same field on November 22.

Single-day tickets for this weekend's tournament will be $15 for adults and $5 for children under the age of 18. They can be purchased with cash only at the stadium beginning one hour before the start of each day's first game.

Meanwhile, CNU students will be admitted free of charge with a university ID.

With this year's selection, Christopher Newport will be making its sixth straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Captains join Babson, Johns Hopkins, Middlebury, Rowan, Salisbury, and Tufts as the only programs to reach the playoffs during each of the past six years. Meanwhile, CNU, Babson, and Tufts are the only squads to host at least one game in each of those tournaments.

Making history with its sixth straight hosting assignment, the field hockey program is the first sport at Christopher Newport to host a game in six consecutive national tournaments. Overall, the Captains will open the playoffs in Newport News for the 12th time in school history.

A regular presence in the NCAA Tournament, CNU will be making its 15th trip to the national playoffs this year. During the team's previous appearances, the Captains have advanced to the Sweet 16 on seven occasions in addition to two Elite Eight runs and a pair of Final Four berths in 2013 and 2025.

Earning its spot in this year's tournament, Christopher Newport has been battle-tested after facing a challenging schedule throughout the fall campaign. During the regular season, the Captains beat five nationally-ranked opponents and recorded four victories against fellow NCAA Tournament participants after topping eventual conference champions Babson, Endicott, Salisbury, and Washington and Lee.

Along with CNU, Tufts, Middlebury, and Bowdoin also earned first-round byes and were selected to host regional action this weekend.

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