Live Stats // Video Stream

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The Christopher Newport women's lacrosse team will open up the 2026 campaign on Friday at 5 p.m. when the Captains host Berry at Jennings Family Stadium.

Although Friday's contest will serve as the opener for CNU, Berry already sits at 1-0 after knocking off Transylvania, 20-4, on Sunday.

For those fans unable to attend the game, live stats and a video stream of the action will be available at CNUsports.com. Direct links to both features can be found at the top of this release and on the schedule page.

Christopher Newport is coming off of a 2025 campaign during which the team climbed as high as 15th in the national rankings while advancing to the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference Championship. Although last year's squad graduated five seniors, nine players are back after starting at least half of the games last spring. That group includes Preseason All-Americans Brookelyn Morrison, Faith O'Connor, and Gabby Saia.

Featuring a loaded veteran core, the 2026 Captains boast five players who scored at least 20 goals last year. O'Connor led the team with 36 strikes in 2025, while Morrison, Kate Lamendola, Elena Sorkin, and Drew Stanley also scored with regularity. Meanwhile, this year's defensive unit is equally stocked with experienced stars.

On the back end, Saia and Carys May both started all 19 games last season while combining for 43 caused turnovers. Rising sophomore Jess Hulse also had a dozen strips, while Hadley Chadwick has been a staple between the pipes over the past three seasons. Entering her senior year, she ranks third in school history with 31 career wins and fourth with 357 saves. 

Along with the offensive and defensive standouts, CNU also welcomes back All-Conference draw control specialist Emilie Shoults. The junior captain hauled in 47 draws last spring while helping the Captains control possession throughout the year.

On the other side of the field, Berry was picked second in the Southern Athletic Association Preseason Coaches Poll after advancing to the conference semifinals last season before finishing with a 12-7 record. The Vikings feature five reigning All-Conference performers, including senior Dani Taraska. The fourth-year standout was an All-Region selection last spring after pacing the squad with 64 points and 52 caused turnovers.

Along with Taraska, Katie Claire Smith, Katherine Herrero, Myskina Bolavong, and Elisabeth Vickrey are back after garnering All-League recognition in 2025. On the offensive side, Smith finished last season with 39 goals, while the other three were stars on the defensive end. Herrero forced 33 turnovers, Vickrey had 18 takeaways, and Bolavong pocketed 136 saves while producing an 11.69 goals-against-average.

In addition to the veterans, Berry already features a pair of award-winning freshmen. Lillie Swanson had six points, including five goals, in the season-opening victory over Transylvania on Sunday, while Shelby Klayman had five ground balls and two caused turnovers. For their efforts, the first-year sensations were named the SAA Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week on Monday.

Friday's match-up will be the first meeting between Berry and CNU in women's lacrosse. 

After this week's opener, Christopher Newport will return to action on February 21 for a 3 p.m. battle with Roanoke at Jennings Family Stadium.

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