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WINCHESTER, Va. -- For the first time this season, the Christopher Newport women's lacrosse team jumped into the national rankings as the Captains were slotted 25th in the latest poll released by the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association on Monday morning.
The Captains earned a spot in the top-25 for the first time since they were ranked 24th on March 17, 2025. With the most recent poll, CNU has now been ranked at least once during every season dating back to the 2021 campaign.
Holding down the top spot in the rankings, Middlebury kept its No. 1 position, while Wesleyan, Tufts, Salisbury, and Amherst rounded out the top-five.
Four of Christopher Newport's upcoming opponents also earned a spot in the poll. On Saturday, the Captains will travel to No. 6 York (Pa.) for a noon showdown in Pennsylvania. Later in the year, the program will also face road tests against No. 11 Denison on March 28, No. 19 Rowan on April 4, and No. 4 Salisbury on April 25.
In addition to the impending battles, CNU also dropped a hard-fought 15-8 decision at No. 10 Washington and Lee earlier this month.
After returning to the national rankings, the Captains will put their lofty position on the line for the first time on Wednesday with a road tilt at Shenandoah beginning at 5 p.m. For those fans unable to attend the game, live stats will be available at SUHornets.com. Shenandoah will also provide a broadcast of the action for paid subscribers of Flosports. Direct links can be found at the top of this release and on the schedule page.
Entering the midweek match-up, CNU sits at 6-1 on the season, while Shenandoah is 5-2.
Christopher Newport extended its winning streak to three straight games with a 21-4 triumph over Ursinus on Saturday. During that contest,
Faith O'Connor established a new career-high with six goals. That also marked her seventh straight hat-trick, equaling the second-longest run in program history and the finest stretch by a Captain since 2010.
Along with O'Connor,
Elena Sorkin had four goals for the victors, while
Elle Roberts collected her first career hat-trick. Meanwhile,
Brookelyn Morrison converted her 10th consecutive free-position attempt dating back to last season. That stands as the longest active streak in the nation and the third-longest stretch in school history.
Several other Captains also established new personal-bests during the win over the Bears.
Molly Campbell produced her first career multi-goal outing, while
Page Henry added a career-high three assists.
In addition to the offensive stars,
Hadley Chadwick collected five saves while picking up her 37th career victory. That moved her past former legends Gayle Robinson and Hanna Slough for the most wins by a Captain. Head coach
Lisa Valentine also pocketed her 105th career triumph since taking over the program in 2016. That moved her past Carolyn Query for the highest total in program lore.
After ripping off five straight victories to open the year, Shenandoah has dropped back-to-back decisions against Salisbury and Catholic. Despite the recent stumbles, the Hornets remain undefeated at home, including a 21-0 win over Eastern Mennonite and an 11-7 triumph against Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference member Mary Washington.
Protecting the ball, Shenandoah is averaging just over 11 turnovers per game, which stands as the ninth-best rate in the NCAA. The squad also sits 15th nationally in clearing percentage with a stellar .891 conversion rate. Meanwhile, on an individual level, Natalie Opatovsky is 37th in the country with 12 assists, while Addison Harmel has 18 goals and nine takeaways. On the back end, Maddie Gaboury has a 10.53 goals-against-average and .385 save percentage.
In 27 previous meetings between the two programs, Christopher Newport holds a 20-7 edge in the series. However, Shenandoah has won the last four battles, including a 7-3 win at Jennings Family Stadium in 2025.
Drew Stanley had two of CNU's three goals in that game, while Chadwick made nine saves.
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