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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- After returning from its first road trip of the season, the Christopher Newport women's lacrosse team will kick off a three-game homestand on Saturday at 1 p.m. when the Captains host Lynchburg at Jennings Family Stadium.

Entering the weekend, CNU sits at 3-1 on the season, including 3-0 at home. Meanwhile, Lynchburg is 4-0 with a 3-0 mark on the road.

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 back at home after dropping a hard-fought 15-9 decision at No. 11 Washington and Lee on Wednesday. Against the Generals, Faith O'Connor collected four points, including three goals. That outburst was her fourth consecutive hat-trick, making her the first Captain to open a season with four straight hat-tricks since former legend Erin Callahan kicked off 2014 with a five-game roll.

Extending her own streak on the opposite side of the field, freshman Sam Murphy caused a pair of turnovers against W&L. That marked her fourth consecutive outing with multiple takeaways, equaling the longest stretch by a Captain since longtime star Julia Golden ran off five straight from February 27 - March 16, 2019.

Along with the historic performers, Hadley Chadwick notched a season-high eight saves, while Brookelyn Morrison collected five draw controls, four caused turnovers, and a pair of goals. Kate Lamendola also found the back of the net twice in a two-minute span during the third quarter, which helped headline CNU's second-half comeback bid.

In addition to Murphy's streak of defensive domination, Gabby Saia continued her own stretch of excellence on Wednesday. The junior has notched at least one takeaway in seven straight appearances dating back to last year. That stands as the longest run of her career.

Overall, Christopher Newport is averaging 16.00 takeaways per game this season, which is the highest rate in program history. Morrison leads the way with 13 caused turnovers, while Murphy has a dozen. Rounding out the high-volume thiefs, Saia has eight strips, while Lamendola and Molly Campbell have seven each.

Morrison is also one ground ball away from breaking into the top-10 on the program's all-time career charts. The reigning All-American has secured 126 rollers during her tenure with the Captains. That is one shy of matching former greats Rachel Tomlinson, Mariah Ginebra, and Emma Jackson for the 10th-most in school history.

Lynchburg comes into Saturday after posting a 20-0 shutout against Sweet Briar on Wednesday. During that battle, the Hornets did not surrender a single shot while polishing off a defensive masterpiece. The victors came away with 12 caused turnovers, including a pair by Peyton Radford and Gabriella Strano. Meanwhile, on the offensive side, Sydney Dumas and Elizabeth Poitras chipped in with hat-tricks.

So far this season, Lynchburg ranks 15th in the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 3.75 goals per game. The Hornets are also 17th in clearing percentage with a .915 conversion rate. On an individual level, Dumas is 16th nationally with 17 goals, while Olivia Owings' 3.71 goals-against-average is the 10th-best mark in the country.

Saturday's showdown will mark the 22nd all-time meeting between the two programs with CNU holding a 15-6 edge in the series. Last year, the Captains posted a 13-4 win at Shellenberger Field. Lamendola led Christopher Newport with five goals, while O'Connor and Emilie Shoults had two apiece.

Following this weekend's action, CNU will remain at home on March 11 for a 4 p.m. bout with Haverford.

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