Live Stats // Video Stream ($)
LEXINGTON, Va. -- The fourth-ranked Christopher Newport field hockey team will kick off the 2026 campaign on Tuesday at 3 p.m. when the Captains travel to No. 23 Washington and Lee for a non-conference battle at the W&L Turf Field.
The midweek matinee will serve as the season opener for both programs.
For those fans unable to attend the game, live stats will be available at GeneralsSports.com. W&L 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.
Tuesday's tilt will mark only the third time in program history that the Captains have faced a top-25 opponent in their season opener. Previously, the 2008 squad kicked off its campaign against No. 11 Johns Hopkins in a neutral-site showdown in Owings Mills, Maryland, while the 2019 team traveled to No. 4 Messiah for its first battle.
Christopher Newport will hope to continue its recent success in season openers as the program has won its previous five lid-lifters by a combined 27-0 score, including a 6-0 win against Bridgewater last fall. Remarkably, every goal-scorer from last year's opener is back in 2026 as
Courtney Hughlett and
Emma Weber both had two goals apiece against the Eagles, while
Lindsey Loar and
Kate Engle had one strike each.
Overall, CNU is 21-4 in season openers since the program was founded in 2000.
Entering the year ranked fourth in the NFHCA National Preseason Coaches Poll, the Captains begin the fall with high expectations. Last year, the squad posted a 19-1 record and advanced to the NCAA Final Four for just the second time in school history. This year's roster features 17 holdovers from 2025, including nine starters, seven seniors, and three All-Americans.
Headlining the veteran portion of the roster,
Courtney Hughlett is a reigning first-team All-American and the 2025 Region VI Player of the Year. Last fall, she established a new program record with 15 assists and was celebrated as the Synapse Sports National Defensive Player of the Year for her work on the other end of the field as well.
Meanwhile,
Caroline Hughlett also garnered first-team All-American nods as a junior, while
Lindsey Loar was a third-team selection. Additionally, fellow veterans
Kendall Gibson,
Avery Mast, and
Kelly Via were All-State and All-Region picks last year.
Picked second in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, Washington and Lee also returns an impressive collection of experienced standouts from last season's squad, which produced a 14-5 record. The Generals welcome back four All-League honorees as Madeline Lancione and Margaret Scheurer were both first-team selections last fall, while Zoe Dolfis earned second-team nods and Anne Burns Fiveash was a third-team choice.
Fittingly, Dolfis, Lancione, and Scheurer were also selected to the 2026 NFHCA Preseason Watchlist for their previous accomplishments.
Among the veterans, Scheurer paced the Generals with 11 goals and 26 points last fall, while Lancione tied for the team-lead with three game-winning strikes. Additionally, Dolfis had four goals and four assists. Overall, Washington and Lee returns six starters from last year's team.
Longtime rivals, Christopher Newport and Washington and Lee have squared off 20 times with the Captains holding a 16-4 edge in the series. Incredibly, each of the past six match-ups between the two programs have been decided by a single goal, including a 1-0 win by CNU last fall. Meanwhile, the Generals have won two of the last three meetings in Lexington, although the Captains walked away with a 1-0 victory during their most recent trip in 2024.
Following Tuesday's game, Christopher Newport will remain on the road for a trek to Massachusetts. The Captains will travel to No. 3 Babson on Saturday at noon before heading to No. 10 Endicott on Monday at 11 a.m.
---ISH---
