Christopher Newport Women's Soccer Set to Open Season Ranked in Top 25

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Heading into the sixth season under head coach Jamie Gunderson, the Christopher Newport women's soccer team will open the year ranked No. 25 in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll.

The national rankings feature the same listing as the final poll from 2025 where Christopher Newport was slotted No. 25. Defending national champion Washington University (Mo.) is at the top of the poll and followed in order by Emory, Chicago, Tufts, and Messiah to round out the top five.

Christopher Newport has lost just four games in the first five seasons with Gunderson at the helm while posting an NCAA best overall record of 93-4-12 (.908). That run has included a 2021 NCAA Division III national championship and another NCAA national semifinals appearance in 2024; the team has reached the NCAA Tournament in each of his first five season and have reached the postseason in nine straight years overall.

The 2025 season saw Christopher Newport post a 14-2-3 overall record while outscoring oppponents 31-7 during the year. CNU won its fourth conference championship in five seasons and hosted the NCAA Tournament opening round weekend at Captains Field. The Captains were led by one of the stingiest defenses in the nation after allowing just seven goals in 19 games played for a 0.37 goals-against average, ranking ninth in the country. That mark ranked fourth lowest in program history while also piling up the sixth most shutouts, with 13, and ranking 15th nationally in Division III shutout percentage (.684).

Three-time All-Region goalkeeper Amy Sidaway was at the forefront and returns for her senior season in 2026. Already the career record holder for shutouts (33) and goals-against average (0.41), Sidaway will look to cap her impressive tenure with one more year between the pipes for Christopher Newport. She ranks third all-time in wins (47), just seven shy of the record held by Haley Eiser, and has made 133 saves to rank eighth-best in program lore.

Playing in front of her, senior Bella DiTommaso will help anchor the defensive unit that led the way in 2025. The bulk of the back line is expected to return with sophomores Malayah Warner and Addy Hennessy also back while CNU will look to replace All-Region star Kyleigh Gough. In the midfield, CNU suffered the loss of All-American Hanna Heaton, but welcomes back starters Lexi Hazelgrove, Bella Ventimiglia, and Avery Spell. The Captains have a host of weapons primed to contribute including goal scorers Grace Shifflett, Ellie Diehl, AP Webb, and Brooke White, who each poured in at least one goal apiece last year.

Despite the loss of nine seniors in 2025, the Captains will still boast a veteran squad in 2026 with 14 upperclassmen slated to lead the way. A group of eight newcomers round out the roster as Christopher Newport will open the season on Tuesday, September 1 at home against Methodist University.

National - Pre-season Poll - August 4, 2026

Rank	School	Prev	W-L-T
1	Washington University (Mo.)	1	21-0-3
2	Emory University	2	21-2-1
3	University of Chicago	3	16-2-4
4	Tufts University	4	18-2-3
5	Messiah University	5	22-3-0
6	Pomona-Pitzer Colleges	6	16-1-5
7	Washington & Lee University	7	18-2-3
8	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	8	22-3-1
9	Middlebury College	9	13-4-3
10	Williams College	10	13-2-5
11	Case Western Reserve University	11	14-2-4
12	University of Mary Washington	12	13-3-5
13	Swarthmore College	13	15-3-4
14	California Lutheran University	14	17-3-2
15	Johns Hopkins University	15	17-5-1
16	Carleton College	16	18-2-3
17	Calvin University	17	16-5-0
18	Rowan University	18	13-2-5
19	University of Rochester	19	9-4-6
20	Misericordia University	20	15-4-2
21	Carnegie Mellon University	21	10-5-5
22	Amherst College	22	11-5-2
23	Penn State University-Harrisburg	23	16-6-3
24	Colby College	24	11-5-3
25	Christopher Newport University	25	14-2-3