ATLANTA, Ga. -- The first road trip of the year for Christopher Newport women's soccer features a pair of games in Atlanta as the Captains travel to take on No. 8 Emory University (4-0-1) on Friday night at 7:00 p.m. before facing Oglethorpe University (2-0-1) on Sunday afternoon at 1:00 p.m.

The Captains are 3-1-1 overall to start the year and are coming off a 2-0 win against Stockton University last weekend. CNU will be facing Emory for the fifth time in program history and last took on the Eagles in 2024. The Captains are 3-0-1 with matchups dating back to 2014. It will be the first time CNU has ever faced Oglethorpe. 

Live stats and a live video webcast will be available online with links on the women's soccer schedule at CNUsports.com. 

With the Friday night tilt against the 8th-ranked Eagles, the Captains will face their second top-ten opponent in three games after taking on Washington and Lee last weekend. The game is the first time CNU takes on a top-ten foe on their home field since facing No. 5 Lynchburg on September 21, 2014. 

This season, CNU has been led by a dominant defense that has surrendered just one goal through the first five games this season. The Captains rank 13th nationally in goals-against average with a 0.200 mark including four shutouts. Senior goalkeeper Amy Sidaway has been between the pipes for all 450 minutes of action and leads the nation in shutouts while ranking in the top-20 in Division III for both GAA and save percentage. 

On the back line, the Captains are led by senior Bella DiTommaso along with sophomores Nora Cook and Malayah Warner. The trio have started all five games this season; Cook and Warner have played all 450 minutes while DiTommaso has logged 441 total minutes as they have stifled opposing offenses to the tune of just 8.6 shots allowed per game. 

Emory enters the game with an offense that is averaging over two goals per game with a five-game unbeaten streak heading into the Friday night matchup. The 2025 national runner-up, Emory finished last season with a 21-2-1 record and returns first team All-American Kaitlyn Nimmer to lead the way in 2026. Nimmer has scored two goals and added two assists for six points in the early portion of the schedule while Madison Teng, another senior, has added five points on two goals and one assist. 

Oglethorpe will counter the Captains with an unbeaten start to the season as well after going 2-0-1 through the first three weeks. The Stormey Petrels tied Brevard, 1-1, before capturing wins against Talladega College, 3-2, and Huntingdon College, 2-0. Evan Thomas leads the offense with four of the six goals scored this season while defensively, Katherine Crim has a 0.67 GAA with one shutout. 

Following the trip to Georgia, the Captains will return home for a mid-week matchup against Marymount on Wednesday, September 23 at 5:00 p.m.