Live Stats // Video Stream
ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. -- The Christopher Newport women's lacrosse team will kick off the 2021 campaign on Tuesday afternoon when the Captains travel to N.C. Wesleyan for a 3 p.m. battle at Scalf Field.
While Tuesday's game will mark the first for Christopher Newport, the Battling Bishops have been busy in the early going and currently boast a 1-2 record through their first three games.
Adhering to the USA South Athletic Conference spectator policy, N.C. Wesleyan will not allow opposing fans to attend Tuesday's contest out of an abundance of caution due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. However, the Battling Bishops will provide live stats and a video stream of the action at NCWCsports.com. Direct links to both features can be found at the top of this release and on the schedule page.
The Captains are coming off of an abbreviated 2020 season that saw the team compile a 3-4 record. Christopher Newport welcomes back eight of its nine leading scorers from last year, including All-State performers
Kelsey Winters,
Zoe Dyer, and
Kendall Krause. Winters led the team with 35 points last season, which also ranked as the top total by a freshman in the entire country. For her work, she was named the Virginia State Rookie of the Year.
Along with Winters, Dyer led the Captains with 20 goals, while Krause anchored the midfield unit with 11 points and 10 caused turnovers.
Sam Wettengel, who was an All-Conference performer in 2019 when she set a program record with 42 takeaways, also returns for her fifth year in Newport News. The senior captain currently ranks 10th all-time with 54 career caused turnovers.
In addition to the decorated veterans,
Joely Stevens also started all seven games in 2020, while
Gracie Sanders and
Riley Rafterry-Lee join Wettengel as returning team captains. Overall, 13 veterans received at least one starting assignment last season, including
Becca Creekmore, who earned six in goal while leading the conference with 27 ground balls.
On the other side of the field, the Battling Bishops will be hosting their fourth home game in 2021 when they welcome the Captains on Tuesday. So far this season, N.C. Wesleyan posted a 14-3 triumph over Sweet Briar in the opener before falling to Ferrum and Southern Virginia last week.
On an individual level, Ali Cucinotta leads the team with 12 points, including six goals during the early part of her senior campaign. Maddie O'Neill also boasts five strikes, while Madeline Graham and Blaire Harley have three apiece. Defensively, freshman Devin Bautz sports a .426 save percentage and a 13.00 goals-against-average during her time between the pipes.
Tuesday's contest will mark the seventh meeting between Christopher Newport and N.C. Wesleyan. The Captains currently hold a 6-0 edge against their longtime USA South rivals. However, the last battle between the two programs came back in 2013 when the 17th-ranked Captains registered a 26-1 victory in Rocky Mount.
Following the midweek contest, Christopher Newport will return to action on Saturday when the team travels to Roanoke for a 1 p.m. showdown in Salem.
---ISH---
