IWLCA Release

GRAND LAKE, Colo. -- Catie Chess and Meaghan Galvin have been selected to the first-team All-Chesapeake Region squad, while Sarah Culver secured second-team accolades from the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association after the three standouts pieced together historic efforts for Christopher Newport during the 2017 campaign.
 
With her honor, Galvin becomes the program's first-ever four-time first-team All-Region selection. She also joins Colorado College's Mary Taussig as the only players in the nation to earn first-team honors during each of the past four years. Meanwhile, Chess earned a spot on the top squad for the second straight season, while Culver was celebrated by the IWLCA for the first time in her career.
 
Overall, the three All-Region honorees equal the most by the Captains in a single season in program history.
                                             
Polishing off her career with one of the finest seasons in program history, Galvin put a fitting punctuation mark on her four-year tenure at CNU. The senior star became just the second Captain to register 40 goals and 40 assists in the same season after finishing the year with 46 strikes and 44 helpers. Her 90 total points ranked second in the CAC, while her 105 draw controls led the league and established a new single-season program record.
 
Lethal throughout the year, Galvin notched at least one goal in all 18 of her appearances, including six hat-tricks. She also posted a pair of 10-point outings after lighting up Roanoke on March 4 and St. Mary's (Md.) on April 12. Meanwhile, she added three of the program's top-six single-game draw efforts during the season, including a record-breaking 13 draw controls at Southern Virginia on March 23.
 
Rewriting the program record books, she established a new standard with 326 career draws, while her 118 assists place her second in CNU history. The Arlington native also ranks fourth all-time with 292 points and fifth with 174 goals.
 
Anchoring the midfield unit, Chess was tremendous on both sides of the field throughout her junior campaign. One of only four players to start all 19 contests, she ranked third on the team with 53 points and led the squad with 17 caused turnovers. With that performance, she became just the fourth player in program history to record at least 50 points and 15 caused turnovers in a single season. She also stood second on the team with 36 draw controls and 26 ground balls.
 
On the offensive end, Chess collected at least one point in 16 contests, including 13 multi-goal efforts. She also led the CAC and ranked 10th in the nation with a .684 free-position percentage, including a run of 10 consecutive eight-meter conversions to close out the year. That streak currently ranks second in program history. Meanwhile, on the other side of the field, she picked up at least one ground ball in 13 of her appearances and forced three turnovers apiece against Stevens on March 19 and No. 16 Mary Washington on March 29.
 
In just three years at CNU, Chess already ranks ninth in program history with 118 goals, while her 28 free-position strikes place her fourth on the all-time charts. A three-time All-Conference selection, the Fairfax native has 141 points and 34 caused turnovers in 52 career appearances.
 
Equally potent on the offensive end, Culver helped anchor the attack during a sensational sophomore season. The second-year standout punished the opposition with a team-high 47 goals, which also stood as the second-highest total in the Capital Athletic Conference. She also ripped 13 free-position goals and dished out seven assists while ranking second on the squad with 54 total points.
 
Appearing in 17 contests during the year, Culver chipped in with 12 multi-goal efforts, including eight hat-tricks. On February 24, she tied the program record with six goals in a single half at Washington College before erupting for a career-high seven strikes less than 24 hours later at Haverford. She also exploded for six goals against No. 13 Salisbury on April 5, becoming just the sixth Captain to post three six-goal outings in a single season.
 
In two years at CNU, Culver has appeared in 33 games and is just two points shy of reaching 100 for her career. The Westhampton Beach, New York native has 83 goals and 15 assists, while her 23 free-position tallies place her ninth all-time.
 
Together, the three All-Region honorees helped lead Christopher Newport to an 11-8 record during the year, including a 4-4 mark in league action. The squad also advanced to the CAC semifinals and became just the third team in program history to register seven road victories.
 
---CNU---