NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Kendall Krause, Riley Rafterry-Lee, Joely Stevens, and Kelsey Winters will serve as the Christopher Newport women's lacrosse team captains in 2022 after the four standouts played an instrumental role in guiding the program to a historic 2021 campaign.

Among the veterans, Rafterry-Lee was named a captain for the third straight season. Meanwhile, Krause, Stevens, and Winters will hold the title for the first time in their careers.

Anchoring the midfield unit, Krause enters her senior season as a two-time All-Conference selection. Continuing her decorated career in 2021, she was a first-team All-League honoree and a second-team All-Region pick for her work in the spring. During her third year with the Captains, she ranked among the conference leaders in a variety of categories, finishing fifth in ground balls (34), eighth in caused turnovers (18), and ninth in goals (29).

A consistent threat on both sides of the ball, Krause has at least one point in 20 of her 23 appearances since the start of the 2020 season, including 11 multi-goal efforts. Meanwhile, on the defensive end, the Ellicott City, Maryland native already sits in the top-20 all-time with 43 career caused turnovers, while her average of 1.02 takeaways-per-game is the fourth-highest rate in school history.

Returning to a leadership position on the team for the third year in a row, Rafterry-Lee has been a key figure both on and off the field since arriving in Newport News. Although she was sidelined during the early part of her junior campaign, she came back with a vengeance, appearing in eight games while earning six starts, including both bouts during the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference Tournament.

Stepping up on the biggest stages, Rafterry-Lee has saved some of her finest moments for nationally-ranked competition. Of her 13 career takeaways, six have come against top-25 opponents, including one caused turnover and a career-high three ground balls in the squad's 12-9 win at No. 24 Mary Washington on April 28. Overall, the Bowie, Maryland native has made 32 career appearances and 27 starts since 2019.

Joining Rafterry-Lee on the back line, Stevens has been a stabilizing force on the defensive unit during her time with the Captains. Over the past two seasons, she has started all 25 games while earning All-Conference accolades for her efforts in 2021. During her most recent campaign, she registered 13 caused turnovers and 16 ground balls. Eight of her takeaways came in league action, which was the fourth-highest total among conference competitors.

Among her top performances on the field, Stevens had a career-high three takeaways at No. 17 Mary Washington on March 27 after posting two in a win over No. 23 Lynchburg on March 24. In fact, she has multiple caused turnovers in seven career appearances, including four outings against top-25 foes. In her four seasons with the program, the Grand Rapids, Michigan native has started 27 of her 42 career appearances while compiling 25 caused turnovers and 27 ground balls.

On the offensive side, Winters has been a driving force on the attack since making her collegiate debut in 2020. In just two seasons with the squad, she is already a first-team All-Conference, All-State, and All-Region selection while also garnering third-team All-American nods from USA Lacrosse Magazine in 2021. During her sophomore season, she finished ninth in the NCAA with 47 assists. That also marked the second-highest single-season total in program history.

Already placing her name alongside some of the finest Captains in school lore, Winters enters her junior year ranked 10th in program history with 70 career assists, while her 15 free-position strikes stand 12th on the all-time charts. Remarkably consistent, the Harwood, Maryland native has at least one point in all 21 of her career appearances, which stands as the eighth-longest scoring streak in school history. Her run of 15 straight games with an assist also ranks second all-time.

Together, the four team captains will look to help Christopher Newport build upon a successful 2021 season, which saw the Captains knock off four nationally-ranked opponents while finishing the year slotted 22nd in the final IWLCA National Coaches Poll.

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