NCAA Tournament Bracket

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- For the 11th time in program history, the Christopher Newport field hockey team will compete in the NCAA Tournament after the 17th-ranked Captains secured an at-large bid to the national playoffs and earned an opportunity to host a first-round battle against Cabrini at Jennings Family Stadium on Wednesday.

Christopher Newport enters the postseason with a 14-5 record, including a 9-2 ledger at home. Meanwhile, Cabrini sits at 14-4 overall after claiming the Atlantic East Conference Championship over the weekend.

The winner of Wednesday's contest will advance to the second round of the playoffs for a showdown at No. 3 Rowan on November 12.

During the regular season, the Captains faced a daunting schedule that included four games against nationally-ranked competition and five battles against NCAA Tournament teams, including victories over Catholic and Wilson. Overall, Christopher Newport's opposition posted a .657 winning percentage during the year, which marked the third-highest in the country.

Despite the top-flight competition, the Captains enter the playoffs with the nation's eighth-ranked scoring defense. The squad has limited the opposition to only 0.72 goals per game while registering 10 shutouts, which stands as the second-highest total in school history. Meanwhile, the offense is averaging 3.61 goals per contest. That ranks 19th in the NCAA.

Wednesday will mark the ninth time that Christopher Newport has hosted a game in the NCAA Tournament. Overall, the program is 5-3 at home during the national playoffs, including a 1-0 win over Cabrini during a first-round tilt in 2009.

Stay tuned to CNUsports.com for all of the latest information regarding Wednesday's game.

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