NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- For the first time in the history of the program, the Christopher Newport women's soccer team is the top-ranked team in the country during the regular season. The Captains hold steady at No. 1 after earning the designation for the first time in the final rankings of 2021 and maintaining the position in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll.
Christopher Newport has earned it's perch atop the national rankings with a record 28-games unbeaten streak dating back to the start of the 2021 season. After completing a 22-0-1 national championship season a year ago, the Captains have opened the year with a 4-0-1 record and are riding a three-game winning streak heading into this weekend's action.
The poll released on Wednesday, September 13, lists Misericordia at No. 2 followed by Messiah, Amherst, and Johns Hopkins rounding out the top-five.
The Captains are off to a strong start with a well-balanced roster that includes a defense that has allowed just two goals in the first five games (0.400 goals-against average), ranking in the top-50 nationally, and an offense that has scored 11 goals including five in the final ten minutes of games.
The cardiac Captains won a game against Saint Benedict with a go-ahead goal in the 84th minute, and contests against Virginia Wesleyan and Susquehanna with tallies in the 89th minute. The offense has been led by
Sarah Smith, scoring four goals and adding an assist for nine points in the early stages of the season. Thirteen different Captains have factored into 11 goals this season, showcasing the Captains' depth.
CNU will return to action this Saturday, September 17 as they travel to Pennsylvania to face Swarthmore College at 11:00 a.m. before also facing Widener on the road Sunday, September 18 at 1:00 p.m.
NATIONAL - POLL 1 - SEPTEMBER 13, 2022
| Rank |
School |
Prev |
W-L-T |
| 1 |
Christopher Newport University |
1 |
4-0-1 |
| 2 |
Misericordia University |
7 |
5-0-0 |
| 3 |
Messiah University |
17 |
3-0-1 |
| 4 |
Amherst College |
18 |
3-0-0 |
| 5 |
Johns Hopkins University |
9 |
2-0-2 |
| 6 |
William Smith College |
5 |
2-1-0 |
| 7 |
Wartburg College |
NR |
5-0-0 |
| 8 |
Carnegie Mellon University |
15 |
2-1-1 |
| 9 |
Trinity University (Texas) |
16 |
3-0-1 |
| 10 |
Wesleyan University |
NR |
2-0-0 |
| 11 |
Babson College |
NR |
4-0-0 |
| 12 |
Montclair State University |
NR |
5-0-0 |
| 13 |
University of Chicago |
8 |
4-1-0 |
| 14 |
The College of New Jersey |
2 |
2-1-1 |
| 15 |
Centre College |
14 |
4-1-0 |
| 16 |
University of Mary Hardin-Baylor |
NR |
4-0-0 |
| 17 |
Case Western Reserve University |
12 |
3-0-0 |
| 18 |
North Central College |
NR |
4-0-1 |
| 19 |
Tufts University |
NR |
2-0-0 |
| 20 |
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse |
13 |
4-1-0 |
| 21 |
Endicott College |
NR |
4-1-0 |
| 22 |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
6 |
4-1-1 |
| 23 |
Plattsburgh State University |
NR |
4-0-0 |
| 24 |
Pomona-Pitzer Colleges |
24 |
3-1-0 |
| 25 |
Franklin & Marshall College |
RV |
3-0-1 |
Records shown are through games of Sept. 11, 2022
Also receiving votes: Trinity College (32), Virginia Wesleyan University (29), University of Rochester (26), Calvin University (26), Bowdoin College (20), Loras College (19), Hamilton College (16), New York University (11), Stevens Institute Of Technology (10), Middlebury College (9), McDaniel College (7), Ohio Northern University (7), Brandeis University (6), Illinois Wesleyan University (5), Claremont-McKenna-Harvey Mudd-Scripps Colleges (5), Rochester Institute Of Technology (3), Pacific Lutheran University (2)
