Courtesy of CNU Athletic Communications

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The United Soccer Coaches announced the 2018 Regional Coaching Staffs of the Year on Tuesday afternoon, recognizing the Christopher Newport women's soccer staff as the top unit in the South Atlantic Region. Head coach Dan Weiler, with assistants Jamie Gunderson, Erin Wojtkun, and Shawn Trueblood, has led the Captains to an historic season in 2018 as CNU readies to play in the program's first-ever NCAA national semifinal. 

At the helm in his sixth season with the Captains, Weiler has guided the Captains to a program record 21 wins with just one loss. Christopher Newport won the program's sixth straight Capital Athletic Conference regular season championship before going on to secure the team's third straight tournament title. After capturing the league's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament, making CNU's fifth postseason run in six years under Weiler, the Captains have gone on to win four games and reach the "Final Four" for the first time in program history. 

The Captains' coaching staff managed the team through difficult conditions at the start of the season as CNU faced trying weather conditions and multiple schedule adjustments. In the first ten games, eight contests were impacted by weather in one way or another, including four postponements. CNU prevailed through the trials of the non-conference schedule, however, with a 9-1 record over the first ten games. After the team's only loss, to nationally-ranked Lynchburg on September 26, CNU has won 16 straight games heading into Friday's matchup.

Weiler has navigated the team through a rigorous non-conference schedule that included four 2018 NCAA Tournament teams: Arcadia University, University of Lynchburg, UW-La Crosse, and Virginia Wesleyan University. Those four teams combined for six NCAA Tournament victories and Christopher Newport defeated each of them during the 2018 season. The Captains also went a perfect 7-0 in conference play, extending the program record in league action to 33 straight matches without a loss. 

This season, Coach Weiler became the all-time winningest coach in CNU women's soccer history and is nearing 100 career victories while at CNU. His overall record is now 97-18-9 for a remarkable winning percentage of 81.9%; his teams have been incredible in league play, posting an overall CAC record of 47-2-2, winning 94.1% of the time. The three-time CAC Coach of the Year, Weiler is the all-time leader in winning percentage among coaches in the league for both overall and league play. He also ranks in the top seven all-time in total victories. 

CNU will take on defending national champion Williams College on Friday, November 30 at 7:45 pm in the team with a chance to extend the exceptional season. Weiler and his staff have helped develop four All-Region selections, announced Wednesday night, and nine All-Conference picks in 2018. Leading the way are senior Gabby Gillis and sophomore Riley Cook, who each garnered first team All-Conference and All-Region plaudits. CNU has set a new program record for scoring with 223 points on 76 goals and 71 assists, while the defense currently stands as the best all-time as well, with a 0.54 goals-against average and an .867 save percentage. 

This is the first time in the 22-year history of CNU women's soccer that a Captains' coaching staff has been named the United Soccer Coaches Staff of the Year.