KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Christopher Newport women's soccer coaching staff, including head coach Jamie Gunderson and assistants Sean Killion, Brian Lybert, and Abby Harrigan, has been named the United Soccer Coaches Region VI Staff of the Year for a third consecutive season. After guiding the Captains to a third consecutive undefeated season, the CNU coaches were recognized by their peers as the top staff in Region VI. 

The nationally-ranked Captains advanced to the NCAA National Quarterfinals and finished the year with a 19-0-3 overall record while extending the team's record-breaking unbeaten streak to 67 consecutive games. Gunderson continues to shatter the standard set for a first-time head coach as the Captains' helmsman is now 60-0-7 through his first three years as a collegiate coach. 

With Killion and Lybert, the Captains garner a third straight Region Coaching Staff of the Year certificate, while Harrigan joins the staff for her first career selection. CNU continues to set new benchmarks for success under Gunderson. After his second year, the head coach had already set an NCAA All-Divisions record for unbeaten streak to start a coaching career and he has since added 21 more games to that unconscionable run of success. 

The streak, which will carry over into the 2024 season, ranks second all-time in NCAA Division III and is the fifth longest roll of consecutive games without a loss in NCAA soccer history -- across all three levels, including men's and women's soccer. Only the legendary North Carolina women's program of the 1990's and the 2008-10 Messiah College women have boasted longer runs in NCAA history. 

This year, Gunderson's squad used one of the most impressive defensive performances in the nation to capture a third consecutive regular season and tournament championship in the Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference while advancing to the NCAA Tournament for a seventh straight season. The Captains advanced to the NCAA National Quarterfinals with wins over Marymount (7-0), McDaniel (3-2), and Virginia Wesleyan (1-0) before suffering a heart-breaking loss in a penalty kick shootout to California Lutheran after a 1-1 draw through overtime. 

Despite the loss of All-American center back Jill McDonald, the Captains' defense leaned on veterans Reanna Slater and Nyah Savage to anchor a record-breaking defensive unit in 2023. Slater earned First Team All-American honors after leading CNU through the season and allowing a program record low five goals, three on penalty kicks, throughout the season. The Captains posted the nation's lowest goals-against average (0.22) and ranked second nationally in save percentage (.915) and shutout percentage (.818). All three marks are new standards for CNU women's soccer, along with breaking the shutout record with 18 clean sheets. 

During the season, the Captains put together several lengthy shutout streaks, including a new program long that extended over 11 games and lasted 1,146 minutes and 55 seconds.

Along with the statistical achievements, Christopher Newport's coaching staff guided a record number of first team All-Region selections this year with four Captains garnering recognition -- Slater, Ellie Cox, Hanna Heaton, and Sarah Smith. CNU also boasted four major awards in conference play as Slater earned Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors, Amy Sidaway was tabbed the Conference Rookie of the Year, Natalie Swarm earned Conference Scholar-Athlete honors, and for the first time in his tenure, Gunderson was named the Conference Coach of the Year. 

Complete List of 2023 Region Coaching Staffs of the Year