KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- For the fourth year in a row, the Christopher Newport women's soccer coaching staff -- including head coach Jamie Gunderson with assistants Sean Killion, Brian Lybert, and Abby Harrigan -- have been named the United Soccer Coaches Region VI Staff of the Year. After guiding the Captains back to the NCAA Division III National Semifinals, the CNU coaches were recognized by their peers as the top staff in the area, giving Gunderson his fourth certificate in as many years as a head coach. 

The nationally-ranked Captains advanced to the final four of the Division III postseason tournament and finished the year with a 19-2-2 overall record. During the season, the Captains shattered the Division III streak for consecutive games without a loss, piling up 84 straight games before suffering the first loss of Gunderson's career. The unbeaten streak ranks third all-time in all of NCAA soccer, regardless of gender or division. 

With Killion and Lybert, the Captains garner a fourth straight Region Coaching Staff of the Year selection while Harrigan earns her second career designation. Gunderson has secured the recognition as the Region's top head coach in all four years of his coaching career while accumulating a record of 79-2-9 in his first 90 games. Gunderson is shy of the NCAA qualifying mark of five years to join the record book, but his winning percentage of 92.78 percent would be the highest among all active NCAA coaches, men or women, with at least four years of experience. 

This year, Gunderson's squad earned an at-large berth into the NCAA Division III Championship and, with the fourth-highest NPI in Division III, earned hosting responsibilities for both the opening rounds and the sectional rounds of the postseason event. CNU led the postseason tournament in goals scored with 20 after advancing with wins over John Jay (12-0), Vassar (4-0), No. 6 Misericordia (1-0), and No. 18 Johns Hopkins (3-2). For the second time in four years and the third time in six seasons, the Captains reached the national semifinals and capped a four-year run that saw CNU become only the seventh team ever to reach the national quarterfinals or better in four straight seasons. 

The Captains recorded scoreless draw against No. 12 Virginia Wesleyan to start the year and picked up a marquee win against No. 10 Emory (1-0), another final four participant, in the regular season. CNU won the regular season conference championship for the fourth straight season and advanced to the conference title game. In four years under Gunderson, CNU has never won less than 19 games and Gunderson already ranks third all-time in career victories as a head coach for the Captains. 

On the field, CNU set a program record with three All-Americans including first team midfielder Hanna Heaton. Ellie Cox earned third team plaudits and Reanna Slater repeated as an All-American picking up fourth team honors. The Captains featured a top-30 scoring offense and defense, averaging 2.96 goals per game while holding opponents to just 0.565 on the season. 

Heaton led the explosive offense with one of the finest single seasons in program history after recording 45 points on 14 goals and 17 assists. She joins only the legendary Riley Cook as players in program history to reach 45 points in a single season and tied the program mark for goals responsible for with 31. The 17 assists shattered the CNU record for helpers in a season, by four, and ranked third in Division III this season. Fifth-year senior Emma Ricci and graduate student Corinne Kulik rounded out their careers under Gunderson with stellar final seasons. Kulik finished with 24 points on 10 goals and four assists while Ricci added 21 points with seven goals and seven assists. 

Cox handled her role in the midfield in standout form per usual, becoming just the fourth player in program history to earn first team All-Region honors three or more times in her career. She paired with Lexi Hazelgrove and Kyleigh Gough for the majority of the season to help CNU limit opponents to few opportunities while helping to build the action moving forward. Cox rounded out her career by playing 1,902 minutes of a possible 2,070 (91.9 percent). 

Defensively, CNU continued its reputation as a stingy unit in the four years under Gunderson. Slater anchored a back line that included the all-time leader in starts, Nyah Savage, and sophomore breakthrough star Bella DiTommaso. Savage earned All-Region honors for a second time and set the program record for games played and starts with 90 straight. As a unit, they allowed just 13 goals on just 2.3 shots on goal per game while picking up another 15 shutouts this season. In the 90 games under head coach Jamie Gunderson, the Captains have registered 65 shutouts. 

In goal for the bulk of this season was Amy Sidaway an the sophomore garnered first team All-Region plaudits. She finished the year with a 0.61 goals-against average and a .745 save percentage. Senior Jaya Daniel also started two games and finished her final season with a 0.33 goals against average and .800 save percentage. Daniel closes out her career ranked second all-time in GAA (0.41) and save percentage (.859) with 14 shutouts in 25 starts. 

The statistical achievements were backed by record-breaking honors as well when CNU recorded four first team All-Region picks for the second season in a row while setting the program mark with three All-Americans. Heaton was named the C2C Offensive Player of the Year and Slater repeated as the C2C Defensive Player of the Year. Gunderson collected the C2C Coaching Staff of the Year recognition for the second time. 

2024 United Soccer Coaches Region Coaching Staffs of the Year
Region I - Seth Benjamin, Colby College
Region II - Martin Desmaris, MIT
Region III - Aliceann Wilber, William Smith
Region IV - Danny Blank, TCNJ
Region V - Colleen Pivirotto, Scranton
Region VI - Jamie Gunderson, Chris. Newport
Region VII - Patrick O'Driscoll, Penn State Behrend
Region VIII - Jim Conlon, WashU
Region IX - Matt Pucci, Loras
Region X - Dylan Harrison, Trinity (Texas)