Navy Sports

GreatAmerican · April 3, 2008, 8:30pm

This Week in Navy Club Sports:

Boxing: 
Last Week: finished 1st overall @Midwest Regionals. Navy had 7 1st Place winners, 4 2nd Place winners & 1 4th Place winner.
This Week - Idle

Cycling -
Last Week: James Madison Uphill Trial: 1 Men’s First Place Overall & 1 Women’s Second Place Overall.
UVA Road Race: 1 First & Second Place Men’s B
This Week: @ Virgina Tech (Sat, Sun, Blacksburg, VA)

Hockey - (20-18-1)
Last Week: Idle
This Week: Idle

Karate -
Last Week: Three First Place, Five Second Place, and Seven Third Place finishes at the All American Open
This Week: Idle

Pistol - (7-0)
Last Week: Idle
This Week: Idle

Lacrosse - (6-2 )
Last Week: defeated Towson 9-7; lost to Salisbury 3-5; @ Beltway Bash; lost to Maryland 5-6 & defeated Villanova 6-5.
This Week: Forfeiture from UMBC; vs Loyola (Thurs, 6:00p.m. Farragut Field), @ Washington College (Sun 1:00pm, Chestertown MD)

Marathon -
Last Week: @ National Marathon: the team successfully paced 26.2 miles w/pacers running every 10 min. between 3-4 hours
This Week: @ Cherry Pit 10 Miler (Sun, 8:00am, Edgewater, MD)

Powerlifting -
Last Week: Idle
This Week: Idle

Rugby (M) (3-1)
Last Week: @ MARFU Finals: lost to Penn State 19-29; defeated Delaware 33-7 with 3rd Place overall. C Side lost to YORK 25-24.
This Week: C Side @ Gorge Cup (Sat, all day, Columbia, MD); B Side vs RMC (Sat, 1:00pm, Hospital Pt) vs ARMY (Sat 7:00pm, NMC Stadium)
All Day Invitational-(Sun Hospital Pt)

Rugby (W) -A Side 22-3-1 / B Side 12-2-2
Last Week: @ MARFU Finals: 2nd Place overall finish. Lost to PENN State in double overtime 12-19, defeated UVA 28-0
This Week - @ Cherry Blossom Tournament (Sat, Sun Washington, DC)

Soccer - (1-0)
Last Week: Idle
This Week: @ Clemson Tournament (Fri, Sat, Sun, Clemson, SC)

Softball -
Last Week: @ NCSU Tournament: NO RESULTS POSTED.
This Week: Doubleheader vs American University, (Sat 12:00pm, Upper Lawrence) Tripleheader vs Loyola, (Sun 11:00am, Lawrence Field)

Tennis - (1-0)
Last Week: defeated Towson 16-0
This Week : vs Loyola (Sat 10:00a.m., Outdoor Courts) @ George Washington
Univ (Sun, 12:00pm, Washington DC)

Triathlon -
Last Week: @ Lone Star QuarterIron; 1 2nd Overall finish for the women’s
Pro-Elite Div. 1 1st Overall & 1 2nd women’s finish in respective age groups,
4 men’s 2nd through 5th places in respective age groups as well as 1 1st place men’s 19 & under div.
This Week: Idle

Volleyball - (12-9)
Last Week: @ UNC Chapel Hill Tournament: NO RESULTS POSTED.
This Week - @ EIVA Championship, Univ of MD (Sat , College Park, MD)

Field Hockey -(0-1)
Last Week: lost to GMU 2-1.
This Week: @ NFHL Tournament vs Ithaca, Univ of MD, William & Mary, (Sat, College Park, MD)

GreatAmerican · April 3, 2008, 8:32pm

Transcript of Navy head football coach Ken Niumatalolo’s comments following practice on Monday, March 31

Transcript of Navy head football coach Ken Niumatalolo’s comments following practice on Monday, March 31

Media in Attendance: Ron Snyder (Baltimore Examiner) and Mike Fratto (Washington Times)

Snyder: How do you feel about practices so far?

Niumatalolo: There has been good and bad. There have been bright spots and there are areas that we still need to work on. There are some guys we are excited about, some guys that have really stepped up and there are some guys that have not stepped up like we had hoped.

Snyder: Can you talk about some of the guys that have really stepped up?

Niumatalolo: One guy in particular is Craig Schaefer at outside linebacker. That is a spot where we are looking for someone to step up and he has had a great spring practice so far. We are also excited about Nate Frazier. He has done some good things. Defensively we have some guys that have played and the guys that played last year have really showed up so far in the spring. You can see the difference between them and the guys that haven’t played. On offense, Jarod Bryant has been solix. We moved Ricky Moore to center and he has had some growing pains, but he is coming along.

Snyder: Can you talk about Jarod Bryant and Emmett Merchant switching positions?

Niumatalolo: I thought Emmett had a good practice on Saturday. With Jarod playing slot back, that is all dependent on Kaipo. Right now he is still nursing he knee so Jarod is mostly playing quarterback. When Kaipo is able to go full speed then Jarod will get some time at slot back.

Snyder: Is trying guys out at different positions a luxury of spring ball?

Niumatalolo: Yes. We are trying to get our best guys on the field. If there is a position that we think we are stockpiled at then we may move some guys around so we can get the best guys on the field.

Fratto: At this stage is there anything in particular you are looking for or are you just looking for general improvement?

Niumatalolo: Speed of the game. The number one emphasis in camp is speed of the game. Our only chance to compete is if we play harder than anybody else on our schedule. There are a few guys that understand it, but some of the younger guys don’t understand that yet.

Snyder: When do you expect Kaipo back?

Niumatalolo: He’s out there; we are just monitoring what he does. When he is out there he is doing a good job.

Snyder: What is the status of Deliz and Sovie?

Niumatalolo: Deliz is still out, but Clint is practicing and is doing a good job. It doesn’t look like he’s missed a beat. We are excited to have him back. He had a good first week of practice.

Snyder: What will it mean to the team to get those two veterans back?

Niumatalolo: A ton. Just from a standpoint of confidence, of defensive alignment, those guys bring a lot of experience to our defense.

Snyder: Are you enjoying your first spring as the head coach?

Niumatalolo: I don’t have any time to enjoy it. I am just trying to make sure we get better.

Fratto: Last year at fullback Ballard and Kettani kind of rotated possessions. Would you like to do that again or will Kettani get the bulk of the carries?

Niumatalolo: Eric is the main fullback, but we need somebody to spell him. The ratio of plays probably won’t be the same this year as it was for Adam and Eric, but we need a back-up fullback to give Eric some rest and we are trying to figure out who that is going to be.

Snyder: Can you talk about the slot backs? Other than Shun White you have a lot of new faces over there.

Niumatalolo: Andre Byrd had a good week of practice, Greg Shinego is an experienced guy, we have some younger guys like Greg Jones, Cory Finnerty, Wes Holland and J.J. Cosh that are getting an opportunity to show us what they can do. We are excited about the guys we have there.

GreatAmerican · April 3, 2008, 8:33pm

Rugby on Saturday night is at 6 p.m. vice 7 p.m.

GreatAmerican · April 3, 2008, 8:35pm

By BILL WAGNER, Staff Writer
Published April 02, 2008

American University was the preseason favorite to win the Patriot League in women’s lacrosse. That’s not surprising since the Eagles returned the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year (senior Jackie Lane) and Defensive Player of the Year (Senior Caitlin Bell).

Meanwhile, Navy is a first-year program that was picked to finish fifth in the conference.

A casual fan would never have known any of that by watching yesterday’s matchup between the schools.

High-scoring midfielders Erin Rawlick and Meg Decker led the way with four goals apiece as Navy raced out to a huge first half lead then held on to upset American, 13-12, at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

Decker, a freshman from Mount de Sales Academy, scored three of her goals in the opening 17 minutes as the Midshipmen raced to a stunning 8-0 lead. American outscored the home team 10-4 in the second half to get within one goal, but the rally fell short.

“I’m just so proud of Navy women’s lacrosse. This was a really tough American team that was undefeated in the conference,” Navy head coach Cindy Timchal said. “Both teams went at it hard and there was a lot of drama. It’s always special when it’s close and the victory is on your side.”

Katrina Nietsch scored two goals while Amanda Towey totaled a goal and two assists for Navy, which improved to 8-2 overall and 2-1 in the conference. The Mids’ lone league loss came to Colgate, which now holds sole possession of first place with a 3-0 mark.

Navy dominated the initial 30 minutes of action, out-shooting American 17-10, winning the ground ball battle 10-5 and capturing 8 of 12 draws.

“We were fired up and ready to play today. We had our mental game going, we had our physical game going. We just came out and did what we practice to do,” Decker said.

It was a different story in the second half. Rawlick and Sarah Bushong scored goals to give Navy a seemingly comfortable 11-4 lead at the 24:40 mark, but that is when American began its comeback.

Senior Lauren Aksionoff began winning the draws outright and that helped American score six unanswered goals to get within 11-9 with 16:17 to go. It appeared the Mids had halted the rally when Rawlick and Decker scored back-to-back to increase the lead to 13-9, but the visitors netted the next three goals to keep the pressure on.

Aksionoff scored off a free position shot with 56 seconds remaining to cut the deficit to 13-12 and American gained possession with a chance to tie. However, the Eagles committed an unforced turnover and Towey came up with the ground ball to enable the Mids to escape with a huge league win.

“(American) came out in the second half, won some quick draws and scored early. We kind of got caught flat-footed defensively and had some critical turnovers,” Timchal said. “All of a sudden, in your head, you start thinking about the lead narrowing instead of just playing. We needed to remember what got us the 8-0 lead and keep playing that way.”

American turned things around in the second half by winning nine of 15 draws and also beating Navy on ground balls to take control of possession. With about nine minutes remaining, Timchal called for an all-out stall in an effort to slow the Eagles’ momentum and the Mids passed up several good shot opportunities in order to hold the ball.

“In the second half, we really didn’t have the ball a whole lot so we wanted to maintain possession when we could,” said Timchal, who was not pleased the Eagles were awarded nine free position shots as opposed to three for the Mids.

Navy improved to 8-0 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. The Mids’ only losses have come on the road.

“We just get excited to play at home. You come in here with all the history and the battle names on the wall, it gets us fired up,” said Decker, who now has 34 goals for the season. “When you are on this field, you are representing your school and your country and we want to protect our home field.”

Rawlick leads Navy in scoring with 40 goals and has teamed with Decker to form a formidable one-two punch.

“They’re our go-to players. They are great finishers and both made huge plays down the stretch when American had all the momentum,” Timchal said.

Sophomore attacker Mary Ruttum (St. Mary’s) contributed a goal and an assist for Navy. Junior attacker Kira Sonberg (Old Mill) scored a goal for American (5-7, 3-1).

American (5-7, 3-1) 2 10 - 12

Navy (8-2, 2-1) 9 4 - 13

GOALS: A - Fischer 2, Aksionoff 2, Ferguson 2, Person, Finnegan, Makoid, J. Lane, Sonberg, Schaaf. N - Rawlick 4, Decker 4, Nietsch 2, Towey, Ruttum, Bushong. ASSISTS: A - Aksionoff, Fischer, Person. N - Towey, Ruttum. SHOTS:
A - 25. N - 24. SAVES: A - Vida 6, Solomon 1. N - Blandon 8. DRAWS: A - 13.
N - 14. GROUND BALLS: A - 14. N - 17.

GreatAmerican · April 3, 2008, 9:20pm

By David Ausiello

Posted Apr 3, 2008

It¹s not everyday that a football coach turns down a head coaching job for an assistant one, but that¹s most likely what Joe DuPaix did when he accepted the offer to come to Navy. Considered by many reputable sources as the likely candidate to take the vacant Southern Utah job, DuPaix instead decided to bring his vast knowledge and family pedigree of option football to Annapolis.

The name DuPaix¹ is synonymous with two things in the state of Utah : option football and winning.

For the past thirty one years, Joe¹s father, Roger DuPaix has coached the Sykline High School Eagles and he is currently the winningest football coach in Utah history. His career record in high school football games is 273-94. And according to his son, Joe, the senior DuPaix has been running the option since the mid 80’s.

“I grew up basically running the option. [My dad] started running the option back in 1984-85 so when I grew up it was all option football. We won a state championship my senior year at Skyline * I was the quarterback.”

So where did the elder Dupaix pick-up option football?

“I first learned it from Air Force with Coach [Fisher] DeBerry,” said Roger DuPaix. “I did also meet with Coach [Paul] Johnson when he was with Hawaii .”

The younger DuPaix’s exposure to option football continued after he graduated high school.

After a brief stint at Snow College , where he was an Honorable Mention Junior College All-American, DuPaix transferred to Southern Utah University. In his junior year with the Eagles, DuPaix set an NCAA 1-AA individual rushing record for yards (1,246) by a quarterback.

“[At Southern Utah ] we ran exactly what we are doing here [at Navy ] * the terminology, all the different numbering systems that are out there. It was all the same stuff. I had a great experience there,” said DuPaix.

Making the transition from playing to coaching was something that came naturally to DuPaix.

“[Coaching] was something I always wanted to do since I played for my dad.”

Once his playing days were over, DuPaix started his coaching career as an assistant at Riverton High School in Salt Lake City and then as the quarterbacks and receivers coach at the University of Missouri-Rolla. Next it was onto 1-AA Cal Poly of the Great West Conference where DuPaix would remain for seven years * the last four of which he served as the Mustangs’ offensive coordinator. With DuPaix orchestrating the option offense, Cal Poly led all 1-AA in total offense in 2007, averaging 487 yards per game. Overall during his four-year tenure in charge of the offense, Cal Poly won 32 games and lost only 14.

Meanwhile during that same span, on the other end of the Great West Conference, DuPaix¹s alma mater, Southern Utah , was struggling to a 10-33 record under their head coach Wes Meier. As a result, on November 19, 2007 , Meier learned that his contract would not be renewed for the 2008 season.

DuPaix’s name quickly surfaced as a leading candidate for the Southern Utah position and he interviewed for the job in early December * about the same time that Navy¹s former head coach, Paul Johnson, was interviewing at Duke ,SMU and Georgia Tech .

“I wasn’t watching [the Navy situation] super close because I was actually involved with the head football coaching position at Southern Utah ,” said DuPaix. ³It was a situation where I¹d be able to go back to my alma mater. I¹d be able to go live in Utah * three hours from where my wife, Monica, and I grew up. There were a lot of great things about [the job]."

After DuPaix’s initial interview, Paul Johnson took the job at Georgia Tech, and Navy quickly named his long-time assistant Ken Niumatalolo as his replacement.

“I was going back for a second interview to meet the president [of Southern Utah University] on a Tuesday. On the Sunday prior, Coach Niumatalolo called me and told me he wanted to talk to me in more depth about the Navy position. He told me he wanted me to coach the slot backs, and certainly I was very interested. I told him that I’d like to talk to him more about it on Tuesday night [after the second interview with Southern Utah ].”

“Monica and I are people of great faith and we spent a lot of time on Monday and Tuesday praying about what was the right decision for our family, not just the football part of it because we¹ve got five kids. We had to make sure we moved to the right place,” continued DuPaix.

“When it was all said and done, we both felt very strongly that Navy was the place for us to come. I called [ Southern Utah ] and withdrew my name as the athletic director was walking into the president¹s house to make that decision [on a new head coach].”

At least one person in the DuPaix family was expecting Joe to take a different path.

“I was surprised [by his decision] because I thought he would be offered the SUU job,” said Roger DuPaix. “[But] I think it was a very good decision that Joe and Monica made. Joe is enthusiastic and a leader with a very positive attitude. Navy is a perfect fit.”

Part of the reason both Joe and Roger DuPaix were comfortable with the choice was that they both had an opportunity to meet Coach Niumatalolo in the spring of 2007.

“The [Navy] coaches were great. They gave us first-class treatment,” said Roger DuPaix.

“That was the first time I came out [to Annapolis ]. That was the first time [Coach Niamatalolo and I] met. I just came here last year to learn more. It didn¹t make sense for me to go to USC when we weren¹t going to run that type of offense. I came here to observe and learn and see how they manipulated drillslook for different ideas,” said Joe DuPaix.

Although it was the first time DuPaix and Niumatalolo met, there was already a pretty strong connection established through Cal Poly’s current head football coach, Rich Ellerson. Prior to coaching the Mustangs, Ellerson had served as the defensive coordinator at Hawaii from 1988-1992. Also on the Rainbows staff during his tenure was Paul Johnson (offensive coordinator) and Niumatalolo (graduate assistant).

<hr>

In Part II of the interview with Navy’s new slot back coach, Joe DuPaix discusses the differences between Cal Poly¹s offense and the Mids; the reputation of Navy football on the West Coast; the challenges of recruiting; and whether or not he thinks he can make the Navy offense even better.

GreatAmerican · April 3, 2008, 9:22pm

For Immediate Release
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771

Navy-Delaware State Game Halted Due to Rain

ANNAPOLIS, Md. Navys baseball game against Delaware State on Thursday afternoon at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium was suspended going into the bottom of the fifth inning, due to rain and unplayable field conditions deemed by the umpiring crew, with the Midshipmen holding a 2-1 lead.

Upon mutual agreement between the two schools, the game was halted and an attempted conclusion date has yet to be determined. If the two schools cannot continue the game, then Navy will be credited with a victory, as the game met the qualifications for a completed contest.

The Midshipmen (17-10, 3-1 Patriot League) will play host to Patriot League foe Lehigh (13-15, 0-4 Patriot League) this Saturday for a 12 noon doubleheader in Annapolis. Live stats for all of Navys home games will be available via GameTracker on <a href=“http://www.NavySports.com(%5B/url%5D.)”>www.NavySports.com(.)</a>

GreatAmerican · April 4, 2008, 9:25pm

Navy’s Barnes is a student-athlete role model
by Maria Burns Ortiz; ESPN.com

On June 14, 2003, Evan Barnes’ dream of playing collegiate soccer almost ended. The then-incoming Naval Academy freshman collided with a concrete pylon going 70 miles per hour in his car. The details of what followed are prefaced by Barnes with a “supposedly,” as he remembers nothing immediately after the crash.

Navy Sports Information/Other
Despite a succession of injuries, Evan Barnes has bounced back to star in goal for Navy.

It took emergency responders 20 minutes to cut him out of the car using the jaws of life, and then he was taken by helicopter to the Ohio State Medical Center. His arm was broken, his hip was injured and his future as a cadet – and as a goalkeeper – was put on hold.

“The worst part was I found out I wasn’t going to be able to go to Navy that year,” Barnes, now a senior, recalled. “I felt like I had no real options and I was just kind of trying to get a grasp on the whole situation.”

Barnes’ injuries made him unable to meet the Navy’s physical requirements, however; he was determined to fulfill his goal of attending the Naval Academy. With the help of the Naval Academy Alumni Foundation, Barnes enrolled at Ohio State, signing a commitment to attend Navy the following year.

The recovery process was slow, but Barnes persevered. It was months before he could even jog, but by the time the collegiate club season rolled around, Barnes was a member of the team at Ohio State. He arrived at the Naval Academy for the physically and mentally demanding “Plebe Summer” in 2004, just a year after his accident. While he had initially planned on playing soccer at Navy before his accident, Barnes did not go out for the team his first year at Annapolis.

“I wanted to kind of take a quick break and explore some of the other options, but after freshman year, I realized I’d been playing soccer since I was 4-years-old and how much a part of my life it really was,” Barnes said. “So I wanted to give it one last shot.”

He walked on to the team that fall, impressing coach Rich Miranda and his staff right away.

“Evan was not a recruited player, but when I first saw Evan, I thought he had All-American potential,” Miranda said. “When he came to the program, he had a positive influence right from the start. He’s just one of the best kids I’ve ever coached in my entire career of coaching. Everything he does, he does with a passion, and you know he’s going to put every ounce of effort forward to do the best he can.”

That kind of behavior isn’t just limited to the soccer field. It carries over to the classroom and the community. Barnes maintains an A-average as an Honors Systems Engineering major. Following graduation, he plans to continue his studies in Stockholm, Sweden and has received a Rotary International scholarship to pursue his postgraduate degree, after which, he’ll do his service in the Navy. He’s also been involved in a number of on- and off-campus leadership and outreach activities, leaving his coach to marvel at how the goalkeeper finds time to do it all in addition to the already demanding schedule of a cadet.

His efforts have not gone unnoticed by those outside the academy walls. Late last season, Barnes was the first recipient of the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award for men’s soccer. The award, as Lowe’s senior vice president of marketing and advertising Bob Gfeller put it, “focuses on the total student-athlete.”

“Nationwide, talented athletes compete every day, but Lowe’s believes those individuals who are equally dedicated in the classroom and in their communities make the real difference with their abilities,” he added.

It was fitting as Barnes said it’s his competitive drive that keeps him going – even in the face of physical adversity, something Barnes has become too familiar with during the last few years. In addition to overcoming the injuries sustained in his car accident, Barnes’ junior season ended prematurely after he tore his ACL.

“I know a lot of athletes kind of look at that as a serious career-ending injury or something like that, but I had already been through much worse after my accident, so I kind of just looked at it as another obstacle to overcome, and I knew if I worked hard enough I’d be back on the field playing again,” Barnes said.

He was this past fall, starting nine games for the Midshipmen and posting a 1.38 goals against average.

“That’s Evan,” Miranda said. “He may have setbacks, but his commitment and determination and he has the passion that really sets the standard for any student-athlete at any level. That’s what he’s really all about. … You know down the road no matter what he does, he’s going to be successful.”

While that path for Barnes may appear to lead toward a career in the business sector – he plans to pursue an M.S. in entrepreneurship and innovation management – as opposed to the soccer sphere, the skills that have made him a standout goalkeeper at Navy should serve him well.

Maria Burns Ortiz covers college soccer for ESPNsoccernet. She can be reached at <a href="mailto:mariamburns@gmail.com">mariamburns@gmail.com</a>.

GreatAmerican · April 4, 2008, 9:27pm

For Immediate Release
Sent Friday, April 4, 2008
Contact Justin Kischefsky (410) 293-8772

Navy Crew Seasons Continue with Three Races on the Road

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The second week of the spring rowing season has the Navy lightweight and women’s teams challenging for a total of three trophies between the two programs this weekend.

The women’s team will start the weekend of competition Saturday morning when the Mids face Boston University and George Washington starting at 8 a.m. on the Cooper River in Camden, N.J. The winner of the varsity race between the three programs will be awarded the Playfair Cup. The Terriers have dominated the series, winning each of the first seven races for the Cup until the Mids broke through and won the race and the accompanying hardware last season for the first time.

Navy opened its 2008 season last week by placing third in the varsity division at the Murphy Cup in Philadelphia.

“We are expecting Boston University to be pretty good again this year, and George Washington is rowing very well under their new head coach,” said Navy head coach Mike Hughes. “We are anxious to see what improvements we have been able to make since our opening day of racing last Saturday.”

It will be a busy weekend of racing for the lightweight team as they will first race Saturday evening against Yale on Lake Carnegie in Princeton, N.J., then will make the short drive to Philadelphia to compete against Penn Sunday morning.

The winner of Saturday’s varsity race will earn possession of the Eads Johnson Trophy, with the Callow Cup up for grabs during the Sunday’s varsity race against the Quakers.

Navy won the Eads Johnson Trophy last year and has won the trophy in three of the four years it has been challenged for, while the Mids have won the Callow Cup in each of the last seven years. Sunday’s race will break a 26-26 deadlock in the series between Navy and Penn.

The Mids enjoyed a successful opening to their season last weekend by sweeping all four races from Princeton, which included a victory in the inaugural varsity race for the Joseph Murtaugh Cup.

“I’m very excited about racing twice this weekend,” said Navy head coach Rob Friedrich. “Yale is always one of our toughest opponents and they seem to be very deep this year. I’m expecting some tight racing just like last weekend against Princeton. Racing Penn on Sunday after only 14 hours of rest will be a great test of our endurance. This is our only opportunity to race twice in the same weekend before Eastern Sprints, so it should be a great learning experience for us.”

GreatAmerican · April 4, 2008, 9:28pm

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy women’s lacrosse team hits the road in search of its first road win of the Division I era on Saturday with a key Patriot League contest at Lehigh, beginning at noon. The Mids enter the game with an 8-2 overall record and are 2-1 in Patriot League play. Lehigh is 6-5 overall and is in a third-place with Navy in the league standings at 2-1.

Navy owns an 8-0 record at home, but is 0-2 away from Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Navy has lost its road games to Colgate (19-10) and Davidson (15-10).

The Mids are coming off a thrilling 13-12 victory over preseason league favorite, American, on Tuesday afternoon. The Mids pieced together perhaps its best half of the year in the first half, jumping out to a 9-2 halftime advantage, before the Eagles rallied in the second half. With the victory, Navy has defeated the top two teams (American and Holy Cross) in the preseason Patriot League standings, and currently sit one game back of Colgate for the top spot in the Patriot League.

In the win over American, sophomore Erin Rawlick and freshman Meg Decker scored four goals each, while senior Amanda Towey tallied three points (1 g, 2 a). Natalie Blandon made eight saves in goals.

Rawlick and Decker continue to lead the Navy offense, combining for 96 points (74 g, 22 a). Rawlick, one of the nation’s top scorers and the Patriot League leader in points, has scored 52 points (40 g, 12 a), while Decker has 44 points (34 g, 10 a). Three other players, Amanda Towey (34), Mary Ruttum (29) and Katrina Nietsch (24) have tallied at least 24 points on the season.

Blandon has seen the majority of time in goal, recording a GAA of 9.84 and a save percentage of .429.

As a team, the Mids are outscoring their opponents, 16.2 to 9.6 per game, and outshooting foes, 31.8 to 22.4.

The matchup will feature the top two freshmen in the league in Decker and Lehigh rookie, Lauren Dykstra. Dykstra, a five-time Patriot League Rookie of the Week award winner, has 44 goals on the season and leads the team with 55 points. Three other players, Inneke Carmola (37), Meagan Tenety (30) and Sara MacIntyre (27) have all contributed at least 27 points. Kelsy Farris has played all but 41 minutes in goal, recording an 11.56 GAA and a .504 save percentage.

Lehigh is averaging 13.9 goals per game, while giving up 11.1 per outing. The Mountain Hawks are outshooting foes, 31.0 to 27.3.

It will be the first meeting between the two teams.

Colgate leads the league with a 3-0 mark and will square off against 1-2 Bucknell on Saturday. Other league games include 1-3 Holy Cross at 0-4 Lafayette.

The Mids will return home for a Tuesday contest against Howard, beginning at 4:00 pm at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Admission is free to all Navy home regular-season games.

GreatAmerican · April 4, 2008, 9:36pm

By Lindsey Corbetta
Issue date: 4/4/08 Section: Sports

The women’s lacrosse team will host Navy in its first game since defeating Holy Cross College 17-9 last Saturday.

The Mountain Hawks come into the game 6-5 on the season, 2-1 in the Patriot League. Navy sits at 9-2 on the season, 2-1 in league play after defeating American University 13-12 on Tuesday.

Lehigh and Navy are currently tied for third in the Patriot League standings.

Freshman attacker Allison Thomas said the team will not settle for anything but a postseason birth.

“We hope to make the Patriot League tournament and I don’t think that we will strive for less,” Thomas said.

Thomas also said the team is expecting Navy to be one of the more physical and challenging opponents they will face this season.

“Navy definitely has some large and strong girls,” Thomas said. “They are definitely scrappy and going to be hard to compete against.”

Junior midfielder Tess McGrath said she agrees Navy will definitely be able to put up a good fight against the Hawks.

“Navy will be a tough and physical game as they have a few players that we will need to shut down,” McGrath said.

Two players the Hawks will have to focus on in particular are sophomore midfielder Erin Rawlick and freshman midfielder Meg Decker. Rawlick is leading Navy with 40 goals on the season, while Decker is second on the team with 34 goals.

Thomas said the Hawks are much more aware of what it takes to win after suffering several one-goal losses earlier this season, and battling through those games has given them more confidence.

“Our previous games have shown that we must play with heart throughout the entire game and that we cannot let up or put our heads down for a second,” she said. “We definitely need to continue our communication and intensity on defense and make sure that everyone is a threat on attack.”

One-goal losses have certainly remained in the squad’s mind, but sophomore attacker Inneke Carmola said the Hawks’ strength comes from its power as a unit.

“We have all learned a little more about ourselves as people and as players,” Carmola said. “We’ve figured out what each of our strengths and weaknesses are, which has improved our ability to work together on the field.”

Lehigh’s game against Holy Cross College was an example of this combined effect.

Saturday’s game was a close matchup until the Hawks went on a 10-0 run in the second half and pulled away with a 17-9 victory. Freshman attacker Lauren Dykstra led the team with five goals, followed by Thomas with four and Carmola with three.

Junior attacker Sara MacIntyre scored twice during the game, bringing her season total to 26, which is second highest on the team.

Dykstra is now only four goals away from breaking MacIntyre’s record of 47 freshman goals set in 2006. Dykstra was also named the Patriot League rookie of the week for the fifth time this season, tying the all-time record set by Colgate University’s Katie McVeigh in 2003.

This was the first time the Hawks have beaten Holy Cross since 2003.

Carmola said the victory was a big accomplishment, and a testament to everyone on the team playing well.

“I think one of the big differences that we saw in this game was that we played together as a team,” she said. “Every single player contributed in some way and we played as a unit.”

Saturday’s game against the Midshipmen is set to begin at 12 p.m. at the Ulrich Sports Complex.

GreatAmerican · April 4, 2008, 9:38pm

Eric Detweiler

The tradition of the Terrapin men’s lacrosse team facing North Carolina, Virginia, Navy and Johns Hopkins on consecutive weekends dates back to 1978.

Each season it represents one of the toughest stretches that any team in the country will face.

Coach Dave Cottle said each season he approaches the stretch knowing it is imperative that the Terps at least split the four games to put themselves into position to qualify for the NCAA tournament.

That’s what makes wins against then-No. 5 North Carolina and then-No. 1 Virginia the past two weekends so exciting for the young Terps.

“When you look at those four games, you say you’ve got to win a minimum of two of them,” Cottle said. “Now you’ve won the first two, and you want to win the next one.”

The No. 3 Terps will try to keep a three-game winning streak alive when they host No. 9 Navy tonight at 8 at Byrd Stadium.

Just getting this far is an accomplishment for the Terps.

The last time they won the first two games in the stretch was 2004. (That team was 8-0 heading into the Navy game but proceeded to lose to both the Midshipmen and the Blue Jays.)

The only time the Terps have gotten through the full stretch unblemished was in 1987.

But at this point, the Terps (7-2) know they have a chance to repeat the feat, if they can continue to improve.

“I think we’re in a really good position right now,” junior midfielder Jeremy Sieverts said. “We’re focused and we’re excited for Friday night.”

Freshman attackman Grant Catalino, who tallied a total of three goals and an assist in the last two games, said the wins gave the team confidence and showed that hard work in practice pays off.

But he acknowledged that there is still a lot of season left to be played.

“These next few games are just as big as the last ones,” Catalino said. “We can’t get too confident. We still gotta work hard through practice to keep getting better.”

Cottle said it is especially important because Navy (8-2) presents a unique match-up because they play a notoriously slow style. The Terps showed the ability to stop the potent transition game of Virginia last week, but this week their goal will be to quicken today’s game’s pace.

Sophomore long pole Brian Farrell said the ability to adapt is the key to getting through this stretch of games.

“We play great teams, and we’ve got to prepare ourselves mentally and physically every week,” Farrell said. “We’ve done a really good job of that to beat some great teams.”

Cottle said the wins have helped build a tournament resum

GreatAmerican · April 4, 2008, 9:39pm

For: Immediate Release
Sent: April 4, 2008
Contact: Scott Strasemeier (410) 293-8775

Naval Academy To Play All Five Home Football Games At 3:30 P.M.; Mids To Appear On National Television 10 Times In 2008

ANNAPOLIS, Md.-The Naval Academy Athletic Association and CBS College Sports Network announced Friday that all five Navy football games at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium will kick off at 3:30 p.m. All five games will be televised live by CBS College Sports Network.

Navy’s neutral site games against Notre Dame in Baltimore and Army in Philadelphia will both kick off at 12 noon and will be televised by CBS.

Three of Navy’s five road games have already been picked up by national television as well. Navy’s Sept. 5 contest at Ball State will be televised by ESPN (7 p.m.), the Oct. 4 contest at Air Force will be televised by VERSUS (2 p.m. MT, 4 p.m. ET) and the Nov. 25 contest at Northern Illinois will be televised by ESPN2 (7 p.m.). Game times have not been announced for the Sept. 13 game at Duke and the Sept. 27 contest at Wake Forest.

Season tickets for the 2008 season are on sale now at <a href=“http://www.navysports.com%5B/url%5D”>www.navysports.com</a> or by calling 1-800-US4-NAVY. Season tickets are $222, which includes all five games at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium and the Notre Dame game at M&T Bank Stadium. A season parking pass will cost $75.

2008 Navy Football Schedule

Date Opponent Location Time TV
Aug. 30 Towson Annapolis, Md. 3:30 p.m. CBS C
Sept. 5 at Ball State Muncie, Ind. 7 p.m. ESPN
Sept. 13 at Duke Durham, N.C. TBA TBA
Sept. 20 Rutgers Annapolis, Md. 3:30 p.m. CBS C
Sept. 27 at Wake Forest Winston Salem, N.C. TBA TBA
Oct. 4 at Air Force Colorado Springs, Colo. 4 p.m. VERSUS
Oct. 18 Pittsburgh (HC) Annapolis, Md. 3:30 p.m. CBS C
Oct. 25 SMU Annapolis, Md. 3:30 p.m. CBS C
Nov. 1 Temple Annapolis, Md. 3:30 p.m. CBS C
Nov. 15 vs. Notre Dame Baltimore, Md. 12 noon CBS
Nov. 25 at N. Illinois DeKalb, Ill. 7 p.m… ESPN2
Dec. 6 vs. Army Philadelphia, Pa. 12 noon CBS

GreatAmerican · April 4, 2008, 9:41pm

PREVIEWING THE ACTION AHEAD
One week after taking three of four on the road at defending Patriot League champion, Lafayette, the Navy baseball team will play a split series against league foe Lehigh. The two teams will meet in Annapolis for a doubleheader on Saturday, before hitting the road to Bethlehem, Pa., to complete the series with a Sunday twinbill.
The split series is a result of weather conditions that forced last years series to be played at two sites. Lehigh hosted Navy in the opening day doubleheader before heavy rains came through and left the Lehigh Baseball Field unplayable for the next-two days. The two teams agreed to move the series finale doubleheader down to Annapolis, a four-game set in which the Midshipmen swept the Mountain Hawks.
After its four-game Patriot League series this weekend, Navy will head on the road to take on UMBC on Tuesday night at The Baseball Factory Field. One day later, the Midshipmen will play host to Georgetown in a game that was re-scheduled from Feb. 26 due to a rain-out.

LEHIGH … A CLOSER LOOK
The Lehigh Mountain Hawks head into the weekend with a 13-15 overall record, 0-4 in Patriot League play. The Mountain Hawks were swept at home by Holy Cross last weekend to open up league action.
Lehighs pitching staff owns a 5.20 ERA, with opponents hitting .286. The starting rotation on Joe Matteo, Kevin Mihalik, Greg Angelo and Rob Russell all have an ERA at or below 4.50, with Angelo and Russell both allowing a hit or less per inning this spring.
The main struggles this year for the Mountain Hawks have come inside the batters box, where they are collectively hitting .248. Brendan McGaheran leads the team with a .320 batting average and nine doubles. Joe Ercolano comes into the weekend seven hits shy of claiming the career hits record at Lehigh, as he has totaled 200 over three-plus seasons.
The Mountain Hawks also have had a tough time defensively, as they own a .944 fielding percentage and average more than two errors per contest.

UMBC … A CLOSER LOOK
The UMBC Retrievers come into the weekend with a 7-13 overall record. The Retrievers and the Midshipmen met in Annapolis on March 5, as the visitors came away with an 18-6 victory. UMBCs offense has been productive all season, hitting .316 as a whole with a .470 slugging percentage. Leading the way is Will Delawter, a .415 hitter with six home runs. Its pitching staff has been touched to the tune of a 6.79 team ERA and a .307 opposition batting average.

GEORGETOWN … A CLOSER LOOK
The Georgetown Hoyas enter the weekend with an 11-14 mark, 3-6 in Big East play. The Hoyas are hitting .286 as a team this spring, with Sean Lamont highlighting the offense with a .337 average, seven home runs and 23 RBIs. Matt Iannetta owns a .362 average in his 14 games played. Georgetowns pitching staff owns a 6.13 team ERA, while allowing the opposition to hit .292.

LOOKING BACK AT LAST WEEK…
The Navy baseball took three of four from defending Patriot League champion Lafayette in a hard-fought series in Easton, Pa. The Midshipmen dropped the opener in extra innings, 2-1, before rallying to win the next three, 3-2, 13-5 and 6-5 in 13 innings.
Two days later, the Midshipmen pounded out 16 base hits, but stranded 16 runners in a 13-6 loss at Maryland. On Thursday, Navy held a 2-1 lead over Delaware State after four and a half innings in Annapolis before rain and unplayable field conditions forced the game to be suspended. The two schools are attempting to find a mutual date to conclude the game. If a date cannot be reached, the Midshipmen will earn the victory, as the game went the required distance in order to be considered an official contest.

MIDS IN THE LIMELIGHT
This Sunday, Navy and Lehigh will play a doubleheader that will be broadcast locally in the Lehigh Valley on Service Electric 2 Sports. That twinbill will also be streamed live on [Lehigh</a> University Official Athletics Website - Lehigh](<a href=“http://www.LehighSports.com%5DLehigh”>http://www.LehighSports.com), with Jeff Tourial and Steve Lomangino calling the action.
One week later and for the third-consecutive year, the Army-Navy series will be televised nationally, as CBS College Sports Network (formerly CSTV) will broadcast the first game of the Sunday doubleheader (April 13) in Annapolis. Pete Medhurst and FP Santangelo will provide the play-by-play and color commentary, respectively.

NAVY TIED FOR MOST WINS OVER THREE-YEAR SPAN IN SCHOOL HISTORY
The Midshipmen have tied the school record for most wins over a three-year stretch in the 113-year history of the baseball program. Since the start of the 2006 season, Navy has won 84 games, matching the total produced by the 1981-83 Midshipmen.
Navy won 67 games between the 2006 and 07 seasons, the highest win total over a two-year span in program history. The previous record stood at 60 wins between the 1982 and 83.

NAVY AIMING FOR BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK 30-WIN SEASONS
The Navy baseball team is aiming for its third-consecutive 30-win season in 2008. The Midshipmen set a school record with 35 wins last year and recorded 32 victories in 2006. In fact, prior to the 2006 season, Navy had won only 30 games in a year on three occasions.

HISTORY OF SUCCESS IN THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Navy baseball team has enjoyed significant success since joining the Patriot League in 1993. Over that span, Navy has gone 183-123 (.598) in league play and advanced to the NCAA Tournament four times. The Midshipmen have won the league postseason title five times, more than any other school in the league.

NAVY PRESEASON PATRIOT LEAGUE FAVORITE IN MANY CIRCLES
The Navy baseball team has been tabbed to win the Patriot League Championship and earn an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament by a slew of preseason publications.
The Midshipmen were picked to finish first in the Patriot League by the leagues coaches and sports information contacts in the preseason poll. The Mids claimed 43 points and four first-place ballots to lead the way, while Lafayette came in a close second with 42 points and four first-place votes.
Navy has also been picked to win the Patriot League according to Baseball America, CollegeBaseballInsider.com and CSTV.com. In CSTV.coms preseason prediction, the Mids will advance to the NCAA Tournament and compete in the Columbia, S.C., regional against No. 8 national seed South Carolina.

FAST-STARTING MIDS
Since taking over the reigns in 2006, head coach Paul Kostacopoulos has started Patriot League play on the right foot. Over his first-three seasons, Navy is 11-1 (.917) in its league-opening weekend. The Midshipmen swept Holy Cross in a four-game set in 2006 and 07, followed by a 3-1 mark at Lafayette this season.

KOSTACOPOULOS LOOKING FOR WIN NO. 600 THIS YEAR
Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos will aim for his 600th career victory in his 19th year as a head coach in 2008. The third-year Navy skipper needs just 12 more victories to reach the mark, as he owns a career record of 588-383-3 (.605). Kostacopoulos has won 30-plus games in each of his last-seven seasons and 11 times in his career.

KOSTACOPOULOS GOES FOR CAREER WIN NO. 100 WITH NAVY
Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos will go for another milestone mark in 2008, attempting to become the fourth Navy coach to earn 100 career victories with the Mids. Over his first-two-plus seasons in Annapolis, he owns a career mark of 84-51-1 (.621). A strong 16-6 mark would tie him for second fastest to 100 wins with Joe Duff.

HOME SWEET HOME
Navy is scheduled to play 33 games on its home field, Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium, this spring. The 33 home games would tie the school record for most in a season, as the Midshipmen went 22-11 in their 33 ballgames in Annapolis last season.
Since the installation of FieldTurf at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium before the start of the 2006 season, Navy has gone 49-28-1 (.635) in its 78 home games.

MARCH MADNESS
Navy played 17 of its 33 scheduled home games this spring in the month of March, all within a span of 26 days. The Midshipmen compiled a record of 11-6 on their home field during that span.
In the midst of that wild stretch, Navy also played two road games. The Mids played at 16th-ranked Virginia on March12, before driving during the night to take on Maryland-Eastern Shore at Princess Anne, Md. The Midshipmen would not have an opportunity to relax, as they immediately came back to Annapolis to host a round-robin tournament over the following three days.

HARRIS GOES DEEP IN THREE-STRAIGHT GAMES … AGAIN!
Navy power hitter Mitch Harris (Sr./Mt. Holly, N.C.) hit a home run in three-consecutive games for the second time in his career during an impressive tear on March 13-15.
Harris smashed a 410-feet blast over the centerfield fence at Maryland-Eastern Shore before going deep twice against Monmouth in Annapolis. The multi-home run performance at home was the first by a Navy hitter since Tony Mauro against Lafayette on April 3, 1999. Harris blasted his fourth long ball in three days against Maine, this time over the fence at the deepest part of the ballpark, approximately 410 feet.
The Navy slugger hit a home run in three-consecutive games during a series sweep against Holy Cross at Fitton Field last season.
Only one other Navy hitter has ever hit a round-tripper in three-straight games. Mark Zematis first accomplished the feat on the road at East Carolina on March 4-5, 2000.

NAVYS OFFENSE EXPLODES AT UMES
The Navy offense produced offensive figures it had not seen in five years during its 20-6 victory at Maryland-Eastern Shore on March 13.
The 20 runs scored were the most by the Mids since they plated 24 runs against Hartford on March 22, 2003. The 24 base knocks, 10 of which went for extra bases, were the most by a Navy team since they tallied 24 hits against Bucknell in the 2003 Patriot League Tournament.

MARATHON BASEBALL
In a clash among the Patriot Leagues top-two teams in the leagues preseason poll, Navy and Lafayette played a four-game set that will be remembered for some time.
The Midshipmen and the Leopards battled over 37 innings in the four-game set, the longest Patriot League weekend in Navys program history. The previous longest league weekend for the Mids came last year at Army, when they squared off for 35 innings.
The series finale between Navy and Lafayette lasted 13 innings, the longest game in league play for the Mids. The contest lasted four hours and six minutes, as the Midshipmen came away with a thrilling 6-5 win. The 13-inning ballgame was the longest for Navy since a 7-6 loss to UMBC in Annapolis on March 31, 1993.

THE YOUNG MIDS
Navys 2008 roster is comprised of a combined 31 freshmen and sophomores out of its 40 roster spots. The Midshipmen boast the youngest squad in the Patriot League with 15 freshmen and 16 sophomores, while Lehigh follows in a close second with its 13 freshmen and 12 sophomores.

ARMY-NAVY SERIES NAMED TOP RIVALRY IN THE NORTH
With both teams participating in last years Patriot League Tournament and predicted to do so once again in 2008, the Army-Navy series has been billed as the No. 1 rivalry in the North Region by Baseball America.
The two teams are slated to meet in Annapolis on April 12-13, with Navy owning a 100-84 advantage over Army in the all-time series. In each of the last-two years, the first game of the series has been televised nationally on CSTV (currently CBS College Sports Network).

THE JOE DUFF INDOOR BATTING
FACILITY
The Navy baseball program will dedicate its new, state-of-the-art indoor hitting & pitching facility after longtime Navy skipper Joe Duff on Saturday, April 12, prior to the start of the 12 noon doubleheader against service academy foe Army.
Duff served as the head coach of the Navy baseball team from 1962-93 and won a school-record 595 games in the process. His teams combined to win six league titles and advanced to the NCAA Tournament on three occasions. Prior to becoming the head coach of the baseball program, he served as the plebe baseball coach and an assistant basketball coach for 10 years at Navy.
In spring 2007, the Midshipmen opened one of the finest indoor hitting & pitching facilities in the nation. A 5,000-square foot, heated indoor hitting facility was constructed, enabling the Midshipmen to work on their skills, rain or shine. The 50-foot wide, 100-foot long, 16-foot high indoor facility features two pitching mounds and a state-of-the-art hitting screen. The Pro Batter Professional PX2 Video Pitching Machine allows hitters to bat against a simulated pitcher with several different pitches and a wide range of velocities.
The roof of the hitting & pitching facility has been surfaced with railings surrounding its perimeter, serving as a hospitality venue that provides an outstanding view of the entire ballpark and the Naval Academy.

MIDS GETTING IT DONE IN THE CLASSROOM, TOO
Being a member of a league that prides itself on maintaining high academic standards while pursuing athletic success, Navy ranks among the Patriot Leagues top-three schools in the NCAAs Academic Progress Rates (APR) for baseball.
The Midshipmen earned a mark of 980, which also places them among the nations top-10th percentile in baseball. Navys athletic program also ranks among the premier institutions in each sport across the board. The Midshipmen boasted a mark higher than the Division I average in 22 of their 23 NCAA sports, including the nations highest score in seven sports (each with a perfect 1,000).
The APR is the fulcrum upon which the entire academic-reform structure rests. Developed as a more real-time assessment of teams academic performance than the six-year graduation-rate calculation provides, the APR awards two points each term to student-athletes who meet academic-eligibility standards and who remain with the institution. A teams APR is the total points earned by the term at a given time divided by the total points possible.

ACCELERATING THEIR LIFE AFTER GRADUATION
Each of Navys seven seniors on this years baseball team are going to serve their country in a variety of roles following commissioning in May. Graduates from the United States Naval Academy will begin their military careers as either an Ensign in the United States Navy or a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps.
This year, each of Navys seniors will be commissioned as Ensigns in the United States Navy, entering the Surface Warfare, Aviation, Submarine (Nuclear) and Supply Corps communities.

MITCH HARRIS … 29TH BEST COLLEGE PROSPECT BY BASEBALL AMERICA
Navy baseball right-handed pitcher Mitch Harris has been tabbed as the nation’s 29th-best college prospect for the 2008 MLB First-Year Player Draft, it was announced by Baseball America. The rankings were compiled by Baseball America through discussions with scouts and represent overall future potential.
Harris ranks as the second-highest collegiate prospect among seniors in this year’s draft class. Only Georgia senior right-handed pitcher Joshua Fields placed ahead of Harris, coming in at 27th on the list.
In the 2007 MLB First-Year Player Draft last June, Harris was selected in the 24th round by the Atlanta Braves organization. This past summer, he played in the prestigious Cape Cod League with the Bourne Braves. Facing some of the nation’s best collegiate hitters, he started seven contests and boasted a 3.94 ERA in 29.2 innings with 25 strikeouts. With the help of the Navy right-hander, Bourne won the Western Division regular season title with a 25-17-2 record.
Harris was selected Second-Team All-Patriot League as both a starting pitcher and a designated hitter last May, becoming the first player in school history to earn all-league accolades at two different positions within the same year. One month later, he became the first player in school history to earn ABCA all-region accolades multiple times during his career, as he was first-team selection in 2006 and a second-team member in 2007.
Prior to the start of the 2008 season, Harris was selected as a candidate for the 2008 Brooks Wallace Award, which is awarded to the nation’s top-collegiate player. Last year’s Brooks Wallace award went to Vanderbilt pitcher, David Price. Price was the first overall pick in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft and is pitching in the Tampa Bay Rays organization. The 2006 winner was standout pitcher/designated hitter Brad Lincoln of Houston. Nebraska’s Alex Gordon, currently with the Kansas City Royals, took home the 2005 trophy. The inaugural award was given in 2004 to Kurt Suzuki of Cal State Fullerton, who is now catching for the Oakland A’s.

MEET THE MIDS SLATED FOR APRIL 12
The Naval Academy Athletic Association will hold a “Meet the Mids” event in between the Army-Navy baseball doubleheader on Saturday, April 12, at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium, starting at 12 noon.
The Navy baseball team will be available for autographs in between games, with the first 100 kids in line for the autograph session receiving a “Meet the Mids” t-shirt, compliments of Chick-fil-A. Also, Navy’s 2008 baseball poster will be available with several prizes being handed out.

NAVYS HOME SELECTED AS LEAGUES FAVORITE ROAD STADIUM
Navys home field, Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium, was voted as the favorite road stadium in the Patriot League, voted by the leagues coaches on CollegeBaseballInsider.com.
This does not particularly comes as a surprise, as the $2.5-million renovation process at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium commenced in October 2005 and featured a variety of upgrades that make the home of Navy baseball one of the finest facilities in the East to play and watch a game. The multi-million dollar baseball facility is named after the longtime baseball coach Max Bishop (1937-61) and the Terwilliger family for their generous support of the Naval Academy and the Naval Academy Athletic Association.
The facilitys biggest improvement was the installation of a new playing surface, as the natural grass was dug up and 124,000-square feet of FieldTurf was put in January 2006. FieldTurf is the same surface used by Major League Baseball’s Minnesota Twins, Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays, as well as Navy’s Jack Stephens Field at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
Terwilliger Brothers Field became only the third field in college baseball to feature FieldTurf over the entire playing surface, with the exception of the pitcher’s mound and home plate.
In spring 2007, a 5,000-square foot, heated indoor hitting and pitching facility was constructed, enabling the Midshipmen to work on their skills, rain or shine. The 50-foot wide, 100-foot long, 16-foot high indoor facility features two pitching mounds and a state-of-the-art hitting screen. The Pro Batter Professional PX2 Video Pitching Machine allows hitters to bat against a simulated pitcher with several different pitches and a wide range of velocities.
The roof of the hitting and pitching facility has been surfaced with railings surrounding its perimeter, serving as a hospitality venue that provides an outstanding view of the entire ballpark and the Naval Academy.
Concurrent with the field transformation, 1,000 chair-back seats have been installed with brick archways surrounding the stadium. Behind the left field fence, one can find a state-of-the-art LED matrix scoreboard with a video screen. Additionally, a concession stand located on the concourse level behind home plate and a patio area help create an intimate surrounding to watch and enjoy a Navy baseball game.

GreatAmerican · April 4, 2008, 9:44pm

Transcript of Navy head football coach Ken Niumatalolo’s comments following practice on Wednesday, April 2

Transcript of Navy head football coach Ken Niumatalolo’s comments following practice on Wednesday, April 2

Media in Attendance: Bill Wagner (Annapolis Capital)

Wagner: I notice you are doing some different things with conditioning. In the past the team just ran sprints, but now you are facing different ways, lying on the ground and jumping up, why the change?

Niumatalolo: A lot of it is from Coach Brass. We are doing some stuff that is football related and not just straight ahead sprints. We are doing things that you do in a game like shuffle your feet, get off the ground, stuff that might carry over to a game.

Wagner: Brass has been here five years and never did that, why now?

Niumatalolo: Coach Johnson is a creature of habit and doing straight sprints is what he has always done. We are still doing conditioning, but we wanted to have some football carryover. Sprinting isn¹t bad; we are just trying to incorporate a few more things.

Wagner: Who has impressed you so far? Maybe not an established guy, but a guy that the fans might not know.

Niumatalolo: Craig Schaefer. He has been by far the biggest surprise. He has done a phenomenal job.

Wagner: What do you like about him?

Niumatalolo: We are looking for guys that can come off the edge and get some pressure on the quarterback and he¹s done a good job with that. He seems more confident. Last year he was a young guy trying to learn the schemes, now he is more confident in what he¹s doing and he¹s been flying around.

Wagner: Did Schaefer play at all last year?

Niumatalolo: He was one of our better special teams player, but he didn’t play much on defense.

Wagner: He is a big boy for an outside linebacker, at least bigger than what you’ve had.

Niumatalolo: He has everything that we are looking for. He is a big kid that can run. He plays hard. He’s had a great spring so far.

Wagner: Is there anybody else you can think of? How about the offensive line? You have some openings there, has anybody showed you anything?

Niumatalolo: They have a long ways to go.

Wagner: You know what you have in Gaskins and you know what you have in McGinn, but after that you are looking for guys.

Niumatalolo: No, Ricky Moore is doing a good job at center.

Wagner: Is he adapting pretty well?

Niumatalolo: Yes. I¹m excited about him. He has a definite chance. Now, is he ready to go right now? No. But by the Towson game, whether he is at center or tackle, I feel really good about him. He¹s made a lot of progress.

Wagner: You lost your top two guys at center and normally you would have a young guy that you are developing ready to step in, but obviously you didn’t have anybody since you had to move Ricky from tackle and Lark from nose guard.

Niumatalolo: Patrick Snow and Matt Cook are two young guys at center, but it is hard for a plebe lineman on offense or defense to come in and play. It is hard to play as a freshman lineman. They are starting to get bigger. Right now we are just trying to find the best eight guys to play those five positions up front.

Wagner: Has anybody gotten injured since spring practice started?

Niumatalolo: Nothing serious.

Wagner: Is Saturday going to be a full-scale scrimmage?

Niumatalolo: Yes.

Wagner: What are you looking for?

Niumatalolo: Speed of the game. We have a lot of young guys that haven’t stepped on the field yet and we want to see them play at the speed we expect them to play. We preach that. It’s the only way we have a chance to compete. We have to play harder than anybody else. We are looking for guys that play like a bunch of maniacs out there.

GreatAmerican · April 5, 2008, 9:49pm

For Immediate Release
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771

Navy Finishes Fourth at ECAC Championship

WEST POINT, N.Y. Navy gymnast Adam Stanton (Jr./Centennial, Colo.) placed among the top-five competitors in three events to lead the Midshipmen to a fourth-place finish at the ECAC Championship on Friday night.

Temple won the team title and earned a spot in the NCAA Championship with a score of 341.45 points, just edging William & Marys 341.35-point tally. Illinois-Chicago came in third with its 340.9 points, followed by Navys 336.7 points, Springfields 322.2 points and MITs 310.3 points.

Navy topped all schools on the parallel bars (55.95 points), while finishing as the third-best team on the pommel horse (53.85 points), still rings (56.45 points) and high bar (54.8 points). The Midshipmen did not finish lower than fourth in any event.

Stanton led all gymnasts on the pommel horse with a solid 14.1-point showing. The Navy junior also placed fourth on the parallel bars with a 14.2 and led the Mids with a fifth-place score of 14.45 on the still rings.

Navy rookie Dylan Parrott (Fr./Rockwell, N.C.) also claimed top honors in one event and finished among the top six in two other competitions. Parrott produced an impressive 14.6-point mark from the judges to rank first on the parallel bars and ranked fifth on the high bar with a 14.0. He also came in sixth in the all-around, racking up 84.05 points among the six disciplines and scoring a 14.0 or better in four events.

Fellow all-around gymnast Christopher Tam (Sr./Draper, Utah) tallied 83.95 points in the all-around to follow Parrott in seventh place. Tam led the Midshipmen on the high bar and landed third overall with a 14.3 and finished eighth on the still rings with a 14.35 from the judges.

Joseph Atzenbeck (Jr./Broomfield, Colo.) and Grant Waldron (Fr./Columbia, Md.) also placed among the conferences top-eight gymnasts in at least one event on Friday. Atzenbeck earned an eighth-place score on both the high bar (13.9) and pommel horse (13.55), while Waldron came in seventh on the vault with his 15.25-point performance.

The top-eight gymnasts in each discipline will have their shot to earn a title and bring home a medal in the individual event finals tonight, starting at 6 p.m.

GreatAmerican · April 5, 2008, 9:50pm

For Immediate Release
Sent Saturday, April 5, 2008
Contact Justin Kischefsky (410) 293-8772

Terriers Top Mids to Win Playfair Cup

CHERRY HILLS, N.J. - A strong start to the race helped propel Boston University to a victory over Navy and George Washington in the varsity race between the three women’s crew programs Saturday morning on the Cooper River in Cherry Hills, N.J.

The opening sprint to the race by the Terriers allowed the boat to build a three-quarter of a boat length lead over the Mids about one minute into the race. Navy was able to close the margin somewhat by the midpoint of the contest, but BU responded and soon took an open-water advantage over the Mids over the next several hundred meters. By the end of the 2,000-meter race, the Mids were able to cut the difference down to a one-boat and two-seat margin.

The Terriers won the race with a winning time of 6:35.15, Navy finished in second place five seconds later (6:40.52) and George Washington place third 20 seconds after the Mids crossed the finish line (7:00.93).

The victory allows the Terriers to regain possession of the Playfair Cup, which is awarded annually to the winner of the varsity race between the three programs. Navy entered the day with the hardware by virtue of its 2007 victory.

Navy crews were victorious in each of the three additional races contested between the three programs Saturday morning. The Mids won the second varsity race by six seconds, the varsity four race by eight seconds and the novice eight race by seven seconds.

“It is always a good day when you are able to win three out of four races,” said Navy head coach Mike Hughes. “However, the one we wanted to win more than any of them was the varsity race, so we are disappointed. Today showed we have a lot of depth. We do need to get our varsity boat moving faster, especially at the start of the race, but we saw a lot of concrete things in terms of technique and how we raced that we will be able to improve upon as the season progresses. We are looking forward to getting back on the water in practice and continuing to make adjustments and improvements. Our best racing is still ahead of us.”

The Navy season will continue this coming week when the Mids take part in the George Washington Invitational April 11-12 on the Potomac River in Washington, D.C.

First Varsity (Playfair Cup race)
Boston Univ., 6:35.15; Navy, 6:40.52; George Washington, 7:00.93

Second Varsity
Navy, 6:52.38; Boston Univ., 6:58.70; George Washington, 7:29.40

Varsity Four
Navy A, 7:37.02; Boston Univ., 7:45.06, Navy B, 8:03.02; George Washington, 8:26.49

Novice
Navy A, 7:04.97; Boston Univ., 7:11.47; Navy B, 7:12.07; George Washington, 7:41.94

GreatAmerican · April 5, 2008, 9:53pm

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Lehigh women’s lacrosse team outscored Navy, 11-3, in the second half to overcome a five-goal halftime deficit and defeat the Mids, 15-12, in Patriot League action on Saturday afternoon. The loss drops Navy’s overall record to 8-3 and its Patriot League record to 2-2. Lehigh improved to 7-5 and 3-1.

Navy remains winless on the road following the loss with an 0-3 record. The Mids are 8-0 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

The Mids dominated the statistics in the first half, outscoring Lehigh, 9-4, outshooting the Mountain Hawks, 16-12, and winning nine of 14 draw controls. After trading goals to start the game, Navy scored seven of the next eight goals, including two each by Erin Rawlick (So. / Forest Hill, Md.) and Meg Decker (Fr. / Catonsville, Md.) to grab an 8-2 lead with 14:24 to play in the first half.

Lehigh would climb to within 8-4 just three minutes later, but a Mary Ruttum (So. / Annapolis, Md.) goal with 3:07 to play closed out the first half and gave Navy a 9-4 halftime advantage.

Lehigh came out blazing in the second half and took control of the game in the first five minutes. The Mountain Hawks started the second half by scoring the half’s first nine goals in the a 15-minute span to grab a 13-9 advantage. Freshman Lauren Dykstra scored three goals during the run and Sara MacIntyre tallied two to give Lehigh the four-goal cushion.

Decker stopped the bleeding with a free-position goal with 13:20 to play, but Inneke Carmola and Tess McGrath tallied goals at the 9:15 and 6:07 marks, respectively, to push the Lehigh lead to five at 15-10.

Amanda Towey (Sr. / Smithtown, N.Y.) and Ruttum scored goals in the last five minutes, but it was too little as Navy fell to the Mountain Hawks, 15-12.

In the second half only, Lehigh outshot Navy, 22-10, won 11-of-15 draw controls and picked up 16 ground balls to Navy’s 10. In addition, Lehigh with 5-of-12 for the entire game on free-position shots, while Navy was just 1-of-3.

Rawlick led Navy with five points (2 g, 3 a) and now has 57 points (42 g, 15 a) on the season. Ruttum scored four goals, while Decker added three. Towey contributed four points (2 g, 2 a) and Katrina Nietsch (Fr. / New Canaan, Conn.) added two points (1 g, 1 a).

Natalie Blandon stopped 12 shots in the cage for the Mids.

Carmola scored six points (4 g, 2 a) for the Mountain Hawks, while Dykstra and MacIntyre netted three goals with one assist each. Kelsy Farris stopped nine shots in goal for Lehigh.

The Mids will be back in action on Wednesday (April 9), when they host Howard at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, beginning at 4:00 pm.

GreatAmerican · April 5, 2008, 9:54pm

For: Immediate Release
Sent: April 5, 2008
Contact: Scott Strasemeier (410) 293-8775

Mids Conduct First Scrimmage Of Spring Practice

ANNAPOLIS, Md.-Senior quarterback Jarod Bryant (Hoover, Ala.) rushed for 117 yards and one touchdown on nine carries and completed five of his 11 pass attempts for 43 yards in Navy’s first football scrimmage of the spring. Bryant led the first team offense to two touchdowns in three drives against the first team defense. His biggest play of the day was a 63-yard touchdown run on the second play of the scrimmage where he displayed his breakaway speed by running by the Navy secondary.

"I thought the offense came out ready to play and the defense was sleepwalking to start the scrimmage, said Niumatalolo. “I thought the defense picked up the intensity later in the scrimmage. I thought Jarod Bryant had a great scrimmage. I’m excited about what he did. The best thing about today was we didn’t have any serious injuries. We got some guys banged up today, but nothing serious. Overall I was pleased.”

Bryant, who is projected to see some time at slot back this fall when senior quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada (Kapolei, Hawaii) fully recovers from knee surgery, was nearly flawless running the offense, making all the right reads and keeping the football off the ground. He made a perfect pitch to sophomore slot back Andre Byrd (Jacksonville, Fla.) on an option play that Byrd broke for a 14-yard touchdown run down the left sideline.

“Jarod is a good football player, but unfortunately for him (at quarterback) number 10 (Kaipo) is pretty good too. It is something we are constantly talking about,” said Niumatalolo. “Kaipo is still our starting quarterback, but we are very, very confident in Jarod. This spring has been great for him because he has gotten lots of reps at quarterback, but when Kaipo has gotten reps (non-contact) he has looked great too. Kaipo is probably not going to go full contact this spring. We know what he can do and we would rather be safe than sorry with him. These next two weeks we are going to play Jarod a little more at slot back to see how he does.”

Three slot backs battling for playing time opposite senior Shun White (Memphis, Tenn.) showed well. Junior Bobby Doyle (Chardon, Ohio) carried the ball twice for 14 yards, senior Greg Shinego (Port St. Lucie, Fla.) carried the ball three times for 30 yards and caught two passes for 24 yards and Byrd carried the ball three times for 20 yards and a touchdown. White added 23 yards rushing on four carries.

“We are very excited about all three (Doyle, Shinego and Byrd) of those guys,” said Niumatalolo. “We are very excited about Andre Byrd. Andre is a smaller kid and we weren’t really sure how tough he would be, but there’s no questioning it now he is a tough kid. He can block and he has a high football IQ.”

On defense the Mids were led by sophomore end Maurice Cumberland (Jacksonville, N.C.), who recorded five tackles, recovered two fumbles and forced a fumble. Junior inside linebacker Ross Pospisil (Temple, Texas) led the defense with 10 tackles, while junior inside linebacker Tony Haberer (Liberty Hill, Texas) had eight stops.

“Maurice is a guy that we think has a chance to help us,” said Navy defensive coordinator Buddy Green. “I liked how he ran around out there. He chased the ball and made some plays on the backside. I was encouraged about Cumberland and I thought Ryan Griffith (senior nose guard) did some good things today. I liked how hard both of those guys played. We feel really good about our linebackers with Pospisil, Haberer, Clint Sovie, Jordan Eddington and Tyler Simmons inside and Craig Schaefer, Ram Vela, Corey Johnson, Trey Grissom and Travis Sudderth outside. Ram Vela looks like a different guy. This is the first time that he has had daily reps at outside linebacker in the spring. At this time last year he was a defensive back. We are looking for some depth at safety and two guys that have stepped up are Darius Terry and John Angelo. Kevin Edwards has made good progress at cornerback.”

Navy will resume spring practice on Monday at 3:45 p.m. The next scrimmage will be held Saturday, April 12 at 9 a.m. on the Navy practice fields.

GreatAmerican · April 5, 2008, 9:56pm

For Immediate Release
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771

Navy Sweeps Lehigh on Saturday

ANNAPOLIS, Md. Navy pitchers Oliver Drake (So./Gardner, Mass.) and Mark McCoy (Sr./Parkland, Fla.) both delivered quality starts as the Midshipmen swept Lehigh in a baseball doubleheader at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium in Annapolis on Saturday. The Midshipmen took the opener, 5-2, before winning the nightcap, 4-1.

Navy improved to 19-10 overall and 5-1 in Patriot League play, while Lehigh dips to 13-17 on the year and 0-6 in league contests.

Both Oliver and Mark were outstanding today, stated Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos. They were in complete control of their respective games there were very few threatening innings. They took care of getting the leadoff man and held runners on with the help of Steven (Soares) behind the plate.

Drake fired 6.1 innings of four-hit baseball with one walk and six strikeouts in the opener to improve his record to 4-2 this season. The Navy right-hander did not yield a base hit over 5.1 innings between the first and sixth innings and did not allow a base runner to reach scoring position until the seventh inning.

McCoy was equally as impressive in the nightcap, as he logged eight innings of one-run, seven-hit baseball with two walks and four strikeouts to up his mark to 4-1 in 2008. The Navy senior did not allow a base runner to reach scoring position over his final-three innings of work. He threw 109 pitches on the day, 69 of which were strikes.

Navy relief pitchers Chris Murray (So./Navarre, Fla.) and Drew Carlson (So./Boca Raton, Fla.) each earned a save on Saturday. Murray came on in relief of Drake and fanned both batters he faced to pick up his third save of the year. Carlson retired the Mountain Hawks 1-2-3 in the nightcap with a pair of strikeouts to record his second save of the season.

In addition to the pitching, Navys defense did not commit an error in either game and threw out 4-of-6 attempted base stealers on Saturday. The Midshipmen have not committed an error in 10 of their 19 home games this season.

Most of the time, pitching and defense work together, stated Kostacopoulos. When you pitch well, its critical that we make the plays defensively. Today, we did both and it really set the tone.

In the opener, Navy broke a scoreless tie with a five-run fifth inning that featured eight base hits and 11 batters coming to the plate. Steven Soares (So./Coral Springs, Fla.) led off the inning with a triple, followed by five Midshipmen Mike Guadagnini (Fr./Virginia Beach, Va.), Michael Speciale (So./Pearland, Texas), Jonathan Wright (Fr./Arden, N.C.), Thomas Hamilton (Sr./Houston, Texas) and Mitch Harris (Sr./Mt. Holly, N.C.) each producing a RBI single.

Speciale, Wright and Hamilton each had two hits and a RBI in game one, as the Midshipmen out-hit the Mountain Hawks, 11-4.

In the nightcap, Navy grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a Hamilton RBI-single up the middle. Lehigh knotted the game at one in the top half of the second and the score would remain tied until the bottom half of the fifth.

Matthew Curley (So./Boston, Mass.) was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame, advanced to third on a throwing error on fielders choice and would score on a double play. Wright delivered a two-out single, moved to second on a Hamilton single, reached third on a fielding error and would cross home plate on a wild pitch. One inning later, Curley would again spark the offense, as he led off with a single and would score on a Hollins double down the left-field line.

Wright and Hamilton each had a pair of hits for the second-straight game in the nightcap, while Curley scored twice for the Midshipmen. Navy held a 9-7 advantage in the hits department in game two.

Jonathan and Thomas keep putting on solid at bats for us in the heart of the order, said Kostacopoulos. Every time with both guys, they give you a chance to do something positive. They do not give at bats away.

The Midshipmen will head up to Bethlehem, Pa., tonight to take on Lehigh tomorrow in a 12 noon doubleheader. The twinbill will be aired locally in the Lehigh Valley region on Service Electric 2 Sports, as Jeff Tourial and Steve Lomangino will call the action.

GreatAmerican · April 5, 2008, 10:04pm

By BILL WAGNER, Staff Writer
Published April 05, 2008

One of the pressing spring practice issues for the Navy football program was to rebuild its depth at center.

Standout starter Antron Harper and top backup Reyn Kaupiko are graduating and the coaching staff did not feel any of the young prospects at that position was ready for prime time. As a result, head coach Ken Niumatalolo made the decision to move a pair of veterans to center and have them compete for the starting spot.

Senior Ricky Moore shifted over from left tackle while junior Andy Lark switched from nose guard. Both are among the biggest, strongest players on the team, but neither has ever played center at any level.

New offensive line coach Ashley Ingram is responsible for teaching Moore and Lark how to play the position, which is absolutely vital in Navy’s triple-option offense. Ingram has started with the basics of perfecting the center-quarterback exchange.

“Obviously, the toughest thing is snapping the football, and doing it with a nose guard over top of you,” Ingram said. “It’s not a natural movement to bend and snap the football. Then you have to step properly and carry out your assignment afterward.”

Moore played in all 13 games as a backup tackle in 2007 and showed promise. The 6-foot-4, 283-pounder’s most extensive action came against North Texas when he participated in 11 plays.

Moore, a product of Northern High in Calvert County, didn’t mind the move. The North Beach resident was honored the coaching staff felt he was capable of filling such a vital role.

“I’ve always taken the attitude that I will gladly go wherever the coaching staff needs me. I’m coming into this with an open mind and looking forward to the opportunity to show I can do the job,” he said. “It’s a difficult transition whenever you move to any new position. You have to get used to the various nuances and techniques that are required.”

Moore agreed with Ingram’s assessment that simply snapping the football was the toughest adjustment. He also noted that the center cannot wait to see the ball move like the other offensive linemen.

“Knowing the play starts with you is a big change from playing tackle,” he said. “As far as snapping, you need to have a synthesis with the quarterback and that takes repetitions. You need to put the ball in the exact same position every time.”

Moore admitted he’s had a few muffed snaps early in spring camp. Niumatalolo won’t tolerate any once the regular season starts.

“Obviously, I have to eliminate that problem. The more comfortable I become with the quarterback, the less that’s going to happen,” he said. “It’s starting to feel like a normal, every day action. It’s not as foreign to me anymore.”

Navy has only been in pads for a week, so it’s a little early to assess Moore’s development. He ranks second on the team with squat lift of 600 pounds and possesses decent quickness for his size.

“We’ve been happy with Ricky’s progress so far. He’s made a lot of strides and gotten better every day,” Ingram said.

Moore will get a good gauge of how far he’s come this morning when Navy holds its initial intrasquad scrimmage of the spring. It will be interesting to see how he holds up under pressure from Nate Frazier, who started all 13 games at nose guard last season.

“Nate has experience and is good at anticipating the snap count. I’ve had to make changes with my cadence to keep him off-balance,” Moore said. “Nate was getting the better of me early on while I was still learning what to do. We’re starting to compete now.”

Ingram cannot provide an honest assessment of Lark at this point because he has yet to participate in full-contact drills. The 6-foot, 290-pound lineman is nursing a strained hamstring, the latest in a long line of injuries he’s sustained.

Lark has also been sidelined by a broken foot, broken ankle and separated shoulder during his initial two seasons. That explains why he rose above third on the depth chart at nose guard despite the fact he’s the strongest player on the team with a squat lift of 690 pounds and a bench press of 350.

“It’s a new opportunity, a new challenge. I’m excited to try it out and see how I do,” Lark said of the position change. “Nose guard and center are the same thing in some ways. I definitely think I have the ability to get the job done.”

Niumatalolo selected Moore and Lark to play center because he wanted big, strong bodies that could go head-to-head with a nose guard against opponents that employ odd defensive fronts. However, in Navy’s option, it’s important for the center to block linebackers against teams that use even fronts.

“First and foremost, when you’ve got somebody over top of you, you’ve got to have the ability to hold your ground. Both of these guys have the strength to hold the point of attack and the foot speed to reach the second level. Athletically, they’re exactly what we’re looking for,” Ingram said.

Navy Sports

CONNECT WITH US