Navy Sports

GreatAmerican · August 30, 2007, 8:24pm

For Immediate Release
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771

Mids to Open 2007 Slate on Friday at Appalachian State Invitational

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Navy women’s cross country team will kickoff its 2007 campaign when it travels to the Appalachian State Invitational in Boone, N.C., on Friday at 5:45 p.m.

Navy has enjoyed much success during its season-opening races as of late, posting four first-place team performances over the last-six years. In last year’s season-opener, the Midshipmen defeated Syracuse, Colgate, Vermont and St. Rose to win the Harry Lang Invitational in Hamilton, N.Y.

The trip down to Boone, N.C., will be the third in program history for the Midshipmen and the first in a decade. Navy defeated Appalachian State and Wake Forest in a tri-meet in 1992 and finished second out of six teams at the Appalachian State Invitational in 1997.

Earlier this week, the Midshipmen were picked to finish second in the Patriot League Preseason Poll, matching their performance at last year’s league championship.

“We have a young squad this season, but they are talented and work hard,” stated Navy head coach Karen Boyle, who will commence her 21st season on Friday. “We’re going to put it all out there and see what we can do.”

Navy welcomes back four letterwinners from last year’s squad, highlighted by senior team captain Kyleigh Millhouse (Boiling Springs, Pa.). The 2004 Patriot League Rookie of the Year scored in all seven races in which she competed and has been among the team’s top-seven runners in each of her 22 career races. Classmate Vicki Moore (Burke, Va.) will also provide veteran experience for the squad, as she has competed in 19 meets over her career. Junior Maureen Dooley (Durham, Conn.) ranked among the team’s top-seven competitors in all seven meets last season, while sophomore Kaitlin Baker (Rockford, Mich.) ran in six meets and scored twice.

Following this Friday’s meet, the Midshipmen will head north to compete at the Dartmouth Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 8, starting at 11:10 a.m.

GreatAmerican · August 30, 2007, 8:25pm

For Immediate Release
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771

Navy to Begin 2007 Campaign on Saturday at Sea Gull Opener

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Navy men’s cross country team will open its 2007 slate when it travels to the Sea Gull Opener at Winter Place Park in Salisbury, Md., on Saturday at 10 a.m.

Saturday’s meet will mark the eighth time in the last-nine years that Navy has opened its season at the Sea Gull Opener. In their previous seven races at Winter Place Park, the Midshipmen have posted five first-place performances and have never finished below third. Last season, Navy won the meet with a perfect team score of 15 points.

Earlier this week, the Midshipmen were picked to finish second in the Patriot League Preseason Poll, matching their effort from the league championship one year ago.

Following this weekend’s meet, Navy will head to Van Cortlandt Park in Bronx, N.Y., on Saturday, Sept. 8, to compete in the Fordham Invitational. Race time is slated for 10:30 a.m.

SEASON PREVIEW

If the past is the best indicator of future actions, then the 2007 Navy men’s cross country team is primed for success this year. The Midshipmen are just a season removed from two invitational victories, a N-Star win over Army, a second-place finish at the Patriot League Championship and ninth-place showing at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Region Championship.

While returning seven letterwinners from that squad one year ago would be cause for enough optimism, the 2007 team will be infused with a deep collection of talent from this year’s freshman class.

With the promise that lies within this season’s team, there still needs to be a coaching influence to help shape the runners for this year and those beyond. Throughout the past four decades, there has been one constant with the Navy men’s cross country program - head coach Al Cantello. Heading into his 40th season at the helm and his 45th year at Navy, Cantello has compiled a record of 237-68-1 (.776), totaled 29 N-Star victories over Army and made 10 NCAA Championship appearances as a team.

Collegiate experienced runners teamed with several capable freshmen looking to make an immediate impact and success that has been synonymous throughout the entirety of Cantello’s storied career, the elements are in place for the 2007 Midshipmen to have a memorable season.

Among the top of this year’s returning class and selected by his peers to serve as the team captain is senior John Kress. As a junior, Kress boasted the team’s fastest time in five of his seven meets and produced four top-10 finishes. The native of Colorado Springs, Colo., earned First-Team All-Patriot League honors following a sixth-place performance at the league championship and nearly achieved all-region status with a 27th-place time at the NCAA regional championship.

“John is as steady a runner as whoever laced a shoe for Navy,” stated Cantello. “His quiet demeanor instills that expectation level of a team captain. This season, the real John Kress will surface as one of the top runners in the East.”

Sharing the spotlight with Kress as last year’s top runner in two meets and the squad’s second-fastest time on four occasions is senior John Olsen. Olsen registered four top-15 performances and was a Second-Team All-Patriot League runner in 2006 after finishing in 11th place at the rain-soaked league championship.

“Every team has one and John is ours – the free spirit,” commented Cantello. “Don’t let that fool you. When the gun goes off, he has the tenacity of a cheetah.”

Seniors Lucas Burke and Ben Kozy join Kress and Olsen as runners with significant collegiate cross country experience. Burke ran in all eight races a year ago and finished among the team’s top seven on seven occasions. The native of Bakersfield, Calif., came through with Navy’s third-fastest time in a N-Star win over Army. Kozy, who has recovered from a minor heart valve condition in the spring, topped the field of over 100 runners at the Sea Gull Opener and raced in seven meets.

“Lucas has stretched his ‘turnover’ to longer and longer distances. He’s our ‘go to’ guy in times of trouble,” said Cantello. “This year is the year Ben should blossom into a pure cross country runner.”

A pair of juniors that have provided for the Mids during their first two seasons in Annapolis are Andrew Grant and Bill Prom. Grant, who has competed in 15 races during his career, finished among the team’s top seven six times and scored in both the league and regional championships. Prom emerged as a sophomore to provide valuable depth last season, recording three top-20 efforts and three top seven times among the team.

“Andrew has the greatest tolerance for pain among any of his teammates. He’s the team’s catalyst,” Cantello stated. “Bill is a testimony to our developmental program. Work, maturation and experience all played into his improvement as a Navy varsity cross country runner.”

Sophomore Chris Horel made an immediate splash with the team during his rookie campaign, scoring or displacing in seven of the eight meets. The product of Belford, N.J., totaled five top-20 performances, highlighted by an 18th-place finish at that Patriot League Championship that earned him the league’s rookie-of-the-year honors.

“As a plebe last season, Chris gained valuable experience at the Division I level,” Cantello said. “Totally unintimidated, this could be his breakout year. He provides depth and dependability.”

Freshmen Andrew Hanko and Nathan Liversedge are among a group of talented newcomers featured on this year’s team. Hanko was a high school All-American in the 5,000-meter run, all-state and a three-time state champion in the 1,600-meter run. Liversedge was named the 2006 Kentucky AA Cross Country Runner of the Year and won the state championship in cross country, the mile and two-mile run in track.

“Andrew is a quiet, but resolute runner who had the ‘pick of the litter’ when it came to college choices. Thankfully, he chose Annapolis,” Cantello said. “Nathan is one of a bevy of talented and solid plebes who can only provide more depth and critical mass to an already consistent East Coast top contender.”

Also figuring to compete for scoring slots in their first season on The Yard are James Adair, Robert Alvarado and Aaron Foote. Adair was an all-state runner for the cross country and track teams during his senior year in high school. Alvarado advanced to the state championship in track and Foote was a two-time All-Western New York selection in cross country and track.

“Just like a high school transcript being the best prediction for doing college work, James has the resume to break into our top seven as a freshman,” Cantello commented. “Robert could be our ‘diamond in the rough.’ Rugged and ready, he could be the surprise of the season. Aaron is an unknown resource at this point, but with that impressive of a high school resume, he should be a contributor.”

GreatAmerican · August 30, 2007, 8:30pm

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GreatAmerican · August 30, 2007, 8:31pm

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GreatAmerican · August 30, 2007, 8:32pm

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GreatAmerican · August 31, 2007, 9:51am

Bump. Bump.

GreatAmerican · August 31, 2007, 11:01am

Navy Water Polo Opens Saturday in Annual Labor Day Open

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The 11th-ranked Navy water polo team begins its quest for its 13th NCAA Tournament appearance this weekend, by hosting the annual Navy Labor Day Open. The Mids will play four games over the weekend, including three against teams ranked in the nation’s top 14. The highlight of the weekend will be a Saturday night contest against defending NCAA champion and No. 2-ranked California at Lejeune Hall at 7:40 pm. Other ranked teams at the event include 13th-ranked Pacific, 14th-ranked St. Francis (N.Y.) and 18th-ranked Bucknell.

“We are excited about playing the defending national champs during the opening weekend of the year and getting some great competition,” said Navy head coach Mike Schofield. “There will be more water polo played here this weekend than any other weekend around the country during the course of the year, and it will provide some top-notch action. There are a lot of good schools and club teams competing this weekend. St. Francis has reloaded with outstanding international players and Pacific is always good. It will definitely be interesting to see where we stand and what we need to work on.”

The Mids are coming off a 24-7 record and the school’s 12th NCAA Tournament appearance and seventh Eastern Championship. Schofield welcomes back 14 letterwinners and over 90 percent of the scoring from last year’s squad that went 19-1 against East Coast opponents. Schofield lost just three players to graduation and currently has 39 players on the roster.

“We are definitely tired of pounding on each other and it will be good to play against someone else,” said Schofield. “We are fielding three teams, so all of our guys will get great exposure and a lot of playing time. We are excited to get the season underway.”

The Mids will open with Pacific on Saturday morning at 10:20 am, and will meet California at 7:40 pm on Saturday night. On Sunday, Navy wll battle St. Francis at 11:30 am, before concluding play with Iona at 1:50 pm. All four of Navy’s games will take place at Lejeune Hall. Admission is free to all games during the weekend.

GreatAmerican · August 31, 2007, 7:48pm

For Immediate Release
Aug. 31, 2007
Navy Womens Soccer Contact: Stacie Michaud (410) 293-8773

Mids Battle Iowa to 1-1 Tie in Season Opener

DEKALB, Ill A goal by Navy senior forward Brigitte Fox (La Mesa, Calif.) in the 66th minute forced the Mids and the Iowa Hawkeyes into overtime Friday afternoon in both teams womens soccer season-opener. Despite a pair of shots by the Mids in the second overtime period and a missed opportunity by Iowa, the game ended in 1-1 tie.

I was happy that the team played better and better as the game progressed, said Navy head coach Carin Gabarra. We played a quality team this afternoon and to come from behind in the season opener and play with composure is a tribute to our team.

Iowa wasted little time in taking the early advantage when Kelsey Shaw fired in her first goal of the season in the 10th minute. The play originated from a Hawkeye corner kick that was nicely cleared by the Midshipmen. However, Shaw was able to gain control of the ball and looked to redirect, but instead took a shot from the right side of the box, surprising the Mids.

The Hawkeyes went on to take six shots in the opening half, while holding the Midshipmen to just a pair of shots, one of the two on goal.

Navy turned the tables in the second half where the Mids outshot Iowa, 7-3, putting five shots on goal.

Junior Jenn Dunbar (Crofton, Md.) hit Foxs feet from 30 yards back and Fox was able to hold off her defender and turn the play into a breakaway. Fox found of the back of the net from 14 yards out.

Navy is now 8-6-1 in season openers and 1-5-1 against opponents from the Big Ten conference.

The Midshipmen return to action on Sunday when they face IUPUI at 2:00 pm (Eastern) in the final game of the Northern Illinois Tournament. Navy opens the home portion of its schedule on Tuesday when the Mids play host to Saint Peters at 7:00 pm at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility.

GreatAmerican · August 31, 2007, 10:34pm

For Immediate Release
Friday, August 31, 2007
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771

Navy Finishes Third at Covered Bridge Open

BOONE, N.C. Navy womens cross country sophomore runner Erica Ziel (Saginaw, Mich.) led the team with a 20th-place performance as the Midshipmen placed third out of 11 teams in the season-opening Covered Bridge Open on Friday at Don Kennedy Trails at the State Farm Fields in Boone, N.C.

Georgia, ranked 15th in the nation, won the meet with a team score of 27 points, followed by 21st-ranked Florida States 35 points and Navys 95 points. Coastal Carolina placed fourth with 126 points and host Appalachian State rounded out the top five with 141 points.

The Midshipmen benefited from several strong performances, as they landed their top-seven runners among the top-30 overall times and posted a 12-second spread between their five scoring competitors.

I was very pleased with our results for it being our season opener, stated Navy head coach Karen Boyle. We are still in the early training phase and the high altitude provides us with a good training environment. Overall, our group objective was to pack well. We did that today with lots of our young runners scoring well and it reflected on the scoreboard.

Competing in a 5,000-meter race at an elevation of 3,300 feet, Ziel led the way for Navy with a 19:22.45 clocking. It marked the first time in her young career that she boasted the teams fastest time in a meet.

Junior Maureen Dooley (Durham, Conn.) finished 22nd with a time of 19:26.10 and freshman Katie Rentz (San Diego, Calif.) produced 19:29.53 showing for 23rd place. Senior Arwyn Becker (Avon, Colo.) immediately followed in 24th place with a 19:30.65 clocking and senior team captain Kyleigh Millhouse (Boiling Springs, Pa.) rounded out the scoring five with a time of 19:34.15 for 27th place. Sophomores Nicole Kauzlarich (Annapolis, Md.) and Amy Watson (Hampstead, Md.) produced finished 28th and 29th, respectively, to round out the scoring contingent for the Mids.

The Midshipmen will return to action on Saturday, Sept. 8, when they travel to the Dartmouth Invitational in Hanover, N.H. Race time is scheduled for 11:10 a.m.

GreatAmerican · September 1, 2007, 8:02am

Navy Men’s Soccer Battles Temple to Draw in Season Opener

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy men’s soccer team outshot Temple, 13-7, including 4-2 in the two overtime sessions, but couldn’t find the back of the net, tying Temple, 0-0, in the season opener for both teams. The game, played in front of 775 fans (the seventh-largest crowd at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility), was the second contest of the first day in the Anders Soccer Classic. Navy’s record now stands at 0-0-1 entering Sunday’s tilt with Air Force.

“I think we saw what we thought would happen all season tonight,” said Navy head coach Rich Miranda. “Our defense was outstanding for most of the night and we are going to be very, very solid defensively. However, we are trying to find the right combination on offense and until we do that, we will struggle. I thought we did a great job of putting the ball into the box in dangerous situations, but we were not nearly aggressive enough. That is something that will come with experience. It was a good effort and showed us a lot of what we need to work on.”

Chances were few and far between for both teams in the opening 45 minutes. Temple didn’t record a shot in the first half, while Navy countered with just five shots with just one on goal. The Owls had the game’s first excellent chance, coming in the first five minutes of the second half. Senior goalkeeper Evan Barnes (Dublin, Ohio) made a point-blank save early, then following a Temple corner kick, the Mids were called on to make a team save just inside the left post to keep the Owls off the board. Navy had a pair of shots on goal in the first overtime coming off headers in front, but could not get enough on the ball to beat Tony Pratico and the result was a 0-0 draw.

A more-disciplined Navy team took the field in the opener, compared to last year’s squad. The Mids committed just 12 fouls, after last year’s team averaged almost 16 fouls per game. The discipline resulted in putting the Navy defense in far fewer scoring opportunities for the opponent.

“We are definitely more disciplined and it put us in fewer dangerous positions,” said Miranda. “The back two (Scott Robertson and Will Riordon) are very composed and don’t get rattled and I really think that settles us down. We have made it a point of not fouling, especially in the defensive third and I think it really showed tonight. I was proud of our defensive effort.”

Miranda was also pleased with the play of sophomore Andrew Garcia (Garland, Texas). Garcia was credited with two shots, but was a strong threat on the offensive end. His classmate and namesake, Mark Garcia (Tempe, Ariz.), recorded three shots with two of them on goal.

“I thought Andrew Garcia played very well tonight and showed us that he could be a very good player,” said Miranda. “He is dangerous with the ball and really gave us a lift off the bench.”

Besides outshooting Temple and committing fewer fouls, the Mids also drew three corner kicks to Temple’s one. Barnes was credited with three saves while earning his third career shutout.

Navy and Air Force will square off at 3:00 pm on Sunday in a nationally-televised game by CSTV. Tickets can be purchased on the day of the game at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility.

GreatAmerican · September 1, 2007, 8:17am

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GreatAmerican · September 1, 2007, 2:41pm

For Immediate Release
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771

Midshipmen Win Sea Gull Opener

SALISBURY, Md. Navy mens cross country freshman runner Nathan Liversedge (Wilmore, Ky.) posted a third-place finish to lead the Midshipmen to a team title in the season-opening Sea Gull Opener at Winter Place Park in Salisbury, Md., on Saturday morning.

Navy, running just its freshman members on Saturday, totaled 30 points to finish 16 ahead of host Salisbury. Messiah came in third with 80 points, followed by Christopher Newports 94 points, Wilmingtons 159 points, Howard Community Colleges 188 points, Shenandoahs 219 points, Waynesboros 221 points and Marymounts 228 points.

The Midshipmen have opened their season at Winter Place Park eight times over the last-nine campaigns, six of which have resulted in a team title.

We couldnt have had a better race, considering we had plebes making the jump from high school to collegiate competition, stated Navy head coach Al Cantello.

Liversedge led a tight pack of Navy runners across the finish line with a time of 26:35. Freshman Matthew De Villers (Menomonee Falls, Wis.) followed in fourth with a 26:37 showing and classmate Chad Shroy (Carson City, Nev.) placed sixth with a time of 26:50. Freshman Robert Alvarado (San Francisco, Calif.) landed eighth with a 26:53 clocking and fellow rookie Andrew Shellgren (Yarmouth, Maine) rounded out the scoring with a 26:54 effort. Freshman Stephen Usery (Easley, S.C.) produced a time of 26:55 to finish 10th among all competitors.

The Midshipmen will return to action next Saturday, when they travel up to Bronx, N.Y., to partake in the Fordham Invitational. The meet is scheduled for a 10:30 a.m. start.

GreatAmerican · September 1, 2007, 11:00pm

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The No. 11-ranked Navy water polo team split on the opening day of the Navy Labor Day Open, defeating No. 13-ranked Pacific, 13-12, in overtime, before succumbing to No. 2-ranked California in the nightcap, 12-7. The Mids were forced to rally in the overtime session against Pacific, then gave the Golden Bears a spirited effort in running their record to 1-1 after day one.

In the opener against Pacific, Navy fell behind 12-10 in the first of two three-minute overtime sessions, but rallied to tie the game at 12, then won it late in the second three-minute stanza on a goal by sophomore Johnny Meiners. The goal for Meiners was his only tally of the day.

“We did a lot of good things and had our chances to put the game away, but we had some defensive lapses and Pacific took advantage,” said Navy head coach Mike Schofield. “I was proud to see us battle back and get the win in a tough situation.”

Junior Michael Mulvey had a strong performance for the Mids, scoring five goals with four steals on the defensive end. Bram Arnold and Reed MacKenzie added a pair of goals each, while Andrew Bingham, Eric Gardiner, Chuck Baker and Meiners all had one goal. MacKenzie and Tyler Hill each recorded three steals. George Naughton made 11 saves in the goal, while allowing all 12 Pacific netters.

In the nightcap against California, the Mids fell behind 2-1 after one quarter, 6-3 at halftime and 10-4 after three quarters, before trimming the final margin to 12-7. The performance was considerably better than last year in the same tournament, where the Bears handled the Mids, 13-3.

“We were much more competitive this year against Cal and we took some big steps forward. We have more to make, but it was an encouraging sign for us,” said Schofield. “When you make mistakes against Cal, they will make you pay and we had a few too many against them. I thought we matched up physically with them, but our ball-handling and game-sense was not where it needed to be to beat them today.”

Bram Arnold and Mulvey tallied a pair of goals for the Mids, while Bingham, MacKenzie and Kevin Bell scored once. Naughton stopped eight shots while allowing 10 goals, before Steve Craney came on in reserve and made two saves, allowing two goals.

Also of note, the Navy B and Navy JV teams were also victorious in three games today. The Navy B team defeated Gannon and MIT, while the JV team topped Central Florida Sun.

“I want to commend our B team and JV team as well,” said Schofield. “They played very well today and it was good to get everyone action. It was a long day for everyone, but our guys came to play when we needed to.”

Navy will conclude action in the Labor Day Open on Sunday as it hosts St. Francis (N.Y.) at 11:30 am and Iona at 1:50 pm. Both games will take place in Lejeune Hall.

GreatAmerican · September 2, 2007, 7:41pm

Navy Men’s Soccer Pitches Shutout In Win Over Air Force

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Senior forward Travis King (Loveland, Ohio) scored in the seventh minute and the Navy defense made the goal stand as the Mids turned back Air Force in the final game of the Anders Navy Soccer Classic, 1-0. The win moves Navy’s record to 1-0-1 overall, while Air Force dropped to 0-2-0. The game was played on a picture-perfect day at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility, in front of 1,254 fans, the fourth-largest men’s soccer crowd in facility history and the fifth-largest crowd ever at the facility.

The Navy defense, spearheaded by senior goalie Evan Barnes (Dublin, Ohio) was the story of the day again on Sunday. The Mids allowed just nine shots, two days after surrendering just seven against Temple in Friday’s 0-0 tie. Barnes made the save of the day with around 15 minutes left as Air Force’s Ian Hauck found a seam after a crossing pass. Barnes managed to dive to deflect the ball up into the crossbar, then Hauck’s rebound attempt was sent wide to keep the Falcons off the board. Barnes made three saves on the afternoon and ran his shutout streak to 205:02, dating back to last year. The shutout was the fourth of his career.

Navy recorded shutouts in back-to-back games for the first time since blanking Rider and Hartford on Sept. 11-16, 2005, and pitched shutouts in the first two games of the year for the first time since the 2004 season.

“A win is a win for us, and they aren’t always going to be pretty this year,” said Navy head coach Rich Miranda. “We got a little ragged in the second half and lost some composure and fouled more, which put us in dangerous spots, but Barnes came up huge for us. He has played very solid so far this year, but is still a little tentative. These shutouts will only increase his confidence. He is a dominant force in the box because of his size, and gives our defense confidence, knowing that he is back there.”

Offensively, Navy got all it needed early on off a corner kick in the seventh minute. Sophomore Mark Garcia (Tempe, Ariz.) played the ball back to classmate Chris Schneider (Arlington, Texas) who headed it into the box, where King streaked in and redirected the ball with his head inside the left post for a 1-0 advantage. The goal was King’s seventh of his career, while Garcia and Schneider each recorded their second career assist on the play.

The Mids also had a golden opportunity midway through the second half, but a Justin Waskey (Georgetown, Ky.) header off a cross was sent just over the crossbar.

The victory evened the all-time series against Air Force to 3-3-2, and was Navy’s first win against the Falcons since 1963.

“It was a well-played, hard-fought game,” said Miranda. “I thought both teams battled hard and that is what you would expect in a rivalry game. We got some breaks and took advantage of them.”

The Mids outshot Air Force, 10-9, but the Falcons had the advantage in corner kicks, 6-4. Both teams were whistled for 16 fouls.

Navy will be back in action next weekend at the UMBC Soccer Classic in Baltimore, Md. Navy will play Iona at 2:00 pm on Friday, before playing St. Francis (Pa.) at noon on Sunday.

GreatAmerican · September 2, 2007, 7:42pm

For Immediate Release
Sunday, Sept. 2, 2007
Women’s Soccer Contact: Stacie Michaud (410) 293-8773

Navy Soccer Earns 3-0 Win over IUPUI

DEKALB, Ill. - Three different players scored in the opening half to lead the Navy women’s soccer team to a 3-0 victory over IUPUI Sunday afternoon in the finale of the Northern Illinois Tournament. Seven different Midshipmen were credited with points in the contest, as Navy improved to 1-0-1 after the opening weekend of action.

“We had a great first half,” said head coach Carin Gabarra, who is in her 15th season at Navy. "IUPUI had a difficult time solving our offense. We moved the ball quickly which in turn generated many goal-scoring opportunities for us.

“In the second half we tired a bit,” added Gabarra. “We didn’t possess the ball as well and our defense let down its guard a bit, but overall I was pleased with our effort today.”

Senior Brigitte Fox (La Mesa, Calif.), who scored the Mids’ lone goal in Friday’s tie against Iowa, put Navy on the scoreboard quickly, taking a ball from teammate Brittany White (Carmel, Ind.) and rippling the net just over a minute into the contest.

With just under 15 minutes remaining in the opening half, sophomore midfielder Jen Grijalva (Pleasanton, Calif.) found the back of the net, scoring her first collegiate goal. She was fed by senior forward Kari Weniger (St. Petersburg, Fla.) and junior defender Jenn Dunbar (Crofton, Md.), who has now turned in assists in each of the first two games. Heading into the season, Dunbar had recorded only one assist in her career.

“Jen (Grijalva) was not happy with her playing time a year ago,” said Gabarra. “I give her credit for working hard in the off-season to improve her skills and she came into the preseason ready to play.”

Rounding out the scoring column for the Mids and also scoring her first career goal was rookie midfielder Christine Calderon (Yorktown, Va.), who connected with Kristen Laraway (Long Valley, N.J.) for the goal at 42 minutes even.

By the end of the opening half, the Mids had outshot the Jaguars, 11-2, putting all 11 shots on goal. Both IUPUI shots were also on goal with 2006 Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Year Lizzie Barnes (New Orleans, La.) snatching both from harms way. Sophomore Beth Reed (Indianapolis, Ind.) took over the net-minding responsibilities in the second half, making a save on IUPUI’s only shot.

“Everyone had a role today,” said Gabarra. “We are learning to play together and our team chemistry is improving each time we take the field.”

The Mids will play their third game in five days when they return to Annapolis to play their home opener on Tuesday against Saint Peter’s. Game time is set for 7:00 pm at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility. All kids (12 and younger) who wear a soccer jersey will receive free admission to Tuesday night’s game. Additionally, fans can print out a coupon off <a href=“http://www.NavySports.com%5B/url%5D”>www.NavySports.com</a> (go to women’s soccer page) and receive two tickets for the price of one for the Saint Peter’s game.

GreatAmerican · September 2, 2007, 8:48pm

Navy Water Polo Sweeps Foes On Final Day of Labor Day Open

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The 11th-ranked Navy water polo team concluded play in the Navy Labor Day Open on Sunday with a pair of victories against 14th-ranked St. Francis (N.Y.), 11-10, and Iona, 8-5. The wins move Navy’s record to 3-1 overall and ran the Mids’ win streak against East Coast foes to 16 games, dating back to last year.

The streak was in jeopardy in the first game of the day against St. Francis (N.Y.) as Navy needed a late penalty-shot goal from Michael Mulvey to push the game into overtime, then won the contest in sudden-victory on a tally by Bram Arnold. Michael Mulvey led Navy with five goals, Arnold and Eric Gardiner scored twice and Reed MacKenzie and Kevin Bell tallied one goal each for Navy.

In the nightcap, Navy outlasted Iona, 8-5. The Navy regulars got most of the game off, setting the stage for several players to step up. John Connors and freshman Alex Buck scored twice, while Jason Peck, Chris Vahey, Joe Moffit and Andrew Neuwirth scored once for Navy.

“I never cease to be amazed at the mental toughness this team has. If we can ever get our skill level to match our mental toughness, we are going to be a very good team,” said Navy head coach Mike Schofield. “I couldn’t be more impressed with this team and our resiliency and effort. We played very hard this weekend. We made some mistakes, but mentally this team is so strong, they feel they can overcome anything.”

The Mids concluded the grueling tournament with a 3-1 record, falling to just No. 2-ranked California last night.

“There was a lot of good water polo played here this weekend, and California, Pacific, Bucknell and St. Francis (N.Y.) are all very, very good teams,” said Schofield. “It means a lot for us to be able to have Cal and Pacific come out here. It is going to be a dogfight with Bucknell, St. Francis, Princeton and Johns Hopkins out here in the East all year and they won’t go away. It’s going to be a very challenging year, and we are looking forward to it.”

Navy will travel to Princeton to play Gannon, Fordham and Santa Clara next Saturday, beginning at 9:00 am.

GreatAmerican · September 3, 2007, 6:03pm

Navy def. Wagner, 3-0 (32-30, 30-13, 30-15)

For Immediate Release
Sent Monday, September 3, 2007
Contact Justin Kischefsky (410) 293-8772

Navy Volleyball Records Third-Straight Sweep

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - The Navy volleyball team tallied its third sweep in as many matches and improved to 4-1 on the season with a 32-30, 30-13, 30-15 victory over Wagner, Monday afternoon at the Spiro Sports Center on New York’s Staten Island.

“We struggled to close out the opening game, but once we did we kept our focus and played very well over the final two games of the match,” said Navy head coach Mike Schwob. “Learning how to play a complete game and being able to close them out is something we need to improve on in order for us to be successful.”

The Mids scored the opening five points of game one and held a sizeable lead throughout the frame, including advantages of 17-10, 24-18 and 28-21. From there, however, the Navy offense committed six attack errors to allow the Seahawks to eventually tie the game at 29-29.

Navy took a 30-29 lead following a service error from Wagner, but Abbie Merkl (So., Upper Marlboro, Md.) committed a service error of her own to again tie the game at 30-30. A Jessie Sims (Jr., Etowah, N.C.) kill ended the next point and gave Navy its third opportunity to win the game, which the Mids converted when Rachel Dougherty (Sr., Derwood, Md.) knocked down a kill of her own.

After the opening game drama, the Mids jumped out to big leads in games two and three and held those advantages to record the victory.

Navy hit just .023 in game one, while Wagner hit .154. Over the next two games, however, the Mids tallied a .343 attack percentage (29-7-64) and held the Seahawks to a -.119 percentage (9-17-67).

Dougherty tallied 13 kills and just one hitting error on 26 swings for a .462 attack percentage to lead all players offensively in the match. Defensively, Merkl hauled in a match-high 12 digs, one more than teammate Aimee’ Burns was credited with.

Navy will play host to the annual Trident Classic this weekend in Macdonough Hall, with round-robin matches between Central Connecticut State, New Jersey Institute of Technology and Marist slated for Friday and Saturday.

Whistle_Pig · September 4, 2007, 10:35am

WHO THE ECKEL IS THAT?
Another Navy castoff has washed up in Foxboro.

Fullback Kyle Eckel, a former star with the Midshipmen, was signed to the Patriots practice squad Monday after he was released by the Dolphins.

Eckel, who graduated from the Naval Academy, was given his release from Navy service in October of 2006 when he was signed by Miami. The problem for Eckel is that he still owed the Navy $96,000 at the time for his government-sponsored education, according the Web site military.com.

Eckel had been working as a football coach at the Naval Academy Prep School in Newport, R.I., last fall while playing on the Pats’ practice squad. But when the Dolphins signed him to their roster, Eckel had to leave his Navy job in order to relocate to Florida, forcing him to pay back his tuition.

According to the military.com story, Eckel had also been in trouble with the law. He was charged with two counts of assault and one count of sexual assault in Maryland. The charges were later dismissed. He was also identified as a witness to a rape in which a former Navy teammate was charged.

Former Patriots lineman Max Lane also had trouble with the Navy. He was kicked out of the Naval Academy in a cheating scandal in 1994.

Contact David Brown at <a href="mailto:dbrown@s-t.com">dbrown@s-t.com</a>

GreatAmerican · September 4, 2007, 12:03pm

Overall Navy Sports Record: 10-2-2 (.786)

Men’s Cross Country (0-0)
Last Week: Finished first out of nine teams at the Sea Gull Opener
This Week: at the Fordham Invitational (Saturday, 10:30 a.m., Bronx, N.Y.)

Women’s Cross Country (0-0)
Last Week: Finished third out of 11 teams at the Covered Bridge Open
This Week: at the Dartmouth Invitational (Saturday, 11:10 a.m., Hanover, N.H.)

Football (1-0)
Last Week: Defeated Temple, 30-19
This Week: at Rutgers (Friday, 7 p.m., Piscataway, N.J., ESPN, Navy Radio Network)

Sprint Football (0-0)
Last Week: Defeated Washington & Lee, 14-7 (scrimmage)
This Week: at Frostburg State (Sunday, 6 p.m., Frostburg, Md.)

Golf (0-0)
Last Week: Idle
This Week: Navy Fall Classic (Saturday-Sunday, All Day, Annapolis, Md.)

Intercollegiate Sailing (0-0)
Last Week: Idle
This Week: Anderson Trophy (Saturday-Sunday, New Haven, Conn.); Kings Point Laser Open (Saturday-Sunday, Kings Point, N.Y.); Navy Laser Open (Saturday-Sunday, Annapolis, Md.); ODU BYO Women’s and Men’s Radial (Saturday-Sunday, Norfolk, Va.); Pine Trophy (Saturday-Sunday, New London, Conn.); Riley Cup (Saturday-Sunday, Norfolk, Va.)

Offshore Sailing (0-0)
Last Week: No results reported
This Week: Hospice Cup Regatta (Saturday, all day, Annapolis, Md.)

Men’s Soccer (1-0-1)
Last week: Tied Temple, 0-0; defeated Air Force, 1-0
This week: vs. Iona (Friday, 2 p.m., Baltimore, Md.); vs. St. Francis of Pennsylvania (Sunday, 12 noon, Baltimore, Md.)

Women’s Soccer (1-0-1)
Last Week: Tied Iowa, 1-1 (2OT); defeated IUPUI, 3-0
This Week: Saint Peter’s (Tuesday, 7 p.m., Annapolis, Md.); Towson (Sunday, 3 p.m., Annapolis, Md.)

Women’s Volleyball (4-1)
Last Week: Defeated Coppin State, 3-0; defeated Wagner, 3-0
This Week: New Jersey Institute of Technology (Friday, 7 p.m., Annapolis, Md.); Central Connecticut State (Saturday, 6 p.m., Annapolis, Md.)

Water Polo (3-1, ranked 11th in the country)
Last Week: Defeated No. 13 Pacific, 13-12 (OT); lost to No. 2 California, 12-7; defeated No. 14 St. Francis of New York, 11-10 (3OT); defeated Iona, 8-5.
This Week: vs. Gannon (Saturday, 9 a.m., Princeton, N.J.); vs. No. 16 Santa Clara (Saturday, 5:10 p.m., Princeton, N.J.); vs. Fordham (Saturday, 8:40 p.m., Princeton, N.J.)

GreatAmerican · September 4, 2007, 12:36pm

The Navy Marathon Team competed in the Charm City 20 Mile Run in Freeland, MD this past weekend. Navy once again dominated the competition. The men were lead by Nick Vandal with a time of 2:06:22 placing 8th overall and winning his age group. Josh Collins (2:09:26) and Arguello Guillermo (2:10:35) placed second and third in their age group.

The fastest girl runner was Linsdey Slyman coming in at 2:29:28 and placing 2nd overall. Tara Lenn (2:33:40) and Bernadette Gargan (2:41:50) placed 1st and 2nd in their age group.

Navy Sports

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