Navy Sports

Colleges & Universities United States Naval Academy (USNA)
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<p>For Immediate Release
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771</p>

<p>Patriot League Honors John Olsen For Second-Straight Week</p>

<p>CENTER VALLEY, Pa. - For the second-consecutive week, Navy men’s cross country
runner John Olsen (Sr./Staten Island, N.Y.) has been recognized as the Patriot
League Runner of the Week, it was announced by the league office on Tuesday
afternoon.</p>

<p>Racing against a stacked field in the Navy Invitational last Saturday, Olsen
finished third out of 98 runners with a blistering time of 24:01.2, the
ninth-fastest time in course history and the third-best clocking ever on the
course by a Navy runner. Olsen finished 31.2 seconds off of individual champion
Wesley Korir’s effort from Louisville, who smashed the 25-year course record and
passed the golf cart at one point during the race.</p>

<p>With the help of Olsen’s performance, Navy placed second out of 11 teams last Saturday with 57 points, only 23 more than team champion Louisville, who entered the week ranked 15th in the nation.</p>

<p>Prior to last weekend’s action, Olsen had earned league runner-of-the-week kudos for his fifth place finish out of 233 runners at the Fordham Invitational held at Van Cortlandt Park in Bronx, N.Y. He completed the 8k race with a time of 26:36.</p>

<p>The Midshipmen return to action this Saturday when they head back to Van
Cortlandt Park to partake in the Iona Meet of Champions.</p>

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<p>ANNAPOLIS, Md.–The Naval Academy Athletic Association has created a
hospitality location at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium for all of its
former varsity athletes during football games this fall. The Varsity Club
Tent will be located on the Southeast concourse of the stadium overlooking
the field. The NAAA invites all former varsity athletes to stop by between
halftime and the end of the game to visit with current coaches and
administrators as well as see your former teammates. Wear your blue and
gold, reunite with your teammates and coaches, and cheer the Mids on to
victory!</p>

1143

<p>For Immediate Release
Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2007
Women’s Soccer Contact: Stacie Michaud (410) 293-8773</p>

<p>Mids Look to Regroup Thursday Against Wagner</p>

<p>ANNAPOLIS, Md. - After dropping back-to-back games last weekend against regionally-ranked William & Mary and VCU, the Navy women’s soccer team (3-2-2) will look to get back on track when it plays host to Wagner (1-3-1) Thursday evening at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility. Game time is set for 7:00 pm and all fans donning Navy blue and gold apparel will receive a reduced-priced ticket to the game for just $2.00.</p>

<p>“We have seen glimpses of great soccer this season, as well as times of unorganized play,” said 15th-year Navy head coach Carin Gabarra. “My hope tomorrow is to put it all together and play to our ability for 90 minutes. We worked on attacking as a unit this week and I expect to see us throwing numbers continuously into the attack, as well as keep a great defending shape. Our season goals remain the same and we will still pursue them with a passion.” </p>

<p>Seven different players have scored Navy’s 10 goals this fall with senior forward Brigitte Fox (La Mesa, Calif.) sticking in three for the Mids, including a pair of game-winners. Junior forward Sam Schroth (West Chester, Pa.) has scored a pair of goals, while three players, Jen Grijalva (Pleasanton, Calif.), Anastasia Abid (Williamsburg, Va.) and Christine Calderon (Yorktown, Va.), have all recorded their first collegiate goals this fall. Navy has generated its fair share of scoring opportunities, launching 110 shots with 58 put on goal. </p>

<p>Prior to last weekend, the Mids’ defense had been stout, giving up just two goals in the first five games off 12 shots on goal. Navy, however, gave up seven goals to William & Mary and VCU last weekend, the most goals scored against the Midshipmen since Bucknell and nationally-ranked Penn State put up nine to end the 2005 campaign. It was also the first time Navy had been shut out in consecutive games since October of 2005.</p>

<p>Wagner heads to Annapolis with a 1-3-1 record, picking up its lone win of the season on Sept. 9 against Siena (1-0). The Seahawks, who have just one senior on their roster, dropped their first two games of the season, including a 2-1 double overtime decision to Lafayette. Last weekend, Wagner dropped a 3-2 decision to Coastal Carolina and battled Western Michigan to a scoreless tie.</p>

<p>Four players have accounted for Wagner’s four goals, including junior midfielder Diane Gantenhammer whose goal in the 36th minute against Siena led the Seahawks to their first win of the season. Rookie midfielder Jessica Balling scored on her only shot of the season in the 79th minute against Lafayette to force extra minutes, while Brooke Keany and Briana Vassallo both scored in Wagner’s loss to Coastal Carolina. The Seahawks have been outscored 10-4 this fall and freshman keeper Sam Schueschner is surrendering 1.57 goals per game, while making saves on 75.9 percent of the shots she has faced.</p>

<p>Thursday’s meeting marks just the second contest between Navy and Wagner and the first for the Seahawks under the direction of head coach Mike Minielli. The Midshipmen claimed a 3-0 victory over the Seahawks in the inaugural contest played on Sept. 17, 2004, in Annapolis.</p>

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<p>Navy to compete at Sea Trail/Elon Invitational</p>

<p>For Immediate Release
Thursday, Sept. 20, 2007
Men’s Golf Contact: Stacie Michaud (410) 293-8773</p>

<p>Navy Back on the Links at Sea Trail/Elon Invitational</p>

<p>ANNAPOLIS, Md. - After nearly a two-week layoff from competition, the Navy golf team will be back in action this weekend when it takes part in the 21-team Sea Trail/Elon Invitational played at Sea Trail Golf Resort in Sunset Beach, N.C. The 54-hole tournament is slated to tee-off on Friday at 8:00 am with the following teams competing: Appalachian State, Belmont Abbey, Bethune-Cookman, Delaware, Elon , Gardner-Webb, George Mason, Guilford College, Hampton, High Point, James Madison, Loyola, Murray State, Navy, Radford, South Carolina State, Stetson, South Carolina - Upstate, Villanova, William & Mary and Wofford.</p>

<p>The Midshipmen opened the season on Sept. 8-9 by playing host to the annual Navy Fall Invitational. Navy fielded four teams with the Navy Blue squad making the most of the final round where it jumped from sixth to second place. Three Midshipmen earned a top-10 finish, while another two were amond the top 20.<br>
“I was very pleased with how our older guys played in the opening tournament, particularly the way they adjusted and played so well on the second day,” said head coach Pat Owen. “Our newcomers also gave a great effort and laid a solid foundation to build upon.”</p>

<p>Facing a weekend on the links chalk-full of strong solid competitors, Navy will send one team to North Carolina, including three players who led the Mids to their second place finish two weeks ago.</p>

<p>“Having the gap between tournaments gave us the opportunity to evaluate the game of each player and identify those skills that they need to work on,” added Owen. "It also gave the players a chance to make those changes and practice for a week.</p>

<p>Team captain Chris Renninger (Darnestown, Md.), along with his fellow senior classmates Erich Schoen (Sylvania, Ohio) and Ryan Sload (Lancaster, Pa.) will lead the charge for the Mids. Schoen was Navy’s top finisher at the Navy Fall Invitational where he turned in a 3-over par 145 and featured a 2-under par 69 in the final round. Sload, meanwhile, was consistent throughout the weekend, posting a pair of 73s to record his first career top-10 finish. After opening with a 6-over par 77, Renninger shot a 1-over par 72 to finish the tournament with a 7-over par 149 and a 17th-place finish.</p>

<p>Along with the senior trio, juniors Chip Hardie (Arnold, Md.) and David Miller (Chillicothe, Ohio) will help the Mids compete for their first Sea Trail/Elon Invitational team title. After garnering All-Patriot League recognition last spring, Hardie continued his fine play in the Mids’ opener where he turned in a 4-over par 146. Like Schoen, Hardie had a sensational final round where he registered a 2-under par 69 to tie for 10th place. Finally, Miller finished alongside Renninger in 17th place at the Navy Fall Invitational with a 7-over par 149 (75-74).</p>

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<p>ANNAPOLIS, Md.-The Navy Sports Magazine Show, presented by Comcast, will air tonight at 6 p.m. on 1430 WNAV in Annapolis. The weekly 30-minute show, hosted by Bob Socci, will feature interviews with Navy players and coaches.</p>

<p>The Navy Sports Magazine Show will also air on 1050 WFED (<a href=“http://www.federalnewsradio.com%5B/url%5D”>www.federalnewsradio.com</a>) in Washington, D.C. and Northern Virginia leading up to the football pre-game show. This week the show will air on WFED at 11:30 a.m. Navy All-Access will also archive the show and it will be available for subscribers every Friday (<a href=“http://navysports.cstv.com/)%5B/url%5D”>http://navysports.cstv.com/)</a>.</p>

<p>Navy head football coach Paul Johnson, senior outside linebacker Matt Humiston and head women’s volleyball coach Mike Schwob will be featured this week.</p>

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<p>By
Ray Feldmann</p>

<p>ANNAPOLIS, MD (Thursday, Sept. 20, 2007) – History will be made tomorrow night (Friday, Sept. 21) when the U.S. Naval Academy’s ice hockey team faces off against the University of Maryland Terrapins at McMullen Rink at 7:30 p.m. Not only will it be the first intercollegiate hockey game ever played at the Naval Academy’s new ice rink and tennis facility, it will mark the beginning of a season full of “firsts” for the Midshipmen icers.</p>

<p>In addition to playing in a new rink, Navy’s ice hockey team is also starting the 2007-08 season with a new head coach and a new league. After six years as a Navy assistant coach, primarily directing the offense, Mike Fox will be at the helm as head coach tomorrow night, succeeding longtime head coach Rick Randazzo. And, after a long history as a member of the Eastern Collegiate Hockey Association (ECHA), the Mids joined with five other teams to launch a new league: the Eastern States Collegiate Hockey League (ESCHL).</p>

<p>Besides the Midshipmen, the fledgling ESCHL includes former ECHA rivals Drexel, Rhode Island, and Scranton, plus always tough Delaware and Penn State. Navy will play four games against each team in the league – two at home and two on the road – plus a rugged non-league schedule that includes Maryland, Lehigh, Towson, West Chester, Stony Brook, and University of Pittsburgh.</p>

<p>“This year’s schedule is a tough one, no question about it,” coach Fox said. “Not only do we have five other very talented teams in our league, we play a few ECHA clubs that always give us fits, and some other tough teams such as Stony Brook and Pitt. But we have a great group of returnees and some promising plebes, so I know we’ll be competitive every time we step on the ice.”</p>

<p>The Mids return six seniors including last year’s second leading scorer Nick Schwob, who had 27 goals and 14 assists for 41 points. Schwob is joined by classmates Derek Johnson (team captain), Brian Gleason, Donnie Horner, Adam Shields, and Drew Stoner. Also returning are forwards Nolan Anliker, Charlie Daniel, Charlie Hymen, Nick Hinkley, Keegan Kinkade, Jeff Martin, Alex Wallis, and Jon Westerman. Forward Jeff Dubinsky is back after a two year sabbatical, while Jack Culliton rejoins the squad after taking a year off from hockey.</p>

<p>Defensively, in addition to Horner and Shields, Navy returns Matt Swezey and Matthew Gross. In goal, sophomores Eric Anderson and Jeremey Estevez are back, along with Alex Tidei, who was a manager on last year’s team but impressed the coaches enough playing between the pipes during the pre- season to make the roster as a third netminder.</p>

<p>Among the newcomers who are expected to make an immediate impact this season are freshman forward Sam Carlson, along with defensemen Matt Keller (a junior) and Ryan Ramirez (an exchange student from the U.S. Air Force Academy).</p>

<p>McMullen Rink is located directly adjacent to the Naval Academy Golf Course on Greenbury Point Road, on the other side of the Rt. 450 Naval Academy Bridge. Specific driving directions can be found by clicking on the McMullen Rink link on the Navy ice hockey team’s official web site (<a href=“http://www.usna.edu/navyhockey)%5B/url%5D”>www.usna.edu/navyhockey)</a>. There is no admission charge or tickets required.</p>

<p>Following Friday night’s season-opener with Maryland, McMullen Rink will host the annual USNA Alumni game this Saturday, Sept. 22, at 9 a.m.</p>

<p>The Midshipmen will be back in intercollegiate action next Friday and Saturday, Sept. 28 and 29, when they meet former ECHA foe Lehigh. Both games will have 7:30 p.m. opening face-offs.</p>

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<p>For Immediate Release
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771</p>

<p>Navy to Race at Iona Meet of Champions on Saturday</p>

<p>ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy men’s cross country team will partake in its fourth race in as many weeks when it heads to the Iona Meet on Champions this Saturday at Van Cortlandt Park in Bronx, N.Y., starting at 10:15 a.m. </p>

<p>This Saturday’s race marks the second time in three weeks that the Midshipmen will be racing at Van Cortlandt Park. Two weeks ago in the Fordham Invitational, Navy finished third out of 22 teams.</p>

<p>The Iona Meet of Champions will feature a field of 22 teams, with the host Gaels entering the week ranked third in the nation. It marks the third-consecutive week that Navy will be paired up with a nationally-ranked program, as it ran against No. 27 Princeton in the Fordham Invitational and hosted No. 15 Louisville last Saturday in Annapolis.</p>

<p>The Midshipmen are coming off a second-place finish among a field of 11 teams in the Navy Invitational one week ago on the USNA Cross Country Course. The host Mids accumulated 57 points, 50 points better than preseason Patriot League favorite American and only 23 behind team champion Louisville.</p>

<p>Leading the way for the Mids this season is John Olsen (Sr./Staten Island, N.Y.), who has been named Patriot League Runner of the Week in back-to-back weeks. Olsen posted the ninth-fastest time in USNA Cross Country Course history last Saturday with a 24:01.2 clocking. At the Fordham Invitational, Olsen placed fifth out of 233 runners with a 26:36 showing.</p>

<p>Classmate and team captain John Kress (Sr./Colorado Springs, Colo.) has also been impressive to open the 2007 slate. Kress recorded the 14th-fastest Navy time in course history at the Navy Invitational, crossing the finish line in 24:14.9. The product of Colorado Springs, Colo., matched Olsen’s 26:36 effort at the Fordham Invitational two weeks ago.</p>

<p>Following this weekend’s action, the Midshipmen will next head to the Roy Griak Invitational in Falcon Heights, Minn., on Saturday, Sept. 29. Race time is slated for 1:10 p.m. ET.</p>

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<p>Link to Game Notes:
<a href=“http://navysports.cstv.com/sports/m-sprintfb/spec-rel/092007aaa.html[/url]”>http://navysports.cstv.com/sports/m-sprintfb/spec-rel/092007aaa.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Game Information
Navy Midshipmen (1-0) vs. Army Black Knights (1-0)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 22, 2007
Kickoff: 12:00 p.m.
Stadium: Saratoga Springs High School Field
Surface: Natural Grass
City: Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
All-Time Series: Navy leads, 33-30-1</p>

<p>Navy to Battle Army in First of Two Meetings in 2007</p>

<pre><code>The Navy sprint football team (1-0) will make its first visit to the Allegiance Bowl in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., in program history when it takes on Army (1-0) this Saturday at 12 noon. The matchup will be the first of two this season, as the Midshipmen will travel to West Point to take on the Black Knights in the annual Star Game on Friday, Nov. 2.
Navy heads into Saturday’s contest with a six-game winning streak over Army and a 33-30-1 advantage in the all-time series. The Midshipmen have come away victorious in each of the last five non-league contests against the Black Knights, all of which were at the Pride Bowl in New Jersey.
</code></pre>

<p>Navy Dominates Frostburg State JV, 47-8, in Season Opener
Navy sprint football quarterback D.J. Green (Jr./Indianapolis, Ind.) threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more as the Midshipmen opened the 2007 season with a dominating 47-8 win at Frostburg State JV on Sunday night.
Green, who played only into the early part of the third quarter, completed 14-of-20 passes for 225 yards and also rushed for 37 yards on nine carries.
While the offense churned out 466 yards of total offense, Navy’s defense held the Bobcats offense to just 36 yards of offense, 45 of which came on the first play of the game.
Navy took a 6-0 lead with 10:45 remaining in the first quarter when running back Richard Engel (Sr./Medford, N.J.) took a pitch and scored from eight yards out. However, Frostburg State JV grabbed the lead late in the first quarter on a 74-yard interception return and converted on its two-point pass to take an 8-6 advantage.
However, Navy responded with touchdowns on each of its next-five possessions, four of which came in the second quarter, to establish a commanding 41-8 cushion. Green rushed for back-to-back touchdowns before Engel found the endzone from one yard out and Green delivered scoring strikes from eight and 13 yards to wide receiver Todd Barriger (Sr./Prescott, Mich.).
Barriger finished the game with seven receptions for 122 yards, including a 48-yard grab in the first quarter. Wide receiver Tommy Tellson (Jr./Bedford, Texas) also hauled in three passes for 47 yards on the evening. As a whole, the passing game threw for 282 yards in the victory.
Navy finished the contest with 184 yards rushing, with running back Enrique Harris (Jr./Crawfordville, Fla.) leading the way with 66 yards on 14 carries.
In his first collegiate game, linebacker Alex Segler (Fr./Plano, Texas) led the defense with eight tackles and assisted on one for a loss. Fellow linebackers Emery Persinger (Fr./Cheswick, Pa.) and Brian Smith (Jr./Gainesville, Fla.) also chipped in with five stops apiece. Defensive lineman Galen Landis (Jr./Hershey, Pa.) posted one and a half sacks and two and a half tackles for a loss, while linebacker Chris Combellick (Jr./Carmel, Ind.) registered one and a half sacks.
Navy’s defense registered 10 tackles in the backfield for a loss of 77 yards, broke up three passes, recovered a fumble and picked off a pass.</p>

<p>Last Meeting … Navy 17, Army 6 (Nov. 3, 2006)
Navy tailback Richard Engel ran the ball 34 times for 168 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Midshipmen to a 17-6 win over Army to capture the N-Star in front of 1,432 fans at Rip Miller Field. The win pushed Navy’s winning streak over Army to six-straight games and third-straight N-Star victory.
The Midshipmen concluded the season with a 5-1 mark, 3-1 in CSFL action. The Black Knights ended their campaign with a 3-3 record, 2-2 in league play.
Engel gained 122 of his 168 yards in the opening half on 20 carries, many of which he followed the blocks provided by fullback Enrique Harris, who produced 61 yards on 11 rushing attempts.
Defensive lineman Dave Novotney led the defensive unit with 11 tackles, two of which came in the backfield. Linebacker Ryan Engle produced nine tackles, while sophomore linebacker Brian Smith also contributed nine tackles, five of which came during the third quarter. Defensive back Mike Molloy came up with eight tackles and batted away a pass.
Offensively, quarterback Chris Marsh ended the night 7-of-17 passing for 94 yards and no interceptions. Wide receiver Tommy Tellson caught three passes for 36 yards.</p>

<p>Navy Nearing 300 All-Time Wins
The Navy sprint football program enters this week’s action needing only two wins to record its 300th victory in program history. The 62-year old program owns an all-time mark of 298-62-9, good for an .820 winning percentage.</p>

<p>Engel Approaching Career Rushing Touchdowns Record
Navy senior running back Richard Engel (Medford, N.J.) enters this week’s action fifth on the career rushing touchdowns list, only three shy of matching the record of 23 touchdowns held by Matt Sobecki between 1994-97.
In 18 career games, Engel has found the endzone on 20 occasions. The product of Medford, N.J., opened the year with a two-touchdown effort at Frostburg State JV on Sept. 9. He has scored two touchdowns in three-straight games and four of the last-five contests.
One year ago, Engel led the CSFL in rushing with 659 yards and nine touchdowns on 115 carries (5.7 ypc). Engel became the first Navy running back to win the rushing title since Sobecki churned out 984 yards in 1997.</p>

<p>Road Warriors
The Midshipmen are scheduled to play only one game on its home field, Rip Miller Field, during the 2007 slate. The lone home contest, an Oct. 19 game against Princeton, marks the fewest home games played in a season by the Mids in the program’s 62-year history. Meanwhile, Navy will travel more than 2,300 miles on the road and spend in excess of 40 hours on a bus going to and from its five games away from Annapolis this year.</p>

<p>Two Trips to the Empire State in 2007
The Navy sprint football team will be making the first of two trips in 2007 up to New York State this weekend. This marks the third time within the last-five years and the fourth time in program history that the Mids have played two games in the Empire State. The Midshipmen have played both Army and Cornell on their home fields in 2003 and 2005, while traveling to Army and Columbia in 1958.</p>

<p>You’ll Have Nothing and Like It
Navy’s defense opened the 2007 campaign with a dominating performance at Frostburg State JV, posting -34 yards rushing and 36 yards of total offense. The -34 rushing yards were the fewest allowed by a Navy defense since 1996, while the 36 yards allowed on offense were tied for the second-fewest within the last-12 years. Only Navy’s 28-yard allowance at Cornell on Oct. 23, 2000, topped the Midshipmen performance in their 2007 season opener.</p>

<p>Stifling Defense
In their last 56 games, the Midshipmen defense has held the opposition to 20 or fewer points on 43 occasions, coming away victorious in 42 of those contests. Prior to a 16-10 setback in overtime last season at Cornell, the last time Navy lost a game in which its defense yielded less than 21 points came on Oct. 23, 1998, dropping a 17-14 decision to Penn.</p>

<p>Domination on Both Sides of the Ball
Navy put together a complete effort over Frostburg State JV to open the season on Sept. 9, totaling 466 yards on offense while limiting the Bobcats to a meager 36 yards. The 430-yard differential in total offense ranks as the second-highest since 1996, as the Midshipmen out-gained Princeton by 664 yards (704-40) in a 98-0 drubbing on Oct. 21, 2005.</p>

<p>Navy Launching an Aerial Attack
The Midshipmen passing attack racked up 282 yards in their season-opening win at Frostburg State JV on Sept. 9, the most passing yards since a 361-yard performance at Penn on Oct. 28, 2005. D.J. Green accounted for 225 of those yards, a career high, during his first-career start with a pair of touchdown strikes.</p>

<p>Five Years, Five Different Starting Quarterbacks
For the fifth-consecutive year, Navy has relied on a different starting quarterback. Despite the annual turnover at the position, the Midshipmen have gone 25-2 over that span, good for a .926 winning percentage. Of the previous four starting quarterbacks, three have earned all-league honors and one (Brian Nagle, 2004) was named the league MVP.</p>

<p>Thirty a Game Leaves Opponents at Bay
The Midshipmen have come away victorious in 40-straight games in which they score over 30 points. Navy has surpassed the 30-point mark in 40 of its last-80 games.</p>

<p>Team Scoring Streak
Navy has put points on the scoreboard in each of its last 113 games, scoring in double figures in 102 of those contests. The Midshipmen have not been shut out in a game since dropping a 12-0 decision at Princeton on Oct. 21, 1989.</p>

<p>Game Decided by 14+ Points, Advantage Navy
Navy has won each of the last-28 games decided by 14 or more points, dating back to its 42-10 victory over Cornell on Oct. 14, 2001, in the Pride Bowl only 38 games ago.</p>

<p>The Amazin’ Mids in Season Openers
With Navy’s 47-8 dominating victory at Frostburg State JV to open the season on Sept. 9, the Midshipmen improved to 59-2-1 all-time in season openers, good for a .960 winning percentage. The Midshipmen have won 32-consecutive season-opening contests, with their last opening-day loss coming in 1975.</p>

<p>Navy Beating Up on the Big Boys
Despite facing players sometimes double their weight, the Navy sprint football program owns a 21-1 record all-time against unrestricted-weight junior varsity football teams. In fact, the Midshipmen have won 10-straight games against those programs, winning by an average of 27.3 points during that span.</p>

1149

<p>Navy Men’s Soccer Heads to Florida For a Pair of Games</p>

<p>ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Fresh off a 12-day layoff, the Navy men’s soccer team heads to Florida for a pair of games over the weekend. The Mids will battle Florida Gulf Coast University on Friday night at 7:00 pm in Fort Myers, Fla., before heading across the state to take on Florida International in Miami at noon on Sunday. The Mids haven’t played since a 3-1 loss to St. Francis (N.Y.) at the UMBC Soccer Classic on Sept. 9, and currently own a 2-1-1 record. The games will be the first in Florida for the Midshipmen since Nov. 14, 1998.</p>

<p>It will be Navy’s first game against Florida Gulf Coast University, while the series with FIU is tied at 1-1-0. Navy edged FIU, 1-0, on Oct. 31, 1986, while the Panthers defeated Navy, 6-2, on Nov. 14, 1998</p>

<p>Navy’s 2-1-1 start can be attributed to a balanced offensive attack and a strong defense. The Mids have had four different players score four goals this year and have also allowed just four goals, with three coming in the loss to St. Francis (N.Y.). Navy posted back-to-back season-opening shutouts against Temple (T, 0-0) on Aug. 31 and Air Force (W, 1-0) on Sept. 2. The other contest was a 2-1 double-overtime thriller on Sept. 7 against Iona in the UMBC Soccer Classic. </p>

<p>Leading the offensive way for Navy is sophomore Mark Garcia (Tempe, Ariz.). The 5-7, 145-pound forward has scored three points (1 g, 1 a) on the young season, while classmate Andrew Garcia (Garland, Texas), junior Adam Pennington (Tampa, Fla.) and senior Travis King (Loveland, Ohio) have scored goals for head coach Rich Miranda this year. Sophomore Chris Schneider (Arlington, Texas) has dished out two assists on the season to lead the Mids in helpers. In all, seven players have found their way into the scoring column.</p>

<p>In goal for the Mids, senior Evan Barnes (Dublin, Ohio) has had a strong start to the year, owning a 2-1-1 record with a 0.91 GAA and a .750 save percentage with two shutouts. He was named Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Week on Sept. 2, following a pair of shutouts against Temple and Air Force. He has led a defense that has been outstanding in terms of limiting opposing team’s opporturnities. Opponents are averaging just 9.5 shots per game this year (with just 18 total shots on goal), one year after allowing 12.7 shots per game. </p>

<p>The Mids have also made a concentrated effort in limiting their fouls, and while this year’s team is averaging 13.5 fouls per game compared to 15.6 a year ago, Navy has done a much better job of not fouling in dangerous situations. Barnes has gotten solid defensive help in the back from seniors Anthony Parker (Fredericksburg, Va.), Brett Copare (Pittsgrove, N.J.) and Will Riordon (Oak Ridge, N.C.) and sophomore Scott Robertson (Chester, Va.). Riordon was named Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 5, after helping hold Temple and Air Force to just 16 total shots.</p>

<p>Florida Gulf Coast is enjoying success in its first year of varsity soccer, posting a 3-2-0 record, including a win over Coastal Carolina, 3-2, in its first-ever game on Aug. 31. The Eagles have also defeated Georgia State (3-2) and UNLV (2-1), while falling to Iona (2-0) and Furman (3-0). Chris DiNapoli leads the way with five points (2 g, 1 a), while five other players have scored goals. Adam Glick has played all 460 minutes in goal, posting a 1.96 GAA and a .688 save percentage. As a team, the Eagles have allowed 10 goals and 60 shots on the season, while scoring eight with 43 shots. Opponents have taken advantage of gaining corner kicks against FGCU, drawing 41 corner kicks to 22 for the Eagles.</p>

<p>Sunday’s opponent, Florida International, is 0-5-1 entering their game with Illinois-Chicago on Friday, but the Panthers have played a very difficult schedule. They are coming off a tough 5-1 loss to 18th-ranked Michigan, one game after battling Big 10 power Michigan State to a double-overtime, 1-0 setback. Florida International has also lost to nationally-ranked South Florida and Connecticut squads by 1-0 margins, Missouri-Kansas City by a 2-1 score and tied Bowling Green, 0-0. FIU is getting outscored, 10-2, on the season and is getting outshot, 105-59. Opponents have drawn 47 corner kicks to FIU’s 22.</p>

<p>Individually, Seteven Cabas has scored FIU’s lone offensive goal, as the goal against Michigan was the result of an own goal. Kyle Thomas has seen the majority of time in goal for the Panthers, recording a 0.93 GAA with a save percentage of .808.</p>

<p>It will be a homecoming of sorts for four Floridians on the Navy soccer roster. Seniors Eric Gorden (Longwood, Fla.) and Ryan Trespalacios (Lake City, Fla.), junior Adam Pennington (Tampa, Fla.) and sophomore Chris Marino (Longwood, Fla.) all hail from the Sunshine State.</p>

<p>The Mids will return home next weekend for their Patriot League opener against 2006 NCAA second-round participant Bucknell on Sept. 29, at 7:00 pm, at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility. The game’s promotions include Design-A-Sign Contest (all kids [12 and under] will have the chance to design a Navy Soccer spirit poster to cheer with during the game. We’ll supply all the materials, you supply the creativity. At the end of the game the Navy players will pick their favorite poster and the winner will be awarded a special prize), Free With Football Stub (show your Navy Football ticket stub from the Sept. 29 Air Force game and receive FREE admission to the soccer game), Family Night Out (enjoy our special family package of 4-tickets, 4-hot dogs and 4-drinks for only $20) and MWR Pregame Clinic (members of the Annapolis MWR may participate in a FREE pregame clinic provided by Navy players and coaches. Clinic participants will also receive FREE admission to the game). For ticket information, call 1-800-US4-NAVY.</p>

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<p>For Immediate Release
Sent Thursday, Sept. 20, 2007
Contact Justin Kischefsky (410) 293-8772</p>

<p>Tennis Team Heads to UNC Tournament</p>

<p>ANNAPOLIS, Md. - After opening the season with a strong showing last week at the Navy Invitational, the Navy tennis team will participate in this weekend’s UNC Fall Invitational in Chapel Hill, N.C. The event begins Friday and runs through Sunday at the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center on the school’s campus.</p>

<p>The Mids won titles at four of the 12 flights last weekend against players from Maryland, Princeton, Oklahoma, Arkansas and St. Joseph’s. Jason Hill (Jr., Marietta, Ga.) won at No. 3 singles, Ramsey Lemaich (So., Danville, N.C.) won at No. 4 singles, Nick Birger (Fr., Belleville, Ill.) claimed the No. 8 singles title and the duo of Lemaich and team captain Alex James (Sr., Visalia, Calif.) won the title at No. 2 doubles.</p>

<p>All told, Navy singles players compiled a 13-11 record at the three-day event, while its doubles teams posted a 5-6 mark.</p>

<p>A total of 17 schools from up-and-down the East Coast, including Navy, took part in last year’s UNC Fall Invitational.</p>

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<p>For Immediate Release
Sent Thursday, Sept. 20, 2007
Contact Justin Kischefsky (410) 293-8772</p>

<p>Navy Volleyball to Play at Holy Cross and Army this Weekend</p>

<p>ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy volleyball team will open its 2007 Patriot League season this weekend with matches Saturday at Holy Cross and Sunday at Army. Saturday’s match will begin at 2 p.m. in Worcester, Mass., while Sunday’s Star Match against the Black Knights in West Point will start at 3 p.m. and will be televised live nationally on ESPNU.</p>

<p>The Mids have posted a 10-4 record to date, which leaves Navy one victory shy of tying its win total for all of the 2006 campaign. </p>

<p>One of the keys to Navy’s success this fall has been its serving. The Mids rank third nationally with a 2.98 service aces-per-game average, while allowing foes to average just 1.83 aces per game. Navy’s offense also is averaging 14.48 kills per game and is hitting at a .230 clip, while its defense is holding opponents to 11.06 kills per game and a .158 attack percentage.</p>

<p>“Our matches to this point were designed to teach and challenge ourselves and I think both took place,” said Navy head coach Mike Schwob. “We learned something about us, both as a team and as individuals, each time we took to the floor and I think we are the better for it. We were able to put together two very strong matches (wins over Harvard and Howard) the last two times we played and we want to continue playing at a high level this weekend.”</p>

<p>Navy’s offense has been paced by Rachel Dougherty (Sr., Derwood, Md.) who is averaging 3.96 kills per game and is hitting .278 this fall. Additionally, she is averaging .733 aces per game and was ranked ninth nationally in ace average in the latest NCAA statistics. After becoming just the fourth player in Navy history to lead the Mids in both kills and digs last year, Jessie Sims (So., Etowah, N.C.) ranks second on the squad in both categories this year with averages of 3.25 kills and 2.93 digs per game. She enters the weekend needing 40 digs to become the third player in Navy history to haul in 1,000 for her career.</p>

<p>The top Navy attacker in terms of hitting percentage this year has been Alexa Gibbs (Jr., Springfield, Ill.). The middle blocker has posted a .316 attack percentage to lead the squad, while also ranking third on the team with 2.54 kills per game. Gibbs is tied with Krista Eschelman (So., Germantown, Md.) for the team lead with 35 blocks, with Eschelman narrowly holding the team lead in blocking average over Gibbs (0.80-0.76 bpg).</p>

<p>Navy’s top backrow defender has been team captain Aimee’ Burns (Sr., Dallas, Texas), who is averaging 2.98 digs per game. Joining Burns and Sims in averaging multiple digs for Navy is setter Marissa Watson (Jr., Redondo Beach, Calif.) at 2.20 digs per game. She also is dishing out 10.49 assists per game.</p>

<p>Holy Cross opened its Patriot League season Tuesday night with a three-game setback to American. The loss dropped its record to 3-12 on the season. Both the Mids and the Crusaders have lost to Central Connecticut State this season, with Navy losing to the Blue Devils in three games and Holy Cross in four. Among other loss this season for the Crusaders were defeats to Boston College, Providence, Northeastern, Hartford, SMU and Syracuse.</p>

<p>The Crusaders are hitting .099 as a team this year, while opponents have posted a .237 attack percentage. Holy Cross also is averaging 11.44 kills and 0.92 blocks per game, while allowing opponents to average 14.42 kills and 2.50 blocks per game.</p>

<p>Christine Strawson leads Holy Cross with 4.38 kills per game this season, with Liz Auger second on the roster at 2.83 kills per game. Defensively, Molly Anderson leads Holy Cross with a 3.98 digs-per-game average, one of three Crusaders to be hauling in multiple digs per game.</p>

<p>“We’ve set many goals for ourselves this year, and one of them is to return to the Patriot League Tournament,” said Schwob. “With this in mind, Saturday’s match against Holy Cross carries the exact same importance as Sunday’s against Army does. We want to achieve as many of our goals this year as we can, which means coming out ready to play against both opponents with the same intensity and preparation.”</p>

<p>Navy has lost to Holy Cross on three of its last four trips to Worcester and the Mids have compiled just a 3-4 record there since the 2000 season. Additionally, two of Navy’s three victories have come in five games. Navy lost a five-game decision to the Crusaders last season in Worcester, with the final score of game five being 16-14.</p>

<p>The Black Knights have posted a 12-3 record this season, with their most recent loss coming Wednesday night to American in West Point. The Black Knights won the opening game by the score of 36-34, but American won the next three games to hand Army its first home loss of the season (8-1).</p>

<p>Both Army and Navy have defeated NJIT, Marist, Harvard and Columbia this season, while Army also topped Cornell and the Mids lost to the Big Red in five games. Additionally, the Black Knights have posted wins over Air Force, Rutgers and UC Riverside.</p>

<p>Army is outhitting its opponents by 100 points this season (.253-.154), is averaging 15.10 kills per game to 11.83 for its foes and have more than doubled the number of service aces its opponents have totaled (152-70). The Black Knights entered this week ranked fourth in the nation in service aces with an average of 2.96 aces per game.</p>

<p>Army’s offense has been very balanced this season with five players averaging over two kills per game. Rachael Breinling is pacing the team with an average of 3.34 kills per game. Defensively for Army, Elizabeth Lazzari is averaging 3.60 digs per game, Shara Hoffman is hauling in 3.35 digs per game, and Breinling and Jamie Clark lead the squad in blocking with averages of 0.94 and 0.90 blocks per game, respectively. </p>

<p>“It’s always an exciting atmosphere when Army and Navy play each other,” said Schwob. "Everyone seems to be able to jump a little higher and hit the ball a little harder. The outcome always seems to be determined by a player neither team really expected to have as much of an impact on the game as they do, so that only adds to the importance of everyone being ready to do their part when their opportunity arrives.</p>

<p>“Army is a very good team. How they made American work for everything Wednesday night was a perfect example of the type of team they are. One important key for us Sunday is to be able to play a very clean match.”</p>

<p>After winning both regular season meetings against Army – including the Star Match in West Point – during the 2005 campaign, the Mids have dropped their last three matches to the Black Knights.</p>

<p>Navy has compiled a 6-5 record in Star Matches under Schwob, including a 3-2 record in Star Matches played in West Point.</p>

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<p>Get In The Game With Navy Basketball Season Tickets</p>

<p>ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Naval Academy Athletic Association (NAAA) has announced that season tickets for men’s and women’s basketball are on sale now, in preparation for the upcoming seasons. Both schedules feature 13 home games to be played at Alumni Hall, including doubleheaders on Jan. 2, Jan. 5 and the Jan. 27 twinbill with Army</p>

<p>Navy basketball season tickets are just $200 for Admiral’s Row members (must be an Admiral’s Row member of Blue and Gold), $130 for a reserved seat and $65 for students (high school and below). Season tickets include all 26 men’s and women’s home games to be played at Alumni Hall. Season ticket holders will receive exclusive benefits including a season-long pass to park on “The Yard” for all home games, access to email updates regarding game information and eligibility to participate in the Season Ticket Holder Referral Rewards Program. New this year, the Referral Rewards Program gives benefits to season-ticket holders who refer others to purchase season tickets, such as food credit at concession stands, additional Army-Navy tickets, upgraded seats and others. You can earn rewards simply by encouraging others to “GET IN THE GAME!”.</p>

<p>The Naval Academy Athletic Association aims to provide exceptional customer service for our fans. That being said fans should be aware that food and beverages from the concession stands will once again be allowed in the arena seating areas of Alumni Hall. Customers may also watch all the action on the state-of-the-art center-hung video board.</p>

<p>Tickets may be purchased online at the ticketing section of <a href=“http://www.navysports.com%5B/url%5D”>www.navysports.com</a> or by calling 1-800-US4-NAVY. In addition, fans may mail in a printable season-ticket form also found on <a href=“http://www.navysports.com%5B/url%5D”>www.navysports.com</a>.</p>

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<p>NAPLES, Fla. – Senior forward Doug DeVuono (Racine, Wis.) tallied three goals and Evan Barnes (Dublin, Ohio) led a Navy defense to its third shutout of the season as Navy breezed past Florida Gulf Coast University, 4-0, on Friday night. The win moves Navy’s record to 3-1-1 overall, while FGCU drops to 3-3-0 overall. The game was moved from FGCU’s campus to Naples because of heavy rains all day on Friday that persisted into the night. </p>

<p>The rain, however, did not slow down DeVuono. The senior entered the game with no career points, but changed that in a hurry as he gave Navy a 1-0 lead in the third minute with his first career goal, which remained the score at halftime. The goal was assisted by Chris Schneider (Arlington, Texas). It was Schneider’s third assist of the season, matching the total of last year’s assist leader, McKenzie Plank. </p>

<p>Junior Adam Pennington (Tampa, Fla.) gave Navy a 2-0 in the 53rd minute with an assist credited to Justin Waskey (Georgetown, Ky.). </p>

<p>DeVuono then closed out the scoring with a pair of goals in the 72nd and 80th minutes for the hat trick, with assists dealt out by Eric Gorden (Longwood, Fla.) and Cash Elston (Sammamish, Wash.), respectively. The hat trick is the first for a Navy player since Craig Ruhs tallied three goals against Fordham on Sept. 21, 2001. It was just Navy’s third hat trick since joining the Patriot League in 1992, as Michael Paisant had the other, coming against Army in 1999. </p>

<p>The four goals were the most since the second game of the 2005 season, a 4-0 win over Georgia Southern on Sept. 4, 2005. </p>

<p>The Navy defense was once again a key force, limiting the Eagles to seven shots and just one on goal. Barnes was the receipient of the solid defense, registering one save to earn his third shutout of the season and fifth of his career. Navy also drew six corners to just one for FGCU and were whistled for 13 fouls to one for the Eagles. </p>

<p>The Mids will play Florida International on Sunday at noon in Miami, before returning home to host Bucknell in their Patriot League opener next Saturday night.</p>

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<p>Navy in tie for 12th after 2 rounds at Sea Trail/Elon Invitational</p>

<p>For Immediate Release
Saturday, Sept. 22, 2007
Men’s Golf Contact: Stacie Michaud (410) 293-8773</p>

<p>Navy Moves Into Tie for 12th at Sea Trail/Elon Invitational</p>

<p>SUNSET BEACH, N.C. - Anchored by team captain Chris Renninger’s (Darnestown, Md.) 3-under par 69, the Navy golf team shot a 2-under par 286 in the second round of the Sea Trail/Elon Invitational to move into a tie with Radford for 12th with a two-day total of 580 (294-286, +4). The host Elon Phoenix are leading the tournament with a 24-over par 552 (279-273), holding a 13-stroke lead over Wofford who is in second with an 11-over par 565 (288-277).</p>

<p>Thirty-five of the 99 golfers in the tournament are under par after 36 holes, including all five of Elon’s players. In fact, three members of the Phoenix are among the top 10. Owning an 8-under par 136, Wofford’s Mike McKenzie and South Carolina-Upstate’s Josh Gallman hold a 1-stroke lead over the field.</p>

<p>“I’m happy with the progress we made today, but we will continue to look to improve our game tomorrow,” said Navy head coach Pat Owen. “Chris (Renninger) had a real strong day for us and we are chipping away each round. I certainly think we are poised enough to move up in the standings tomorrow.”</p>

<p>Navy’s three seniors paved the way for the Midshipmen on the second day. Renninger’s second-round 69 pushed his score to 1-under par 143 (74-69) to move into a tie for 23rd. Also in 23rd is fourth-year standout Erich Schoen (Sylvania, Ohio) who fired a 1-under par on Friday and came back to shoot par on Saturday.</p>

<p>Senior Ryan Sload (Lancaster, Pa.) got off to a slow start after posting a 9-over par 81 in the opening round. However, he came back on Saturday to shoot 1-under par and move into a tie for 76th. Junior Chip Hardie (Crofton, Md.) stands 43rd with a 1-over par 145, while junior Eric Stinson (Spotsylvania, Va.) continued to have woes on the greens where he shot a 9-over par 81 in the second round and is in 93rd with a 15-over par 159.</p>

<p>Navy will play its final 18 holes Sunday trailing 11th-place High Point by a stroke and 10th-place Delaware by two strokes.</p>

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<p>Navy Finishes Fourth at Iona Meet of Champions </p>

<p>NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. – John Olsen led a strong Navy showing with a fourth-place finish, leading the Mids to a fourth-place team finish at the Iona Meet of Champions on Saturday morning. Navy placed seven runners in the top 48 to finish with 109 points. Iona won the meet with 72 points. </p>

<p>Olsen, a senior from Staten Island, N.Y., finished the 8K course in 25:16.1 for the fourth-place finish. The two-time Patriot League runner of the week finished just over 13 seconds out of first place and just 2.6 seconds out of third place in a field of 205 runners. </p>

<p>John Kress (Sr. / Colorado Springs, Colo.) was the next Navy finisher, coming in 10th with a clocking of 25:37.1. It is Kress’ third top-10 finish of the year, missing a top-eight finish by just 1.8 seconds. </p>

<p>Chris Horel (So. / Bedford, N.J.) finished 26th with a time of 26:09.1, while Ricky Griffith (So. / Piedmont, Calif.) finished 34th with a time of 26:19.2. </p>

<p>Rounding out the Navy scoring was Andrew Grant (Jr. / Athens, Ga.) with a 40th-place finish in 26:27.5, Bill Prom (Jr. / New Berlin, Wis.) was 53rd with a time of 26:40.5, and Ben Kozy (Sr. / Houston, Texas) was 58th in 26:46.5. </p>

<p>Other Navy finishers included Patrick Quinn (So. / Stafford, Va.) with a 63rd-place finish, Stephen Porter was 75th and Nick Crowell was 89th. </p>

<p>Navy will be in action next Saturday at the Roy Griak Invitational in Falcon Heights, Minn., beginning at 1:10 pm.</p>

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<p>Navy def. Holy Cross, 3-0 (30-21, 30-24, 30-25)</p>

<p>For Immediate Release
Sent Saturday, Sept. 22, 2007
Contact Justin Kischefsky (410) 293-8772</p>

<p>Mids Sweep Crusaders in League Opener </p>

<p>WORCESTER, Mass. – Alexa Gibbs (Jr., Springfield, Ill.) led three Mids with double figures kills as the Navy volleyball team recorded a three-game sweep over Holy Cross Saturday afternoon in Worcester, Mass. Navy recorded a 30-21, 30-24, 30-25 victory over the Crusaders in what was the opening match of the Patriot League season for the Mids.</p>

<p>“It was a good, solid effort by our entire team,” said Navy head coach Mike Schwob. “Our offense was crisp and we limited opportunities for Holy Cross.”</p>

<p>In the opening game, Navy quickly turned a slim 18-17 advantage into a 23-17 lead with kills from Gibbs and Rachel Dougherty (Sr., Derwood, Md.) and a service, attack and ball-handling error by the Crusaders.</p>

<p>Holy Cross then held the slim lead late in game two. The Crusaders were in front by the score of 22-21 when Dougherty knocked down back-to-back kills to give Navy the advantage. Following a pair of attack errors from Holy Cross, Navy’s lead grew to 25-22. It was soon 26-24 when a Dougherty kill sparked a game-ending 4-0 run for the Mids.</p>

<p>After closing game two with the 4-0 run, Navy used an early 6-0 run to take a 10-4 lead at the start of game three. From there, Navy held a lead of at least four points over the remainder of the game to complete the sweep.</p>

<p>Navy’s offense totaled a .349 hitting percentage, while its defense held Holy Cross to a .089 attack percentage. The Mids also dropped in 10 service aces in the match, while allowing just three aces to Holy Cross servers.</p>

<p>Gibbs knocked down 13 kills and hit .550 on the night to pace all players. Joining her with double-digit kills were Dougherty and Jessie Sims (Jr., Etowah, N.C.) with 11 apiece. Sims also added a .435 hitting percentage for the Mids.</p>

<p>Defensively for Navy, Aimee’ Burns (Sr., Dallas, Texas) grabbed 13 digs. </p>

<p>Meredith Biri (So., San Antonio, Texas) led Navy’s servers with three aces.</p>

<p>“Meredith was an unsung hero today,” said Schwob. “She not only came in and served three aces, we seemed to always score whenever she was in the game.”</p>

<p>The win improves Navy’s record on the year to 11-4, while the Crusaders fell to 3-13 overall and to 0-2 in the league with the loss. Navy has already matched its victory total for all of last season.</p>

<p>Navy will next be in action Sunday when the Mids play at Army in the annual Star Match. The contest can be seen live on ESPNU.</p>

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<p>For Immediate Release
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771</p>

<p>Navy Defeats Army in Allegiance Bowl, 30-17</p>

<p>SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Navy sprint football running back Enrique Harris (Jr./Crawfordville, Fla.) ran for 160 yards on 24 carries with a touchdown to earn game MVP honors as the Midshipmen defeated Army, 30-17, in front of 4,000 fans at the Allegiance Bowl at Saratoga Springs High School Field on Saturday afternoon.</p>

<p>With the win, Navy improved to 2-0 on the year and upped its winning streak to seven-consecutive games over the Black Knights. Army recorded its first loss of the year to fall to 1-1 on the young season.</p>

<p>“After going down 14 points in the first quarter, we outscored Army, 30-3, for the remainder of the game,” stated Navy head coach Maj. Jake Jenkins, USMC. “It was truly impressive on both fronts – being able to shut down their offense and put 30 points on the board.</p>

<p>“Even without the long run, Enrique (Harris) would still have had my vote for the game’s MVP. Every time he touched the ball, he gained yardage. He also did a solid job blocking, opening up some big holes for our tailbacks to run through. He was a workhorse this game and I’m glad to see that he received the recognition for his efforts.”</p>

<p>Army took a 14-0 lead in the opening-15 minutes of the contest before Navy’s defense forced turnovers on three-consecutive possessions to grab its first lead of the game, 17-14. </p>

<p>Defensive back Jason Feipel (Sr./Walcott, Iowa) picked off a Robert Miner pass which set up Navy’s first score of the game, a 35-yard field goal off the foot of David Reifenberg (So./Ft. Wayne, Ind.).</p>

<p>On the ensuing kickoff, Army fumbled and Navy’s Hunter Armour (Sr./Malibu, Calif.) came up with the loose ball on the Army 27-yardline. Six plays later, quarterback Jon DeWitt (Jr./Mendham, N.J.) delivered a 20-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Nash Bagby (Jr./Waco, Texas) to pull the Mids within four at 14-10.</p>

<p>During Army’s next offensive possession, Miner fumbled the snap and Navy’s Galen Landis (Jr./Hershey, Pa.) came up with the ball on the Army 35-yardline. The Midshipmen would eventually capitalize once again, as Green ran a quarterback sneak into the endzone from a yard out to give Navy a 17-14 advantage with four minutes remaining in the first half.</p>

<p>After the Black Knights traveled 78 yards on 15 plays to knot the game at 17 to close out the first half, the Midshipmen defense limited their archrival to 74 yards of total offense for the remainder of the contest.</p>

<p>Following a scoreless third quarter, Navy pulled away with a steady dose of its rushing attack. Harris broke the 17-17 tie with a 47-yard touchdown scamper 17 seconds into the fourth quarter. Reifenberg tacked on a pair of field goals, 32 and 27 yards, in the final stanza to close out the scoring on the day.</p>

<p>Navy’s defense took advantage of six Army turnovers, four interceptions and two fumble recoveries, in scoring 23 of its 30 points on the afternoon. The Midshipmen also tallied six tackles for a loss of 19 yards and deflected away six passes in the win. Feipel led the defensive backfield with two pickoffs, the first two of his career, for 21 return yards. Linebacker Brian Smith (Jr./Gainesville, Fla.) paced the team with 10 tackles, while fellow linebacker Tyler Hawkins (So./Canyon Country, Calif.) chipped in with nine stops. Linebacker Chris Combellick (Jr./Carmel, Ind.) also intercepted a pass and delivered six tackles in the win.</p>

<p>The Midshipmen held a 38:31-21:29 advantage in time of possession and out-gained Army, 417-332, with 313 of those yards coming on the ground. In addition to Harris’s 160 yards, Richard Engel (Sr./Medford, N.J.) produced 90 yards on 21 carries and Nate Stewart (So./Fitzgerald, Ga.) chimed in with 41 yards on seven rushing attempts.</p>

<p>In his first-career start, DeWitt produced a touchdown on the ground and through the air. The Navy signal-caller rushed for 18 yards and completed 6-of-22 passes for 104 yards. DeWitt founded wide receiver Tommy Tellson (Jr./Bedford, Texas) two times for 44 yards, including a 34-yard connection midway through the fourth quarter.</p>

<p>The Midshipmen will return to action on Sunday, Oct. 7, when they open CSFL play against defending league-champion Cornell (2-0) in Pride Bowl XXIX at Kean Alumni Stadium in Union, N.J. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.</p>

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<p>Navy Tops Maryland In Opener, 6-3
By
Ray Feldmann</p>

<p>ANNAPOLIS, MD (Friday, Sept. 21, 2007) – Junior defenseman Matt Swezey scored a power play goal seven-and-a-half minutes into the third period to break open a close game and propel Navy’s ice hockey team to a 6-3 season-opening triumph over the University of Maryland Friday night at the McMullen Rink.</p>

<p>Not only was it the first intercollegiate hockey game ever played at McMullen Rink inside the USNA Brigade Sports Complex, it marked the first win for new Navy head coach Mike Fox. The decisive victory came in front of a tremendous opening night crowd estimated in excess of 700.</p>

<p>Swezey and senior Nick Schwob paced Navy’s offense with two goals apiece, while junior John Culliton and sophomore Alex Willis each had single tallies.</p>

<p>The Midshipmen got off to a quick start in their new building, taking a 1-0 lead 7:29 into the first period on a goal from Schwob, assisted by senior Brian Gleason and Culliton.</p>

<p>Navy doubled its advantage to 2-0 early in the second stanza, thanks to Swezey’s first extra man tally of the night just 44 seconds into the period. But the visiting Terrapins struck back to cut the Mids’ lead in half with a Ryan Kucinski goal at 3:14, then knotted the score at 2-2 with a power play tally off the stick of Sean Gerding at 10:01.</p>

<p>Swezey’s second power play tally of the night, just 34 seconds into the third period, came while the Terps had two men in the penalty box and gave Navy a 3-2 lead. The Mids extended their margin to 4-2 with Culliton’s first goal of the season, also on the power play, at the 7:46 mark.</p>

<p>Navy took a commanding 5-2 advantage later in the period when Schwob registered his second goal of the night at the 15:03 mark. But pesky Maryland struck back a short time later with a Dan Drazen power play tally at 17:37, bringing the Terps within two goals, 5-3.</p>

<p>But the Midshipmen ensured Mike Fox’s successful head coaching debut with just four ticks left on the McMullen Rink scoreboard clock when Wallis redirected a Charlie Daniel pass past Maryland goaltender Matt Mitchell, with Jeff Dubinsky picking up the other assist, to account for the 6-3 final score. Navy was a man up at the time.</p>

<p>Mitchell finished with 38 saves, while his counterpart, Navy netminder Eric Anderson, recorded 30 saves, as the Mids outshot the Terps, 44-33. Referee Tim Apodaca whistled Navy for 24 minutes in penalties, compared to 34 minutes for Maryland. The last 10 minutes of those 34 came as a result of a misconduct penalty to the Terps’ T.C. Costello immediately following Wallis’ goal.</p>

<p>Navy, now 1-0, is idle until next weekend when it hosts Lehigh Friday and Saturday, Sept. 28 and 29, at McMullen Rink. Both games begin at 7:30 p.m.
PUCK POINTS: Sprinkled though the large crowd Friday night were numerous Navy hockey alums, who will square off in the annual alumni game Saturday at 9 a.m…among the “firsts” in the new McMullen Rink were the first penalty (Navy’s Brian Gleason just 36 seconds into the first period), the first goal (Schwob’s tally at 7:29 of the opening stanza), and the first penalty shot (taken and missed by Maryland’s Costello at 17:51 of the second period)…the penalty shot was awarded after Navy defenseman Donnie Horner was whistled for picking up the puck with his glove and throwing it down the ice during a goalmouth scramble in front of Anderson…Costello later recorded the first 10-minute misconduct in McMullen Rink history…although the forward line of Gleason, Derek Johnson, and Sam Carlson only accounted for one point, they huslted all night at both ends of the ice and played well…Navy’s second line of Schwob, Culliton, and Jon Westerman also played well and picked up five points…in his first game in a Navy jersey after a two-year sabbatical, Jeff Dubinsky registered one assist…in his first game since his plebe year, Culliton had one goal and one feed.</p>

<p>SCORING SUMMARY</p>

<p>First Period
N - Schwob 1 (Gleason, Culliton) 7:29</p>

<p>Second Period
N - Swezey 1 (Schwob) 0:44
M - Kucinski (Drazen, DeVore) 3:14
M - Gerding (DaSilva) 10:01</p>

<p>Third Period
N - Swezey 2 (unassisted) 0:34
N - Culliton 1 (Gross, Swezey) 7:46
N - Schwob 2 (unassisted) 15:03
M - Drazen (unassisted) 17:37
N - Wallis 1 (Daniel, Dubinsky) 19:56</p>

<p>SAVES
Mitchell (Maryland) 7 - 17 - 14 – 38
Anderson (NAVY) 10 - 10 - 10 – 30</p>

<p>SHOTS
Maryland 10 - 12 - 11 – 33
NAVY 8 - 18 - 18 – 44</p>

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<p><a href=“http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=624222&category=SPORTS&newsdate=9/23/2007[/url]”>http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=624222&category=SPORTS&newsdate=9/23/2007&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>

</p>

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<p>For Immediate Release
Sent Sunday, Sept. 23, 2007
Contact Justin Kischefsky (410) 293-8772</p>

<p>Navy Falls to Army in Volleyball Star Match</p>

<p>WEST POINT, N.Y. – Army held Navy to a .196 attack percentage to help the Black Knights post a 30-25, 17-30, 30-28, 30-26 victory over the Navy volleyball team, Sunday afternoon at Gillis Field House in West Point, N.Y. The two-hour and 20-minute contest served as the Star Match between the two programs.</p>

<p>“It was one of the hardest-fought matches I can remember in the series,” said Navy head coach Mike Schwob. “Both teams spent all of their available energy this afternoon.”</p>

<p>Navy held a 23-22 lead in the opening game when the Black Knights went on a 5-0 run to take a 27-23 lead. Elizabeth Lazzari started the run with a kill, then Rachael Breinling dropped in back-to-back aces for Army. Lazarri added another kill before Navy’s Alexa Gibbs (Jr., Springfield, Ill.) was blocked by Jamie Clark to complete the run and give Army enough of a lead to win the game.</p>

<p>Game two saw the Mids slowly separate themselves from the Black Knights, turning a 10-10 game into a 19-11 advantage. Navy kept that margin until closing the game with a 6-1 run.</p>

<p>Navy held slim leads throughout game three, including at 25-23, but Army scored the next four points to take a 27-23 lead. Navy cut the two-point margin in half following a kill from Jessie Sims (Jr., Etowah, N.C.), but a kill from Lazzari and a poor set by the Mids took the Black Knights to game point.</p>

<p>“Game three was big,” said Schwob. “We worked had to give ourselves a great opportunity to take a two games to one lead, but we didn’t take advantage of that effort.”</p>

<p>The fourth game was close, as well, with Army holding a slim advantage of two to three points for most of the last half of the game. The Black Knights took a 23-19 lead before Navy closed to within two points on kills from Gibbs and Sims. Army tried to separate themselves with back-to-back points of its own before Navy again narrowed the gap down to two points at 27-25. The Black Knights responded with two straight points, again, then the teams traded sideouts to give Army the victory.</p>

<p>Army totaled a .249 attack percentage in the match to outhit Navy by 50 points, while tallying 11 more digs and 20 more swings than Navy did. The Black Knights also held a 10-5 lead in blocks, though Navy did record more aces (10-6) and digs (67-64) than Army tallied.</p>

<p>Individually for Navy, Rachel Dougherty (Sr., Derwood, Md.) totaled 19 kills, but needed 53 swings to achieve that. She was joined in double figure kills by Sims with 15 and Gibbs with 12. Sims also tallied her sixth double-double of the season with a Navy-best 18 digs.</p>

<p>Navy saw its record fall to 11-5 overall and 1-1 in the Patriot League with the loss, while Army improved to 13-3 on the season and 1-1 in the league with the win.</p>

<p>The Mids will next play Friday evening when American travels to Macdonough Hall for a 7 p.m. contest.</p>