Navy Sports

GreatAmerican · September 27, 2007, 8:54pm

For Immediate Release
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771

Navy Heads to Paul Short Invitational on Friday

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Navy women’s cross country team will compete for the first time in two weeks when it travels to the Paul Short Invitational on the Goodman Campus Course in Bethlehem, Pa., this Friday afternoon.

With 91 teams entered for Friday’s action, the Paul Short Invitational has been broken up into several smaller races. The College Brown Race (Division I and ranked non-Division I teams) will take place at 1:40 p.m., followed by a junior varsity race at 4 p.m.

Among the field of teams in the College Brown Race, four are ranked among the top-30 squads in the nation and two others are receiving votes.

This Friday’s race will also serve as preparation for the postseason, as the Goodman Campus Course will serve as the host of this year’s NCAA Mid-Atlantic Region Championship on Nov. 10.

The Midshipmen have opened the year in strong fashion, posting three dual-scoring victories and a pair of third-place performances. For their efforts, the U.S. Track & Field/Cross Country Coaches Association recognized the Mids as the ninth-ranked team in the region on Monday.

Guiding the Midshipmen to their early-season success is Arwyn Becker (Sr./Vail, Colo.), who has posted Navy’s best time in each of the last-two meets. Becker has also finished among the field’s top-10 competitors in each of the past two races.

Accompanying Becker with strong performances this season are team captain Kyleigh Millhouse (Sr./Boiling Springs, Pa.), Katie Rentz (Fr./San Diego, Calif.) and Erica Ziel (So./Saginaw, Mich.), as all three have scored points during each of the team’s three races on the campaign.

Following this Friday’s meet, Navy (3-0) will head to West Point, N.Y., to take on Army in the annual Star Meet. Last season, the Midshipmen cruised to a 21-38 victory over the Black Knights in Annapolis.

GreatAmerican · September 27, 2007, 8:55pm

Navy IC Sailing to Compete in Carl Van Duyne Trophy

Last weekend, the Navy IC Sailing competed in four events and hosted an event at home. A women’s team won the Princeton Women’s Fall Open. Megan Magill and Jenny Sturzbecher finished second in the A division. Alaina Bussell and Clay Magee finished first in the B division.

Navy finished second overall at North #1 at NY Maritime. Andrew Vann and Kristen Sproat won the A division by 11 points in a competitive fleet. Charlotte Hill with Maggie Reynolds finished fourth in the B division.

The team finished third at the South #1 hosted by St. Mary’s College. Rob Ramirez and Tina Pryne finished third in the A division. James Allsopp and Sarah Burke finished third in the B division.

The Laser Qualifier South event was hosted at Navy’s Robert Crown Center. This event was the last qualifier for the Carl Van Duyne Trophy, which is the MAISA men’s qualifier for singlehanded nationals, taking place at Navy this weekend. Navy had four sailors compete in the final qualifier. Martin Sterling finished second in the event, and qualified to compete in the next round. For the first time in seven years, Navy will have two sailors competing in this weekend’s Carl Van Duyne Trophy.

GreatAmerican · September 27, 2007, 8:57pm

For Immediate Release
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771

Navy Travels to Roy Griak Invitational on Saturday

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Navy men’s cross country team will race in its fifth meet in as many weeks when it heads to the highly competitive Roy Griak Invitational on Saturday at the Les Bolstad Golf Course in Falcon Heights, Minn. The 24-team field for the Men’s Gold Competition (Division I) is slated for a 1:10 p.m. ET start.

For the fourth-consecutive week, the Midshipmen will race against a nationally ranked team. This Saturday’s meet features five teams ranked among the top-30 squads in the nation and two others are receiving votes. For the year, Navy has matched up with eight nationally ranked programs and three schools that are receiving votes.

The Midshipmen have gotten off to a fast start to the 2007 campaign, ranking among the top-four teams in each of their four meets this year, with no field size smaller than nine teams. One week ago at the Fordham Invitational, Navy placed fourth out of 19 schools at the Iona Meet of Champions in Van Cortlandt Park at Bronx, N.Y.

As a result of their early-season success, the Mids jumped up three spots to fifth place in the U.S. Track & Field/Cross Country Coaches Association regional rankings. Navy owns the top ranking among the five Patriot League schools in the region, including three positions better than league preseason favorite American.

Helping the Midshipmen to their fifth-place ranking is John Olsen (Sr./Staten Island, N.Y.), who has earned Patriot League Runner-of-the-Week honors twice this season. Olsen has boasted the team’s fastest time and placed among the field’s top-five runners in each of his three meets in 2007.

Alongside Olsen at the front of the pack is team captain John Kress (Sr./Colorado Springs, Colo.), who has delivered the team’s second-best clocking during all three of his meets. Kress has also crossed the finish line among the top-10 overall competitors in each of races this season.

Following this weekend’s action, Navy will have a bye weekend before traveling to West Point, N.Y., to race against Army in the annual Star Meet. Last year, the Midshipmen defeated the Black Knights, 22-33, to capture the N-Star in Annapolis.

GreatAmerican · September 27, 2007, 8:59pm

For Immediate Release
Sent Thursday, Sept. 27, 2007
Contact Justin Kischefsky (410) 293-8772

Nelson Named Navy Women’s Basketball Assistant Coach

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Former Massachusetts standout Katie Nelson has been named as an assistant coach for the Navy women’s basketball team, head coach Tom Marryott announced today.

“Katie is a tremendous fit for our program,” said Marryott. “She has a great personality and is very passionate about basketball. Although just starting her coaching career, she has been around the game for a long time and is a wonderful addition to our staff.”

A native of Ellicott City, Md., Nelson scored over 1,000-career points during her prep career at The McDonogh School (Owings Mills) before going on to play on the collegiate level at Massachusetts. Despite having her sophomore season limited to just 19 games due to her suffering a torn ACL, she started 103 of her 106 career games played at UMass and left as the school record holder with 191 career three-point field goals made and ranked fourth in program history with 366 career assists.

She graduated from Massachusetts in 2006 with a Bachelor’s Degree in sport management and a minor in sociology.

In addition to coaching at basketball camps for over a decade, Nelson spent the 2005 and '06 seasons working with the WNBA’s Washington Mystics. She served as the team’s operations and assistant video coordinator during the latter season.

“I am thrilled about the opportunity to coach at the Naval Academy,” said Nelson. “As a young coach, being part of an institution with such a great academic and athletic reputation is very exciting to me. I look forward to contributing to the future success of the program.”

Her father, William, is entering his 23rd season as the head men’s basketball coach at Johns Hopkins.

GreatAmerican · September 27, 2007, 9:00pm

For Immediate Release
Sent Thursday, Sept. 27, 2007
Contact Justin Kischefsky (410) 293-8772

Mids to Play Host to Eagles in Volleyball Friday

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The first of seven-straight home Patriot League matches for the Navy volleyball team will be played Friday night when the Midshipmen welcome American to Macdonough Hall in a 7 p.m. match. Navy enters the week with a 1-1 league record following a win over Holy Cross and a loss to Army, while American began the league season last week with wins over both the Crusaders and the Black Knights.

“We played a complete match against Holy Cross and a near-complete match against Army,” said Navy head coach Mike Schwob. "The effort was definitely there against Army, but we had a couple of sequences in which we couldn’t put the ball down. Eliminating those lulls and becoming a more consistent team is something we can work on.

“Friday begins an important stretch of matches for us. We need to take advantage of playing all of our home matches in a row. We don’t want to be in a poor position in the standings heading into five-straight road matches to end the year.”

The Mids, who are 11-5 on the season, moved into second place in the national rankings for service ace average this week. Navy as a team is averaging 2.96 aces a game to rank just behind national-leader Central Michigan’s average of 3.00 aces a game.

The Mids totaled a .258 hitting percentage last week against Army and Holy Cross, while their defense held the Black Knights and Crusaders to a combined .183 mark. Navy’s offense enjoyed fairly decent balance last week, with four players totaling at least 10 swings against Holy Cross and five players reaching double digits in attempts against Army. Rachel Dougherty (Sr., Derwood, Md.), Jessie Sims (Jr., Etowah, N.C.) and Alexa Gibbs (Jr., Springfield, Ill.) all ended both matches last week with at least 10 kills. While Dougherty had the top kills-per-game average with a mark of 4.28 kpg, Sims produced the best hitting percentage on the weekend with a tally of .379.

Dougherty also ranks 12th in the country with an average of 0.711 service aces per game.

Defensively, Aimee’ Burns (Sr., Dallas, Texas) hauled in 13 digs against Holy Cross and grabbed 15 the following day against Army.

American will make the short trip to Annapolis with a 10-6 record on the year. The Eagles totaled a .283 hitting percentage in recording their two league victories last weekend, while holding Holy Cross and Army to a combined .141 attack percentage. The Eagles averaged 2.62 blocks per game last week, but the Crusaders and Black Knights averaged just 1.00 blocks per game against American.

The Eagles are led offensively by Rubena Sukaj who averaged 6.62 kills per game last week and is ranked third in the country with a season average of 5.39 kills per game. She also has posted a .385 hitting percentage on the season. Defensively, Ivana Cebakova is hauling in an average of 5.38 digs per game.

Since joining the Patriot League for the 2001 season, American has posted an 85-1 regular season record against the Patriot League and is a perfect 12-0 in league tournament matches. Including its meeting against American in the semifinal round of the 2004 league tournament, Navy is 0-13 against the Eagles during their stint in the Patriot League.

GreatAmerican · September 28, 2007, 7:46pm

Navy Men’s Soccer Set to Host Bucknell in Patriot League Opener

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy men’s soccer team returns home for the first time in almost a month, as it will host Bucknell in the Patriot League opener for both teams on Saturday night, beginning at 7:00 pm at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility. The Mids are off to their best start in six years with a 4-1-1 record, while Bucknell, the defending Patriot League Tournament champs, enters the contest with a 2-3-3 overall record.

The Mids have gotten off to their hot start thanks to a balanced offensive attack and a solid defense in back. Navy leads the Patriot League in goals per game (1.83) and are fourth in goals against average (0.78). However, Navy’s defense has allowed just one team (St. Francis, N.Y.) to score more than one goal in a game and Navy’s three shutouts thus far are fourth in the league. Evan Barnes (Dublin, Ohio) has been the goalkeeper that has benefitted the most from Navy’s solid defensive effort, posting a 0.74 GAA and a .765 save percentage. Thomas Jenkins (Franklin, N.C.) has played in one game, registering a career-best seven saves with one goal allowed in a 3-1 win over Florida International on Sept. 23.

Offensively, several players have shown the ability to score goals for Rich Miranda’s squad. Sophomore Andrew Garcia (Garland, Texas) and senior Doug DeVuono (Racine, Wis.) lead the way with three goals and six points each. The duo combined for five of Navy’s seven goals a week ago in Navy’s two-game sweep of Florida Gulf Coast and Florida International. Additionally, sophomore Chris Schneider (Arlington, Texas) has also scored six points on one goal and four assists. His 0.67 assists per game rank 10th nationally and is second in the country among sophomores. Adam Pennington (Tampa, Fla.) has scored two goals for four points and three other players have at least two points this year. In all, eight players have scored two or more points this year.

As a team, Navy has scored all 11 of its goals in the last five games, while allowing five goals all season. Navy is outshooting foes, 68-59, including a whopping 31-19 advantage in the first half. Compared to last year when the Mids allowed 12.7 shots per game, Navy is allowing just 9.8 shots per game this year. Navy is also more disciplined on the defensive end in terms of fouling. The Mids are averaging just 12.7 fouls per game, compared to last year’s 16-game average of 15.6. Lastly, Navy has already drawn 33 corner kicks compared to just 56 all of last year.

Bucknell started the year slow, but has since picked it up, posting a 2-0-1 record in the last three games after opening the year 0-3-2. The Bison are paced offensively by Justin Wolf, Conor O’Brien and Corey Curnette with six points (2 g, 2 a each). Mark Schmiegel has added four points (1 g, 2 a). Defensively, Joey Kuterbach is 2-2-3 in goal with a 0.86 GAA and a .794 save percentage.

As a team, Bucknell has outscored its foes, 9-8, and outshot its opponents, 125-85. Teams have had success drawing corner kicks against the Bison, drawing 46 of them compared to just 27 for the Bison. Bucknell has outscored its foes, 6-2, during its recent three-game unbeaten streak.

Navy leads the all-time series 22-6-2, but Bucknell is 5-1-1 in the last seven meetings dating back to 2000. Navy is 5-2-1 against Bucknell in Annapolis since joining the Patriot League in 1991 and own an 18-2-1 advantage all-time in Annapolis. In the last meeting at Glenn Warner Soccer Facility, the Mids denied Bucknell a trip to the Patriot League Tournament with a 2-2 tie on the final day of the regular season. Navy overcame a 2-0 halftime deficit and scored a pair of second-half goals to earn the tie and finish 2005 with an 8-6-2 record.

Fans that attend Saturday’s football game with Air Force can get into the soccer game free by presenting the ticket stub from that afternoon’s football game. Several other promotions are planned including a “Family Night Out”, “Design-A-Sign Contest” and a “MWR Pregame Clinic”. For ticket information, please call 1-800-US4-NAVY and for promotion information, please call 410-293-8785.

GreatAmerican · September 28, 2007, 7:49pm

Navy Water Polo Returns to Pool After Two-Week Break

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Fresh off a two-week break, the No. 13-ranked Navy water polo looks to claim its first tournament title of the season, competing this weekend at the ECAC Tournament held in Lewisburg, Pa., on the campus of Bucknell University. The Mids are 8-4 overall and have won two games in a row after dropping three straight to teams ranked in the top 15. So far this year, nine of Navy’s 12 games have come against the top 17 teams in the country, a trend that will likely continue this weekend.

The Mids, the top seed among the eight teams in the tournament, open with a 9:00 am matchup against eighth-seeded George Washington. Navy’s next game will be at either 4:00 pm (if Navy loses) or 7:00 pm (if Navy wins) against either fourth-seeded Bucknell or fifth-seeded Brown. The Bison are ranked No. 2 in the Eastern Division poll, but are actually the highest-ranked Eastern team in the national poll, holding down the No. 11 spot. Brown is 20th in the national poll. The title game will be played Sunday at 1:30 pm and other nationally-ranked teams in the field include No. 14 St. Francis (N.Y.) (3rd seed), 17th-ranked Johns Hopkins (6th seed) and 18th-ranked Princeton (2nd seed).

Navy enters the contest averaging 11.1 goals per game, good for 10th in the country. Defensively, the Mids have allowed 104 goals for an average of 8.7 goals per game, which is 11th nationally.

Individually, the Mids are paced by junior Mike Mulvey, who leads Navy in goals (28), assists (8) and points (36). His 28 goals rank eighth in the country, and he needs just four more for 100 in his career at Navy. Bram Arnold has contributed 22 points (21 g, 1 a) and Andrew Bingham has chipped in with 17 points (13 g, 4 a). Seven players in all have scored at least 10 points this year.

Defensively, George Naughton has seen the majority of time in the goal, stopping 82 shots while allowing 80 goals. He has recorded 549 career saves to rank third on the Navy career saves list. Steve Craney has seen extended play, mostly in a reserve role, stopping 43 shots for a save percentage of .642.

Navy has had much success against the other seven teams in the field, compiling a 214-53 combined record. Against George Washington, Saturday’s first opponent, the Mids are 30-2, while they are 60-9 against Bucknell and 22-16 against Brown, Saturday’s possible second-round opponents.

Following this weekend’s action, Navy will kick off its league slate with three games next weekend. On Saturday, Oct. 6, Navy heads to Princeton, before traveling west to Lewisburg, Pa., to take on Bucknell and St. Francis (N.Y.) on Sunday, Oct. 7.

GreatAmerican · September 29, 2007, 5:34am

By
Ray Feldmann

ANNAPOLIS, MD (Friday, September 28, 2007) – Looking to open the 2007-08 season with a three-game winning streak, Navy’s 23rd ranked ice hockey team is back in action this weekend against the Lehigh University “Ice Hawks” with a pair of home games at the McMullen Hockey Arena. Game #1 of this two-game homestand will take place tonight (Friday, September 28) with the opening face-off set for 7:30 p.m.

The Midshipmen and Ice Hawks will meet again Saturday night (September 29) at the McMullen Hockey Arena, also at 7:30 p.m.

Navy and Lehigh are meeting twice this weekend even though the Mids are no longer a member of the Eastern Collegiate Hockey Association (ECHA) – the league to which Lehigh currently belongs. Navy left the ECHA after last season along with Drexel, Rhode Island, and Scranton. Those four teams joined with Delaware and Penn State to form the Eastern States Collegiate Hockey League (ESCHL).

The Midshipmen will play their first two games in the new league next weekend when they travel to the University of Rhode Island (URI).

McMullen Hockey Arena 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 Hockey Arena link on the Navy hockey team’s 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.

The Naval Academy Athletic Association (NAAA) urged all fans attending this weekend’s games to park only in designated areas near McMullen Hockey Arena, and reminded fans that alcohol is strictly prohibited in and around the McMullen Hockey Arena. Fans were also reminded to obey all posted signs and barriers, and to please stay off of the USNA golf course at all times.

The Midshipmen are currently the 23rd ranked club ice hockey team in the nation, according to the latest American Collegiate Hockey Association poll. The top 16 teams at the end of the regular season qualify for the post- season tournament, to be held next March in Rochester, New York. Fellow ESCHL member Penn State is ranked #1 in the poll, while URI is #4 and Delaware is #7.

Junior defenseman Matt Swezey scored a power play goal seven-and-a-half minutes into the third period last Friday night to propel the Mids to their 6-3 triumph over the University of Maryland in the season-opener. Not only was it the first intercollegiate hockey game ever played at McMullen Hockey Arena, it marked the first win for new Navy head coach Mike Fox. The decisive victory came in front of a large opening night crowd estimated at nearly 800.

Navy is hoping for more large crowds at McMullen Hockey Arena this weekend, especially considering the large number of football fans in Annapolis for the service academy clash with rival Air Force Saturday afternoon.

GreatAmerican · September 29, 2007, 5:35am

All-Time Army-Navy Record: 868-658-38 (.567)

2007-08 Record Against Army: 1-1 (.500)

2007-08 N-Star Record Against Army: 0-1 (.000)

Last 11 Years Against Army: 206-107-5 (.656)

Last 10 Years N-Star Record Against Army: 149-65-5 (.692)

207-08 N-Star Victories:

2007-08 Results
Sprint Football: Won, 30-17

Women’s Volleyball: Lost, 3-1 (N-Star)

GreatAmerican · September 29, 2007, 5:37am

For Immediate Release
Friday, September 28, 2007
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771

Mids Finish 16th at Paul Short Invitational

BETHLEHEM, Pa. Navy womens cross country runner Arwyn Becker (Sr./Avon, Colo.) boated the teams best time for the third-consecutive week to lead the Midshipmen to a 16th-place finish out of 47 teams at the Paul Short Invitational on the Goodman Campus Course in Bethlehem, Pa., on Friday afternoon.

Princeton, the 13th-ranked team in the nation, claimed the team title with a score of 45 points. West Virginia came in second with 118 points, followed by 23rd-ranked Texas Techs 154 points, fifth-ranked Wisconsins 157 points and Stony Brooks 185 points to round of the top-five teams.

Navy concluded the day with a team score of 523 points, 23 fewer than preseason Patriot League favorite Bucknells 546 points for 18th place.

Our main purposes coming into this meet were to run on the NCAA regional course and make determinations for our racing squad over the next two weeks, stated Navy head coach Karen Boyle. We got off to a better start than our last meet despite a starting pack of around 300 runners. Considering it was an exam week, I thought we ran really well and was impressed that we finished better than any of the Patriot League teams running in the race.

Becker opened the race with a time of 5:40 over the first mile en route to a 22:02 clocking for 64th place, an average mile time of 5:55. The Navy senior finished 2:03 behind individual champion Sally Kipyegos 19:59 effort from Texas Tech.

Team captain Kyleigh Millhouse (Sr./Boiling Springs, Pa.) finished in 102nd place with a time of 22:32, soon followed by Maureen Dooleys (Jr./Durham, Conn.) 22:34 showing for 105th place. Lexa Gass (So./Crescent, Pa.) recorded the teams fourth-fastest time, 119th overall, with a time of 22:47 and Erica Ziel (So./Saginaw, Mich.) rounded out the scoring five with a 22:54 clocking, good for 133rd place.

The Midshipmen (3-0) will return to action on Friday, Oct. 12, when they travel up to West Point, N.Y., to take on Army in the annual Star Meet, starting at 4:45 p.m. Last season, the Mids defeated the Black Knights, 21-38, to capture the N-Star in Annapolis.

GreatAmerican · September 29, 2007, 5:50am

American def. Navy, 3-2 (8-30, 30-14, 33-31, 20-30, 15-11)

For Immediate Release
Sent Friday, Sept. 28, 2007
Contact Justin Kischefsky (410) 293-8772

American Outlasts Navy Volleyball Team

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – A 3-0 run midway through the fifth game provided enough of a cushion for the American volleyball team to record a 28-30, 30-14, 33-31, 20-30, 15-11 victory over Navy, Friday night in Macdonough Hall. The victory boosts American record on the year to 11-6 overall and 3-0 in the Patriot League, while Navy fell to 11-6 on the season and 1-2 in league matches with the loss.

“It was a great match,” said Navy head coach Mike Schwob. “I give our girls a lot of credit for how they responded to the many highs and lows of the match. There were a number of instances where we dug holes for ourselves, but we came back strong each time. Resiliency like that will go a long ways towards a successful season.”

The opening game was a sign of how close the match would be. The score was tied 25 times, with the last tie coming at 28-28. A kill from Rachel Dougherty (Sr., Derwood, Md.) gave Navy a 29-28 lead, then Lindi Conner (Sr., Kingman, Kan.) and Abbie Merkl (So., Upper Marlboro, Md.) teamed on a block to close out the game for the Mids.

American evened up the score in games with a dominating performance in the second game. The Eagles jumped out to leads of 6-0, 12-1 and 15-3 on their way to recording a 30-14 victory.

Game three saw Navy take the lead at 12-11 and the Mids held a slim edge over the Eagles until taking a 27-24 advantage following back-to-back kills by Alexa Gibbs (Jr., Springfield, Ill.). The Eagles quickly scored the next four points to take a 28-24 lead, but an American service error and an attack error gave Navy a 29-28 lead and allowed Jessie Sims (Jr., Etowah, N.C.) to serve for the game. The Eagles tied the game at 29-29 on a kill from Rubena Sukaj, but Navy again reached game point when Dougherty tallied a block.

American went to Sukaj again and she dropped in another kill to tie the game at 30-30, then the Eagles reached their first opportunity to serve for the game following an ace by Christina Nash. Navy went back to its top attacker, Dougherty, who responded with a kill to tie the game at 31-31, the 12th tie of the game. Again, the Eagles looked to Sukaj and she answered again with a kill, then Dougherty committed an attack error to give American a two-games-to-one advantage.

The Eagles started game four strong by scoring six of the opening eight points. American would soon hold a 7-5 lead in the game when Navy went on a 7-0 run to take a 12-7 advantage. After the Eagles closed to within two points at 15-13, Navy went on a 5-1 run to build a 20-14 advantage on its way to taking a 25-16 lead and eventually forcing a fifth game.

Navy took a 7-6 lead in the final game following a service ace from Gibbs, but the Eagles went on their aforementioned 3-0 run to take a 9-7 lead. A poor pass by the Mids allowed American to tie the score, Dougherty was blocked by the duo of Nash and Chelsa Brooks, and Cassandra Ricketts dropped in a service ace for the Eagles. Navy pulled to within one point at 9-8 when Dougherty knocked down a kill, but a blocking error by Navy and a close attack error by Sims returned the three-point margin to American and allowed the Eagles to play sideout volleyball to close out the match.

The win gives American an 86-1 record in Patriot League regular season matches since joining the league for the 2001 season. The match marked the first time Navy was able to extend the Eagles to a fifth game during the 13 regular season matches played between the teams during this span.

“We definitely had our opportunities tonight,” said Schwob. “We put ourselves in a great position to win game three, but American made the plays down the stretch to win it. We need to be the one applying the pressure and making those plays.”

“We want to make progress in every match. Going to five games against American is another sign of that progress. We are disappointed in the loss, but we can take many good things from tonight. Most importantly that we need to bring the passion, intensity and drive we showed tonight through the remainder of our league matches. Tonight showed that good things come when you work hard, but we have to continue working hard to reach the success we want to have. We do not want to take a step back next week.”

Even with being outscored by 16 points in the second game, Navy totaled only 10 fewer points in the match than American did (126-116). Navy’s offense totaled 65 kills and a .159 attack percentage, while American finished the two-hour and 20-minute match with a .171 hitting percentage. Both teams tallied nine team blocks, with American finishing with four more service aces (11-7) and digs (72-68) than Navy totaled.

Sukaj led all players with 26 kills on the night, with Sims’ 24 and Dougherty’s 23 pacing the Navy offense. Sims also record a double-double with 13 digs, while Dougherty’s four blocks tied her with Conner for the Navy lead.

In the battle of sisters, Navy’s Aimee’ Burns hauled in 16 digs in five games, while American’s Cynammon Burns finished with eight digs in three games.

The Mids will step out of conference play Tuesday night for a match at Loyola, then will play host to Bucknell Friday evening and Colgate Saturday afternoon in Macdonough Hall.

GreatAmerican · September 29, 2007, 12:20pm

**Mids Start Defense of Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy As Air Force Comes Calling to Annapolis **

Sept. 28, 2007

Game Information
Navy (2-2) vs. Air Force (3-1 / 2-1 Mountain West)
September 29, 1:00 pm (EDT)
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (34,000), Annapolis, Md.

Broadcast Information
Radio – Navy Radio Network: WBAL, 1090 AM in Baltimore; WNAV, 1430 AM, Annapolis; WFED, 1050 AM in Washington, D.C.; WTRI, AM 1520 in Frederick; The Game, 102.1 FM in Virginia Beach and 1490 AM in Hampton Roads, Va.

Audio Feed – Navy All-Access Subscribers
Sirius Radio – Channel 114
TV – CSTV (simply register to view for free)
Live Statistics – Gametracker

GreatAmerican · September 29, 2007, 5:21pm

For Immediate Release
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771

Navy Places 14th at Roy Griak Invitational

FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn. Navy mens cross country runner John Kress (Sr./Colorado Springs, Colo.) led the team with 31st-place performance as the Midshipmen finished 14th out of 23 teams at the highly competitive Roy Griak Invitational on the Les Bolstad Golf Course on Saturday afternoon.

Among the 23 teams in the meet, five were ranked among the nations top-30 programs, while two others were receiving votes.

Northern Arizona, the 19th-ranked team in the country, won the invitational with the low score of 84 points, just edging Arizona States 88 points. No. 29 Iowa State came in third with 99 points, followed by No. 18 Minnesotas 107 points and No. 28 Virginias 126 points to round out the top-five scores.

Navy accumulated 332 points on the day, just 17 more than 13th-place Kansas, who was receiving votes in the latest nation poll, and 68 fewer than 15th-place Nebraska.

Racing against a field of 211 runners, Kress led the Mids across the finish line with a time of 25:15.3, only 1:11.1 off Lopez Lomongs individual title time of 24:04.2 from Northern Arizona. The Navy team captains performance on Saturday marked the first time that he boasted the teams fastest time on the year.

Classmate John Olsen (Sr./Staten Island, N.Y.) soon followed Kress with a 25:21.6 showing to come in 33rd place. Bill Prom (Jr./New Berlin, Wis.) placed 92nd with a time of 26:18.8, while Ricky Griffith (So./Piedmont, Calif.) finished 95th with a 26:19.7 clocking and Chris Horel (So./Belford, N.J.) rounded out the scoring five with a 26:21.6 performance to come in 99th place.

The Midshipmen will return to action on Friday, Oct. 12, when they travel up to West Point, N.Y., to take on Army in the annual Star Meet. Last year, the Mids topped the Black Knights, 22-33, to capture the N-Star in Annapolis.

GreatAmerican · September 29, 2007, 6:54pm

Army leads Navy after 4-ball matches

For Immediate Release
Saturday, Sept. 29, 2007
Men’s Golf Contact: Stacie Michaud (410) 293-8773

Army Holds Narrow Lead over Midshipmen Following 4-Ball Matches

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Looking to build upon last year’s 6-5 Star Match victory over Army, the Navy golf team has found itself trailing Army after the four 4-ball matches played on a windy Saturday morning at the Naval Academy Golf Course in Annapolis. The Black Knights hold a 2.5 - 1.5 advantage heading into Sunday’s seven singles matches that are slated to begin at 8:00 am. The first team to reach six points will be declared the winner.

“I was really proud of all three of our seniors today,” said Navy head coach Pat Owen, who has led the Mids to a 6-3 match play record against Army. “Erich Schoen took on a plebe as a partner today and came away with the point for us and Chris Renninger and Ryan Sload were down two late in the match and came back to halve the point. I couldn’t have been happier with the leadership and teamwork our senior class showed today.”

Added Owen, “Even though we are down, we are looking forward to a competitive battle in singles competition tomorrow.”

Army took the early lead when Sam Walenz and Mark Garrison teamed up to take down the junior duo of David Miller and Eric Stinson (Spotsylvania, Va.), 3 & 2.

Navy, however, evened the playing field at a point apiece when freshman Josh Ziska (Camarillo, Calif.) and senior Erich Schoen (Sylvania, Ohio) paired up to defeated Joey Cave and Minou Pak, 4 &3. Ziska was fantastic in his first Army-Navy competition where he birdied the 11th and 12th holes to give Navy a 3-up advantage. In the 14th, Schoen eagled the hole to put the Mids up four.

The third match featured the senior tandem of Ryan Sload (Lancaster, Pa.) and team captain Chris Renninger (Darnestown, Md.) who halved their point against Army’s Matt Hanlon and Matt Krembel. The Navy seniors were down two late in the match, but came storming back to claim the 14th and 16th holes. Sload was able to sink and eight-foot putt for birdie, while his counterpart from Army missed his six-footer to give Navy the to point on the 14th hole. On the 16th, Renninger answered the call, two-putting for par from 50 yards out. His initial shot sailed past roughly six yards from the cup, but he was able to sink the lag putt to win the hole for the Mids.

“Ryan and Chris had two really good looks at birdie to win on the 18th, but both shots just lid past the cup,” said Owen. “Regardless, I applaud their effort in coming back and getting us a half point. That half point could certainly come into play tomorrow.”

Army took the final point of the day when Patrick Beverly and Austin Rhymer earned a 4 & 3 advantage over Navy juniors Ryan Wielgus (Bethesda, Md.) and Chip Hardie (Arnold, Md.).

For Navy to earn is second star in as many years, it needs to win five of the seven singles matches on Sunday. However, if the Midshipmen win four of the seven, it would force a playoff between the No. 1 players from each team.

Army leads, 2.5 - 1.5
Saturday’s Four 4-Ball Matches
Sam Walenz-Mark Garrison (A) def. David Miller & Eric Stinson (N), 3 & 2
Josh Ziska & Erich Schoen (N) def. Joey Cave & Minou Pak (A), 4 & 3
Ryan Sload & Chris Renninger (N) halved Matt Hanlon & Matt Krembel (A)
Patrick Beverly & Austin Rhymer (A) def. Ryan Wielgus & Chip Hardie (N), 4 & 3

GreatAmerican · September 30, 2007, 5:19am

Bucknell Stops Navy in Patriot League Opener, 2-0

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy defense held Bucknell to just five total shots, but the Bison made the most of their opportunities in dealing the Mids a 2-0 setback in the Patriot League men’s soccer opener for both teams. The loss drops Navy to 4-2-1 overall and 0-1-0 in the Patriot League, while Bucknell improves to 3-3-3 overall and 1-0-0 in league play.

“It was a typical, hard-fought Patriot League game that really could have gone either way,” said Navy head coach Rich Miranda. “We had a defensive lapse in the first half that resulted in a goal. You have to credit Bucknell as well. They made the plays and we didn’t. We fought hard right to the end and we threw everything we had at them in the last 15 minutes. We had our chances, but just didn’t bury them.”

Bucknell got on the board on just its second shot of the game. Justin Wolf made a nice individual effort, dribbling past a Navy defender and firing a shot that clanged off the right post into the goal for a 1-0 advantage in the 18th minute. Navy nearly tied the game up with just under a minute left to play in the first half, as Anthony Parker (Fredericksburg, Va.) got a head on a throw-in that hit the crossbar and bounced out. Mark Garcia (Tempe, Ariz.) was there for the rebound, but the ball bounced up into his body and he couldn’t get a shot on the open net.

All three of Navy shots on goal and seven shots overall came in the last 20 minutes of the game, but Bucknell iced the game away with just 19 seconds left in the contest. With Navy pushing forward on the offensive end, Mark Schmiegel fired a shot on Evan Barnes (Dublin, Ohio) that rolled under Barnes as he dove and trickled into the back of the net for the clincher.

Navy has now lost four Patriot League openers in a row, dating back its last league-opening win in 2003.

Navy outshot Bucknell, 12-5, and drew five corner kicks to Bucknell’s three. Navy was also only whistled for nine fouls, while Bucknell had 10. Barnes had one save in goal for the Mids. The game was played on a near-perfect evening in front of 892 fans, the seventh-largest men’s soccer crowd ever at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility.

Navy will step back out of conference action on Tuesday, Oct. 2, as it hosts Philadelphia University at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility, beginning at 7:00 pm.

GreatAmerican · September 30, 2007, 5:20am

Mids Advance to ECAC Tournament Finals

LEWISBURG, Pa. – The 13th-ranked Navy water polo team won both of its games on Saturday to advance to Sunday’s ECAC Tournament Championship, against the winner of Princeton and St. Francis (N.Y.), which was being played at the time of press. The Mids improved to 10-4 overall with the pair of wins.

In the day’s first game, an 11-5 victory over George Washington, the Mids broke open a tight game in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Colonials, 6-2, for the victory. Navy led just 3-1 at halftime and 5-3 after three quarters, before pulling away. Mike Mulvey led Navy with four goals, while Bram Arnold and Aaron Recko scored two each. Tyler Hill, Dan Zoellick and Ian Hunter each had one goal. George Naughton recorded 12 saves in the goal for Navy.

The Mids then advanced to the finals with a 9-7 semifinals win over No. 11-ranked Bucknell. Bram Arnold led the way with three goals, Aaron Recko had a pair and Hill, Mulvey, Johnny Meiners and Kevin Bell had one goal each. Naughton had another solid game in goal, stopping 11 shots.

Navy will play the winner of Princeton - St. Francis (N.Y.) at 1:30 pm on Sunday in Lewisburg, Pa.

GreatAmerican · September 30, 2007, 9:28am

ANNAPOLIS, MD (Friday, September 28, 2007) – Sophomore goaltender Eric
Anderson earned his first career shutout, and junior Nolan Anliker scored a
pair of goals, to lead Navy’s ice hockey team to a 4-0 victory over Lehigh
Friday night before an estimated crowd of 325 at the McMullen Hockey Arena.

With the win, the Midshipmen improved to 2-0 so far this season, while the
Ice Hawks fell to 0-2.

Navy and Lehigh meet again Saturday (Sept. 29) night at the McMullen Hockey
Arena, with the opening face-off set for 7:30 p.m.

Junior Charlie Hymen got Navy all the scoring it would need when he recorded
his first goal of the young season at 11:50 of the first period, assists
going to sophomore Keegan Kinkade and junior Jeff Dubinsky.

Anliker put the Mids up 2-0 with a hard wrist shot from the right face-off
circle that beat Lehigh goaltender Mitch DePace at 5:49 of the second
stanza, with senior Donnie Horner and junior Jeff Martin earning assists.

Sophomore Nick Hinkley extended Navy’s advantage to 3-0 with an unassisted
power play tally at 8:54 of the second period, his first of the season.
Anliker closed out the scoring with an even strength goal at 18:20, the
single assist going to junior defenseman Matt Swezey.

Neither team tallied in the third period.

Anderson was never really tested in blanking the Ice Hawks, stopping all 14
shots he faced. Lehigh’s DePace finished with 48 saves as the Mids outshot
the Ice Hawks, 52-14.

Referee Sal Mazzola called 15 penalties – 6 against Navy and 9 against
Lehigh. The Midshipmen were 2-for-8 on power play opportunities, while the
Ice Hawks for 0-for-5.

SCORING SUMMARY

First Period
N - Hymen 1 (Kinkade, Dubinsky) 11:50

Second Period
N - Anliker 1 (Horner, Martin) PP 5:49
N - Hinkley 1 (unassisted) PP 8:54
N - Anliker 2 (Swezey) 18:20

Third Period
None

SAVES
DePace (Lehigh) 14 - 13 - 21 – 48
Anderson (NAVY) 5 - 4 - 5 – 14

SHOTS
Lehigh 5 - 4 - 5 – 14
NAVY 15 - 16 - 21 – 52

GreatAmerican · September 30, 2007, 6:02pm

Navy def. Army, 6.5-4.5, to win N-Star

For Immediate Release
Sunday, Sept. 30, 2007
Men’s Golf Contact: Stacie Michaud (410) 293-8773

Navy Golfers Earn Come-From-Behind Win to Claim Star

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Navy golf team staged a come-from-behind win by claiming five of the seven singles matches Sunday morning to earn a 6.5 - 4.5 victory over archrival Army in the annual Star Match played at the Naval Academy Golf Course. The win gives Navy its first star of the 2007-08 campaign and in overall competition this fall, the Midshipmen lead Army, 2-1.

Army held a narrow 2.5 - 1.5 advantage following Saturday’s 4-ball matches, forcing Navy to win five singles matches on the final day. It is the first time in series history (10 matches in this format) that a team has come back to win the match after trailing following the 4-ball matches.

“I’m really happy for the guys,” said Navy head coach Pat Owen, who has guided the Midshipmen to a 7-3 match play record against the Black Knights. "Though we didn’t play our best yesterday, we came back and really played well today. I think they believed in themselves and stuck to the gameplan. In particular, I felt we did a nice job of putting today.

“I can’t say enough about the leadership that Chris Renninger, Ryan Sload and Erich Schoen displayed this weekend. I know Ryan and Erich are disappointed they couldn’t pull their matches out today, but it was a great team effort that was spearheaded by the leadership of our senior class.”

That senior leadership helped calm the nerves of Navy freshman Josh Ziska (Camarillo, Calif.) who was playing in just his third competition of the year and his inaugural Army-Navy match.

“I was pretty nervous on the tee yesterday,” said Ziska, who paired up with Schoen on Saturday to win the doubles point against Joey Cave and Minou Pak, 4 & 3. “Erich really encouraged me throughout the day and as a pair we played well.”

So well, in fact, that Ziska’s confidence carried over into Sunday’s singles matches where he commanded the respect of Army rookie Matt Krembel. Ziska jumped out to an early lead by winning the first two holes and never looked back. He finished the day with a 4 & 3 victory over Krembel.

“I got off to a quick start today and just tried to play as consistent as I could,” added Ziska. “I’ve been working hard in practice and I really appreciate Coach Owen giving me this opportunity.”

Ziska’s win was the first of five for the Mids and set the tone early on. Following Ziska’s win, junior Ryan Wielgus (Bethesda, Md.) claimed his match victory on the 17th hole. A back and forth match the entire morning, Wielgus never trailed. In fact, the first time Wielgus held a lead larger than one was on the 16th hole when he connected on a short putt on the green and Army’s Sam Walentz shot his ball past the cup. On the 17th hole, Walentz conceded to Wielgus.

The third singles match of the day featured local product Chip Hardie (Crofton, Md.) against Army’s Matt Hanlon, a senior. Going into the 17th hole, the match was even, but Hardie would soon make his move. He sank a breath-taking 30-foot putt to take the lead and finished off the match by claiming the 18th hole to win, 2-up.

After the first three matches, Navy held a 4.5 - 2.5 lead with four players left on course.

Army got its first win of the day when Mark Garrison closed out his match against Navy senior Ryan Sload (Lancaster, Pa.), 2-up. Sload was down two heading into the 16th hole, but narrowed the gap to one by claiming the 16th. After halving the 17th hole, Sload had one more chance to tie the match, but conceded in the 18th.

Junior David Miller’s (Chillicothe, Ohio) 3 & 2 win over Army senior Joey Cave gave the Mids a 5.5 - 3.5 advantage with the Mids needing to halve one of the two remaining matches.

Senior captain Chris Renninger (Darnestown, Md.) made sure the Mids got the win by sealing the match victory with a 3 & 2 win over Army freshman Austin Rhymer. Navy was assured at least a half a point on Renninger’s behalf, as he held a three-point decision with three holes to go. Renninger, though, closed it out by halving the point on the 16th hole and posting the victory.

Though the match had already been decided, senior Erich Schoen (Sylvania, Ohio) and Army junior Minou Pak finished out their match. Tied going into the 17th hole, Schoen put his ball on the green off his tee-off, while Pak overshot the green and was forced to battle Schoen. Unfortunately, Schoen was unable to sink his putt and take the point as the two halved the 17th. Schoen went on to miss a short putt on the 18th and conceded the point to Pak who won the match, 1-up.

Navy def. Army, 6.5 - 4.5

Four 4-Ball Matches
Sam Walenz-Mark Garrison (A) def. David Miller & Eric Stinson (N), 3 & 2
Josh Ziska & Erich Schoen (N) def. Joey Cave & Minou Pak (A), 4 & 3
Ryan Sload & Chris Renninger (N) halved Matt Hanlon & Matt Krembel (A)
Patrick Beverly & Austin Rhymer (A) def. Ryan Wielgus & Chip Hardie (N), 4 & 3

Singles Matches
Ryan Wielgus (N) def. Sam Walenz (A), 3 & 1
Josh Ziska (N) def. Matt Krembel (A), 4 & 3
Chip Hardie (N) def. Matt Hanlon (A), 2-up
Mark Garrison (A) def. Ryan Sload (N), 2-up
David Miller (N) def. Joey Cave (A), 3 & 2
Minou Pak (A) def. Erich Schoen (N), 1-up
Chris Renninger (N) def. Austin Rhymer (A), 3 & 2

GreatAmerican · September 30, 2007, 6:03pm

ANNAPOLIS, MD (Saturday, September 29, 2007) – Navy’s ice hockey team got goals from six different players – including two who rang up their career firsts – as the Midshipmen defeated Lehigh, 6-1, Saturday night at the McMullen Hockey Arena.

Navy improved to an unblemished 3-0 record with the victory, while Lehigh’s Ice Hawks fell to 0-3.

The Mids broke on top early with a pair of first period goals, the first coming from junior Jeff Martin at 8:50, assists going to classmate Nolan Anliker and senior Drew Stoner. Navy’s second tally at the 9:18 mark was a career first for sophomore Keegan Kinkade; he was assisted by classmate Nick Hinkley and junior Charlie Daniel.

In the second stanza, the Mids increased their lead to 3-0 thanks to senior Nick Schwob’s third goal of the season, coming at 13:22, with assists to classmate Donnie Horner and junior Jon Westerman.

Lehigh got on the scoreboard for the first (and only) time this weekend when Matt Murphy tallied at 16:46 to cut the deficit to 3-1 after two periods.

Navy put the game out of reach with three third period tallies, the first at 3:50 from Stoner, who was playing in his first game of the 2007-08 season. Martin and junior Matt Keller assisted on Stoner’s goal. It was Keller’s first Navy career point.

The Mids took a 5-1 advantage just over a minute later, at 4:57, when junior defenseman Matt Swezey picked up his third goal of the season, assists to Daniel and Kinkade.

Freshman Eric Bowen completed the scoring for Navy with his first career goal as a Mid, at the 17:31 mark, assisted by Daniel (his third feed of the night) and Horner (his second).

Sophomore goaltender Jeremey Estevez got the start between the pipes for Navy and stopped 19 of the 20 shots he faced. His Lehigh counterpart, Chris Langstaff, had a much busier night, seeing 63 Navy shots and saving 57 of them.

Referee Doug Wood whistled 11 penalties, six against the Mids and five against the Ice Hawks. Neither team scored when it had a man advantage.

Navy is idle until next weekend when the Mids travel to Kingston, Rhode Island to face the University of Rhode Island Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. They will mark Navy’s first games as part of the newly formed Eastern States Collegiate Hockey League (ESCHL).

The Mids return home to the McMullen Hockey Arena on Saturday, October 13 to host Rutgers at 7:30 p.m.

SCORING SUMMARY

First Period
N - Martin 1 (Anliker, Stoner) 8:50
N - Kinkade 1 (Hinkley, Daniel) 9:18

Second Period
N - Schwob 3 (Horner, Westerman) 13:22
L - Murphy (Bernaiche, Amorosa) 16:46

Third Period
N - Stoner 1 (Martin, Keller) 3:50
N - Swezey 3 (Daniel, Kinkade) 4:57
N - Bowen 1 (Daniel, Horner) 17:31

SAVES
Langstaff (Lehigh) 22 - 21 - 14 – 57
Estevez (NAVY) 8 - 6 - 5 – 19

SHOTS
Lehigh 8 - 7 - 5 – 20
NAVY 24 - 22 - 17 – 63

GreatAmerican · September 30, 2007, 6:04pm

Navy def. Saint Francis (Pa.), 1-0

For Immediate Release
Sunday, Sept. 30, 2007
Women’s Soccer Contact: Stacie Michaud (410) 293-8773

Fox Scores Third Game-Winner, Mids Defeat Saint Francis, 1-0

LORETTO, Pa. - Senior forward Brigitte Fox (La Mesa, Calif.) scored her third game-winning goal of the season to lead the Navy women’s soccer team to a 1-0 victory over Saint Francis (Pa.) Sunday afternoon. Navy’s defense was stout in the win, holding Saint Francis (Pa.) without a shot on goal, as the Mids put together back-to-back wins for the first time since defeating IUPUI and Saint Peter’s on Sept 2 and 4, respectively.

Navy has struggled in recent weeks to play a full 90 minutes. But in today’s game, head coach Carin Gabarra could not have been happier with the complete effort given by the Midshipmen.

“Saint Francis (3-6-1) battled us all day, but I didn’t feel like it affected our mentality,” said Gabarra, who has led the Mids to a 6-3-2 record this fall. “We played 90 good minutes today and that’s something we really haven’t accomplished in awhile. We had a tight defense which is something we’ve been successful with in the past. We also created a good number of scoring chances.”

In fact, six of Navy’s 14 shots were on goal, three in each half.

Junior defender Jenn Dunbar (Crofton, Md.) spearheaded Navy’s first goal by sending a ball to forward Kristen Laraway (Long Valley, N.J.). Laraway crossed the ball to Fox who had only the keeper to beat from nearly 10 yards out. She threaded the ball past the outstretched arms of Jessica Boyer to give the Mids the one-goal decision in the 25th minute.

Navy came just a cross bar away from tacking on a second goal when junior forward Sam Schroth (Chester Springs, Pa.) launched a long shot that came off Boyer’s hands and then hit the cross bar. The ball went back into play and was cleared out of the box.

Picking up her second solo shutout of the season, junior keeper Lizzie Barnes (New Orleans, La.) moved past Amy Hakola (1994-97) for third on the career shutouts list. Barnes has 15 shutouts over the last three seasons.

The Midshipmen return to action next Friday when they open Patriot League play against Bucknell. The game is slated to begin at 7:00 pm in Lewisburg, Pa.

“We want to go into the Patriot League with confidence,” added Gabarra. “I think getting a shutout win today and playing a complete game has provided us with that confidence and positive attitude we need going into next week’s conference opener against Bucknell.”

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