Navy Sports

GreatAmerican · November 11, 2007, 6:32am

For Immediate Release
Sent Saturday, Nov. 10, 2007
Contact Justin Kischefsky (410) 293-8772

Navy Ends Regular Season With Sweep

BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The Navy volleyball team closed its regular season by recording a three-game sweep over Lehigh, Friday night in Bethlehem, Pa. The 30-20, 30-25, 30-24 victory was Navy’s fourth in a row and allowed the Mids to end the year with a 21-11 overall record and an 8-6 mark in Patriot League matches.

Navy garnered the No. 4 seed in the Patriot League Tournament, which is slated to be played Nov. 16-17 at American. The Mids will face the tournament host and No. 1 seeded-Eagles in the semifinal round Friday.

“It was a good match for us to end the regular season with,” said Navy head coach Mike Schwob. “We didn’t have a let down after clinching our playoff berth Friday (with a win over Lafayette). Everyone played tonight and everyone contributed to the win.”

Navy used runs at almost the same point in each of the three games to separate itself from Lehigh. Game one was tied at 15-15 when the Mids scored eight of the next nine points to take a 23-16 lead, the second game saw Navy break open a 16-16 game with a 7-1 run, and a 5-1 run gave Navy a 22-17 lead in the third game.

The Mids totaled 54 kills and hit .254 in the match, while holding the Mountain Hawks to 33 kills and a .121 attack percentage. Navy also held advantages of 9-2 in service aces and 54-42 in digs.

One of the key components to Navy’s victory tonight was the play of middle blockers Alexa Gibbs (Jr., Springfield, Ill.) and Krista Eschelman (So., Germantown, Md.). Both players finished the match with 12 kills, while Gibbs added four blocks and Eschelman hit .632 in the contest.

Additionally, Rachel Dougherty (Sr., Derwood, Md.) contributed 11 kills and four service aces for Navy.

Lehigh’s offense was paced by Shannon Spafford’s nine kills.

GreatAmerican · November 11, 2007, 6:33am

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy men’s & women’s swimming and diving teams cruised to six wins on Saturday, sweeping past American, Lafayette and Bucknell on Saturday afternoon. The victories move both teams to 8-0 on their respective seasons.

The men’s team routed American (169-98), Bucknell (159-125) and Lafayette (168-109) to pick up its three wins.

“The team did a good job today in the water and on the boards. Several were able to repeat or improve their 2007-08 performances,” said Navy head men’s coach Bill Roberts.

The Navy men’s team was bolstered by 25 top-three finishes including a sweep of the top three spots in four events. The 200-meter medley relay team of Andrew Hetzner, Kevin Kysiak, Adam Meyer and Aaron Aiken got the Mids off to a strong start in the first event of the day, taking home top honors with a clocking of 1:47.28. Navy then had one of its sweeps in the next event, the 800-meter freestyle. Sam Martinette, J.J. Helms and Erik Hunter finished 1-2-3 with times of 8:19.60, 8:32.18 and 8:38.40, respectively.

In the next event, the 200-meter freestyle, Navy again swept the top three spots, this time by Chris Jenkins, Aaron Aiken and Jack Curran. The trio finished in 1:54.08, 1:54.41 and 1:57.72. Hetzner followed with his second title of the day in the 100-meter backstroke with a clocking of 59:27, while Billy Vey was second in 1:00.16.

Andrew Utama won event 10, the 100-meter breaststroke, with a time of 1:06.45. The Mids then swept the next event on the men’s side, the 200-meter butterfly. Adam Meyer won with a clocking of 2:05.33, while Tedd Torgeston and James Lascara were second and third in 2:09.79 and 2:10.48.

Aiken won his second title of the day in the 50-meter freestyle (24.23), narrowly defeating teammate Wren Dupre (24.66). Navy recorded its last sweep in the 100-meter freestyle as Jenkins won his second title with a 52.49. Nate Durham and Curran followed in second and third.

Martinette then won his second event of the day, the 200-meter backstroke, with a time of 2:07.36.

Adam Neikras, who was named Navy’s performer of the meet, won both the 1- and 3-meter diving events. Niekras recorded a score of 336.95 in the three-meter competition, while scoring a 297.35 in the one-meter event.

The women’s team knocked off American (221-70), Bucknell (163-137) and Lafayette (177-123).

“We had some very good performances, including pool records from Katie Griffin in three-meter diving and the 200-meter freestyle relay,” said Navy head women’s coach John Morrison. “We were tied with Bucknell going into the second half of the meet, so I was really pleased with our drive and focus to come back and get the win. We won some big races, including the 100-meter freestyle (Thuy Dinh) and the 200-meter backstroke (Allison Ranzau) to spark us to the win. It was a good effort for us.”

The Navy women’s team was just as dominant, recording 16 top-three finishes.

Tara Chapmon was Navy’s first-event winner, racing to top honors in the 200-meter freestyle, winning by over five seconds with a time of 2:04.51. Kelly Zahalka then followed with a win of her own in the 200-meter butterfly with a time of 2:23.20.

Sarah Dorenkott was victorious in the 50-meter freestyle with a time of 27.17. Navy then went 1-2 in the 100-meter freestyle as Thuy Dinh and Chapmon recorded times of 58.34 and 59.36 to take the top two spots. Allison Ranzau won the 200-meter backstroke with a time of 2:23.38.

Chapmon then scored her third top-two finish with a title in the 400-meter freestyle in 4:20.00. Zahalka won her second event moments later with a clocking of 5:04.36 in the 400-meter IM. The relay team of Dinh, Ranzay, Rachel Gray and Dorenkott closed out Navy’s title in the pool with a 1:47.68 clocking in the 200-meter freestyle relay.

Katie Griffin won the three-meter diving competition with a Lejuene Hall record of 326.85.

The men’s team will be in action next on Nov. 17 against Brown and Dartmouth in Bristol, R.I. The women’s team will head to College Park for the Terrapin Invitational on Nov. 15-17.

GreatAmerican · November 11, 2007, 6:34am

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Armys Chris Conklin scored in the 96th minute to deal Navy a heartbreaking 2-1 setback in the mens soccer season finale on a chilly Saturday night in Annapolis. The Mids end their season with a 7-8-2 overall record, including an 0-7-0 mark in the Patriot League. Army concludes its season with a 9-7-2 record and a 1-5-1 league mark. It marked the second straight season that Army has defeated Navy in overtime.

The game drew 1,176 fans, the sixth-largest mens soccer crowd in Glenn Warner Soccer Facility history and the seventh-largest (mens & womens) crowd in facility history. For the season, the Mids drew 6,257 fans, for an average of 782 fans per game. Both numbers are school records.

The Mids struggled to get anything going offensively, but scored the contests first goal in the 36th minute. Senior Travis King (Loveland, Ohio) took a crossing pass from classmate Justin Waskey (Georgetown, Ky.). The ball got over the Army defense, and King played a low shot from left to right that found the net for his third goal of the season. The helper was Waskeys fourth of the season.

However, just eight minutes later, Army tied the score at one after a miscommunication by the Navy defense. Michael Leach scored his first goal of the year when seniors Thomas Jenkins (Franklin, N.C.) and Will Riordon (Oak Ridge, N.C.) got their signals crossed up. Leach grabbed a loose ball just outside the box and slid a shot into the open net to tie the game at one.

The teams had very few solid chances in the second half, but Navy may have had the best. With about 10 seconds left in regulation, Waskey sent a pass into the middle that King sent just wide of the right post that would have won the game for Navy. In the overtime session, Navy drew its first corner kick of the game, but Army counter-attacked and Conklin took a pass from Daniel Newell on the left side. Jenkins came out to cut off the angle, but Conklin found a seam and sent a shot towards the goal that found the back of the net for the game-winner in the 96th minute.

Navy mustered just seven shots for the contest, while Army had 10. Jenkins recorded three saves in goal. Army was whistled for 18 fouls, while Navy was called for 17.

Navy struggled all season long in Patriot League play, being outscored 16-2 during the seven league games. Over the last 15 games in the league, Navy is just 1-12-2. Saturdays loss marks the first time since 1991-92 that Army has won two straight games in the series. Navy still owns a 35-26-13 series advantage over the Black Knights.

It was the final game in the careers of 10 Navy seniors. Adam Pennington (Tampa, Fla.) and Doug DeVuono (Racine, Wis.) were the teams leaders in points (8) and goals (4). Mark Garcia led Navy with five assists on the season.

GreatAmerican · November 11, 2007, 6:53am

ANNAPOLIS, MD (Saturday, November 10, 2007) * Navy¹s ice hockey team allowed two goals within a 30-second span midway through the second period, and they proved to be the difference as Delaware defeated the Mids, 5-2, in an Eastern States Collegiate Hockey League (ESCHL) game Saturday night at the McMullen Hockey Arena in Annapolis.

Navy dropped to 5-10 overall this season and 0-10 in the ESCHL, while Delaware¹s Blue Hens improved their league record to 6-1-1.

The Mids are back in action with a trio of home games at the McMullen Hockey Arena next weekend: Friday and Saturday nights vs. Scranton at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday afternoon vs. the University of Pittsburgh at 1:05 p.m.

Delaware and Navy battled evenly through the first period, with the Blue Hens taking the early lead on a Dave Lombardi goal at 4:39. The Midshipmen tied the game 1-1 late in the first period when an Adam Shields slapshot found the back of the net at the 19:04 mark while Navy was on a power play, the lone assist going to junior Jeff Martin. It was Shields’ second tally of the season and third of his USNA career.

The game¹s turning point came midway through the second stanza. With senior Brian Gleason serving a two-minute interference penalty, Delaware’s Ryan Atkinson scored a power play goal at 8:14 to give the Blue Hens a 2-1 lead. With the teams playing at equal strength, Delaware¹s Aleks Volkov then tallied just 30 seconds later at 8:44 to give the visitors a 3-1 advantage.

Navy cut the deficit in half to 3-2 when sophomore Keegan Kinkade controlled a face off in Delaware¹s end of the ice and passed the puck back to junior defenseman Matt Gross, who¹s shot from the right point sailed past the catching glove of Delaware netminder Jim Depfer at 11:34 of the second stanza. It was Gross¹ third goal of the season and seventh of his Naval Academy career.

But the Blue Hens regained their two-goal margin before the period ended when Ben Rotundo scored a shorthanded goal at 16:29.

Navy’s best chance to narrow the gap came early in the third period when Delaware¹s Justin Sexton was assessed a five-minute major penalty for checking Navy¹s Shields from behind, causing Shields to crash headfirst into the boards. But the Mids were able to muster just two shots on goal during the five-minute infraction.

Delaware closed out the scoring with an empty net goal off the stick of Andrew Bailey with just 24 second showing on the scoreboard clock.

Sophomore Navy netminder Eric Anderson finished the night with 34 saves, while Annapolis native Depfer recorded 24 stops, as the Blue Hens outshot the Mids, 39-26.

“Our league record may not show it, but I know we¹re getting better every game,” Navy head coach Mike Fox said last night. ³We have to remember, we¹ve played three of the best teams in the country over the past three weekends, and we held our own for the most part. We seem to be able to play a good 40 or 50 minutes of hockey every night, but those other 10 or 20 minutes just kill us. Tonight the difference was those two goals 10 seconds apart, and our inability to take advantage of that five-minute major penalty.

“I know if we keep working hard and we can capitalize on our scoring chances, we’ll get some big wins in this league before the season is over,” he added.

SCORING SUMMARY

Delaware 1 3 1 - 5

NAVY 1 1 0 - 2

First Period

D * Lombardi (Weiner) 4:39

N * Shields 2 (Martin) 19:04 (pp)

Second Period

D * Atkinson (Gardner, Sexton) 8:14 (pp)

D * Volkov (Baumgartner, Atkinson) 8:44

N * Gross 3 (Kinkade) 11:34

D * Rotundo (Colletti, Baumgartner) 16:29 (sh)

Third Period

D * Bailey (Gardner, Rotundo) 19:36 (en)

SAVES

Depfer (Delaware) 8 7 9 - 24

Anderson (NAVY) 11 12 11 - 34

SHOTS

Delaware 12 15 12 - 39

NAVY 9 8 9 - 26

GreatAmerican · November 11, 2007, 6:58am

All-Time Army-Navy Record: 873-660-38 (.568)

2007-08 Record Against Army: 6-3 (.667)

2007-08 N-Star Record Against Army: 5-2 (.714)

Last 11 Years Against Army: 211-109-5 (.657)

Last 11 Years N-Star Record Against Army: 154-66-5 (.696)

2007-08 Results
Sprint Football: Won, 30-17; Won, 41-13 (N-Star)

Women’s Volleyball: Lost, 3-1 (N-Star); Lost, 3-0

Golf: Won, 6.5-4.5 (N-Star)

Men’s Cross Country: Won, 23-35 (N-Star)

Women’s Cross Country: Won, 23-38 (N-Star)

Women’s Soccer: Won, 2-0 (N-Star)

Men’s Soccer: Lost, 2-1 in overtime (N-Star)

GreatAmerican · November 11, 2007, 3:41pm

[Navy</a> loses to Army in soccer - Navy Sports - (HometownAnnapolis.com)](<a href=“Real Estate – Capital Gazette”>Real Estate – Capital Gazette)

GreatAmerican · November 11, 2007, 4:18pm

For Immediate Release
Sent Sunday, Nov. 11, 2007
Contact Justin Kischefsky (410) 293-8772

Second-Half Surge Gives North Texas Win Over Navy

ROCK HILL, S.C. - North Texas overcame a six-point halftime deficit by starting the second half on a 17-4 run in an eventual 56-45 victory over the Navy women’s basketball team, Sunday afternoon at the Winthrop Coliseum in Rock Hill, S.C. The Mean Green picked up their first victory of the season (1-2) with the win while the Mids fell to 0-3 with the loss.

“Turnovers were difference in the second half,” said Navy head coach Tom Marryott. “We turned the ball over 13 times and forced only four turnovers after halftime. We struggled with out shots this weekend, but when you turn the ball over that many times you lose so many opportunities to score, opportunities we cannot afford to miss.”

Navy started the game very well on both ends of the floor and built a 23-11 lead with just under four minutes left to play and went into halftime holding a 27-21 advantage.

As the second half began, however, the Mids turned the ball over seven times and made 2-of-9 shots from the field over the opening eight minutes, while North Texas was 6-of-15 from the field, converted all three free throw attempts and turned the ball over just once in taking a 38-31 lead. From there, Navy could pull no closer then five points.

Navy totaled 26 turnovers in the game while shooting 32 percent from the field and sinking just 2-of-16 three-point field goal attempts. In contrast, North Texas turned the ball over 21 times, shot 35 percent from the field and made 2-of-9 three-point attempts on the afternoon. The Mean Green also held a 45-36 advantage in rebounds and a 14-9 lead in steals.

“We can feel very good about our defense this weekend,” said Marryott, as the Mids allowed an average of just 55 points a game in losses to Rice, Winthrop and North Texas. “We played three very athletic teams and were able to have success on the defensive end of the floor. We just need to take much better care of the basketball and start looking for our shots on offense.”

Whitney Davidson (Jr., New Oxford, Pa.) led Navy in scoring with 10 points, but she was the lone Mid to reach double figures in points. Cassie Consedine (Fr., Bartlesville, N.C.) and Kelly Altschul (So., Highland Village, Texas) both grabbed a Navy-best seven boards.

Amber Jackson and Brittney James both scored 16 points to lead North Texas.

Navy will open the home portion of its season Wednesday night when the Mids play host to Howard in a 5 p.m. game in Alumni Hall.

GreatAmerican · November 11, 2007, 5:04pm

For Immediate Release
Sunday, Nov. 11, 2007
Women’s Soccer Contact: Stacie Michaud (410) 293-8773

LEWISBURG, Pa. – A goal by freshman forward Carissa Youker (Potomac, Md.) in the 42nd minute and a solid performance by the Mids’ defensive unit led the Navy women’s soccer team to a 1-0 victory over Bucknell and its second consecutive Patriot League Women’s Soccer Tournament title on a beautiful Sunday afternoon at Varsity Soccer Field in Lewisburg, Pa. In addition to winning their third Patriot League Tournament crown in five years, the Midshipmen also receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament with the field of 64 being announced Monday between 8:00-8:30 pm on ESPNews.

“We talked before the game about depth and how it could make a difference in today’s game,” said 15th-year Navy head coach Carin Gabarra. “We felt rested coming into the game and I do think that we utilized our depth to our advantage against a quality Bucknell team.”

Bucknell owned a 5-3 advantage in shots in the opening half, including a near miss by Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year Jennifer Devarics whose header bounced off the cross bar in the 14th minute of the contest. Five minutes later, Kelsey Johnson put together back-to-back shots in the box for the Bison, the first blocked by Second-Team All-Patriot League defender Shelly Moeller (Milford, Ohio), while the second sailed wide right.

At the halfway point in the opening period, Navy defender Jenn Dunbar (Crofton, Md.) slowed up after tweaking her ankle. Trying to shake it off, she was unable to keep up with Bucknell’s Krista Lee Gentile who sent a cross into the box for Devarics who shot and scored. However, the goal was waived after midfielder Chelsea McGorry was called for being offside on the right wing.

Navy then put together two strong runs of its own, including what looked to be a perfectly played ball from First-Team All-Patriot League forward Brigitte Fox (La Mesa, Calif.) to rookie Anastasia Abid (Williamsburg, Va.). However, Abid was unable to get to the ball and her Bison defender kicked it out of play with just under seven minutes remaining in the half.

A minute later, Youker subbed in for Fox, Navy’s leading scorer, and made the most of her opportunity. Sophomore defender Lauren Bresnahan (Weston, Fla.) took control of the ball at mid-field and sent the ball sailing 20 yards to junior forward Sam Schroth (Chester Springs, Pa.). Facing the Navy goal, Schroth isolated her defender and brought the ball down with her foot and quickly turned to her left. She chipped the ball to a charging Youker, who drove in the second goal of her career just past the outstretched hands of First-Team All-Patriot League goalkeeper Kathryn Sutton and inside the left post.

The second half saw the two teams combine for 12 shots, including nine by the host Bison. In the 61st minute, reserve Kimberly Cannon nearly evened the score, blasting a 25-yard shot to the center of the goal where Navy keeper Lizzie Barnes (New Orleans, La.) was forced to jump up and snatch the ball out of harm’s way.

In the 70th minute, Bucknell put together three straight corner kicks, including a final kick that was headed by All-Patriot League Nicole Marotta, just missing the right post and out of play. The last solid look the Bison would get in the contest came with just over 11 minutes to go. Gentile sent a driving header in from five yards out off a McGorry throw-in, but Barnes was there to keep Bucknell off the scoreboard and secure the win for the Midshipmen.

Fox was named the Patriot League Tournament MVP after driving in a pair of goals against American in Friday’s Patriot League Tournament semifinal contest. She was joined by teammates Barnes, Bresnahan, Moeller and Youker on the all-tournament squad.

Navy has now produced a 6-0 record in its last three Patriot League Tournament appearances dating back to 2003. The Midshipmen defeated Colgate and top-seeded American in 2003 to earn their first league title, but just missed earning a spot in the 2004 and `05 tournaments. Last year, Navy shut out Lehigh and Colgate to secure the program’s second postseason title.

While Navy is unbeaten over its last 10 games, including wins in each of its last six, the road to the Patriot League Tournament title looked fairly grim in mid-September. The Mids dropped back-to-back games to regional powers William & Mary (4-0) and James Madison (2-0) before dropping their conference opener at Bucknell on Oct. 5.

"We suffered some significant injuries early in the year and had some losses to some tough opponents, but I kept reinforcing the fact that it was early and it wasn’t at the most important time of the year. It was around the American game that something clicked and we just started playing. We pushed them mentally and physically and just kept getting better.

“Right now we are committed to attacking and our defense is hard to penetrate. It’s almost like facing a brick wall. We have peaked at the right time and I’m excited for our players, alumni and institution that we will be able to represent the Academy at the national tournament.”

Navy is making its third NCAA Tournament appearance in the last five years. In 2003, the Mids dropped a 5-1 decision to sixth-ranked and fifth-seeded Penn State in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. Last year, however, Navy battled 20th-ranked William & Mary to a 0-0 tie, but advanced to the second round of the tournament thanks to Lindsay Parker’s (Carmichael, Calif.) PK that gave the Mids a 5-4 edge over The Tribe. Top-ranked and eventual National Champion North Carolina defeated Navy in the second round, 4-0.

The field of 64 teams will be unveiled Monday evening on the 2007 NCAA Div. I Women’s Soccer Tournament Selection Show, along with dates and times for the tournament contests. Sixteen first and second-round sites will be announced with games being held Nov. 16 and 18. The 2007 NCAA Div. I Women’s Soccer Semifinals and Championship Game will be held at Aggie Soccer Stadium in College Station, Texas on Dec. 7 and 9, respectively.

Patriot League All-Tournament Team
MVP - Brigitte Fox, Navy
Lizzie Barnes, Navy
Lauren Bresnahan, Navy
Shelly Moeller, Navy
Carissa Youker, Navy
Chelsea McGorry, Bucknell
Molly Linhart, Bucknell
Jennifer Dervarics, Bucknell
Kelsey Frazier, American
Annette Scott, American
Jenna Roberts, Army
Liz Costello, Army

GreatAmerican · November 12, 2007, 4:32am

Navy def. Hobart, 9-0
Navy def. Haverford, 9-0
Navy def. Vanderbilt, 9-0

For Immediate Release
Sunday, Nov. 11, 2007
Squash Contact: Stacie Michaud (410) 293-8773

Mids Tack on Trio of Squash Wins to Complete Navy Round Robin
Annapolis, Md. - Navy completed its weekend streak with 9-0 victories over Hobart, Haverford and Vanderbilt Saturday to finish the Navy Round Robin with a 5-0 record. The Midshipmen, who lost just one game over the weekend, are now 7-1, winning all five matches by a 9-0 count.

“It was a good weekend of squash for our program,” said Navy head coach Craig Dawson. “We were able to get five solid matches under our belt and now with a 7-1 record we look ahead to what will be a great match against Dartmouth next weekend.”

Seven Navy players turned in 3-0 records on Saturday, including sophomore standout Nils Mattsson (Spring House, Pa.) who paced the Mids to a 9-0 victory over Vanderbilt behind his 9-0, 9-1, 9-1 win over senior Max Franklin at the No. 1 position.

Rookie Brad Seidel (Toledo, Ohio) improved to 7-1 this season by claiming three wins on the afternoon. After dropping the opening game, 9-3, to Hobart freshman Dan Sills, Seidel came back to take the four-game win, 3-9, 9-3, 9-1, 9-2.

Senior Tucker George (West Hartford, Conn.), Navy’s No. 1 player, returned to the courts on Saturday after sitting out Friday’s competition. George easily defeated Hobart’s Cale Fortgues, 9-2, 9-1, 9-3, and Jason Bazarsky of Haverford, 9-1, 9-0, 9-0.

George’s younger brother, Teddy, picked up a trio of wins, including a 3-0 victory over Haverford sophomore Jake Ralston whom George held without a point.

Sophomore Ben Mantica (Binghamton, N.Y.) gave up just two points in his 3-0 victories over Haverford’s Jeff Monhait, 9-1, 9-0, 9-0, and Vandy senior Hamilton Clark, 9-0, 9-1, 9-0. Mantica also picked up a win in his first match of the day, a 9-3, 9-1, 9-1 victory over newcomer Luke Esselen of Hobart.

The Midshipmen return to action next Saturday when they play host to nationally-ranked Dartmouth (10:00 am) and Georgetown (3:00 pm) at the Halsey International Squash Courts.

Navy def. Hobart, 9-0
Nov. 10, 2007 Annapolis, Md.
1 Tucker George (N) def. Cale Fortgues (H) 3-0 9-2, 9-1, 9-3
2 Nils Mattsson (N) def. Grant Palermo (H) 3-0 9-1, 9-1, 9-2
3 Allan Lutz (N) def. Craig Chircop (H) 3-0 9-1, 9-0, 9-0
4 Ben Mantica (N) def. Luke Esselen (H) 3-0 9-3, 9-1, 9-1
5 Michael Beautyman Jr (N) def. Ned Lanphier (H) 3-0 9-6, 9-2, 9-2
6 Brad Seidel (N) def. Dan Sills (H) 3-1 3-9, 9-3, 9-1, 9-2
7 Christopher Zipf (N) def. Graham Gardiner (H) 3-0 9-5, 9-1, 9-4
8 Allen Hartley (N) def. Kenny O’Connor (H) 3-0 9-1, 9-1, 9-3
9 Teddy George (N) def. Carl Ranieri (H) 3-0 9-2, 9-2, 9-1

Navy def. Haverford, 9-0
Nov. 10, 2007 Annapolis, Md.
1 Tucker George (N) def. Jason Bazarsky (H) 3-0 9-1, 9-0, 9-0
2 Nils Mattsson (N) def. Alex Salton (H) 3-0 9-1, 9-1, 9-1
3 Allan Lutz (N) def. Evan Stiegel (H) 3-0 9-2, 9-2, 9-2
4 Ben Mantica (N) def. Jeff Monhait (H) 3-0 9-1, 9-0, 9-0
5 Brad Seidel (N) def. Marc Adelberg (H) 3-0 9-2, 9-4, 9-1
6 Christopher Zipf (N) def. Andrew Wee (H) 3-0 9-1, 9-0, 9-0
7 Allen Hartley (N) def. Dan Sacks (H) 3-0 9-2, 9-0, 9-0
8 Teddy George (N) def. Jake Ralston (H) 3-0 9-0, 9-0, 9-0
9 Matt Wiggins (N) def. Mike Gelberg (H) 3-0 9-2, 9-0, 9-0

Navy def. Vanderbilt, 9-0
Nov. 10, 2007 Annapolis, Md.
1 Nils Mattsson (N) def. Max Franklin (V) 3-0 9-0, 9-1, 9-1
2 Allan Lutz (N) def. Hentry Manice (V) 3-0 9-6, 9-3, 9-2
3 Ben Mantica (N) def. Hamilton Clark (V) 3-0 9-0, 9-1, 9-0
4 Michael Beautyman Jr (N) def. Hunter Kinsella (V) 3-0 9-4, 9-1, 9-1
5 Brad Seidel (N) def. Phillip Field (V) 3-0 9-3, 9-0, 9-0
6 Christopher Zipf (N) def. Spencer Price (V) 3-0 9-3, 9-1, 9-4
7 Allen Hartley (N) def. Owen Remeika (V) 3-0 9-4, 9-2, 9-2
8 Teddy George (N) def. Jason Power (V) 3-0 9-0, 9-1, 9-1
9 Matt Wiggins (N) def. Fred Hudson (V) 3-0 9-4, 9-0, 9-3

GreatAmerican · November 12, 2007, 4:33am

Slow Start Dooms Navy in 86-70 Loss to Drexel

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – Frank Elegar scored 24 points and had 14 rebounds to lead Drexel to an 86-70 victory over Navy on Sunday.

Tramayne Hawthorne added 19 points for the Dragons (2-0), who started 2-0 for the third straight year. Chris Harris scored 16 points for the Midshipmen (1-1) and leading scorer Greg Sprink had 13 points.

“I can’t fault our effort, but I don’t know if we were ready today,” said Navy head coach Billy Lange. “We had some lapses and got into some foul trouble in the first half which really cost us. I was proud of the way we battled back and made it a game in the second half. Drexel is a very good team, and Elegar does a lot of things well. They really feed off him and we had a tough time with him.”

The Mids trailed by a 49-29 margin at halftime and Drexel stretched the lead to 23 at 52-29, its biggest lead of the game with 18:26 to play. However, the Mids clawed back in the contest with a 13-3 run over two-and-a-half minutes to trim the margin to 55-42 with 16:01 to play.

Drexel pushed the margin back to 17 (73-56) with 7:45 to play, but the resilient Midshipmen charged back with a 13-4 burst to cut the lead to 77-69 with 3:36 to play on a Kaleo Kina (Phoenix, Ariz.) layup. The Mids had two three-point shots to cut even further into the lead that went in-and-out and the Dragons closed the game with a 9-1 run, with five of the nine points coming at the free-throw stripe for the final margin.

Drexel shot 50.9 percent (29-of-57) from the field, while holding Navy to 36.6 percent (26-of-71). Navy was just 9-of-30 from long distance. Drexel held a decided advantage at the free throw line, converting on 23-of-37 attempts, while Navy was just 9-of-15. Both teams had 16 turnovers and the Dragons held a slim 43-39 advantage on the class.

Besides Harris and Sprink with 16 and 13, respectively, Kina and freshman Mark Veazey (Lilburn, Ga.) added 10 points each. Sprink grabbed eight rebounds while Veazey had six boards and two steals. Kina led Navy with three assists.

The Mids will host Robert Morris on Wednesday night in their home opener in Alumni Hall. For ticket information, please call 1-800-US4-NAVY.

GreatAmerican · November 12, 2007, 8:00am

Drexel 86, Navy 70

Associated Press
Sunday, November 11, 2007; 8:36 PM

PHILADELPHIA – Frank Elegar scored 24 points and had 14 rebounds to lead Drexel to an 86-70 victory over Navy on Sunday.

Tramayne Hawthorne added 19 points for the Dragons (2-0), who started 2-0 for the third straight year. Chris Harris scored 16 points for the Midshipmen (1-1) and leading scorer Greg Sprink had 13 points.

Navy struggled in shooting for most of the game, going just 11-of-36 (31 percent) in the first half and 26-of-71 (36 percent) overall.

Drexel scored ten straight points during a 21-5 run in the first half to take a 35-17 lead on the way to a 49-29 halftime margin.

The teams traded baskets for most of the second half and Kaleo Kina’s layup with 3:36 remaining made it 77-69, but Navy came no closer as Drexel used free throws to pull away in the final minutes.

GreatAmerican · November 12, 2007, 9:52am

By Mel Greenberg
Inquirer Staff Writer

No leads appear safe in the early season for Drexel, but the Dragons built enough of an advantage against Navy yesterday to prevail, 86-70, in the men’s basketball home opener at the Daskalakis Athletic Center.

That was a little more comfortable for the Dragons than Friday night, when they squandered a 17-point lead before subduing Penn, 67-59, at the Palestra.

Yesterday’s game was part of the inaugural Philly Hoop Group Classic, which will continue through Thanksgiving weekend.

Drexel’s Frank Elegar scored 24 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to go with four blocked shots against the Midshipmen.

“He poses a ton of problems,” Navy coach Billy Lange said of the 6-foot-9 center. "He’s physical; he’s athletic. Where he did a good job tonight was where I felt he was very unselfish.

“He would get it, he would kick it out. As soon as he sensed the double team coming, he started to post a little deeper.”

Elegar often finds himself double-teamed.

“I could do a lot better,” the senior said. “But we’ve been working on it on practice here and there. Like [coach Bruiser Flint] says, I should take guys deeper and score over top of them and not look for the double team.”

Freshman guard Gerald Colds had 10 points after scoring 18 in his debut on Friday. Tramayne Hawthorne added a career-high 19 points.

Evan Neisler, a 6-7 sophomore transfer from Boston College, provided support in the post for Elegar, collecting eight points and eight rebounds.

Chris Harris tallied 16 points for the Midshipmen (1-1), who had four players in double figures.

The Dragons went on a 24-7 run in the first half to gain control. They led by 49-29 at the break before Navy clawed back.

Taking advantage of three-point shooting - Navy made 9 of 30 threes - the visitors sliced a 22-point deficit to eight, 77-69, with 3 minutes, 36 seconds left.

“Close was Friday,” Flint said with a smile about his team’s adventures in the first two games. "It’s going to be like that, but hopefully not as long as I expected. You’ve got guards out there who have never been out there before, and I think we started looking at the clock a little bit.

"We were up 20 most of the game, and guys started relaxing, getting sloppy with the ball. We didn’t make foul shots. I tell the guys, ‘You have to understand, we have to play for 40 minutes.’ "

The Dragons’ defense tightened and held off Navy as Scott Rodgers hit 2 of 4 foul shots and Elegar sank 1 of 2.

“All the good foul shooters are gone; all the bad ones are back,” Flint said in jest afterward about Drexel’s 23-for-37 effort from the line.

Drexel outrebounded Navy by 43-39.

GreatAmerican · November 12, 2007, 3:07pm

By BILL FLEISCHMAN
Philadelphia Daily News

Drexel’s first game in the inaugural Philly Hoop Group Classic served to give its freshmen guards more collegiate experience and blend in other players.

In beating Navy, 86-70, yesterday at the Daskalakis Athletic Center, the Dragons (2-0) overpowered the visitors in the first half to lead by 20 points. The Midshipmen (1-1) were more competitive in the second half.

They trimmed Drexel’s lead to eight points with 3 minutes, 36 seconds remaining. Then the Dragons scored five consecutive points, culminating with 6-9 senior Frank Elegar grabbing a rebound off his missed second free throw and converting the field goal.

Navy had no answers inside for Elegar. The preseason first-team Colonial Athletic Association forward collected game highs of 24 points (12 of 15 free throws) and 14 rebounds. Junior Tramayne Hawthorne contributed 19 points for the Dragons.

Evan Neisler, a 6-8 transfer from Boston College playing his first season for Drexel, chipped in off the bench with eight points and eight rebounds.

“I think we started looking at the clock a little bit [in the second half],” Dragons coach Bruiser Flint said. “We were up 20 pretty much the whole game. Guys started relaxing, being sloppy with the ball and we didn’t make foul shots.”

The Dragons shot 50.9 percent from the field. That’s the good news. The bad news is that free-throw shooting is still an issue for Flint’s team. They made made only 23 of 37 yesterday (62.2 percent).

In their overtime victory over Penn on Friday night, they only shot 55 percent. Last season, they were ninth in CAA free-throw shooting (.686).

“All the good [free-throw shooters] are gone, all the bad ones are back,” Flint said. “These guys have to step up and make foul shots.”

In trying to defend Elegar, Navy double-teamed him with 6-10 senior Ben Biles, 6-10 freshman Mark Veazey and other players.

Referring to Elegar, Flint said, “He’s not posting up aggressive. He was deep enough that he could’ve caught it and shot over the top of the guy.”

Said Elegar: “I could do a lot better. We’ve been working on it in practice. I’ve got to get guys deep and score over top of them.”

Navy coach Billy Lange is familiar with Drexel hoops. A native of Haddon Heights, N.J., Lange is a former Rowan player who served as a La Salle, Villanova and Philadelphia University assistant and head coach at Bishop Eustace Prep before taking over at Navy 4 years ago.

“[Elegar] is physical and athletic,” Lange said. "He’s very unselfish. Their guards, Hawthorne and [Scott] Rodgers, understand that it begins and ends with Elegar.

“We made some defensive errors on our doubling on Elegar. It took some time for us to settle in a little. [But] I was proud of our guys’ effort. I don’t think we backed down for one second.”

Drexel’s next game in the eight-team Philly Hoop Classic is Nov. 20 at Virginia. The Dragons next play Wednesday at Florida Gulf Coast. The Dragons improved their series record with Navy to 4-2. Their last meeting was during the 1994-95 season.

GreatAmerican · November 12, 2007, 4:26pm

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Navy will host Robert Morris on Wednesday night as part of The Philly Hoop Group Classic, an inaugural Thanksgiving Weekend basketball event featuring college teams from the East, that tipped off on Sunday.

In Sunday’s preliminary round, Drexel defeated Navy, 86-70, while Loyola (Md.) cruised past Penn, 89-68.

As a multiple team event, the entire slate of games will only count as two games towards each team’s NCAA-imposed limit of 29. Each team will play a total of four games. The first two preliminary games will be played at campus sites, with the final two Championship Round games being held at The Palestra on November 23rd and November 24th. The preliminary games do not influence the Championship Round’s seeding, which has been set.

The 2007 tournament features eight schools: Drexel, Howard, Loyola, Navy, Robert Morris, Seton Hall, Penn, and Virginia.

“We are thrilled to tip-off the inaugural Philly Hoop Group Classic, which will feature very competitive and exciting basketball to start the NCAA season,” said Rob Kennedy, president of The Hoop Group, the organization responsible for creating the tournament.

Preliminary Round Schedule:
Drexel 86, Navy 70 (Nov. 11)
Loyola (Md.) 89, Penn 68 (Nov. 11)
Robert Morris at Navy 7:30 pm (Nov. 14)
Howard at Virgina - 7:00 pm (Nov. 14)
Howard at Penn - 5:00 pm (Nov. 17)
Robert Morris at Seton Hall - 1:00 pm (Nov. 18)
Drexel at Virginia - 8:00 pm (Nov. 20)
Loyola (Md.) at Seton Hall - 7:30 pm (Nov. 21)

Tickets for the preliminary games can be purchased through the host school’s box office. Tickets for the Championship Rounds on Nov. 23 at the historic Palestra are available at The Palestra Box Office, located at 235 S. 33rd Street, Weightman Hall, in Philadelphia, by calling (215) 898-6151, or online at <a href=“http://www.phillyhoopgroupclassic.com%5B/url%5D”>www.phillyhoopgroupclassic.com</a>.

For more information on The Philly Classic, please visit <a href=“http://www.phillyhoopgroupclassic.com%5B/url%5D”>www.phillyhoopgroupclassic.com</a>.

About the HoopGroup
The Hoop Group is a comprehensive basketball company dedicated to fulfilling dreams by providing student athletes, parents and coaches the best instruction, competition and exposure. It is one of the largest basketball instruction organizations in the world with fifteen separate entities that encompass over 28,000 student-athletes and 3,000 high school, collegiate, AAU and youth league coaches. The Hoop Group is committed to help make each individual player realize their full potential and develop a lifelong love of the game. The Hoop Group’s alumni list reads as a “Who’s Who” of the basketball world, including Mosses Malone, Julius “Doctor J” Erving, Vince Carter, Kobe Bryant, Bob Knight, Chuck Daly, Billy Donovan and many more. As a family owned and operated business for over four decades, The Hoop Group staff works tirelessly to insure that each event participant, coach and sponsor receives the personal attention they desire.

GreatAmerican · November 12, 2007, 5:07pm

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Navy freshman center Mark Veazey (Lilburn, Ga.) was named the initial Patriot League Men’s Basketball Rookie of the Week after helping Navy to a 1-1 record over the weekend. It marks the 13th time in head coach Billy Lange’s four years that a Navy player was named Patriot League Rookie of the Week and he becomes the sixth current Midshipmen to win Patriot League Rookie of the Week honors.

Despite coming off the bench in both games, Veazey had a productive weekend. In Navy’s season-opening 88-72 win over Longwood, the 6-10 center scored eight points on four-of seven shooting with five rebounds, one blocked shot and one steal in just 17 minutes of action. He then topped that performance in Sunday’s loss at Drexel, by scoring 10 points on five-of-seven shooting with six rebounds, two steals and one block in 21 minutes. He currently ranks fifth on the team in scoring (9.0 ppg), while leading the team in blocked shots (1.0 bpg) and is second in rebounding (5.5 rpg.). For the season, he is averaging 9.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 1.5 spg and 1.0 bpg while playing just 19.0 minutes per game. He is also shooting a team-best 64.3 percent (9-of-14) from the field.

Veazey and his teammates will host Robert Morris in the home opener on Wednesday night as part of a women-men’s doubleheader that begins at 5:00 pm with the women’s team playing Howard. The men’s game is part of the inaugural Philly Hoop Group Classic that will conclude on Thanksgiving weekend at the Palestra in Philadelphia. For ticket information, call 1-800-US4-NAVY.

GreatAmerican · November 12, 2007, 7:55pm

For Immediate Release
Sent Monday, Nov. 12, 2007
Contact Justin Kischefsky (410) 293-8772

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – Navy freshman center Cassie Consedine (Bartlesville, Okla.), who nearly averaged a double-double over the opening weekend of the season, has been tabbed as the year’s first Patriot League Women’s Basketball Player of the Week, the league office announced Tuesday.

Consedine averaged 11.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.0 blocks a game for the Mids during the three-game Winthrop Classic this past weekend in Rock Hill, S.C. She totaled 12 points and 10 rebounds against Rice, notched a double-double again the following day with 14 points and 12 rebounds against the tournament-host Eagles and ended the weekend by accruing seven points, seven rebounds and three blocks against North Texas.

After becoming just the second freshman in school history to record a double-double during the opening game of the season, her five blocks the following day against Winthrop set a new Navy freshman class record and missed tying the overall school standard by one rejection.

Consedine’s honor marks the first time a Mid has garnered league rookie-of-the-week accolades since February of 2001 (Maile Shimoda).

Navy will open the home portion of its season Wednesday when the Mids play host to Howard in a 5 p.m. game in Alumni Hall. An audio and video stream of the game will be available to Navy All-Access subscribers.

GreatAmerican · November 13, 2007, 9:04pm

For Immediate Release
Monday, Nov. 12, 2007
Womens Soccer Contact: Stacie Michaud (410) 293-8773

Navy Draws 12th-Ranked West Virginia in First Round of 2007 NCAA Womens Soccer Championship

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. Making the programs second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, the Navy womens soccer team (14-4-4) will face 12th-ranked West Virginia (15-4-2) in the first round of the 2007 NCAA Womens Soccer Tournament. The Mids and fourth-seeded Mountaineers will battle one another on Friday at West Virginias Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium in Morgantown, W.Va., while James Madison (16-4-1) and Penn (13-3-1) will face-off in the other first-round game hosted by West Virginia. The winners of each contest will square off in the second round on Sunday in Morgantown, W.Va. Game times and ticket details will be released by West Virginia on Tuesday.

We are excited to have the opportunity to play in the NCAA Tournament once again, said 15th-year Navy head coach Carin Gabarra, who has led the Midshipmen to three NCAA Tournament appearances in the last five years. We fought through some early injuries and some tough losses against quality teams and I think were peaking at the right time. We have the talent and we are healthy heading into the tournament, and our mentality right now is that we can play with anyone.

West Virginia has put together a fantastic season and it has established itself as one of the premier programs both in the region and on a national level, added Gabarra. We will have to play an entire 90-minute game to be successful against a quality team like West Virginia.

Navy received an automatic bid to play in the NCAA Tournament after shutting out second-seeded American in the Patriot League Tournament Semifinals last Friday, before snapping a three-game losing streak to host and top-seeded Bucknell, 1-0, in Sundays championship contest. The Mids enter Fridays contest against the Mountaineers riding a 10-game unbeaten streak, including wins in each of their last six games. Navys last loss was a 1-0 deficit at Bucknell on Oct. 5.

Averaging 1.86 goals per game, Navy is one of the toughest teams to defend thanks to 16 different players scoring a goal this fall. Half of those 16 have scored at least two goals, including two-time First-Team All-Patriot League forward Brigitte Fox (La Mesa, Calif.) who is pacing the Midshipmen with 16 goals. Six of her 16 goals have been game-winners, including her two-goal performance against American in last weekends league semis. Additionally, Fox has scored nine goals in the last five games and has accounted for nine of the Mids last 15 goals. She is ranked No. 1 in the Patriot League in points per game (1.59) and goals per game (0.73). On a national level, she is No. 27 in points per contest and 19th in goals per game.

On the defensive side of the field, the Midshipmen have upped their game as of late, holding seven of their last 10 opponents without a goal, including each of their last three. On the year, Navy has produced 11 shutouts and enters the weekend giving up 0.79 goals per game which is ranked 48th in the nation. While center backs Lauren Bresnahan (Weston, Fla.) and Second-Team All-Patriot League Shelly Moeller (Milford, Ohio) have been sensational, the organizer of the Mids defensive unit is junior keeper Lizzie Barnes (New Orleans, La.), a preseason Hermann Trophy candidate. Barnes owns a 0.86 goals-against average and is ranked 76th in the country. She has given up 17 goals this fall, while making 56 saves for a 76.7 save percentage.

West Virginia earned its eighth consecutive NCAA Tournament bid after claiming the programs first Big East title via penalty kicks (5-3) against 11th-ranked Notre Dame. The Mountaineers will serve as one of 16 host schools for the first and second rounds of the national tournament, the fourth time it has done so, as West Virginia play host in 2001, 02 and 03. Additionally, West Virginia is seeded for the third time in the programs 12-year history, also receiving the nod in 2002 and 03.

Like Navys Gabarra, 12th-year head coach Nikki Izzo-Brown has built the Mountaineer program from ground level. She has amassed a 162-66-19 record at West Virginia, including a 15-4-2 record this fall that featured an impressive 11-1-1 record on its home field. The Mountaineers turned in a 9-1-1 Big East record, dropping a a 2-0 decision to national power Connecticut, as well as tying unranked Syracuse, 1-1. WVU put together back-to-back shutouts over Villanova (1-0) and Louisville (1-0) to advance to the conference title game against Notre Dame. The two programs battled to a 1-1 tie, before the athletic play of rookie goalkeeper Kerri Butler robbed defending National Player of the Year Kerri Hanks of a goal and gave her teammates the opportunity for the win.

Senior Ashley Banks, the 2007 Big East Co-Offensive Player of the Year, is pacing the Mountaineers with 34 points on 13 goals and eight assists. She has driven in three of West Virginias 15 game-winners this fall. Banks is 25th in the country in points per game (1.62) and 38th in goals per game (0.619). Third-Team All-Big East forward Deana Everrett is the teams second-leading scorer with 23 points on seven goals and a team-best nine assists and has also produced three game-winners. Meanwhile, honorable mention pick Kim Bonilla owns a team-high four game-winning goals, while turning in 19 points on six goals and seven assists. Butler has taken over the goalkeeping duties as of late, surrendering six goals in her nine appearances while making nine saves. She is allowing 0.74 goals per game and making stops on 72.7 percent of the shots she has face.

The Mountaineers, who have scored one less goal than Navy in one less game, are ranked 42nd in scoring offense, posting 1.95 goals per game. Meanwhile, they stand 57th in goals-against average, giving up 0.832 goals per contest.

GreatAmerican · November 13, 2007, 9:16pm

[url=<a href=“http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/12/AR2007111202032.html]washingtonpost.com[/url”>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/12/AR2007111202032.html]washingtonpost.com[/url</a>]

GreatAmerican · November 13, 2007, 9:29pm

[Loyola</a>, Navy get NCAA bids - Examiner.com](<a href=“Examiner is back - Examiner.com”>Examiner is back - Examiner.com)

GreatAmerican · November 13, 2007, 9:33pm

Feature: Navy’s Barnes shows CLASS

By Amy Farnum Novin
NCAAsports.com staff writer

U.S. Naval Academy men’s soccer goalkeeper Evan Barnes is a student-athlete with an interesting past and a bright future.

The native of Dublin, Ohio, is one 10 men’s soccer finalists for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award, honoring the top senior student-athlete in Division I. The acronym “CLASS” stands for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School.

Like all of the finalists, Barnes epitomizes the requirements for the Senior CLASS Award, which is presented annually in eight NCAA Division I sports to a senior student-athlete that excels in the classroom, community, character and competition.

Barnes’ path to being one of the top student-athletes in the nation has been nothing but unique. In fact, attending the U.S. Naval Academy and playing collegiate soccer are two things that Barnes was unsure would even happen five years ago.

With the influence of father who had flown in the Air Force, Barnes gained interest in the military academies, and was accepted to the Naval Academy out of high school. But, a serious car accident two weeks before he was to begin his plebe summer delayed that dream. He had to be cut from the vehicle with the “jaws-of-life” and suffered several injuries, including a broken arm and injured hip.

“Immediately after the accident, I was in shock,” said Barnes. “I had no idea what would happen and felt like everything I had worked for would be taken away. I was lost and had no idea what to do.”

Because of the physical requirements that being a Midshipmen entails, Barnes’ appointment was delayed one year with the help of the Naval Academy Alumni Foundation.

“They said they would hold my space for the next year if I could find some place to go (to college) for a year and prove to the Navy doctors that I was physically qualified by the time I needed to arrive in Annapolis,” said Barnes.

During his rehabilitation, Barnes attended Ohio State and eventually played club soccer on the Columbus campus, but when he got to the Naval Academy the next year, he took a two-year hiatus from the sport he had played since four years old.

“I tried out a variety of different things,” said Barnes. “After my accident, I wasn’t sure (what I wanted to do). When I got here, they had five goalkeepers on the team. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to play soccer at that point, and wanted to see what a few other things were like.”

In his second year, Barnes became friends with one of the senior goalkeepers on Navy’s soccer team, who swayed him to give the sport another shot. He walked on to the squad during the spring of his sophomore year, and before he knew it, injuries forced Barnes into a starting role in his first season of varsity action.

As a junior, Barnes played in 11 games, recording a 1.28 goals against average and .746 save percentage. This year, he has split time with Thomas Jenkins, starting nine games and posting three shutouts. He will conclude his soccer career against Army on Nov. 10, and both teams will be looking for their first wins in Patriot League play.

“It’s always one of those games that no matter where the teams stand throughout the season, anything can happen,” said Barnes. “It’s such an intense rivalry. It’s a blast to play in, and probably the most intense 90 minutes of soccer I will ever play in.”

Barnes’ soccer talents, however, are just one small part of his spectacular resume. He has participated in several community service projects, including the Blood: Water Mission, an effort to provide clean water for people in Africa, but it is the academic realm in which Barnes really shines. He ranks 57th of 1,085 students with a 3.88 GPA in honors systems engineering, and has posted a 4.0 GPA in each of his last four semesters.

Along with several academic awards during his career, Barnes received a Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholarship, which will enable him to attend graduate school for mechanical engineering at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland, after the spring semester. And last week, Barnes found out he has been granted an interview for a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford University.

Even with all of his accomplishments, Barnes is not the only worthwhile candidate in the group of finalists for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award, and he is honored to be included among the best in the nation.

“If you look at all the other candidates, they are all incredible,” said Barnes. “It says a lot about my friends, family, coaches, and teammates and having their support on and off the field. I strive to put 100 percent into everything I do, and I’ve set a high standard to do well academically. Everyone is such a well-rounded person, it says a lot about the program itself.”

In addition to coaches, national media and sponsors, fans are a key part of the voting process to choose the winner of the Senior CLASS Award. Along with Barnes, the finalists are: Washington’s Kevin Forrest, Loyola Marymount’s Trini Gomez, Connecticut’s Julius James, Duke’s Tim Jepson, Maryland’s Stephen King, Santa Clara’s Peter Lowry, Syracuse’s Brad Peetoom, Wake Forest’s Julian Valentine and UCLA’s Mike Zaher.

Fans should log on to [Lowe’s</a> Senior CLASS Award](<a href=“http://www.seniorclassaward.com%5DLowe’s”>http://www.seniorclassaward.com) in order vote for their favorite!

Navy Sports

CONNECT WITH US