LEWISBURG, Pa. — Bucknell freshman attackman Todd Heritage took a feed from Billy Eisenreich and tucked it past Navy keeper RJ Wickham (Penn Yan, N.Y.) to lead the Bison men’s lacrosse team (3-1, 1-0 Patriot League) to a dramatic 12-11 double-overtime victory over Navy (1-4, 0-2 PL) Monday evening at Christy Mathewson Stadium in Lewisburg, Pa. The Midshipmen scored four goals in the final 3:47 of regulation, including two in the final 18 seconds to send the game into extra minutes.
“There were a handful of times that we could have packed it in and we didn’t,” said Navy head coach Richie Meade. “I was proud of the fact that they fought through it.
“Eleven goals should be enough for us to win a game, so we are going to have to go back to the drawing board and keep working on our defense. We pretty much dominated both overtimes, but you don’t give yourself a chance to win when you throw the ball away. At times we played really well, at times we had some letdowns. We need to keep our poise and look to this weekend’s game.”
Monday’s contest marked the fifth-straight game between the two programs that has been decided by one goal and the seventh in the 11-game history. It also marked the fourth game in the series to be decided in overtime, but the first to enter into multiple overtime frames.
The 23-combined goals marked the second most in series history, behind Navy’s 17-7 rout over the Bison in 1997.
After Navy junior midfielder Nikk Davis (Cockeysville, Md.) scored the game’s opening goal at the 12:49 mark in the first period, Bucknell went on a four-goal scoring spree that featured three goals in just over a minute (7:46, 7:14, 6:29). The Mids, however, fought their way back, thanks in part to winning a handful of faceoffs. In fact, an extra-man goal by freshman Sam Jones (Annapolis, Md.), followed by a nicely set up play by Jones to fellow rookie Tucker Hull (Charlotte, N.C.) pulled Navy to within one by the end of the first quarter.
Navy tied the game up at 4-4 just over two minutes into the second quarter when Jones found senior midfielder Brian Striffler (Virginia Beach, Va.) cutting up the middle for his fourth goal of the year. Over the next six minutes the two teams traded goals, but back-to-back goals by Bison senior attackman Ryan Klipstein gave Bucknell 7-5 advantage heading into the halftime break.
Bucknell pushed its lead to four at 9-5 with back-to-back goals to open the third stanza. Heritage scored just 44 seconds into the second half, while Eisenreich gave the Bison their largest lead of the game with a 10-yard shot up the gut with 12:41 remaining in the third.
The pesky Mids climbed back into the game when Hull scored his third and fourth goals of the game. The second of the two was generated by a save from Wickham who brought the ball up the field and into the offensive box. Wickham found Jones who then passed it off to short stick defensive middie Jordan Seivold (Minnetonka, Minn.) who quickly sent the outlet to Hull who cranked it in and got the Mids to within two once again at 9-7.
Navy’s defense played a solid third period and into the fourth, keeping the Bison off the scoreboard for nearly 20 minutes. At approximately the 10:30 mark in the fourth, defensive midfielder Brye French (Deatsville, Ala.) attempted to throw his clearing pass across the field, but instead threw it right into the stick of Bucknell middie Charlie Streep at the top of the offensive box. With the goal left vacated by Wickham who was on the right wing of the box, Streep sent a shot to the wide open goal. However, Navy senior defenseman Michael Hirsch (Schwenksville, Pa.) made a spectacular play, diving at the shot and deflecting it away in what would have been a sure goal for the Bison.
Senior middie Mike Danylyshyn gave Bucknell its first goal since the 12:41 mark in the third period when he used a roll dodge to break free of Navy defensive midfielder Marty Gallagher (Wayne, Pa.) to give the Bison a three-goal cushion with 7:54 to play in regulation.
Navy simply would not quit, however, as it ralled over the final four minutes to force overtime. Senior midfielder Andy Warner (Corning, N.Y.) sent a hard shot with nearly no angle that caught the inside of the pipe at the 3:47 mark. With 1:59 left, Warner found Jones cutting to the goal with Jones sticking the shot to bring the Mids to within one (10-9).
However, a push by sophomore midfielder Jay Mann (Cockeysville, Md.) would prove costly for the Mids, as Navy surrendered an extra-man goal to Bucknell’s Chase Bailey with 1:15 to go.
An unlikely candidate stood tall for the Mids, however, as they continued their gutsy comeback in the last minute. Junior draw specialist Logan West (Berlin, Md.), who has struggled mightily over the last few weeks, won back-to-back faceoffs to put the ball in the Mids’ hands. In fact, in the fourth quarter he won five of the seven draws.
With 18 seconds remaining, Warner sent a high pass to Davis who was forced to make an acrobatic catch and then punched it in over the head of Bucknell keeper Kyle Feeney. West won the ensuing faceoff and the Mids went racing down the field where Hull found Davis for the game-tying goal with just seven ticks left on the clock to send the game into extra minutes.
Navy had as good of an opportunity as one could ask for in the first overtime period with Hull getting an open look from seven yards out, but Feeney was able to turn it aside. Navy would get the ball back in the final seconds of OT, but could not get organized enough to get a shot off.
West continued to own the “x” coming up with the faceoff again, but an errant pass between Davis and Warner put the ball back into Bucknell’s hands. The Bison brought the ball down the field and worked it around. Navy’s defense slid and left Heritage wide open on the crease for the game-winner.
Hull led the way for the Mids with a career-high four goals and two assists for the first six-point performance by a Navy player since last year’s Georgetown contest in which Warner produced a career-high four assists to go along with his two goals. Meanwhile, Hull is the second different freshman to score four goals in a game for Navy this season. Jones scored four goals in Navy’s opener against VMI and in last week’s Patriot League loss to Lehigh.
Davis added a career-high three goals, while Warner scored one goal and dealt out four assists and Jones scored a pair and added two helpers.
As previously mentioned, West came out of his faceoff slump, winning 11 of the 19 draws he took. In doing so, he jumped from 14th to 12th on Navy’s career faceoff wins list where he has now won 96 of the 206 draws he has taken over the last three seasons.
Wickham made 10 saves between the pipes and he moved from 14th to a tie for 12th on the Mids’ career saves list with 274 for his career.
After playing four-straight games on the road, Navy will finally have the opportunity to play on its home field when it plays host to Patriot League foe Lafayette on Saturday. Game time is slated for 12:00 pm at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
### Go Navy ###
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — The 12th-ranked North Carolina men’s lacrosse team scored four of the game’s final five goals to secure a 10-8 victory over Navy Friday evening at Fetzer Field in Chapel Hill. A typical Navy-North Carolina duel, fans were treated to an up-and-down game that featured five ties, including three in the second half of play.
“I thought it was a heck of a game,” said Navy head coach Richie Meade. “We gave a great effort, but it’s just tough giving a great effort and coming away with a loss.
“That said, I do?think this game and last week’s game against Loyola will help us in the future. We are a lot better off having played tough games and tough opponents. I think we are playing pretty well, but we have to be able to consistently play at a very high level and become a little more disciplined.”
Both teams put together impressive runs in the opening half of play, including four-straight goals by the Midshipmen that was spearheaded by freshman attackman Tucker Hull (Charlotte, N.C.), who netted Navy’s first goal of the game with just 16 ticks remaining in the opening period. Freshmen Sam Jones (Annapolis, Md.) and Harrison Chaires (Ellicott City, Md.), along with senior Andy Warner (Corning, N.Y.) would all punch in goals for the Mids as Navy built a 4-1 advantage with 7:22 remaining in the first half.
Carolina sliced into the lead on a pretty play from senior attackman Billy Bitter just 32 seconds later. However, Navy took a 5-2 advantage with under six to go when a save by junior keeper RJ Wickham (Penn Yan, N.Y.) led to a fantastic transition goal by the Mids. Wickham sent his outlet pass to second-year defensive midfielder Jordan Seivold (Minnetonka, Minn.) who was off to the races. Sprinting from end to end, he found Jones who targeted a long shot from the left corner.
North Carolina, though, found a hot stick thanks to freshman faceoff specialist R.G. Keenan who was near perfect on the evening. He kept generating possession for the Tar Heels and over the course of one minute and 30 seconds, the Tar Heels scored three goals and knotted up the game at 5-5. The equalizer came from defenseman Ryan Flanagan, who sent his shot right through Wickham’s legs.
Navy wasted little time in breaking the tie coming out of intermission, as Jones perfectly threaded his pass from behind the goal to junior attackman Taylor Reynolds (Babylon, N.Y.) who, despite being triple teamed, fired in his point-blank shot.
The Mids’ lead would be short-lived, however, as middie Jimmy Dunster’s shot on the run managed to catch the inside post, tying the game for the third time at 6-6.
A resilient Navy team fought back to take the lead for a final time in the game when a slide to Warner resulted in an uncovered Hull, who scored for the second time in the game on a two-yarder at the 12:35 mark.
The Mids held the lead for the better part of four minutes, but Carolina rookie Nicky Galasso began taking control of the game, fueling the Tar Heels. First he found Dunan Hutchins cutting in from the left side of the crease to tie the game and then he took a pass from Will Campbell and snuck it past Wickham on a lefty low to low shot. Galasso’s goal at 7:57 in the third was North Carolina’s first lead since scoring the game-opening goal.
Nearly three minutes later, sophomore midfielder Jay Mann (Cockeysville, Md.) sent a hard shot that would be deflected back into play by Carolina keeper Chris Madalon. Reynolds scooped up the ball and spun around to pocket his second goal of the contest and send the game into its fifth tie.
Following a Navy timeout with two minutes to play in the third quarter, middie Pat Foster gave the Tar Heels the lead for good, when he sent a 10-yard shot from a tough angle on the left wing in past Wickham.
Flanagan provided the insurance goal just six seconds into the final quarter, picking up the ball off a faceoff win by the Heels and firing it in for his second goal of the evening.
The Tar Heels dominated the game in almost every category, including winning 18 of the 22 faceoffs. Meanwhile, they owned a 40-28 advantage in shots and a 42-23 edge in ground balls. Neither team scored an extra-man goal, including the Mids who were 0 for 4.
After a slow start to the season, Wickham had easily his best game in goal this year. He made 14 saves and came up with a team-best eight ground balls. He made countless stops for the Mids, including a handful of point-blank saves to keep the Mids alive.
The Midshipmen will be back in action next Tuesday when they open Patriot League play at Lehigh in what will be Navy’s third-straight road game of the 2011 campaign. Brought to you live on 1430 WNAV, faceoff is set for 7:00 pm at Ulrich Sports Complex.
### Go Navy ###
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Navy freshman attackman Sam Jones (Annapolis, Md.) made his debut in front of his hometown crowd a memorable one, scoring five goals to lead the Navy men’s lacrosse team to a 14-8 victory over VMI in both teams’ opener Saturday afternoon at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. The five goals by Jones are the most by a Navy player since Taylor Harris unleashed for six against Holy Corss on March 26, 2006, and ties as the second-most goals by a Mid during head coach Richie Meade’s 17-year tenure at the Academy.
“I’ve been dreaming about coming to the Academy and playing lacrosse since I was probably four years old,” said Jones, who is a third-generation Navy lacrosse player. “My grandfather (Jack Jones, a 1954 graduate who was the ‘54 recipient of the Kelly Award), nor my father (Dave Jones, a 1982 graduate who was the captain of the lacrosse team his senior year) pressure me. It was just something I always wanted to do.
“I?was more anxious than nervous,” admitted Jones about his start in Saturday’s opener. “But having played with Tucker (Hull) and Harrison (Chaires) at NAPS, we have a good chemistry so that made me feel more comfortable. Our middies did a good job of moving the ball and I just happened to be the one open. For a guy that’s dreamt about this since he was four or five, it’s a pretty cool feeling.”
Jones, however, wasn’t the only Navy rookie to have a successful collegiate opener. Fellow starting attackman Tucker Hull (Charlotte, N.C.) scored one goal and dealt out assists on three others, while Ellicott City product Harrison Chaires turned in a goal and an assist and Austin Heneveld (East Hampton, N.Y.) pumped an extra-man strike late in the third. In sum, Navy’s rookie class accounted for 12 points with eight goals and four assists.
The Mids also saw junior midfielder Nikk Davis (Cockeysville, Md.) score a pair of goals, while a relatively unknown junior Taylor Reynolds (Babylon, N.Y.) got the opportunity he’s long waited for at attack and capitalized. Not only did Reynolds score his first-collegiate goal, he also produced his first-career hat trick in what was his first-career start.
“This is what I’ve been waiting for,” said Reynolds, who played alongside Ryan O’Leary and Matt Bitter as an invert middie group his freshman year and was predominately used as a rider in his sophomore season. “Matched up with two freshmen out there, it’s really a huge leadership responsibility and one that I’m more than happy to take on. To get a chance to not only show what I can contribute, but also start a game is really a dream come true.”
While Navy’s offense seemed to be a well-oiled machine, it seemed to take a quarter of play before the Mids were truly settled on both sides of the field. In fact, after the first quarter of play, the game was locked up at 4-4 and two of Navy’s goals were scored on extra man.
“I think there was some concern about getting into a game where we might get impatient or frustrated,” said Meade, who has directed the Mids to win in 10-consecutive season openers. “They put some pressure on our offense early on and I?thought we did a good job of handling it. Once we got through the first quarter, I?think we were able to gain control in second.”
Navy, indeed, was the dominant team in the second stanza, outscoring the Keydets 6-2 to take a 10-6 at intermission. It was during that quarter that Navy’s attack was nearly unstoppable, scoring all six goals. Jones, in particular, was stellar, scoring three goals in the period, including a goal where he was falling down and was surrounded by three defensive players.
The Mids cooled off a bit in the second half, scoring just four goals, but the damage had been done. Additionally, Navy’s defense held its ground and kept the Keydets off the scoreboard for roughly 15 minutes, giving up a goal at the 2:23 mark in the second and not again until 2:07 in the third. Meanwhile each team punched in a goal in the fourth quarter.
Although VMI won just two more faceoffs than the Mids, the Keydets got instant offense from draw specialist Stephen Robarge. The Preseason All-American scored twice against Navy keeper RJ Wickham (Penn Yan, N.Y.) after gaining the ball off procedure calls. Navy’s Logan West (Berlin, Md.), however, finished the day winning 11 of the 18 faceoffs he took, one of his finest days at the faceoff “x” as he was just one win shy of tying his career high for wins.
Defensively, sophomore Peter Rogers (San Diego, Calif.) made his debut where he paced the Mids with four caused turnovers and grabbed three ground balls. Freshman Pat Kiernan (Ridgewood, N.J.) was also strong in his collegiate debut, pacing the Mids in ground balls with six and causing three turnovers.
“The defense made a lot of mistakes and there were probably four goals that we gave up and shouldn’t have,” added Meade. “I think it was a really good effort and while a lot of things went well for us, there’s a lot that we can improve upon.”
The Midshipmen will be back in action next Saturday when they travel to Baltimore to battle Loyola. Navy will look to avenge last year’s loss in which Cooper MacDonnell punched in his sixth goal of the game with just nine ticks left in overtime to lead the 15th-ranked Greyhounds over the Mids, 8-7. Saturday’s game is slated for a 2:00 pm start. The game will not be carried on the radio due to coverage of Navy’s men’s and women’s basketball doubleheader against Army.
Collegiate Men’s Lacrosse
RJ Wickham named Tewaaraton Trophy nominee
For Immediate Release
Friday, April 16, 2010
Men’s Lacrosse Contact: Stacie Michaud (410) 293-8773
For more information on Navy Athletics, log onto www.NavySports.com
Navy Netminder Named a Tewaaraton Trophy Nominee
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Navy sophomore goalkeeper RJ Wickham (Penn Yan, N.Y.) is one of 26 players to be selected as a nominee for the 2010 Tewaaraton Trophy it was announced this week by the Greater Washington Sports Alliance.
Recognized as the most prized award in college lacrosse, the Tewaaraton Award Foundation released its “Watch List” in early March, a list which grew to nearly 100 names and included Navy senior attackman Tim Paul (Parkton, Md.), a 2009 All-American, and sophomore defenseman Matt Vernam (Shoreham, N.Y.).
An unknown at the beginning of the season, Wickham became a household name by making spectacular saves. He is the nation’s leader in save percentage this season, turning back 62.7 percent of the shots he’s faced, while he is ranked 12th in goals-against average, surrendering 8.53 goals per game.
Recording 158 saves this spring, Wickham has produced double digit stops in 10 of the 11 games, including his 19 save-performance against Loyola. It marked the best effort by a Navy keeper since former Navy team captain Seth DiNola turned away 21 shots on goal in a losing effort against Penn State (5-4) on April 12, 2003. Wickham has received Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Week honors three times this season, including for his memorable effort against Loyola.
Wickham broke into the program’s top 20 career saves leader board against Holy Cross (3-20) behind a 16-save effort, while last Saturday he turned back 17 shots against Maryland to become only the 19th player in school history to reach 200 career saves. In addition, his performance against the Terps catapulted him into the Mids’ single-season top 20 leader board. He stands 18th on the list and is the first player to join the elite group since two-time Kelly Award winner Mickey Jarboe in 1999.
Wickham is one of four goalkeepers on the list of Tewaaraton Trophy nominees, joining Syracuse’s John Galloway (59.5 Sv%, 7.72 GAA), Loyola’s Jake Hagelin (60.5 Sv%, 6.78 GAA) and Drexel’s Mark Manos (61.2 Sv%, 7.69 GAA).
“RJ has had an outstanding year,” said 16th-year Navy head coach Richie Meade, who has coached two Kelly Award winners (goalkeeper of the year) Jarboe (1999, 2000) and Matt Russell (2004). “We put him in a tough position a year ago by starting him a few games as a plebe, but I?do think that has helped him in preparing for this season. He had some experience and new what to expect. He’s had to do more that what we would have liked this season, but I’m extremely proud of RJ’s growth as a leader not only on the defensive end of the field, but as a member of this team.”
The Tewaaraton Trophy has been presented to the national player of the year every season since 2001 and will be handed out on June 3 at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.
2010 Tewaaraton Trophy Nominees
Player School Yr. Pos.
Drew Bezek LeMoyne Sr. D
Billy Bitter N. Carolina Jr. A
Shamel Bratton Virginia Jr. M
Jay Card Hofstra Jr. A
Brian Carroll Virginia Sr. M
Grant Catalino Maryland Jr. A
Ken Clausen Virginia Sr. D
Ned Crotty Duke Sr. A
Kevin Crowley Stony Brook Jr. M
Curtis Dickson Delaware Sr. A
Brian Farrell Maryland Jr. M
Ryan Flanagan N. Carolina Jr. D
John Galloway Syracuse So. GK
Jake Hagelin Loyola Jr. GK
Cody Jamieson Syracuse Sr. A
Mark Manos Drexel So. GK
Jack McBride Princeton Jr. A
Jordan McBride Stony Brook Jr. A
Parker McKee Duke Sr. D
Sam Miller Salisbury So. D
Rob Pannell Cornell So. A
Max Quinzani Duke Sr. A
Steele Standwick Virginia So. A
Jeremy Thompson Syracuse Jr. M
Joel White Syracuse So. D
RJ Wickham Navy So. GK
### Go Navy ###
Lacrosse Apparel / Lacrosse Clothing
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The 11th-ranked Navy men’s lacrosse team jumped out to a 7-0 lead and never looked back as the Mids claimed a 16-5 win over VMI Saturday afternoon at Rip Miller Field in what was both teams’ season opener. A strong offensive display that featured goals by 11 different Midshipmen, helped Navy weather a rare pair of three-minute stick penalties.
After more than three feet of snow blanketed the Annapolis area, including Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, the contest was moved to Rip Miller Field on the grounds of the Naval Academy. It was the first time the Mids have played on that field since 2005 when the Navy-Georgetown game was played over the course of two days. Played in a torrential downpour, the game was suspended after the first quarter when referee Scott Boyle collapsed and died on the field. Due to the field conditions at a then grass-covered Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, the game was completed the following day at Rip Miller Field.
Despite the chilly weather conditions, a crowd of better than 1,600 showed up to the field to cheer on Navy. The Midshipmen, who have faced VMI in the opener in each of the last three seasons, have now won nine straight season openers, outscoring their foes at an amazing 112-23 rate (12.4-2.5). The last time head coach Richie Meade’s Mids dropped a season opener was in 2001 when UMBC escaped with a 9-8 overtime win at Rip Miller Field in Annapolis.
“I?felt like we played a lot better today than how we did a year ago at this same time,” said Meade, who is in his 16th season as the Mids’ head coach. “We definitely have some things to work out before we play Loyola next week, but certainly we did some things today that we can build off.”
In a complete turnaround from last year’s performance which saw the Keydets as the aggressor, Navy scored quickly and at times, at will. Second-year midfielder Nikk Davis (Cockeysville, Md.) put the Mids on the board just under two minutes into the contest when he fired off a lefty shot from the right wing.
Navy then scored three consecutive goals in less that two minutes, as Navy took a 4-0 lead with 7:52 remaining in the opening quarter. Among the three goals was a side-winder from junior Kevin Doyle (Towson, Md.), who has worked his way onto the second midfield line after not seeing any action in 2009. Meanwhile, the third of the three goals during the run was scored on a Brendan Connors-to-Patrick Moran play when the Mids were two men up.
The Mids pushed the lead to 5-0 when sophomore midfielder Taylor Cook (Hollywood, Md.) fought his way through a crowd of defensemen, spinning twice before burying his first career goal. Thirty-three seconds later, junior attackman Andy Warner (Corning, N.Y.) scored the first of his three goals on the day. Navy’s final goal of the quarter was scored on an errant clear with senior midfielder Basil Daratsos (Niskayuna, N.Y.) picking off a pass and taking it in the for the goal.
The start of the second quarter marked two distinct changes within the game. First, VMI head coach Jeff Shirk benched keeper Sean McCoy and inserted sophomore Kelly McMinn, who would go on and play a solid contest. The second, meanwhile, was the first of two illegal stick penalties called on Navy, this time it was Warner.
The three-minute stick penalty cost Navy a pair of goals, including a Keith Long-to-Brett Leonard strike just 17 seconds into the quarter. The Mids, who managed to rack up a staggering seven penalties in the game, weathered a 1:00 minute cross check by Joe McAuliffe (Vero Beach, Fla.), but the 30-second push by Doyle leant the Keydets to their third straight extra-man goal, closing to within four goals.
Navy eluded getting shut out in the quarter when Davis fed senior midfielder Joe Lennon who cranked an overhead shot past McMinn with 1:05 to play.
The Mids opened the second half much like it did the first. The Mids drilled home three straight goals, including an acrobatic goal by Warner who caught a Brian Striffler (Virginia Beach, Va.) pass in mid air and punched it in over the keeper’s shoulder.
The Keydets briefly stopped the Mids momentum when Tim Moran scored on the run at 3:23 in the, marking VMI’s first settled goal of the contest.
Navy, though, rattled off three in a row, as the Mids closed out the quarter with a McAuliffe goal in transition. It was McAuliffe’s second career goal and the first since his freshman season.
Navy began the fourth quarter with its second stick penalty, but this time Navy’s defense was able to stave off VMI’s extra-man offense. The Mids outscored the Keydets 2-1 in the final stanza with the final goal of the contest scored by Navy rookie Cade Norris (Honeoye Falls, N.Y.).
Defensively, Navy gave up just two settled goals, both by Moran who was the Keydets’ leading scorer a year ago. Navy sophomore keeper RJ Wickham (Penn Yan, N.Y.) played a strong game, making 12 saves between the pipes.
“I thought as a team we played well,” said Wickham, who started six games for the Mids a year ago. “We had to overcome some adversity with the two stick penalties, but we stuck together and got through it.”
“We were lucky today,” Meade said in response to the stick penalties. “That’s a concern for us. There are some new stick rules that went into effect this year and stick penalties could become a huge factor in the game. I just don’t remember us getting called for stick penalties like this. We’ll sit down and address it and make sure that what we are playing with fits within the parameters.”
The Midshipmen will be back in action next Saturday when they play host to Loyola. Faceoff is slated for 12:00 pm at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. The game will be streamed online via Navy All-Access at www.NavySports.com, while fans can also tune in to 1430 WNAV to hear Joe Miller call the game.
Collegiate Mens Lacrosse
#9 Johns Hopkins 15, #11 Navy 7
For Immediate Release
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Mens Lacrosse Contact: Stacie Michaud (410) 293-8773
For more information on Navy Athletics, log onto www.NavySports.com
Blue Jays Snap Navy Lacrosse Winning Streak
BALTIMORE, Md. Midfielder Patrick Moran (Annapolis, Md.) paced Navy with three goals, while attackman Andy Warner (Corning, N.Y.) turned in a career-high four assists, but it wasnt enough to counter an offensive outburst by ninth-ranked Johns Hopkins (6-4) as the Blue Jays earned a 15-7 win over the No. 11 Navy mens lacrosse team (9-4) Saturday afternoon at Homewood Field. Not only did the Hopkins win snap Navys three-game winning streak, the Blue Jays extended their strong hold over the Mids, winning their 36th in a row in the series.
The game plan according to Moran was to score early and often as to allow the team to settle the ball. And while the Mids did a good job of putting their shots on goal in the opening minutes of the game, they would be hard pressed to follow through the rest of the game.
Moran put the Mids on top just over two minutes into the game when he picked up a loose ball in the middle of the box and punched in his first of three goals on the afternoon. Hopkins, though, won the ensuing faceoff and defensive middie Dave Spaulding won the foot race to score his first goal of the season and knot the game up at one after just 11 seconds.
Navy pulled ahead at the 11:10 mark when senior Bruce Nechanicky (Montgomery Village, Md.) spotted midfielder Basil Daratsos (Niskayuna, N.Y.) cutting across the field. Daratsos caught the ball on the run and stuck in just his second goal of the year. Once again, the Blue Jays had the answer when just six seconds later as attackman Kyle Wharton scored off the faceoff win.
The Mids closed out the opening period with the lead as Nechanicky darted from behind the goal around the right side, beating keeper Michael Gvozden to give Navy its final lead of the game.
Though Navy outshot Hopkins 10-9 in the first quarter, the Blue Jays possessed the ball for a good portion of the remainder of the game. Hopkins outshot Navy 18-4 in the second quarter and 13-5 in the third building a 40-19 advantage in shots by the end of the third period. Twelve of Hopkins 18 shots in the second were on goal, while nine of the 13 in the third were potential goals.
Senior middie Brian Christopher made a spectacular play for the Blue Hays early in the second quarter when he spun Bobby Lennon (Westminster, Md.) to the left and came back to toss in a right-hander to even the score at two apiece. Hopkins took the lead for good when midfielder Mark Goodrichs shot was originally saved by Phelan, but the ball bounced up in the air and Goodrich swatted it in.
Phelan pointed to the Goodrich goal as the turning point in the game for the Mids.
Looking back, as a goalie you are the last line of defense and you want to do everything you can, said Phelan. In the second quarter when I made the save and it popped up and they scored, I think we started to lose the edge.
It proved to be true as Navy was outscored 11-2 in the second and third quarters and Hopkins had built a nearly insurmountable lead at 13-5 with 15 minutes to play in the contest.
The fourth quarter was a wash, as each team turned in a pair of goals, including the first career goal by Navy rookie Ryan OLeary (East Meadow, N.Y.).
One bright spot for the Midshipmen in the game was the play of junior faceoff specialist Robby Battle (Herndon, Va.), who had made just one previous appearance in a varsity game. He came away winning eight of the 14 draws he took, both career highs.
The eight-goal victory by the Blue Jays was the largest defeat the Mids have suffered since April 19, 2003 when then No. 1-ranked Johns Hopkins dropped the Mids, 17-3, in Baltimore. The 15 goals are the most Navy has surrendered since that same contest.
We just gave them too many easy goals, said Navy head coach Richie Meade. We knew coming into the game that Johns Hopkins would be the best offensive team we have seen to date, but it was disappointing because our focus wasn’t totally there today. We gave up a couple of goals off of faceoff’s and transition and even off a substitution. We didn’t cover man to man as well as we have been. I don’t want to make excuses for us, but I do think that the inexperience of our defense showed up today. But I do have to give Johns Hopkins credit, they take advantage of their opponents mistakes.
Added Meade, The mistakes we made were not the typical ones we’ve been making. But we’ve been playing with the lead and your margin for error decreases when you are trailing.
While the defense as a whole struggled, Phelan put together his fourth consecutive gave with 15 or more saves. Stopping 15 of the 30 shots on goal, Phelan was awarded the Chris Gardner Player of the Game Award. Gardner, a former Hopkins lacrosse player who would have been a senior in 1999, succumbed to cancer in 1997. Each year Johns Hopkins donates proceeds from one of its games to the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, where Gardner received treatment for his illness.
Steven Boyle paced Hopkins with a career-high seven points on three goals and four assists and featured his 100th collegiate point. Meanwhile, 12 of the Blue Jays 15 goals were scored by starters, as an additional four player turned in multiple goals to complement Boyle.
Navy will be back in action next week when it takes part in the four-team Patriot League Tournament. Bucknell knocked off Colgate, 19-11, on Saturday to win the Patriot League regular season crown outright, while also earning the opportunity to host the tournament. The top-seeded Bison will play a team yet to be determined at 3:00 pm, while the No. 2 Colgate Raiders will face the No. 3 Mids Friday at 5:45 pm in Lewisburg, Pa. Last season it was the third-seeded Raiders who sent the Mids packing in the semis with a 12-9 win and eventually won the tournament title with a 13-9 win over Bucknell.
Lehigh and Lafayette battle Saturday evening in the final Patriot League game of the year. A Lehigh win would put the Mountain Hawks into the tournament as the No. 4 seed. A multiple-goal win by Lafayette puts the Leopards in, while a one-goal win by Lafayette would send it into a three-way tie between Lehigh, Lafayette and Army. Should that take place, Army would win the tie breaker due to goal differential in all Patriot League affairs.
Meanwhile, next Sunday’s Patriot League Championship Game will be played at 3:00 pm. Both semifinal games, as well as the championship contest will be televised live by CBS College Sports.
### Go Navy ###
Blue Jays, Midshipmen to Renew Rivalry for 83rd Time Saturday at Homewood Field
The Game: Johns Hopkins (5-4) hits the home stretch of the regular season as the Blue Jays welcome Navy (9-3) to Homewood Field. It is Homecoming at Johns Hopkins.
A Look Back: Johns Hopkins won its second straight game as the Blue Jays pulled out a 10-9 win over Maryland last Saturday in the second game of Inside Lacrosse’s Smartlink Day of Rivals. Navy was also part of the event as the Midshipmen led off the doubleheader with an 8-4 win over archrival Army.
These are the Facts: Johns Hopkins enters this week’s game against Navy with an all-time record of 887-282-15 (.755). The Blue Jays own nine NCAA titles, 29 USILA titles and six ILA titles for a total of 44 national championships.
Michael Kimmel and the Blue Jays will host Navy at 2 pm on Saturday.
That’s 605 Games Over .500: With the win over Maryland, the Blue Jays’ all-time record is now 887-282-15 (.755) … that’s 605 games over .500. To put this in perspective: JHU has played an average of just over 15 games per season under head coach Dave Pietramala. Using a 15-game season as a reference, if the Blue Jays posted a 5-10 record for 120 straight seasons, they would still be five games over .500.
April Reign: Flipping the calendar to April has usually been a good sign for the Blue Jays, who won four-of-five games in April last season to jump-start their run to the national championship game. Including the two wins this season against Albany and Maryland, the Blue Jays are 38-4 (.905) under head coach Dave Pietramala in games played in April. JHU is 21-2 at home, 16-2 on the road and 1-0 on a neutral field in April under Pietramala’s guidance.
A Brutal Stretch: This week’s game against 11th-ranked Navy is the ninth straight for the Blue Jays against teams currently ranked in the top 20 in the nation. Using this week’s USILA Coaches Poll as a reference, the Blue Jays played top-ranked Princeton, sixth-ranked UMBC, seventh-ranked Hofstra, fourth-ranked Syracuse, second-ranked Virginia, 10th-ranked North Carolina, 20th-ranked Albany and 12th-ranked Maryland in their last eight games. All eight of those teams were ranked in the top 18 in the nation at the time of the game. How difficult is the Blue Jays’ schedule? Consider …
The cumulative record of JHU’s first nine opponents is currently 77-25 (.755). • The last seven eight teams Johns Hopkins has played (Princeton, UMBC, Hofstra, Syracuse, Virginia, North Carolina, Albany, Maryland) currently have a combined record of 71-20 (.780).
This week’s game against Navy will be JHU’s ninth straight against a team ranked in the top 18 at the time of the game (all are still ranked in the top 20 as well). According to research conducted by the Johns Hopkins Sports Information Office, no other team in the country has played more than five consecutive games against teams in the top 20.
While it’s hard to guage how the remainder of the season will play out, it’s not out of the question that at least 10 of JHU’s 13 games this season will be against teams ranked in the top 20 at the time of the game.
Ony two of JHU’s 13 opponents this season (Towson, Mount St. Mary’s) currently have a record below .500.
Hitting the Century Mark: JHU head coach Dave Pietramala reached a milestone with the 14-9 win over Albany as the victory was his 100th as the head coach at Johns Hopkins. The Blue Jays are now 101-29 (.777) on his watch and he is just the third coach in school history to win 100 games (Bob Scott-158, Henry Ciccarone-105).
And Closing on 125: In addition to recently earning his 100th win as the head coach at Johns Hopkins, head coach Dave Pietramala enters this week’s game against Navy with an overall record of 124-46 (.729). This includes a 23-17 record in three seasons as the head coach at Cornell (1998-2000).
Poll Position: Johns Hopkins enters this week’s game against Navy ranked ninth in the USILA Coaches Poll. The Blue Jays are also ranked ninth in the Inside Lacrosse/Nike Media Poll. Navy is ranked 11th in the Coaches Poll and 11th in the Media Poll.
More Poll Position: Records indicate that the USILA began sponsoring a weekly coaches poll during the 1973 season. Since then there have been 354 weekly polls. Amazingly, Johns Hopkins has been ranked in the top 20 in all 354 of those polls and has been in the top 10 in 342 of the 354.
Below is a breakdown of the Blue Jays’ in the USILA Coaches Poll since its inception on March 19, 1973:
Total Weeks: 354
Total Weeks at #1: 102
Weeks in top 5: 276
Weeks in top 10: 342
Weeks in top 20: 354
Most Consecutive at #1: 14: 4/12/04-5/9/05
Most Consecutive in top 5: 130: 3/19/73-3/23/87
Most Consecutive in top 10: 158: 3/19/73-3/25/90
Most Consecutive in top 20: 354: 3/19/73-present
Poll Notes: In some years a preseason poll was not conducted • In some years a preseason poll was conducted, but the second poll of that season may have been held until after several weeks of the season passed • In some years a poll was conducted after the NCAA Tournament.
Lucky Number Nine: Years ending with the number nine have been kind to the Blue Jays since the program’s inception in 1883. Johns Hopkins has played 13 seasons in years ending in nine (including 2009) and has compiled a 94-23-2 record with seven national championships in those 13 years. The Blue Jays also played in the 1989 national championship game and advanced to the final four in 1999.
Streaking: Johns Hopkins is 78-20 in its last 98 regular season games dating back to the end of the 2001 season and 93-25 overall since the start of the 2002 season.
Attack Emerges: With the loss of standouts Paul Rabil and Stephen Peyser at midfield, it was no secret that the Blue Jay offense was likely to become more attack oriented. While the group was held in check in the losses to Princeton and UNC, it has more than held its own thus far. Starters Steven Boyle, Kyle Wharton and Chris Boland combined for seven goals and five assists against UMBC, seven goals and two assists against Hofstra, six goals and six assists at Syracuse, 10 goals and three assists against top-ranked Virginia and seven goals and three assists against Albany. Wharton currently leads the team in goals (20) and points (29), while Boland (19g, 9a) and Boyle (14g, 9a) are not far behind.
Boland’s 28 points have all come in the last eight games and 26 of the 28 have come in the last seven. He dropped a six-goal, two-assist masterpiece on top-ranked Virginia with his eight-point showing the most by a JHU player since Kyle Barrie had nine against Navy in 2003. Since Boland entered the starting lineup against UMBC, the starting trio has combined for 41 goals and 23 assists (9.14 ppg.).
Wharton, Boland and Boyle are currently among the top four scorers on the team. The last time JHU’s top three scorers were all attackmen was in 2001, when Bobby Benson, Adam Doneger and Conor Ford led the way.
Young Guns: A year ago the Blue Jay offense was a senior-laden group that was led by Paul Rabil, Kevin Huntley, Stephen Peyser and Michael Doneger, who combined for 108 goals and 34 assists. Fast forward to this season and the experience has been replaced by youth. Through nine games, 78 of the Blue Jays’ 104 goals (75%) have been scored by players who will return next season, while 51 of the team’s 62 assists (82.3%) have been accumulated by players with at least one year of eligibility remaining.
Defensive Notes of Interest:
After allowing a total of 30 goals in back-to-back losses to Syracuse and Virginia, the Blue Jays have allowed a total of just 28 goals in their last three games (UNC/Albany/Maryland).
Johns Hopkins held Maryland scoreless for a stretch of 20:02 from late in the third quarter until the final minute of the fourth. This is the second straight game JHU has held the opposition scoreless for 20 minutes or longer.
Johns Hopkins held Albany scoreless for streaks of 20:32 and 11:32. The streak of 20:32 is the second longest scoring drought for an opponent this season.
Despite the loss, Johns Hopkins held North Carolina scoreless for stretches of 13:18 and 11:08.
ohns Hopkins held Hofstra scoreless for stretches of 16:49, 11:56 and 11:21 in the 12-7 victory against the Pride. The Pride scored consecutive goals just once (late in the first quarter) against the Blue Jays.
Johns Hopkins held Siena to just three goals in the season-opener. That’s the fewest JHU has allowed in a season-opener since 1982.
The Blue Jays held Siena scoreless for the final 45:50 and limited the Saints to just six shots in the second half, including none in the third quarter.
Since the start of the 2007 season the Blue Jays have held the opposition scoreless for a streak of 14 minutes or longer 43 times.
The Blue Jays have held 21 of their last 32 opponents – including 13 of 17 last season – scoreless for a stretch of at least 18 minutes.
Hopkins has held the opposition scoreless for 25 minutes or longer 14 times since the start of the 2007 season, including seven times last season.
Offensive Notes of Interest:
While the focus of any Dave Pietramala-coached team will always be defense, the Blue Jay offense has also been effective. Consider:
Johns Hopkins ranks eighth in the nation in scoring offense (11.56), eighth in the nation in points per game (18.44) and ninth in assists per game (6.89). The Blue Jays’ offensive numbers are even more impressive when you look at the national scoring defense leaders. JHU has played three of the top eight and eight of the top 19 schools in the nation in scoring defense.
Despite the heavy losses mentioned earlier on offense (Paul Rabil, Kevin Huntley, Stephen Peyser, Michael Doneger), the Blue Jays are actually averaging just over one goal per game more than they did when they advanced to the national championship game last year (10.53) and won the national championship in 2007 (10.47). In fact, the 11.56 goals per game the Blue Jays are averaging this season are the most for JHU since 2005′s undefeated national championship team (11.63).
JHU has scored in double figures 25 times in its last 32 games and is averaging 11.09 goals per game during that time (355 goals in 32 games).
The 15 goals the Blue Jays scored against top-ranked Virginia are the most by Johns Hopkins against a team ranked in the top five since March 20, 2004, when JHU knocked off then third-ranked Syracuse, 17-5.
The Blue Jays have scored 104 goals on 305 shots this season for a shooting percentage of .341. As a team the Blue Jays scored on 31.2% of their shots last season (179-of-573). JHU connected on 28.8% of its shots en route to winning the national championship in 2007. The Blue Jays’ highest shooting percentage in the Pietramala era came in 2003, when they connected on 31.7% (224-of-706) of their shots.
One-Goal Turnarounds: With the 10-9 win last week against Maryland, Johns Hopkins is 32-11 in one-goal games since Dave Pietramala took over in 2001. The Blue Jays have won 19 of their last 26 and 23 of their last 31 one-goal games. In the five seasons prior to Pietramala arriving (1996-2000) the Blue Jays were 5-8 in one-goal games.
More One-Goal Notes: The Blue Jays have come from behind to win 16 times during their last 19 one-goal wins. In 10 of those 16 come-from-behind one-goal wins the Blue Jays came back from a deficit of two goals or more. The latest of these come-from-behind one-goal wins came last week against Maryland, when the Blue Jays erased an 8-7 deficit late in the third quarter.
Extra, Extra: The at North Carolina in overtime was JHU’s fourth straight defeat in extra time. Despite this, JHU is 13-6 all-time in overtime under head coach Dave Pietramala’s guidance.
- end –
Collegiate Men’s Lacrosse
#13 Navy 8, Army 4
For Immediate Release
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Men’s Lacrosse Contact: Stacie Michaud (410) 293-8773
For more information on Navy Athletics, log onto www.NavySports.com
Defense Anchors Men’s Lax Star Game Win Over Army
BALTIMORE, Md. — Smartlink Player of the Game Tommy Phelan (Towson, Md.) helped stymie the Army attack with a career-high tying 16-save effort, while junior attackman Brendan Connors (Bellmore, N.Y.) scored three goals and added a pair of assists to help lead the Navy men’s lacrosse team (9-3, 4-2 Patriot League) to an 8-4 victory over Army (5-7, 1-5 PL) Saturday afternoon in the opening contest of the Day of Rivals event played at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md.
Navy has now won 14 of the last 15 contests in the series, including 11 of the last 12 Star Games. With better than 20,000 fans in attendance, Saturday’s contest at M&T Bank Stadium marked just the second neutral site meeting between the two programs and the first time the Star Game has been contested on neutral ground.
“I am enormously grateful to have won this game,” said Navy’s Richie Meade, who owns a 14-3 record against Army since taking over the coaching duties in 1995. “It’s been a very long year for us and for me personally after having lost to Army last year. Not a day passed that I did not think about that game. It was a game that Army deserved to win because they were able to accomplish all of the intangibles and we were unable to match them. This year, I think we were that team.”
The Mids’ defense, ranked No. 4 in the country, surrendered just four goals in the win, holding Army to its lowest goal output since April 4, 2008, when Bucknell defeated the Black Knights, 7-4, in Lewisburg, Pa. Phelan played a huge role in what marked his third straight game of making 15 or more saves.
“Our defense has been in a groove the last few weeks,” added Meade. “Inserting Tommy Phelan into the lineup has given us a lot of maturity, as well as stability. He played an outstanding game for us.”
“Last year was disappointing for me personally because I?got to thinking that I?was the only Navy goalkeeper to have lost to Army in the last decade,” said Phelan, who was named last week’s Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Week after making a career-high 16 saves against Maryland. “I got a chance to redeem myself and also help lead my teammates to a victory. While I certainly prepared throughout the week like it was Army, once I got into the game, I?put it out of my head and played like it was any other team. Last year, I think I got a little too excited, too emotional. So I?just wanted to go into the game relaxed.”
Army put the first goal of the game on the scoreboard when senior middie Kevin LoRusso took a pass from Tyler Oates, tucking in an extra-man score at 11:10 in the opening quarter for the Black Knights. It was Army’s only man-up goal on four opportunities on the day, while it was just the fifth goal Navy’s top-ranked man-up defense has surrendered this spring.
The Mids evened the game at one apiece when Connors fed senior defensive midfielder Geoff Leone (Massapequa, N.Y.), who punched in the goal on the crease. The Leone goal helped trigger a 4-0 run by the Mids, including three goals in less than a minute.
Thirty-eight seconds elapsed before junior midfielder Joe Lennon (Westminster, Md.) sent a skip-pass to Navy’s go-to player on extra-man, junior Evan Sullivan (Westfield, N.J.), who fired in a seven-yarder to give the Midshipmen a lead they would not relinquish.
Just 16 seconds later, Phelan intercepted an Army pass and sent his outlet pass to mid-field where senior defensive middie Bobby Lennon (Westminster, Md.) awaited the ball. Lennon sprinted to the goal where he powered his shot past Army keeper Tom Palesky for his second marker of the year.
Navy capped off its run when Bobby Lennon poke-checked the ball away from the Black Knights at the top of the offensive box. Lennon picked up the loose ball and found second-year attackman Andy Warner (Corning, N.Y.) who saw Connors stationed on the crease. Connors face-dodged the keeper before putting away his first of three goals in the contest.
After more than 23 minutes of scoreless action by Army, the Black Knights scored the only goal of the quarter when Jason Peyer picked up a loose ball on the right side of the goal and waltzed past Bobby Lennon to trim Navy’s lead to 4-2 heading into the half.
It took Navy less than two minutes into the second half before stretching its lead to three when Joe Lennon ran from left to right before sending a bouncer past Palesky.
Army answered a short time later when LoRusso scored his second of the day, racing past Leone who attempted a trail check, but could not make contact with LoRusso’s stick. Instead, LoRusso’s shot was a worm-burner that Phelan was unable to stop. It was one of just a handful of shots that would get by Phelan, as the senior stopped eight of the nine shots the Black Knights put on goal in the third.
With just four seconds left in the third period, Patrick Moran (Annapolis, Md.) took a Connors pass and managed to thread his shot between Palesky’s right thigh and the inside of the post to put the Mids back up by three.
Connors went on to score the final two goals of the game for the Mids at 11:16 and 5:03 to help seal the victory for Navy.
Once again, Navy put together a balanced offensive attack that featured six different scorers. The Mids’ first six goals were scored by six different players, as Connors was the lone Navy player who turned in multiple goals in the win. Five of the six scored their first career goals against the Black Knights, as only Joe Lennon had previously scored against Army.
The Mids played without their leading scorer, Tim Paul, who suffered a sprained ankle just minutes into the second half of their 10-4 win over nationally-ranked Maryland a week ago. Paul stood on the sidelines in team sweats.
“Tim would have done anything to play in this game, so all of the offensive players came together and dedicated the game to Tim.”
Meanwhile, the win secured a Patriot League playoff spot for Navy, as the 4-2 Midshipmen will be the No. 3 seed in the tournament set for April 24 and 26 at a site yet to be determined. Colgate and Bucknell have identical 4-0 conference records with each having a pair of games to play.
“The Patriot League is so much better today than six years ago when we joined the league,” said Meade. “There are some great young coaches in this league and the dedication to the sport is starting to spread amongst the schools.”
Navy will be back in action next Saturday where it will look to snap a 35-game losing streak against the ninth-ranked Johns Hopkins Blue Jays. Action is set for 2:00 pm at Homewood Field and will be televised live by ESPNU and locally by WMAR (Ch. 2).
### Go Navy ###
Collegiate Men’s Lacrosse
Patriot League honors Navy defensive duo
For Immediate Release
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Men’s Lacrosse Contact: Stacie Michaud (410) 293-8773
For more information on Navy Athletics, log onto www.NavySports.com
Phelan and Tormey Receive Patriot League Weekly Awards
CENTER VALLEY, Pa. — Navy senior goalkeeper Tommy Phelan (Towson, Md.) and Preseason All-American defenseman Andy Tormey (Syracuse, N.Y.) earned recognition from the Patriot League office as both players were named to the league’s list of men’s lacrosse players of the week. Phelan took goalkeeper of the week honors for the first time this season and second time in his career, while Tormey received defensive player of the week kudos, twice receiving the honor in the last two years.
Anchoring a defensive unit that shut down one of the most potent offensive arsenals in the country, Phelan and Tormey helped lead the Midshipmen to a 10-4 victory over No. 8 Maryland last Friday at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in front 15,109 fans. After the Terps took a 2-1 lead late in the first quarter, Navy stymied Maryland for nearly 32 minutes as it was held without a goal until early in the fourth quarter. The nation’s fourth-ranked defense (now third) held the Terps in check who came into the game ranked 12th in the country with their 11.1 goals per game. Managing just four goals, it was Maryland’s lowest goal output since last spring when Navy and Johns Hopkins held the Terps to four goals in back-to-back games. Meanwhile, the six-goal victory was the largest margin of victory by the Midshipmen in the series since 1992 when Navy earned an 11-3 win over the Terps.
After holding Georgetown’s Ryan Shuler scoreless and without a shot a week ago, Tormey came back to shut down one of the nation’s top scorers, Maryland’s Grant Catalino. The sophomore attackman came into the game ranked 14th in the country in points per game (3.67), 19th in assists per game (1.67) and 38th in goals per game (2.00) and walked away empty handed. Tormey snapped Catalino’s 22-game point-scoring streak which was the nation’s 10th-longest active streak. Meanwhile, Tormey also spearheaded a man-down defense that held Maryland off the scoreboard in its two extra-man opportunities. The Terps came into the game ranked No. 7 in extra-man offense, while the Mids are ranked No. 1 in man-down defense, having given up just four goals in 30 attempts (.867).
In addition to Patriot League recognition, Tormey was selected to the Inside Lacrosse Team of the Week by Geoff Shannon for a second consecutive week.
Making his second start in goal this season, Phelan turned away 16 shots on goal by the Terps, the most saves by a Navy keeper in the series since Mickey Jarboe made 17 stops against Maryland in 1999. The 16 saves, meanwhile, are the most saves by a Navy keeper since Seth DiNola stopped 21 Penn State shots in 2003. Phelan was peppered in the first half, but made stops on nine of the 11 shots on goal to help keep the Mids in the game. In the second half, he made seven stops on the 11 shots he faced. Navy’s defense surrendered just one shot to the Terps in the third quarter, a point-blank shot that was turned away by Phelan.
In the two games he has played this year, Phelan has made 31 saves and owns a 72.1 save percentage.
While Phelan was not picked to be part of Inside Lacrosse’s Team of the Week, the IL staff put him on their national ballot for the fan pick. At last count, he had earned over 9,000 of the 16,000 votes that had been cast and was well in front of the pack as the fans’ player of the week.
Ironically, all three of Navy’s keepers, Phelan, Matt Coughlin (Brightwaters, N.Y.) and RJ Wickham (Penn Yan, N.Y.), have received recognition from the Patriot League. Coughlin was the season’s first pick as goalkeeper of the week, while Wickham was selected as the rookie of the week on March 10.
The 13th-ranked Midshipmen will be back in action on Saturday when they make the short trip to Baltimore to take part in the Smartlink Day of Rivals at M&T Bank Stadium. Navy will battle arch rival Army in the annual Star Game, marking the first time the schools will play the Star Game on neutral ground. Game time is slated for 11:30 am and will be televised live on ESPNU. Pete Medhurst will lend his voice to the broadcast on 1430 WNAV and 1050 WFED. Following the Army-Navy game will be the 105th meeting between Maryland and Johns Hopkins which is set to begin at 2:00 pm.
### Go Navy ###
Collegiate Men’s Lacrosse
#17 Navy 10, #8 Maryland 4
For Immediate Release
Friday, April 3, 2009
Men’s Lacrosse Contact: Stacie Michaud (410) 293-8773
For more information on Navy Athletics, log onto www.NavySports.com
Seniors Lead Navy Lax to 10-4 Win Over No. 8 Maryland
ANNAPOLIS, MD. — Senior Bruce Nechanicky (Montgomery Village, Md.) led Navy with three goals and an assist, while classmates Tommy Phelan (Towson, Md.) and Andy Tormey (Syracuse, N.Y.) anchored a defensive effort that held Maryland to a season-low four goals as the No. 17 Navy men’s lacrosse team (8-3) earned a 10-4 victory over No. 8 Maryland (6-4) Friday night in front of 15,109 fans at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. It was the largest non-Johns Hopkins crowd to see a game at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium and the fifth largest in stadium history.
The six-goal win was the largest margin of victory by Navy over the Terps since 1992 when the Midshipmen earned an 11-3 win. Meanwhile, the last time Navy scored double digits against Maryland was in 1995 when the Terps defeated the Mids, 19-11. The win also denied Maryland of the program’s 700th win, needing just one victory to join an elite group of schools who have amassed 700-plus wins. Navy stands fourth on that list with now 736 wins in school history.
“I am really proud of our guys,” said 15th-year Navy head coach Richie Meade. “I think we played with a lot more poise and maturity than we did earlier in the year. It was a big night for our seniors and for them to be able to win in front of a crowd like this and in this way, it’ll be something they’ll remember for a long time.”
The tone was set early on in the game, as the Mids scored the contest’s first goal after Maryland was whistled for a slash just two minutes into play. Navy junior attackman Brendan Connors (Bellmore, N.Y.) continued to have the hot hand, coming off a three-goal effort against Georgetown, punching in his second extra-man goal of the season off an assist from Nechanicky.
Maryland would eventually answer, but the Terps would be methodic in their offensive possessions. Sophomore attackman Ryan Young, who was defended by first-time Navy starter Tom Mansfield (Port Washington, N.Y.), swung from behind the goal and curled around to the right to find a gap over Phelan’s shoulder to even the score at 4:23 in the first quarter.
Maryland would take its first and only lead of the game with just over a minute left in the opening stanza when Notre Dame transfer Will Yeatman took Navy rookie defenseman Matt Vernam (Shoreham, N.Y.) behind the cage and popped in his first of two goals of the evening from the opposite side of the cage.
The Mids scored the equalizer with 4:05 remaining in the first half when Nechanicky picked up the ground ball off a Maryland turnover and was off to the races. Scooping the ball up along the far sideline, Nechanicky raced towards the cage, looking to score but instead found defensive midfielder Bobby Lennon (Westminster, Md.) trailing the play. He sent a pass to Lennon, who fed long pole defensive middie Zack Schroeder (Deer Park, N.Y.) for a picturesque goal. It was Schroeder’s third goal of the year and the seventh by a Navy defensive midfielder this season.
Navy scored the go-ahead goal with just five seconds remaining in the opening half on a Tim Paul (Parkton, Md.)-to-Joe Lennon (Westminster, Md.) marker in what may have been the dagger by the Mids. With time winding down, Paul set up behind the goal and found Lennon on the right wing. Lennon was able to turn his defender and get his left hand free to send his shot past Terrapin keeper Jason Carter to give the Mids’ a 3-2 lead heading into the half.
Maryland dominated the stat sheet at the half, outshooting the Mids, 20-10 and winning six of the seven faceoffs. But Phelan helped the struggling Mids get through a tough first half by making five saves in each of the first two quarters.
“We pretty much played defense the whole first quarter. We really struggled. We never had the ball and honestly, we were just trying to survive. Fortunately, Tommy was able to help us out by making some good saves.”
Navy continued to flourish on the offensive end of the field to open the second half, extending its lead to 7-2 by the end of the quarter. Nechanicky scored twice in the third, including his second of the night with just eight ticks left in the quarter.
Sandwiched in the midst of the four-goal third quarter was a perfectly executed transition play that began with a poke check by Mansfield that knocked the ball loose behind the Navy goal on the Maryland offensive side of the field. Mansfield grabbed the ball and sent it to mid-field for defensive midfielder Geoff Leone (Massapequa, N.Y.). Leone, who was coming off a career-best two-goal output against the Hoyas, fed sophomore attackman Andy Warner who sent in a 10-yard shot for his first goal in the last three contests.
After more than 30 scoreless minutes by the Terrapin offense, Maryland finally got on the scoreboard to open up the final period of play. Mr. do-it-all Jeff Reynolds won the faceoff and promptly raced down to take a shot that was saved by Phelan, but bounced back in front of the goal. Young happened to be at the right place at the right time and picked up the loose ball and poked it in.
Four minutes later, Maryland trimmed the lead to 7-4 when Vernam left Yeatman on the right wing, leaving only Phelan to beat as Yeatman fired in his second goal of the game.
Navy, though, would not be denied, as it held the Terps without a goal for the final 10 minutes of action, while tacking on three of its own, including a beauty by Warner. Rookie attackman Ryan O’Leary (East Meadow, N.Y.) attempted to shoot the ball from in tight, but it was blocked. Warner managed to come up with the ball and lofted his shot at the goal as he was falling to the ground, sneaking it past Carter at the 9:14 mark.
Minutes later, Nechanicky scored his third goal of the game, just his second career hat trick, off an assist from rookie midfielder Nikk Davis (Cockeysville, Md.). Nechanicky came around the side of the cage, where he was able to jam it in past Carter’s ankles on the near post.
Sophomore midfielder Brian Striffler (Virginia Beach, Va.) scored the Mids’ final goal of the evening, beating Max Schmidt in front of the goal for the unassisted marker with just over four minutes to go.
In what has become one of the most balanced offensive units in the country, seven different players accounted for the Mids’ 10 goals, while six of the 10 markers were assisted.
Meanwhile, on the opposite end of the field, the Mids played as fine a game as they have all year. Not only did Phelan improve upon his career-high day from a week ago, the Mids’ close defense was force to be reckoned with. In fact, Tormey single-handedly shut down Maryland sophomore attackman Grant Catalino, snapping the likely All-American’s 22-game point-scoring streak in what was the nation’s 10th-longest active streak. Navy also held senior middie Dan Groot without a point for the first time this season.
The four-goal output by the Terps marked the fewest goals they have scored since last year’s 10-4 loss to Johns Hopkins, just a week after the Mids held them to four goals en route to a 5-4 Navy win in College Park. The four goals were well below the 11.11 Maryland was averaging coming into the game. Meanwhile, the Mids’ man-down defense outmatched the Terps’ extra-man offense, keeping Maryland in check the two times it was a man up.
“To hold Maryland to four goals, you have to have great goaltending and we got that out of Tommy tonight,” added Meade. “But I’m not sure they had the ball much in the second half and that’s a great credit to both our offense, who was able to possess, as well as our defense who came up with some fantastic takeaways when we needed them.”
After winning just one faceoff in the opening half, Navy won seven of the 11 in the second half thanks to Frankie Coppola getting the ball out into the open field. Meade pointed to senior Matt Bitter (Massapequa, N.Y.), who picked up a career-high six ground balls, as the difference maker.
“Matt Bitter was one of the biggest keys to our success in the second half coming in off the wing,” said Meade. “Going into the game, we were hoping to contain Maryland at the faceoff “x”. We didn’t want to give up that unsettled goal. Matt played one of the best games of his career and played a crucial role in our win tonight.”
The Midshipmen will be back in action on Saturday when they make the short trip to Baltimore to take part in the Smartlink Day of Rivals at M&T Bank Stadium. Navy will battle arch rival Army in the annual Star Game, marking the first time the schools will play the all-important contest on neutral ground. Game time is slated for 11:30 am and will be televised to a national audience on ESPNU. Following the Army-Navy game will be the 105th meeting between Maryland and Johns Hopkins which is set to begin at 2:00 pm.
### Go Navy ###
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