Army West Point Athletics
Black Knight Blog - November 2009
November 01, 2009 | General
The Black Knight Blog is an initiative provided by the Office of Athletic Communications to offer Army fans an even more in-depth look into the everyday happenings here at West Point. The intent of this blog is to keep readers informed with a light, personal touch that will further enhance the fan experience. Please enjoy and send any comments, questions or concerns to tracy.nelson@usma.edu. We welcome your feedback!
Click below to ready blogs from past months:
August 2009
September 2009
October 2009
Monday, Nov. 30
Well, it's officially the start to the holiday season now that Thanksgiving has come and gone. Dallas Miller with you today for the last November edition of the Black Knight Blog.
After feasting on all sorts of Thanksgiving goodies, I won't need to eat for at least a week (not that it will stop me from trying). That's a good thing, because this next stretch is sure to be crazy:
-Looking for its fourth straight win, Army men's basketball (3-1) will host Bryant tonight at Christl Arena. There's a running joke that the Black Knights are currently in first place in the Ivy League standings after defeating Princeton, Harvard, and Yale in succession - but Army will go for a 4-1 mark against the Bulldogs (0-5) of the NEC. The opening tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. at West Point.
-Tuesday has an historic opportunity for the Academy. In a nationally-televised speech from President Barack Obama, the president is expected to address the nation regarding Afghanistan, including the addition of troops in the region. Given the recent breach of security at the White House, we here in ODIA have already gotten word that things will VERY tight tomorrow. I have my fingers crossed that I'll get to attend.
-On Wednesday, I'll be traveling with the men's basketball team to Buffalo, N.Y., while the women's hoops squad returns to West Point, following a loss at Northeastern, to square off against Fairleigh Dickinson.
-Most of the office (Gunny, Shak, Tim, Mady) will be in Philadelphia for the Army-Navy presser on Thursday (I'll be in Buffalo with men's basketball). It goes without saying that Army-Navy football is a spectacle in itself, but with the Black Knights' 5-6 mark on the year, another victory would make Army bowl-eligible for the first time since 1996 (Independence Bowl). Visit goARMYsports.com for ticket information and the latest on the nation's greatest sports rivalry.
-After what is sure to be a late night returning from Buffalo, I'm looking forward to a weekend hockey home slate against Sacred Heart on Friday and Saturday. Army swept a red-hot Canisius team by a combined score of 11-3 last weekend, and I'm hoping they can keep things rolling after some early hiccups. Both games are slated for 7 p.m. starts.
There's my take on the week ahead. Go ARMY!
Friday, Nov. 27
Well readers you must have provided Brian with a great recipe because he is present and well today, joining me and the Coach in the office on a very quiet and largely deserted West Point afternoon. In case you forgot who I am (considering I forgot entirely too many blog dates, sorry!) this is Annie Holliday, your friendly front desk assistant. I also double as the unofficial first floor hall monitor, although there's pretty much nothing to catch my attention or keep watch over today as everyone seems to still be sleeping off their Thanksgiving feasts, that or taking a nap after having too much Black Friday fun this morning.
After a Thanksgiving for me that included a flooded basement, six hours on the road, and winning 20 bucks, I'm happy to move on to the next celebrations. Of course this weekend will include the requisite digging out of my Christmas decorations (thankfully untouched by the flood), and lots of singing along with Martina McBride's "White Christmas" album. But even better than finally feeling comfortable tapping my toes to all the familiar holiday tunes, this Sunday brings the long awaited announcement of where the volleyball team will be competing for the first round of the NCAA tournament.
For anyone who might have missed it, Army Volleyball won the Patriot League Tournament last weekend, which brings with it an automatic bid to the NCAAs. This is a very big first for the record books. I've been involved with Army Volleyball for many years and it was so awesome last weekend to watch the team and coaches reach this milestone for the program. The girls played out of their minds and proved again that they are just so fun to watch, loaded with talent and very smart. When the last ball was down and everyone rushed the court, the entire place went beserk. I know Gillis Field House is a big building, but it sounded even louder than the first time we beat American back in 2005. There were a million hugs, high fives and smiles exchanged, and all the fans in the bleachers stayed to cheer and provide support as the league representative announced all the awards. Later on, Coach Alma Kovaci would state how so many former players and former West Pointers were contacting her with congratulations, some from halfway around the world. (I wonder what they all said when they got their first look at what is definitely now in my top 5 favorite photos of all time - see upper right - definitely a winner!) Anyway, after many years of being close and now finally having done it, the team will gather around a TV this Sunday at 3 p.m. to watch the selection show on ESPNEWS to find out where they'll be headed on their inaugural journey into NCAA postseason play. A collective cheer and massive rush to make travel plans will probably follow from the extended volleyball family of fans and friends, and if you can blog readers, you should tune in to the show too, although Tracy will definitely have a release up as soon as it is announced in case you miss it.
Other upcoming events include Army Hockey at home this weekend against Canisius and Men's Basketball home against Yale tomorrow. Women's Basketball is on the road to Northeastern and other than that, it is pretty quiet.
So until we meet again, have a great weekend, and Go Army! Beat Everyone!!!
Wednesday, Nov. 25
Happy Thanksgiving Eve to all of our readers! Brian Gunning working from the home office today. I want to echo my co-workers apologies for being so sporadic on our daily entries. It's no excuse, but it seems like this year has been busier than ever with the fall/winter overlap.
As you might expect it's a quiet week in terms of events. The big game of the week is actually tonight. The women's basketball team hosts service-academy rival Air Force at Christl Arena beginning at 7 p.m. I'll be taking a break from my pre-Thanksgiving preparations to go cheer on the Black Knights (in my head anyway, I'll be sitting at the press table keeping stats).
Speaking of which, does anyone have a good cheese ball recipie? My fiancee and I are in charge of appetizers tomorrow, and in hopes of reliving some childhood memories, I wanted to make my grandmother's cheese ball. The problem is nobody is picking up at grandma's house to get the exact recipie so I might have to tinker a bit. If I'm out sick on Friday, you know why.
One of the reasons I've been so busy lately is the start of the men's basketball season. It's been an exciting beginning to the Zach Spiker Era with three straight, close victories. One of the impressive things about the wins is that all three came against quality teams that beat the Black Knights last season and returned several key contributors. LIU was picked to finish second in the NEC, Princeton was picked to be the runner up in the Ivy League, while Harvard was fourth in the conference's preseason poll.
The senior leadership on this year's team is definitely showing. Those seven guys have been through a lot in their four years at West Point and that experience is starting to pay some dividends. It also helps that Julian "The Microwave" Simmons is throwing in about a point per minute. The sophomore guard has taken on a large scoring role and even though he got off to a tough start against Harvard, rallied back with 11 points in the last six minutes to help the Black Knights overcome a six-point deficit and score a three-point win.
Army will be going for its fourth straight win on Saturday when it hosts Yale to wrap up a three-game stretch versus Ivy League opponents. The BK's haven't won four in a row since a six-game winning streak during the 2006-07 season. Not to get too far ahead of myself, but the boys are just two wins away from its best start (5-1) to a season since Mike Krzyzewski roamed the sidelines at Gillis Field House.
While basketball is now in full swing, the looming Army-Navy game has also kept us all hopping in the office. Even with the game being a week later this year, there is still plenty to do with the game program, experience auctions, game operations meetings, etc. The team is practicing this afternoon, but will have the rest of the week off to enjoy the holiday break. It will be interesting to see how the two teams' varying schedules will impact the game. The Black Knights have not played since Nov. 21 and will have two Saturday's off between games. Navy on the other hand, had a bye last week, but plays at Hawai'i this Saturday. Hopefully, the extra time to prepare will be an advantage for the Black Knights.
There definitely won't be any secrets between the two teams. Army head coach Rich Ellerson and Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo have know each other since Niumatalolo played at Hawai'i when Ellerson was on the staff. In fact, Ellerson was the Warriors' defensive coordinator when a young option guru named Paul Johnson ran the offense. Johnson, now the head coach at Gerogia Tech, later took his system to the Naval Academy where it is still run today. Ellerson borrowed heavily from Johnson's offensive approach, although he'll tell you there are differences. With no real surprises in terms of tactics, expect the game to come down to execution, ball security and the kicking game.
That about does it. This cheese isn't going to magically form into a ball on its own. I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!
GO ARMY!!!
Tuesday, Nov. 24
Good Morning and let me be among the last to wish you all a happy holiday season. Bob Beretta here with you this morning at the helm of the Black Knight Blog. Hard to believe we are already hard-charging bull bore for Thanksgiving, but that's life in collegiate athletics. One week you're preparing for the football opener and the next you're smack-dab in the middle of hockey and hoops seasons.
Well, those of us in the Athletic Communications Office owe our readers a big apology for sporadic entries in the daily BKB. I stand front and foremost amongst the offenders, having missed my last several entries (I stopped counting at three). Things have been pretty hectic around the athletic department but we have vowed to improve our performance moving forward.
So while you may read shorter entries from us, we are committed to our responsibilities to provide a daily update. Plus the fact that we are all broke due to the fines that have been levied by our standing office judge.
On the heels of a terrific Army sports weekend, great win for the men's basketball team last night over Harvard. Another game for Zach Spiker's crew and another nailbiter. We go for a share of the Ivy League title on Saturday, hosting Yale (our third consecutive Ivy League opponent). At least coach Spiker doesn't have to dig too far back in his scouting reports for updated information. Plenty more sports on the horizon this week with our wrestling team making its home debut against Bucknell tonight, the women's basketball team hosting Air Force tomorrow night, hockey hosting Canisius on Friday and Saturday (I hope to make my hockey blogging season debut for those games) and men's basketball hosting the aforementioned Yale squad on Saturday afternoon. Great time to be an Army fan. Of course the annual Army-Navy Classic, presented by USAA is lurking down the road with added meaning attached this year for the Black Knights. Simply put ... Beat Navy, Go Bowling. You'll see plenty of information in the days ahead regarding Army's potential trip to the postseason.
Sorry to be so brief, but I must run. Didn't want to miss yet another entry, so I figured I'd be short and sweet.
I'm thankful for so many things at this time of the year, I cannot list them all here on the BKB, but I'll try anyway - family, health, freedom, our servicemen and servicewomen, the ability to work with wonderful young men and women daily and, of course, all of you out there that support this great institution, the premier leadership development laboratory in the world. I truly feel blessed.
Have a terrific Thanksgiving everyone.
Until next time, be well and Go Army!!!
Monday, Nov. 23
Wow. What a weekend. A Patriot League title, a big football win, hoops victories, wrestling champions, impressive hockey performances and a great week of events on the horizon.
Ryan Yanoshak joining you on this Monday and am dry, unlike Army volleyball coach Alma Kovaci who got the traditional post-game Powerade dousing after helping the team to the league title with an impressive 3-0 win against American on Sunday. Army will play in the NCAA Tournament with opponent, sites and dates to be announced on Sunday at 3 p.m. on ESPN News. Tracy did an outstanding job with her volleyball coverage all year and her story from Sunday was no different. And our Coach has a photo if you click this link.The Army football team kept its bowl hopes alive with a win at North Texas on Saturday. The Black Knights are idle until the Dec. 12 contest against Navy at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Stadium and need a win against their rivals to go to a bowl game. Here is the story in case you missed it.
The Army wrestling team competes in its first dual of the season Tuesday at 7:30 against Bucknell at Gillis Fieldhouse. Matt Kyler will enter the match coming off a win at the Body Bar Invitational. Tuesday’s match will be streamed live by ITT Knight Vision and if you can’t make it to West Point, you can watch it on-line. Details here.
The Army hockey team racked up eight goals over the weekend, including a hat trick by Cody Omilusik and a three-point effort from Marcel Alvarez in a weekend split with Bentley. Army entered the weekend averaging 2.1 goals per game but had a breakout weekend in Watertown, Mass. Army begins a five-game homestand this weekend with Canisius. Spending Friday shopping? What better way to unwind than sitting rink-side, in an all-you-can-eat seat for just $25? Looking for a cool gift for that hard-to-buy-for person? Yep, you guessed it, rink-side seats. Call and order your tickets today, 1-877-TIX-ARMY.
There may be a holiday later this week but a full slate of events are on the Army sports calendar, beginning tonight with Zach Spiker and the Army men’s basketball team seeking their third straight win, against Harvard. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at Christl Arena. May I recommend court-side seating?
On Tuesday, the wrestling team is home at Gillis Field House at 7:30 and then on Wednesday, the women’s basketball team hosts service academy rival Air Force at 7 p.m.
AUCTIONS: We just added some new experiences for the Army-Navy game and some giveaways to the auction site. Click here to see new and unique ways to enjoy America’s Greatest Rivalry.
BK BLOG: As you have noticed, a few days have been missed in the ole BK Blog rotation and we have been discussing options. Our goal is to bring you as much information on Army athletics and we are open to suggestions as to the best way to do this. Feel free to reach out with ideas.
That’s it for me. Safe travels.
Friday, Nov. 20
Hello Black Knight Blog readers. Tim Volkmann coming to you on a busy albeit quiet Friday afternoon here in the office. Bob and Gunny are on their way to Texas for tomorrow's football game at North Texas, while Shak is on his way to Massachusetts as the hockey team is playing a pair at Bentley tonight and tomorrow. Even Dallas is leaving in a little while to accompany the men's basketball team to Princeton for their showdown tomorrow.
That leaves myself, Mady, Tracy and Annie behind to keep the home fires burning as we prepare for a big weekend here at West Point. Tomorrow, following a women's basketball game against Delaware State at 1:00 p.m., the women's volleyball team will begin the final stage of its quest for a Patriot League Championship when it takes on Lehigh in the semifinals of the conference tournament at Gillis Field House starting at 4:00 p.m. If the top-seeded Black Knights win, they will play the winner of the other semifinal featuring second-seeded American and third-seeded Colgate on Sunday at 4:00 p.m. with the winner moving on to the NCAA Tournament.
I'm going to do something a little new today. I usually don't go out on a limb and make predictions, but here is what I bet is going to happen this weekend.
First off, the football team will overcome a late deficit to beat North Texas by four points, say 17-13, to move its record to 5-6 and head into the Army/Navy showdown with a chance at clinching a bowl bid. Next, head coach Zack Spiker will use his familiarity with the Ivy League to lead the men's basketball team to a close victory over Princeton (56-52 final sound about right?).
The women's basketball team will struggle a bit early, but come storming back to cruise to what I think will be about a seven-point victory over Delaware State (how does 57-50 sound?) while the hockey team will open its weekend series tonight at Bentley with an easy 5-1 win. (I feel like they might come up short a little tomorrow and lose 4-3 but that is just my gut feeling).
And finally volleyball. I see a 3-0 sweep of Lehigh in tomorrow's semifinal to set up a showdown with eight-time defending champion American on Sunday. I'm pretty sure American won't stand a chance against Army's young hitters on Sunday and the Black Knights will pick up a 3-0 white-wash to earn its first ever trip to the NCAA Tournament. I can't be sure, but I will say the championship match game scores will be 25-16, 25-16, 28-26.
Make sure you check back on Monday to see how I did with all my predictions.
Have a great weekend everybody - and Go Army - Beat Everyone!!!
Thursday, Nov. 19Good morning and welcome to today's blog for Thursday, Nov. 19. Mady Salvani at the keyboard today after missing at least two blogs.
Right now I have it easier then my co-workers as the fall/winter crossover doesn't affect me as much as the winter/spring does. Today I am going to tell you about my experience with ESPN's SportsCenter's visit on Veteran's Day.
I was asked to go out and take photos for future publications and had a great time, but would have preferred warmer weather. Former Army Sports Information Director Bob Kinney's son Paul works for ESPN as a research analyst and made the trip to West Point because of his background growing up here.
Whenever folks ask me how long I have been working in my office, I would turn to Bob Kinney and ask for Paul's (his mother was pregnant the year I started) age and take it from there. I saw Paul, asked him his age and nearly died when he told me (which I will keep to myself).
Prior to going out to the Plain where the stage was set up, I watched highlights of former Army football players to include Gary Steele, who played back in the late '60s for Tom Cahill. Whenever I would run into Gary, I would ask about his kids and I remember one year he told me his daughter Sage had just gotten an internship with ESPN. Now she has her own spot on the show.
I think one of the best things about ESPN's Salute to Veterans was the interview with Bill Parcells, Bob Knight and Coach K - I was at West Point when all three coached.
Their interview certainly enhanced West Point's athletic programs in my opinion because they all credited their success with starting at Army and what they learned from the Academy as young coaches. All were in their 20s when they began and all went on to unparalleled success. I especially liked when they asked Parcells for a story on Knight and he mentioned golf. I used to hear horror stories about Knight, Joe Palone (soccer coach) and Jack Riley (hockey) playing at West Point and how clubs would be flying or bent when they didn't make a shot.
Following the coverage, I went out to the Plain and during a break was able to get a shot of the talent (Hannah Storm and Josh Elliott) for our files. I stayed around because the sky diving team was going to perform and afterwards take the talent for a ride.
The skydivers were awesome and one even had a camera on him when he jumped so you had a spectacular view - even though I don't like heights - to include approaching the ground. I was able to get a few shots of the skydivers as they approached the Plain along with the chopper hovering above it.
Afterwards the talent were interviewed by our own Rich DeMarco for ITT Knight Vision wearing Army gear following their ride. I was in awe of all they did and how much knowledge they had to retain. They are on air and talking about Army's leaders, athletic greats along with other sports and not missing a beat. It blew my mind because I know the history of the place but could not rattle it off in the style they did.
I went back that night to take pictures of the Corps on the Plains cheering on ESPN being led by the Army cheerleaders. Taking photos at night is hard for me and I was trying every setting I could find to get a few decent shots. It was cold, but the Cadets did a great job cheering and hammed it up like all college kids for the cameras. I was also able to get a few of those shots as well.
It was an exciting day that started out in the office and ended on the Plain. That's what keeps this job from ever getting dull.
Wednesday, Nov. 18
Good morning all! Hopefully you haven’t given up on us yet – I am just now realizing that we haven’t done a daily blog in quite some time now. Tracy Nelson with you today and I’m sure that you’re more than hungry to get your Black Knight Blog on after missing it for a few days. That’s a lot of pressure, but I’ll do my best.
This is certainly no excuse in the least, but our office (and the rest of ODIA) are in the midst of what is easily the busiest time of the year. The fall/winter crossover is brutal for many and we’re usually hit pretty hard with trying to get winter sports on the brain while some fall sports are at their peak.
Speaking of the fall/winter overlap, I can’t believe that I’m sitting here hoping that I’m still working volleyball into December. I’m sure that I’ve mentioned it before, but I serve as our office’s contact for volleyball, women’s basketball and women’s tennis. The first two are in full swing as we speak, making for some busy weekends and long days. I can’t complain, however, as I do love my job – heck, I get paid to watch sports!
If you haven’t been paying attention to the Army volleyball team this year, now is your chance! I promise I won’t judge you for jumping on the bandwagon – the more fans at Gillis this weekend, the better! For the first time in EIGHT years, American has finally be dethroned and knocked out of hosting rights for the Patriot League Tournament. Instead, a young Army team that I never expected to enjoy the level of success that it has this year, will play as the No. 1 seed and host the four-team tournament. The Black Knights draw No. 4 Lehigh in the first semifinal on Saturday at 4 p.m. The winner of that match will take on the winner of No. 2 American and No. 3 Colgate (Saturday; 6 p.m.) in Sunday’s title match, scheduled for 4 p.m.
I have been working in the Patriot League volleyball arena for five years now (two at Lafayette, three at Army) and I’ve never been more excited for the tournament. For the first time in years, it’s nice to see that it’s really anybody’s game. In the past, it’s always been David (Opponent) vs. Goliath (American). American is a well-coached, seasoned program, but this year has had a different flavor. Instead, it’s your Black Knight coming in as the favorite – which can be a good and a bad thing. As head coach Alma Kovaci, who was named the league’s Coach of the Year for a second time on Tuesday, always says, “it’s one match at a time.” Get past Lehigh and then worry about Sunday. In addition to Alma’s award, the Black Knights cleaned house picking up four of the five major awards on Tuesday. Freshman outside hitter Ariana Mankus made history, becoming the first player to ever win Player and Rookie of the Year in the same season. Senior setter Maureen Bannon, one of the finest in conference history, garnered her third Setter of the Year title as well. Click here to read all about their accomplishments. Congrats to all of you on such an amazing job this season! Just remember, your work is not done yet …
Well, if I haven’t enticed you to make your way down to Gillis already (seriously, this team is a blast to watch live), maybe if I dangle some serious hardware in front of your nose that’ll do the trick?! First off, admission is free. Secondly, all fans in attendance will have a chance to win one of three sweet prizes through a free raffle. Come on down, fill out a card with the Army Marketing staff and you could walk away with a (1) 32” flatscreen HDTV (2) 8GB iPod nano or (3) 5-megapixel digital camcorder. The raffle will take place all weekend with the winners being announced during the break (between 2nd and 3rd sets) of the championship match on Sunday. Again, that is set for a 4 p.m. start and you MUST be present to win.
Okay, moving on to women’s hoops (this is what my life has been like for two weeks – one sport right on into the other!) following a tough loss at Yale last night. The Bulldogs had beaten rival Holy Cross, 66-60, in their opener and moved to 2-0 with a win over Army last night in New Haven. In talking with coach Magarity – who has 27 years of head coaching experience under his belt - I was surprised when we arrived to find out that he had never once coached at Yale’s Lee Amphitheater. He did so last night while his vocal cords got a good workout! It was a tough game from the start. I’m never one to complain about officials, but at one point the fouls were 7-0 in the first half with three of those seven going against junior F Erin Anthony – Army’s leading scorer by far. Down 22 at the half, Army did manage to make it a 10-point game (40-30) but just couldn’t get over the hump from there. Also a young team with some inexperience, they’ll come around. Army returns home to host Delaware State on Saturday at 1 p.m. What better way to spend your Saturday (like I will be!) than with a tripleheader of action – women’s hoops at 1 p.m., Army-Lehigh volleyball at 4 p.m. and American-Colgate at 6 p.m.
Now that I’ve covered both of my sports, I should mention to keep an eye out later in the week for some great new auction items! This football season’s giveaways – to include the very popular ACU Build-A-Bear – and some great Army-Navy Experience auctions will be out for bid later in the week. Click here to keep an eye on things.
I think that about does it for me now. It’s time to work away on some prep for the weekend. I hope this blog finds all of you well. I don’t think I’ll have a chance beforehand, so I’ll wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving a bit early. Until next time …
GO ARMY! BEAT LEHIGH! BEAT EVERYONE!
Tuesday, Nov. 10
Good morning loyal Black Knight Blog readers and thank you for your patience. The combination of fall sports wrapping up, fall sports heading to the playoffs, winter sports beginning, a home football game and travels with teams have caused us to miss a few days.
We appreciate your patience and loyal following as Ryan Yanoshak joins you on this overcast Tuesday.
A big week here at West Point, starting with Rich Ellerson’s press conference today at 1 p.m. (streamed on ITT Knight Vision). On Wednesday, ESPN will be on post for drop ins during Sports Center. As I understand it, ESPN will spend some time with cadets, do interviews and showcase West Point as it honors the military on Veterans Day.
That takes us into Thursday, a preparation day for a busy weekend. The women’s basketball team kicks off its season Friday at Christl Arena with a game against Wagner at 5 p.m. Next door at Tate Rink, the Army hockey team plays just its third home game of the season against AIC. Also at 7 p.m., the volleyball team hosts Lafayette.
On Saturday, we have a full schedule of events, including the final home football game of the 2009 season. The Black Knights will host VMI on Military Appreciation Day. In addition to $10 tickets for those with a military ID or USAA members (click here for the details), an enormous flag will be unveiled, the first 5,000 fans through the gates will receive a commemorative Build-A-Bear, a special halftime is planned and the members of the senior class will be honored.
The football game is the start of a busy weekend. The rifle team is at West Virginia, the wrestling team competes at the Oklahoma Gold Classic, the women’s volleyball team hosts Lehigh at 4 p.m., the hockey team is at AIC at 7 p.m. and the cross country team runs at NCAA Regionals in Boston.
Congratulations to our two latest auction winners who will get a unique experience at Michie Stadium this weekend. We had winning bids on our tee-taker experience as well as the Superintendent’s Experience and we are looking forward to meet those generous supporters on Saturday. We continue to add auction items to the site. Among the items now posted are autographed jerseys, game-worn jersey and autographed commemorative footballs. I have a hunch more experiences will be added for the Navy game so please continue to check back to the site.
That’s all for me.
Thank you again for your patience and loyal following. Go Army!
Wednesday, Nov. 4
Dallas Miller at the controls today for a Wednesday edition of the Black Knight Blog. My sincere apologies for missing my last turn on October 23. As one of my busiest days of the year thus far, I should have planned ahead a bit better than I did. Once I got into the swing of a weekend that included (in order) working with the ESPN crew, volleyball vs. Colgate, football vs. Rutgers, sprint football vs. Cornell, volleyball vs. Bucknell, and back-to-back hockey games against Mercyhurst to close out the weekend it was tough to keep track of the time. I blinked and suddenly four days were marked off of my calendar!
In a larger view, my time here at West Point has also flown by. I moved to the Academy in the last week of July and joined the staff in early August, all of which seems like it happened much more recently that it has. This year in particular has been faster than others, I'm sure of it.
Sports quick-hitters:
-My second Army-Navy experience was a doozey. Army sprint football hosted Navy last weekend with the CSFL Championship on the line, and I'm not sure I've ever seen a team in person dominate nearly every statistical category and come away with a loss. After trailing 6-0 for three quarters, Navy rallied late for a 7-6 win despite managing just 86 total yards on the night.
-Cross country is nearing the end of its season after running in the Patriot League Championships last weekend. The women's team has improved steadily throughout the year and finished second (they were slated to be the No. 4 team in the preseason poll). A dose of the fall flu-bug wreaked havoc on the men's side, slowing some runners and keeping others from the competition entirely, as the Black Knights still managed to place ahead of three teams in the eight-team Championship.
-Army football plays Air Force this weekend. I'm not as torn as I could be (Go ARMY!), but let it be known that my mother did spend over 20 years in the Air Force, and I was born at Holloman AFB in New Mexico...
-Volleyball can clinch the right to host the Patriot League Tournament this weekend. I had never worked with volleyball before coming to West Point. I've enjoyed seeing a handful of games from the scorer's table this season and have been impressed with their resiliency in some tough spots. Even though I wouldn't be here to see it (I'm penciled to travel to Princeton with men's hoops that weekend), I think they deserve the right to host as the best team in the Patriot League.
-Men's tennis wrapped up the fall season at the Cornell Wicked Invitational over Halloween weekend. Senior captain Chris Albornoz wore his 'Cornell Wicked Invitational Semifinalist' costume. He advanced to the semis individually and with doubles partner Johnny Lucero.
Random thought of the day - Chuck Norris is doing a book signing at West Point next week. That's awesome.
Go ARMY! Beat Chuck Norris!
Monday, Nov. 2
Happy November, everyone. Brian Gunning at the keyboard today. My apologies for the tardiness today. It's been a crazy day trying to get back in the swing of things after the weekend with no football game, but the football notes are done, posted on-line and sent to the various media outlets that need them.After a week with no football, I'm eager to get out to Colorado Springs this weekend. Last Friday's loss to Rutgers was a tough one so I know the team is eager to get back on the field, especially against a service-academy rival like Air Force. The game is going to be televised on CBS College Sports Network with Dave Ryan and Jason Sehorn on the call. Dave and Jason have done all of our home games leading up to the Rutgers game so the broadcast crew will have plenty of knowledge about what to expect from the Black Knights.
It's set to be a slugfest in the mountains with both teams featuring strong running games and strong run defenses. Army is ranked 11th in the country at 219.38 yards per game, while the Falcons are fourth in the nation with 275.56 rushing yards per contest. It's a good thing I don't get paid by the hour because this one should go quickly. Both teams are averaging over 50 rushing attempts per game, and are the bottom two teams in the country in passing offense. Ball control is going to be key. Army has had some success moving the ball, but has struggled inside the red zone, scoring only five touchdowns in its last 15 trips inside the 20-yard line. The Black Knights turned the ball over three times against Rutgers, including two in Scarlet Knights' territory. Air Force is one of the best teams in the country at forcing turnovers with 24 takeaways, tied for sixth-best in the country. Their +2.0 turnover ratio per game is second in the country. The Black Knights will definitely have to hang onto the ball and take advantage of its opportunites.
On the flip side, Army's 14th-ranked defense will be going up against the vaunted Falcons' option attack. I know it's a new year with some new personnel and new coaches, but the Black Knights did an outstanding job of shutting down the Air Force offense last season in their 16-7 loss at Michie Stadium. Air Force entered the game ranked fourth nationally in rushing, averaging 291.0 yards per game, but the Falcons were limited to 142 ground yards (42 carries) by Army’s defense, the lowest rushing total for the Falcons against the Black Knights since 1996. A similar effort will be needed for success on Saturday.
With such stout defenses, the kicking game will play a key role, and both teams have top-10 ranked kickers. Army's Alex Carlton is eighth in the country with 1.86 field goals per game, while the Falcons' Erik Soderberg is fourth in the nation with 2.11 field goals made per contest. Don't be surprised if this one comes down to a field goal one way or the other.
Well, that's my best Kirk Herbstreit impersonation trying to break down the game. Speaking of the former Ohio State quarterback. Chris Fowler, Herbstreit, Lee Corso and Desmond Howard, along with the ESPN Game Day crew will be in Colorado Springs on Saturday. The ESPN folks have been on campus a couple of times over the past two weeks working on a piece about Army wide receiver Alejandro Villanueva. If you can't make it to the game, be sure to check out the show starting at 10:30 a.m. ET. I'm sure everyone will be anxiously waiting to see if Corso breaks out the Falcon or Black Knight mascot head.
That does it for me today. While I might be caught up on football, there are plenty of other things on the to do list. Believe it or not, basketball season is less than two weeks away.
Go Army!
Mark Garrison's, be sure to check in every Wednesday afternoon for a sneak peek into what it means to be an athlete here at the U.S. Military Academy.
*SPOILER ALERT*If you want to wait until Wednesday afternoon to find out who the next Spotlight will be, go ahead and skip to the next section. Tomorrow's Spotlight is none other than volleyball senior captain Rachel Dunn.
If you skipped to this section to maintain the suspense, my hat is off to you. Although many would have jumped the gun, there's certainly something to be said for waiting until the official release. Good things come to those who wait - at least that's what my parents used to tell me.
Speaking of my parents, they came to visit this weekend for the first time since I've been on board, and were treated a great Army/Vanderbilt football game. Not only did the underdog Black Knights post an overtime win over the Commodores, but the weather was perfect. Michie Stadium has an absolutely spectacular view of the foliage in the Hudson River valley in the fall, and if you haven't checked it out yet you are really missing something. I'm glad they got to see such a good game and I'm also very grateful to them for making the trip down from Rochester to visit. Thanks Mom & Dad!
That's all I've got for now, stay tuned to goARMYsports.com throughout the week, as we'll have the latest news on football, golf, men's & women's soccer, men's tennis, rifle, volleyball, cross country, sprint football, and hockey, who will all be in action this week.
Go ARMY!
Wednesday, Oct. 7
Another day, another exciting slate of events filling the planner.
Good afternoon loyal Black Knight Blog followers. Bob Beretta with you for the first time in what seems like weeks, steering today’s edition of the BK Blog. Well, it only seems like it’s been weeks, because it has been since I missed my last entry last month. I believe I was traveling around the great Midwest, but the keeper of the fines jar, better known as Judge Shak, will hear none of it. My deal is that I keep a running tab and will ask the good Judge to shoot me an invoice at the end of the year for all my office faux pas. Probably up to double digits already this fall, I’m sure.
As Shak wrote yesterday, it was a double-shot of press conferences yesterday at Randall Hall with our normal weekly Rich Ellerson presser, followed by the introductory press conference for new men’s basketball head coach Zach Spiker. For Army fans yearning for positive news, take a few minutes and check out the transcripts from both conferences. Rest assured those two programs are in very good hands.
If you haven’t had a chance to learn much about Coach Spiker, he is without question a fast-rising star in the coaching industry. I was fortunate enough to be involved in the interview process a couple weeks back and Zach was an absolute find. When Mr. Anderson states that Zach clearly emerged from the pack, he certainly is spot-on. That’s quite a statement considering the candidate pool to which we spoke. It was an impressive group of current assistants and head coaches. And we couldn’t be more pleased to have reached an agreement with Zach.
He’s got quite a challenge taking over the program less than two weeks before the season officially begins, but we’re certain he will hit the court running and have the young men firing on all cylinders in short order.
Big weekend planned with CBS College Sports Network enjoying its Military Appreciation Day on Saturday. For what is believed to be the first time in history, one national outlet will carry Army, Navy and Air Force football games in succession and CBSC is treating the event with great care. CBSC has been airing service academy programming throughout the week and announced just this morning that it will air a special 30-minute documentary on Friday night at 7 p.m. CBSC’s cameras were here at West Point earlier this fall and followed senior wide receiver Alejandro Villanueva for a couple of days, attending classes, meetings and other events to provide viewers with an inside look at a normal day “inside the gates.” CBSC followed a player from Navy and another from Air Force in the same manner making for what promises to be a riveting show. I believe CBSC will re-air on Friday night at 11 p.m. with additional showing slated for throughout the fall.
CBSC will also broadcast a special one-hour pregame show on Saturday beginning at 11 a.m. in honor of the day and some very special guests are planned for Saturday’s broadcast. So as you can see, CBS has dedicated a great deal of resources to our new relationship, which should excite Army fans a great deal. If you can’t make it out to Michie this weekend, be sure to tune in to CBS College Sports Network. Looks like they have things covered end zone-to-end zone. Oh yeah, I almost forgot there’s a game being played as well as Army hosts Vanderbilt, beginning at noon. A big crowd is expected so if you’re planning on attending the game, be sure to arrive at West Point early. Remember, the first 5,000 fans entering Michie Stadium Saturday will receive a Felix “Doc” Blanchard bobblehead as the Army Athletic Association officially retires Doc’s legendary uniform number 35 at halftime. You’ll definitely want to get your hands on one of those as we offer the latest in our legendary Army bobblehead series. Pete Dawkins last year; Joe Steffy this year. Can Glenn Davis and Earl “Red” Blaik be far behind? Don’t want to give away any state secrets for next year ...
Well, that’s all for now ... gotta run to another meeting. Keep your eyes peeled for some big announcements the next couple of weeks. We’re close to announcing the 2010 football schedule and soon we’ll release our ITT Knight Vision schedule for this winter.
Until next time, be well and GO ARMY!!!
Tuesday, Oct. 6
Good morning loyal Black Knight Blog readers. All kinds of double doses for you this morning. Ryan Yanoshak, with another buck in the pot thanks to Volk’s lateness, joining you on a gorgeous Tuesday morning.
So not only two relatively new blog entries, we also have a pair of press conferences for you, a pair of hockey games and just for fun, some wrestling and golf as well.
Volk touched on Zach Spiker’s press conference today. We will formally introduce the new men’s basketball coach today during a 3 p.m. press conference in Randall Hall Auditorium. Our basketball guru Gun-Boat has nothing but great things to say about Zach, his passion for this job, his extensive resume and his desire to send out this senior class as Patriot League champions. Check back this afternoon, around the time you are leaving work, for a full recap from the press conference.
Prior to Zach’s introductory news conference, football coach Rich Ellerson will hold his weekly presser. Coach never likes to look back so expect the majority of time to be spent discussing Vanderbilt and Army’s foray back into the vaunted SEC.
Hard to believe it but hockey season starts this weekend. Yes, this Friday, Army will don the black jerseys at the Mutual of Omaha Icebreakers Tournament against host University of Nebraska-Omaha at 8:05 p.m. The first official practice was Saturday during the well-attended Black and Gold scrimmage and now head coach Brian Riley and his talented, tireless staff of Rob Haberbusch and Trevor Large face the task of creating lines and taking the first step for a successful 2009-10 season. Check back to the site later this week for a game preview and ideally, an on-line version of the media guide.
If you need a taste of hockey, junior forward Chris Spracklen has taken over the diary reins and has posted his first entry. ‘Spracks’ has big shoes to fill, following in the footsteps of previous authors Chase Podsiad, Mark Tilch and Matt Hickey but assures me he is up for the challenge.
Interim golf coach Major Chad Bagley has done a great job with the cadet-athletes, including a win against Navy and is with the team at Andrews Air Force Base at the Service Academy Championships. Monday’s second round was halted due to darkness with the final group on No. 18 tee. If all goes as planned, Army will be in second place with 18 holes to play this morning. There is no host school for this event but we will do our best to bring you complete results as they become available.
Monday also marked the first official day of practice for the wrestling squad. Veteran mentor Chuck Barbee and his assistants Ryan Wilman and Rafael Vega officially kicked off the 2009-10 season. The squad begins its season Nov. 7 at the Clarion Open.
That’s it for me. Go Army, beat par!
Monday, Oct. 5
Hello Black Knight Blog readers. Tim Volkmann coming to you pretty late on a Monday afternoon. My apologies for being a bit tardy with today's entry. (Looks like a owe another buck.)
I'm sure it is Tuesday for most of you reading this, and you are getting a double-shot of Black Knight Blog this morning along with Shak's regularly scheduled entry.
Mondays before home football games are usually a bit hectic for me as I put the finishing touches on our award-winning Army Football Game Day program that is distributed at Michie Stadium for all our games. Out of the 216 pages that you read every week, all but 17 of them are what we call "static" pages that don't change all season and are pre-printed at the beginning of the season.
The remaining 17 "change" pages are what I put together and send to the printer to include with the rest of the book. I am able to layout most of the pages in the days leading up to my Monday deadline, but there are a couple pages that I have to wait to update until after our preceding game on Saturday. I update our overall team and individual statistics, pirate a bunch of tidbits from Gunny's game notes, give it a quick edit and away it goes.
If you didn't have a chance to grab last week's Tulane program, Dallas wrote a great feature on quarterback Carson Williams, while Tracy penned a great feature on women's volleyball player Maureen Bannon. Thanks to both of them for all their help with the features.
Coming up this week is a hockey preview ala Shak, and Mady's Doc Blanchard feature that she wrote about in yesterday's blog. I also wrote a feature on senior wide receiver Damion Hunter so be sure and pick up a copy of the program on your way into the Vanderbilt game this Saturday so you have something to read before the noon kickoff.
I'm sure a lot of you saw the release over the weekend that Army hired Zach Spiker as its new men's basketball coach. Make sure you tune in tomorrow (or later today if it is already Tuesday) to ITT Knight Vision at 3:00 p.m. for a live webcast of the event welcoming Zach into the Army fold.
I believe I met Zach about seven or eight years ago when he was an assistant at Winthrop. I went to graduate school at Springfield College with Zach's undergraduate roommate from Ithaca College, and I believe Zach came up for a visit at one point or another. Like I was talking about with Gunny on Saturday, I guess it is a sign that we are getting old when people we went to school with are getting head coaching jobs.
I have heard nothing but great things about Zach all weekend, so despite the fact that he went to Ithaca, this Cortland graduate is looking forward to watching the Black Knights under Coach Spiker during the coming season.
In another sign that time is moving way to fast around here, Mickey Wender and the swimming & diving squads kick off the 2009-10 campaign this Friday afternoon against Stony Brook and Marist. The diving events will start at 4:00 p.m. followed by the swimming events at 5:00 p.m. over at Crandall Pool so come on out and cheer on the Black Knights in their season opener.
That's all folks - have a great evening (or morning, depending upon when you are reading this).
Go Army - Beat Vanderbilt, Stony Brook and Marist
Friday, Oct. 2
Everyone in the office is reminding me that today is my day to Blog, so I guess you probably realized that if there is anyone who goofs up it is me - Mady Salvani.
I am not one to talk about weather because I hardly ever notice it, but the last few nights have been cold and the sky has taken on its fall look. I passed the West Point Reservoir, which is right next to Michie Stadium, on my in this morning and you could see the steam coming off the water. If I had a camera with me, that photo would be on today's blog.
I am busy doing research on Doc Blanchard and when I go back into the football annals I can feel him come alive. From everything I have read about the Touchdown Twins, Blanchard (Mr. Inside) and Glenn Davis (Mr. Outside), makes me yearn to be able to go back in time and watch them dominate on the gridiron.
However, in order to go back in time there would be a lot of concessions. I would not be able to watch them play unless I attended their games. The home games at Michie would be okay, but the luxury press box I watch today's games from would not be around. In its place would be a wooden structure with no heat and little protection from rain and no drinks. I would not have the high power binoculars I use now and the field conditions could be messy with players tearing it up compared to running around on today's Superturf that can handle anything. I image the clothing over 60 years ago would be heavy to wear and weigh me down - but it would be warm.
However, the drive to the Stadium might not be too bad as there wouldn't be as much traffic (at least I hope so), but then again would I be traveling on a gravel road instead of the supper highways of today. On the other hand would the seats be comfortable (recline) with a nice radio, forget the CD, and most importantly would I have heat. What kind of tires would I have - would they be able to hit 100 miles per hour - I don't think so.
How would I follow Army on the road? Forget about TV. I would have to sit in front of a radio with snacks (but what kind) and listen carefully (sometimes it would go in and out) so I would be able to follow the game from start to finish. What kind of stats would they give? Today the computer spits them out at the end of each quarter, but back then it was pencil and paper and NO CALCULATOR. How long after the game would stats be available and what if I couldn't read the handwriting. What about play-by-play - they didn't do that back then, - so how could I write my stories, and what about coach's quotes (NO TAPE RECORDER). .
And how would I write my story - on an Underwood typewriter - but it would take forever. If I change my thoughts now, I can delete or copy and move things around on a document. There would no computer just plain typing paper (and if you wanted copies you used carbon paper - that's another story) and you would have to start your story all over again. It would be hard to strike the keys just right -otherwise the letters would be light.
So would I give up today's comforts to go back in time (I would grab my own binoculars and my calculator) to see the Touchdown Twins - you bet I would. I feel like I know them because of the stories I have read over the years - but to be able to be there and be part of history would be well worth any discomfort I would encounter. Who knows I might even like the times better and stay on - but then again I would miss my coworkers and friends plus I do like some of my creature comforts (like McDonalds).
Thursday, Oct. 1
CELEBRATING A MILESTONE
It's chilly and overcast Thursday here on the banks of the Hudson. Brian Gunning at the controls today, and yes, we are completely out of order. Someone (I won't mention any names, Tracy) literally jumped "The Gunn" on Monday and took my spot in the rotation. My sincerest apologies to all my fans who have been waiting on the edge of their seat for my next entry.
Pardon me today for getting a little sentimental, but I want to recognize someone very special to me. My grandmother, Jeanne Gunning, turned 90 yesterday, and after talking with her last night, it became very clear that I was destined to become a sports fan. My father played football in college and coaches high school football in my hometown. He passed along his love of the Cubs and Bears to us (Well, he was 1 for 2 on the Bears. Somehow my brother ended up a Cowboys fan. Payback is fun though - his older son now roots for the Steelers), but I really believe his passion for sports was fueled from an early age by my grandmother. For example, after wishing her happy birthday and catching up on some family gossip, she couldn't resist taking a shot at the Cubs.
"Well, the Cubs figured out how to win after it doesn't matter any more."
Please forgive the tinge of bitterness. She's now 90 years old and has never seen her beloved boys in blue win a World Series.
Even while her vision has deteriorated some, she still doesn't miss a thing. She doesn't watch much TV these days, but she still keeps her ear to the radio to keep up on everything she needs to know. Usually, at least once during the course of our conversations she'll reference at least one of her favorite teams like she's calling into a sports talk show. I guess, not so coincidentally, they're my favorite teams too. One of my greatest memories with her was taking her to Wrigley Field when I was about 9 or 10. Even though she'd accomplished so much in her life, raising three kids and being an unbeliveable role model and mentor for her countless students during a 40-year teaching career, I'll never forget how excited she was to sit in the friendly confines and just take everything in.
It's not just the local pro or college teams she follows either. Just like everything else in her life, she is 100 percent devoted to her family's interests. Neither my brother or I have played at Galena High School in more than 15 years, and she doesn't know one single player on the current team, but because my father is involved, she's right there supporting him. As a matter of fact, my mom might be getting a nasty phone call today because she didn't call on Friday night with the score.
The woman who subscribed to a weekly newspaper from 100 miles away so she could read the football write ups when my brother and I played has never stopped trying to be our biggest fan. At every stop of my athletics administration career, she's become a fan of that school. I don't think she knew anything about Marshall or Syracuse or Ohio, but it just absolutely upset her to no end that the paper in Kewanee, Ill., didn't put those football scores in on Sunday morning. West Point has been no different. When I told her that the team lost on Saturday at Iowa State, she once again let loose her fury about not being able to find a score in the paper or on the radio.
While I don't get to see my grandmother as often as I would like, I think about her every day - especially if I'm watching a Cubs or Bears game. I'll especially be thinking of her this weekend. My family is holding an open house for her this Sunday, and she says she's not too happy about it. If I remember right her quote was, "I told those people 15 years ago I was done with this stuff!" She says she doesn't like surprises or being the center of attention, but I really think she's worried she'll miss the Bears game.
Happy Birthday, Grandma!
GO ARMY!!
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