Army West Point Athletics
Tuesday, Feb. 9 - Bracing For The Storm
February 09, 2010 | General
Good morning Black Knight Blog readers. Tim Volkmann coming to you on a sunny but chilly day here in the Hudson Valley as everyone is anticipating a hard slap in the face by Ol' Man Winter later today in the form of 6-12 inches of snow being predicted for tonight. I am not complaining one bit as I talked to several of my friends that live in the Washington D.C./Virginia area that got walloped this weekend while we didn't see a flake.
I think we've mentioned in past blogs the terms Code White and Code Red when it comes to weather situations at West Point, but as a refresher, Code White pretty much means you don't have to come in if you don't want to, but can if you feel like you can make it safely. For Code Reds, however, I usually follow the credo "Code Red = Stay in Bed" because the roads are too dangerous to travel.
I wouldn't mind at all staying home in my PJs tomorrow and putting the finishing touches on my lacrosse media guide from the comfort of my dining room table. We are only 11 days from next Saturday's season lid-lifter against visiting VMI. Coach Joe Alberici and the Black Knights are eager to get things going and will faceoff with the Keydets at noon from what promises to be a "tropical" Michie Stadium. Last I wrote, I was in Florida with the team after a great scrimmage with the US National squad. Army finished off its exhibition schedule this past Saturday, hosting Massachusetts for a scrimmage that the Black Knights won, 7-5.
The team graduated some key components to last year's offense, but the defense returns mostly intact. Junior goalkeeper Tom Palesky made 16 saves and looks poised to have an even bigger season than he did last year when he ranked among the best net minders in the nation. There were also five long stick defenders playing throughout the game, led by first-team All-Patriot League junior captain Bill Henderson, which Coach Alberici said he would feel confident starting.
The offense continues to gel, as some new faces will comprise the starting Army attack. Junior Jeremy Boltus (who was credited with three goals and an assist on Saturday) is the top returning scorer and looks to quarterback a unit that will include senior Tyler Seymour (two goals) and freshman Garret Thul (1 goal). Seymour brings a veteran component, while Thul is a big, strong lefty with a rocket of a shot.
For a complete recap of the scrimmage, here is a link to one on insidelacrosse.com.
The swimming & diving team is also a week away from the Patriot League Championships, which will be hosted at Navy next Thursday-Saturday. The Black Knight men finished third a season ago, while the women finished fifth and both teams are poised to improve upon those finishes this year. A youthful men's team finished the dual meet portion with a 12-3 record, marking the most wins since the 1965-66 squad finished 13-0. The future looks bright for head coach Mickey Wender and the squad.
As I wrap things up, I'll share why today is a big day around here. No, it is not because the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue hits stands today, but because the World Series Trophy will be making an appearance at Jefferson Hall between 1-3:00 p.m. As a way to say thanks to the cadets and West Point community, members of the New York Yankee staff will be bringing #27 to the shores of the Hudson for fans to enjoy. Check back later to see if I was able to get any shots of myself with the trophy.
Have a great day folks - GO ARMY
