Army West Point Athletics
This Week In Army Athletics
October 25, 2012 | General
Oct. 25, 2012
Dear Friends,
Before we hit the highlights of this past week, I want to address the state of our football team. While, we are all disappointed with the wins and losses this season, I can assure you that there is no quit in our cadets and coaches. Our team will continue to fight each day and find a way to overcome this adversity. With five games remaining, to include an opportunity to bring the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy back to West Point, we are committed to push through and find a way to win. The cadet-athletes on our football team are phenomenal young men of whom we all can be proud both this coming weekend and for years to come.
There were many successes to celebrate over the last few days, including another win against our service academy rivals. The volleyball team earned its eight season sweep in the last 10 years, defeating the Mids,3-0, on Friday night. We are now 3-3-1 against Navy this fall with two games remaining. The sprint football team will face the Mids in Annapolis on Nov. 2 in a potential CSFL championship game, and the football teams will square off in the Army-Navy Game presented by USAA on Dec. 8 in Philadelphia.
The hockey team got off to a good start in Atlantic Hockey Association play with a win and a tie against Sacred Heart. Andy Starczewski's hat trick on Friday keyed a 5-2 win, while four players scored in Saturday's 4-4 tie on the road. Andy was named the Army Athletic Association Athlete of the Week and the Atlantic Hockey Association Player of the Week for his play in the series. Plebe Willie Faust was named the AHA's Rookie of the Week after assisting on Starczewski's game-winning goal on Friday and adding a goal and an assist on Saturday.
The men's swimming & diving team also earned some recognition. After a win over Massachusetts on Friday, Chris Nguyen was named the Patriot League Diver of the Week. Chris won both diving events, and has now collected 11 weekly certificates from the conference.
The sprint football team remained unbeaten with a 59-0 win over Princeton. The team is no 6-0 overall and 5-0 in conference play. A Navy win over Penn in its next game would set up the showdown of two unbeaten teams in a winner-take-all scenario. It would be the fourth straight season that the Army-Navy game decided the CSFL title.
It was a solid week on the pitch as well, with both the men's and women's teams earning victories to keep their Patriot League postseason hopes alive. The men's team won a thrilling 2-1 decision at Bucknell on Saturday. Jason Lewis picked a great time for his first career goal, finding the back of the net with just 13 seconds remaining in regulation. After a tough loss to Navy on Friday, the women rebounded with a 4-0 shutout of American on Sunday. Kim An scored twice against the Eagles, including the game-winner.
The fourth-ranked rifle team split a pair of matches, including a victory over No. 10 Murray State. Richard Calvin took medalist honors in air rifle as the team swept both disciplines for the first time this season.
As if there weren't enough going on here at West Point, we are on the brink of basketball season. Both teams' preseason preparation is well underway, and fans will get a chance to meet the teams in the coming weeks. On Wednesday, the men's team will hold a scrimmage from 5-6:30 p.m. at Christl Arena that is free and open to the public. Members of both squads will be available for a meet and greet at the first "Shootaround with the Black Knights" on Nov. 3. From 9:30-10:30 a.m. fans can head to Christl Arena to shoot baskets with the cadets.
Staying on the basketball front, Firstie forward Ella Ellis earned a preseason honor on Wedensday morning when he was selected to the Preseason All-Patriot League Team. A first-team all-conference pick last season, Ella is already a member of the 1,000-point club and will try to become the first Black Knight to earn first-team All-Patriot League honors in consecutive years since Mark Lueking in 1995-96.
For those of you who are social media fans of ours, we have announced a pair of new contests centered around @ArmyAthletics. A "Tweet of the Week," contest began on Monday, and will award prizes and a videoboard mention while new followers will be entered into a random drawing for giveaways.
To participate in the "Tweet of the Week," contest, fans must follow @ArmyAthletics and post a tweet using #goARMY and include @ArmyAthletics. The winner will be chosen on Thursday and the winning tweet displayed on the videoboard when Army takes on Ball State at Michie Stadium on Saturday. The contest will run each week with winning tweets highlighted at Michie Stadium during the final three home games of the season. New followers of @ArmyAthletics will be entered into a random drawing with prizes awarded.
Thank you again for all of your support of Army Athletics. To find out more about the Army A Club and how you can enhance the cadet-athlete experience, click the following link: http://www.goarmysports.com/aclub, call (845)938-2322, or email armyaclub@usma.edu.
Information on all the fall teams is below.
We appreciate all of your contributions to our success. Be well.
Go Army!
Boo
For all current information regarding Army Athletics and its 25 varsity programs, please visit www.goARMYsports.com.
WEST POINT SPORTS FLASH
Cross Country
• Army is preparing for the Patriot League Championships, which will be hosted by Colgate on Oct. 27.
Football (1-6)
• Army lost at Eastern Michigan, 48-38, last Saturday. The Black Knights ran for 413 yards and posted 478 yards of total offense in the loss.
• Firstie QB Trent Steelman set an Army record with 212 rushing yards, the most ever by a Black Knight quarterback, and the ninth-best single game total in Academy history. Steelman also scored two touchdowns on runs of 73 yards and 75 yards. It is the first time in modern Army history that a player had two touchdown runs of better than 70 yards in the same game.
• Steelman moved into second place on the Army career rushing touchdown list with 38. He is just five short of matching 1946 Heisman Trophy winner Glenn Davis's career total of 43.
• Firstie RB Malcolm Brown and yearling RB Trenton Turrentine also scored touchdowns against the Eagles.
• Plebe QB A.J. Schurr threw his second touchdown in as many weeks. Schurr connected with cow WR Anthony Stephens for a 35-yard score in the fourth quarter. It was Stephens' first touchdown of the season.
• Yearling LB Geoffery Bacon tied his career high with 14 tackles at Eastern Michigan. It is the third time he reached that mark this season.
• Army opens a two-game homestand on Saturday when it hosts Ball State at 12 p.m. The game can be seen live on CBS Sports Network.
Golf
• Army will compete again Oct. 21-22 at the Service Academy Classic at Trump National in Colts Neck, N.J.
Hockey (1-2-1, 1-0-1 AHA)
• The Black Knights are now 1-2-1 and 1-0-1 in league games following a win and tie with Sacred Heart.
• Andy Starczewski recorded his second career hat trick in Friday's 5-2 victory and then four players scored goals in a 4-4 overtime tie on Saturday.
• Army's five goals scored in Friday's win are the most since netting six on Feb. 18, 2011 against AIC.
• Sophomore goalie Rob Tadazak earned his first career win on Friday with 25 saves in his 12th start.
• Army will host Penn State on Friday and play at Holy Cross Saturday.
Rifle (2-2, 1-2 GARC)
• Army's rifle team split a pair of matches competing over the weekend at the University of Kentucky's Barker Hall. The No. 4-ranked Black Knights swept both disciplines in a 4650-4620 decision over No. 10 Murray State on Saturday, but fell to host and No. 3 Kentucky on Sunday, 4716-4638, in a Great America Rifle Conference (GARC) match.
• Richard Calvin earned medalist honors in air rifle and Michael Matthews was second in both disciplines in the win over Murray State as Army swept smallbore (2319-2291) and air rifle (2331-2329) for the first time this season. Calvin's 590 edged Matthews by a point for the gold in air rifle.
• Calvin led the way once again in air rifle with a season-high 593 (just two shy of his career high) to earn runner-up honors in the Kentucky match.
• The Black Knights closed out their fall dual slate 2-2 overall and 1-2 in the GARC.
• Army is idle this week as it prepares for the President's Trophy Match being hosted by Air Force in Colorado Springs, Colo., Nov. 3-4. The Black Knights are in the hunt for their fourth straight title and seventh in the last eight years.
Sprint Football (6-0, 5-0 CSFL)
• Army routed visiting Princeton 59-0 at West Point's Shea Stadium. The Black Knights totaled 491 yards of offense while the defense held the Tigers to negative yardage (-4). With a 6-0 record, Army has set itself up for a title showdown in its season finale at Navy on Nov. 2.
• It took Army only 48 seconds to find the end zone in the game's opening drive, as firstie quarterback Javier Sustaita found classmate Cody Nyp for a 36-yard play deep into Princeton territory, setting up a pair of rushes by Marquis Morris, who crossed the goal line for the sixth time this season.
• Army spread the wealth both offensively and defensively, as three quarterbacks drew time, connecting with nine different wide outs. Eight different Black Knights also registered carries on the afternoon.
• Army is on a bye next week, while the Midshipmen travel to Penn on Oct. 26. Should Navy beat the Quakers, the Star Game will determine the CSFL Champion for the fourth consecutive year. The Midshipmen captured last season's crown with a 28-6 win at West Point, while the Black Knights won in Annapolis in 2010 by a score of 32-30.
• The Army-Navy game is slated for Nov. 2, in Annapolis, Md. Kickoff will be at 7 p.m., at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
Men's Soccer (4-8-1, 1-3-1 Patriot League)
• Army posted a 2-1 road victory at Patriot League rival Bucknell on Saturday night.
• Cow midfielder Jason Lewis scored the game-winning goal with 13 seconds remaining in regulation to lift the Black Knights to the win. It marked Lewis' first career goal.
• Firstie forward Trent Brown got Army on the scoreboard in the seventh minute when he scored his second goal of the season at the 6:09 mark.
• Yearling goalkeeper Winston Boldt made five saves to post the victory in goal for the Black Knights.
• Army strengthened its position within the Patriot League as the Black Knights are now just two points behind Lehigh for fourth place in the conference standings.
• Army defeated Bucknell in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1997-98.
Women's Soccer (7-10, 2-4 Patriot League)
• Army fought a tough defensive battle before bowing to Navy, 1-0, in the "Star" match Friday evening. The Black Knights then rebounded Sunday with a 4-0 blanking of American to remain in contender status for a postseason Patriot League berth.
• Kim An tallied a pair of goals, including the game winner, to lead Army to the victory over the Eagles. It was the Black Knights' highest goal total of the season. The win is the second straight over American and just third in the all-time series.
• The double tallies boosted An's season total to six goals and four game-winning goals. She now ranks fifth place in game winners (12), ninth in goals (25) and 10th in points (58)on Army's top 10 chart. Men's Swimming & Diving (3-0, 0-0 Patriot League)
• Army defeated Massachusetts, 172-123, in a non-conference dual meet on Friday evening.
• Firstie Chris Nguyen, yearlings Joon Chung and Casey Woudenberg, and plebe Chris Szekely each won a pair of individual events to lead the Black Knights.
• Nguyen swept the diving events, taking gold off both the one-meter (315.30) and three-meter (305.85) boards.
• Chung, meanwhile, outswam the competition in both breaststroke events, winning the 100 breast with a clocking of 59.01, and securing gold in the 200 breast (2:08.40).
• Woudenberg, who has emerged as one of Army's top distance freestyle specialists, won both the 500 free (4:40.94) and 1,000 free (9:49.59).
• Szekely, swimming in just his second collegiate meet, beat the field in both the 100 free (47.39) and 200 free (1:42.47).
• Plebe Zach Blankenbeker chipped in a victory in the 200 fly (1:54.32), while yearling Will Viana took gold in the 200 back (1:52.78). Elsewhere, cow Kenny Yacynych and yearling Michael Dustin tied for first in the 100 fly with both swimmers touching the wall in 52.06.
• Army returns to the friendly confines of Crandall Pool on Friday, Oct. 26, when the Black Knights host Connecticut at 6 p.m.
Women's Swimming & Diving (3-1, 0-0 Patriot League)
• Army fell to Massachusetts, 170-122, in a non-conference dual meet on Friday evening.
• Plebe Nat Beale collected three individual victories in the pool, and classmate Molly Mucciarone had a hand in a pair of wins to pace the Black Knights.
• Beale, who was named Patriot League Female Swimmer of the Week following her first collegiate meet two weeks ago, continued her dominance in the pool for the Army women. The first-year standout swept the backstroke events, winning both the 100 back (58.99) and 200 back (2:07.59). Her time in the 100 back ranks ninth all-time at Army. She finished the meet by chipping in a third win in the 200 IM (2:11.43).
• Mucciarone, meanwhile, won the 100 free (53.03) and teamed with yearling Kristen Barta, plebe Shannon Rogers and cow Grace Hamilton to take gold in the 400-yard freestyle relay (3:36.51). Mucciarone also added a runner-up showing in the 100 fly, finishing the race in a time of 56.95.
• Army returns to the friendly confines of Crandall Pool on Friday, Oct. 26, when the Black Knights host Connecticut at 6 p.m.
Men's Tennis
• Men's tennis concluded its three-day stay at the ITA East Regional Championships on Saturday afternoon. Yale served as the host as four Black Knights were in action between Thursday and Saturday. Army totaled a 3-4 singles mark and 1-2 doubles record during its fourth weekend of fall tournament competition.
• Plebe Harrison McCormick earned a spot in the 128-man singles main draw after grabbing a pair of victories in the qualifying bracket. McCormick's stay in the main draw was short lived, however, falling to Penn's Vim De Alwais, 1-6, 6-0, 6-0. Cow Asika Isoh advanced through the Round of 128 in the main draw by defeating Monmouth's Freddy Marcinkski, 6-3, 6-2. Isoh then fell to Yale's Marc Powers, 7-6, 6-0, in the Round of 64.
• Isoh and McCormick teamed in the doubles bracket, knocking off Princeton's Siow and Davies, 8-5, in the Round of 64, before falling to Cornell's Dima and Iyer, 9-8. The Army pair is 5-5 during their first season as a doubles team.
• Firstie captain Alex Holland and plebe Austin McCasin competed in Thursday's qualifying singles bracket, both suffering first-round setbacks. Holland and McCasin teamed together in the doubles bracket, falling to Havard's Lam and Nguyen, 8-2, in the Round of 64.
• The next tournament on the schedule for the Black Knights is the Harvard Halloween Invite, Oct. 28-30 in Boston, Mass. Army has two events remaining on their fall schedule, including the Alabama Open Nov. 2-4.
Women's Tennis
• Army hosted players from nearly 50 schools for the prestigious USTA/ITA Northeast Regional Tournament throughout the weekend at Lichtenberg Tennis Center. Singles and doubles winners advanced to the national indoor tournament, held in early November at Flushing Meadows, N.Y.
• The five-day event began last Friday, Oct. 19, and concluded with finals on Tuesday, Oct. 23.
• Firstie co-captain Erin Colton and cow Jamila Paul represented Army in the tournament, which features only the top players in the region. The pair teamed-up for the doubles bracket, while each competed in singles.
• Paul won two matches in the singles qualifying round to become one of eight qualifiers earning the right to play in the main singles draw. The reigning Patriot League Player of the Year advanced through the opening round of the main draw before falling in the round of 64. Colton earned a first-round bye and was also eliminated in the round of 64. The pair posted a 2-1 doubles mark on the weekend before elimination in the round of 16.
• Seven other Black Knights headed to the Middlebury Panther Team Cup last weekend. The three-day event featured a head-to-head format. The three-point matches included duos earning a point for a singles win as well as one for a doubles victory. Army joined the host Panthers, Providence, Albany and Siena at the tournament.
• Plebe Gabriella Spindler posted a 3-1 singles record at the Panther Team Cup to lead the Black Knights. She teamed with firstie co-captain Larraine Saavedra for the tournament's entirety. The pair advanced to the main draw semifinals.
• The aforementioned tournaments marked the end of Army's fall season. The Black Knights will be back in action for their championship spring season beginning in January.
Volleyball (15-7, 7-2 Patriot League)
• Army completed a regular-season sweep of Navy for the eighth time over the last decade and improved to 41-10 all-time against the Mids. The Black Knights' 3-0 victory last Friday night at Gillis Field House extended the team's win streak to four matches.
• The Black Knights followed with a 3-0 loss to defending champion American on Saturday. The teams split the regular-season series.
• Army celebrated Senior Day on Saturday before taking on American. The team honored co-captains Ariana Mankus and Francine Vasquez, along with head manager Nikki Hernandez, prior to first serve.
• With 12 digs on Saturday against American, Ariana Mankus cracked the Patriot League's top 10 for career digs with 1,358. She earned Patriot League Honorable Mention on Monday and ranks third in Army history. Mankus is just four kills away from joining the Patriot League's top 10 in that category as well.
• Yearling setter Mary Vaccaro was one kill shy of recording her first career triple-double on Friday night against Navy. She totaled nine kills, 19 assists and 10 digs in a standout all-around effort.
• While Ariana Mankus and D.J. Phee continue to lead the Patriot League in kills and digs, respectively, the team tops the conference in kills, assists and digs as well. Phee's 5.48 digs per set rank 19th nationally. The Black Knights currently land ninth amongst the top digging teams in the NCAA.
• Army closes out the home portion of its regular season on Wednesday at 7 p.m. as the Black Knights host Manhattan for a non-conference tilt. Army then travels to Holy Cross on Saturday, Oct. 27, for a 2 p.m. match.
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