Army West Point Athletics
This Week In Army Athletics
November 07, 2013 | General
Nov. 4, 2013
Dear Friends,
It was a busy week filled with some great team victories and outstanding individual performances. The fall/winter season overlap continued as two teams already competed in their respective Patriot League championships, and the wrestling team began its 2013-14 campaign with a convincing EIWA victory.
We also suffered some disappointment with the football team’s loss at Air Force. Everyone in the program is frustrated with the outcome, and we are doing everything we can to move forward. There are still three games on the schedule and, while some of our goals are off the table, there are still plenty of things this team can accomplish. Everyone is fully focused on Western Kentucky and making sure our seniors’ last game at Michie Stadium is a memorable one.
The women’s soccer team capped its regular season with a 2-0 victory over Navy. The victory not only improved our record to 5-1 against the Mids this season, but also secured a home game in the Patriot League Tournament. Katie Holder ended Navy’s 787-minute Patriot League shutout streak and was named the conference’s Offensive Player of the Week. Molly McGuigan captured the Defensive Player of the Week award, while goalkeeper Jordan Cassalia pocketed the Rookie of the Week certificate.
Unfortunately, the season came to an end on Tuesday with a penalty-kick loss to American. The team made a great run at the end of the season, winning its last three regular-season matches to not only make the postseason, but secure a quarterfinal home game. Four players were recognized for their play throughout the season with All-Patriot League honors. Firsties Kimberly An, McGuigan and Joey Molacek were first-team choices, while Holder was a third-team selection.
The rifle team also scored a victory against service academy competition, besting Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard to claim the President’s Trophy. It was the fourth time in the last five years the team has been able to boast service academy supremacy.
The cross country teams competed at the Patriot League Championships over the weekend. Kendall Ward led the men’s team with a fourth-place finish, the highest by an Army runner since 2008. With his top-seven finish, Ward earned first-team all-conference honors. Ricardo Galindo was also a first-team performer with a sixth-place finish. Joshua Ecker earned second-team accolades, while Madison Hill led
The fall academic honors started to come in this week as well. Both soccer teams placed a cadet on the Capital One All-District I First Team. To be eligible, students must maintain be a starter or significant reserve and have at minimum cumulative GPA of 3.3. On the men’s side, goalkeeper Winston Boldt became the first Army player to capture the honor since 2010. Winston has a 3.66 grade point average while majoring in Portuguese. He has already shattered the Academy season with 12 shutouts and has led the team to its first postseason appearance since 1996. He ranks among the nation’s top fivein both both goals against average and save percentage.
For the women, Molly McGuigan earned first-team honors. Molly has a 3.66 GPA while majoring in Economics. She began this semester ranked 85th in her class. One of the most decorated defenders in program history, Molly is a four-time first-team All-Patriot League performer and earned Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year honors twice. Both Winston and Molly now advance to the nation ballot for Academic All-America consideration.
Staying on the pitch, the women’s team placed three players on the Patriot League All-Academic Team. McGuigan, Jaclyn Kalik and Joey Molacek each repeated their selections from a year ago. It was Molly’s third straight Academic All-Patriot League honor, while Jaclyn and Joey have earned the award the last two years. Army’s three selections on the 11-player team were the most of Patriot League program.
Another exciting week is on the horizon. The men’s soccer team gets its chance to claim a gold star on Friday night versus Navy. The game will be played at PPL Park in Philadelphia and is set for a 7 p.m. first kick. The Mids and Black Knights have already clinched the first and second seeds, respectively, for the upcoming Patriot League Tournament.
Basketball season is also upon us. The men’s team opens play on Friday afternoon versus Air Force in the first game of the All-Military Classic presented by USAA. The 1 p.m. tip-off will be broadcast live by ESPNU. If you can’t get to a television, the game is also being streamed live by ESPN3. You can watch by clicking here (http://es.pn/MCB-ARMYvsAF). The team will then face either host VMI or The Citadel on Saturday night. The consolation game is set for 6 p.m. with the championship game to follow at 8:30. Both games will be streamed live by ESPN3.
The women’s team starts on the road on Monday, Nov. 11 versus St. Francis-Brooklyn. Tip-off is at 7 p.m.
Season and individual game tickets for both the men’s and women’s seasons are on sale now. The Army men will play 14 games on their home court, including five nonconference matchups, while six of the women’s 15 home tilts will be against non-Patriot League foes. All ticket orders can be placed online at www.goARMYsports.com or by calling 1-877-TIX-ARMY. You can also visit the ticket office located at Gate 3 of Michie Stadium during its regular hours, Monday-Friday (8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.), or one hour prior to any Army home contest at the ticket window located inside the Holleder Center.
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/boosters/army-a-club.html, call (845)938-2322, or email armyaclub@usma.edu.
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.
Cross Country
- Postseason began for both team’s last Saturday at the Patriot League Championships, hosted by Lafayette. Running at Metzgar Athletic Complex, the Army men finished fourth in the newly expanded 10-team field while the women ran to a fifth place team finish.
- Four Black Knights earned All-Patriot League certificates by finishing among the top-14 runners in their respective races. Seniors Kendall Ward and Ricardo Galindo claimed first-team honors, while classmate Josh Ecker and sophomore Madison Hill brought home second-team recognition.
- The pair of first-team accolades mark the first time since 2008 the Army men placed multiple runners on the first team.
- Ward crossed the line fourth in a field of 106, completing the 8K course in 25:14.79. The fourth-place finish is the highest by an Army men’s runner since Jonathan Anderson won the meet in 2008. Galindo was not far behind, claiming sixth place with a time of 25:25.42. Ecker finished 14th overall (25:42.04).
- In the women’s meet, Hill led Army for the third consecutive meet by finishing 12th overall in a field of 101, completing the 6K course in 22:39.31.
- The postseason continues on Nov. 15 at the NCAA Regionals at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx.
Football (3-6)
- The Black Knights suffered a 42-28 setback at Air Force on Saturday. Army can still force a three-way tie for the Commander In Chief’s Trophy with a victory versus Navy on Dec. 14.
- The Black Knights led 21-14 with less than two minutes to go in the second quarter, but the Falcons reeled off 21 unanswered points to take control.
- Terry Baggett finished the game with 121 yards on 20 carries for his fourth 100-yard effort of the season. Junior fullback Larry Dixon ran for 82 yards on 17 carries, while junior quarterback Angel Santiago added 61 yards and three of Army's four touchdowns.
- Santiago also completed eight of his 14 throws for 109 yards. Freshman Xavier Moss caught three passes for 35 yards, while Baggett had two receptions for 33 yards.
- Army gained 417 yards of total offense and held the ball for 37:32. The Black Knights picked up 28 first downs compared to only 17 for Air Force,
- Geoffery Bacon, who had missed the previous four games with an injury, led Army with 10 tackles. Senior Colby Miller added eight stops. Defensive linemen Mike Ugenyi and Robert Kough accounted for Army's two tackles for loss.
- The Black Knights will honor the Class of 2014 at their final home game this Saturday versus Western Kentucky. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
Golf
- Army wrapped up the fall portion of its schedule at the Pacific Invitational at the Stockton Country Club. The Black Knights finished 12th in their final fall event.
- Plebe Peter Kim posted the Black Knights best 54-hole score at 5-over par. He finished tied for 34th overall.
- Marcus Plunkett shaved three strokes off his score each day and finished tied for 50th at +11. Yearling Eric Peng also finished at 11-over par for the tournament.
- Cow Robby Hill shot the Black Knights' best round of the three days on Saturday, carding an even par 71. He completed the event tied for 53rd at 12-over par.
- Plebe Justin Pagila rounded out Army's lineup, posting a 13-over par.
Hockey (0-4-0, 0-2-0 AHA)
- The Army hockey team opened Atlantic Hockey Association play with a pair of losses last weekend. The Black Knights fell on the road, 4-2, at Connecticut and ushered in their home schedule with a 5-2 setback to Bentley on Saturday.
- Rookie C.J. Reuschlein scored for the second game in a row last Friday night. He is now tied with yearling Willie Faust for the team lead with two goals. Faust tops the team with three points (2G, 1A) on the year.
- Cow goaltender Rob Tadazak made 39 saves at UConn last Friday night and turned away a season-high 40 shots on Saturday against Bentley.
- Andrew O’Leary and Shane Hearn also netted goals for Army last weekend.
- Firstie captain Brian Schultz, O’Leary and Heart each tallied a point in both games last weekend.
- Army played in front of 1,535 fans in its home opener last Saturday.
- Army returns to the ice this Friday, Nov. 8, to take on Holy Cross in an AHA contest at 7:05 p.m. The Black Knights visit nationally ranked Boston College for a non-league tilt on Sunday, Nov. 10, at 3:05 p.m.
Rifle (2-2, 1-2 GARC)
- Fourth-ranked Army reclaimed the President’s Trophy after edging defending champion and No. 6 Air Force, 5809-5800, in a special five-man format used in service academy matches. Navy (5750) finished a distant third followed by Coast Guard (5510).
- Firstie Michael Matthews was first in smallbore and second in air rifle, leading Army to its fourth title in the last five years. A two-time All-American in smallbore, Matthews tied his season high by besting the field in that discipline to earn medalist honors with a 584. He posted a season-high 589 in air rifle, improving upon his previous mark by two points, en route to a combined score of 1173.
- In the five-man scoring format employed in this meet, Army fired a 2872 in smallbore and 2937 in air rifle. In the NCAA four-man composite, the Black Knights outpointed the Falcons 4654-4649 followed by Navy (4609) and Coast Guard (4435).
- Army set a season high 2349 in air rifle, while posting its second highest score of the season in smallbore (2305) and aggregate (4654). Army swept team honors in disciplines, edging Air Force by two points in smallbore (2305) and three in air rifle (2346) en route to its five-point edging of the Falcons in the NCAA format.
- Army is idle this week before closing out its fall schedule when it travels to Ohio State for a meet on Nov. 16.
Men’s Soccer (12-2-2, 6-1-1 Patriot League)
- The Black Knights went 0-1-1 in two Patriot League matches last week, losing at Holy Cross, 2-1 and tying at Lafayette, 0-0.
- The loss to the Crusaders snapped Army’s seven-match winning streak.
- Cow back Sean Mogan scored his third goal of the year in the loss.
- Against the Leopards, goalkeeper Winston Boldt made three saves for the Black Knights to extend his team record to 12 shutouts on the campaign.
- The two top teams in the Patriot League, Army and Navy, will meet on Friday at PPL Park in Philadelphia. The first kick is set for 7 p.m.
- Navy has clinched the No. 1 seed and Army will be the No. 2 seed in the upcoming Patriot League tournament regardless of Friday’s outcome. It is Army’s first postseason appearance since 1996.
Women’s Soccer (8-7-4, 4-3-2 Patriot League)
- Army split a pair of matches during its final week of competition. The Black Knights clinched the fourth seed and a home game in the Patriot League quarterfinals with a 2-0 win over top-seeded Navy last Friday. The season came to a close in the Patriot League Tournament when the Black Knights and fifth-seeded American played 110 minutes of scoreless soccer. The Eagles advanced on penalty kicks, 3-1.
- Army handed the Mids their first conference loss of the season after eight straight shutout decisions.
- Army took three of the four Patriot League weekly awards with Katie Holder named the offensive player, Molly McGuigan the defensive player and Jordan Cassalia earning rookie honors. It was the third citation for Cassalia and second for Holder.
- Holder’s tally 17 minutes into the Army-Navy game was the first goal to crease Navy's net in league play, snapping the Midshipmen's shutout mark at 737 minutes.
- Cassalia made three of her four saves in the second half against Navy en route to becoming just the second Army freshman to record a shutout against the Midshipmen and first since 2004.
- Four players earned All-Patriot League citations with three firsties collecting first-team honors in Kimberly An (F), Molly McGuigan (D) and Joey Molacek (M). Holder (F) was named to the third unit.
- It is the fourth straight year that McGuigan earned first team all-league recognition, becoming just the third Black Knight to do so. An and Molacek picked up their third certificates and Holder her first.
Men’s Swimming & Diving (2-1, 1-0 Patriot League)
- The Black Knights did not compete this past week and are off until traveling to Columbia on Nov. 17.
Women’s Swimming & Diving (2-2, 0-1 Patriot League)
- Army was idle this week. The Black Knights are off until Nov. 22-24 when they travels to the Frank Elm Invitational at Rutgers.
Men’s Tennis
- Army concluded the fall tournament season on with a weekend stay at the Harvard Halloween Invite. Plebe Grant Riechmann highlighted the Army performances, claiming the Flight B Singles title on Sunday afternoon.
- In the first round, Riechmann knocked off Dartmouth’s Blake Niehaus in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3, to advance to the semifinals where he faced Brown’s Eli Whittle. Riechmann defeated Whittle, 6-5, 6-3, to earn a bid into the finals. He knocked off Dartmouth’s Max Schmidt in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3, to finish his first collegiate fall campaign with a 7-3 singles mark.
- Riechmann also teamed with classmate Sam Lampman for an 8-5 doubles victory over Bryant’s Dana Parziale and Ernesto Arguello in the first round. After being eliminated in the second round, the freshman duo wrapped up the fall with a 4-4 record.
- The Black Knights will lift the lid on 2014 at the Dallas Shootout, Jan. 10-12. Army’s first dual match is set for Feb. 1 against Monmouth at West Point’s Lichtenberg Tennis Center.
Volleyball (12-10, 9-3 Patriot League)
- Army opened a three-match home stand versus Patriot League competitor Colgate on Saturday, losing to the first-place Raiders, 3-0. The Black Knights stand in third place, one-half game ahead of Lehigh.
- Firstie right outside hitter Kerry Horan led the Black Knights with 11 kills, while plebe middle Blocker Olivia Fairfield followed with nine kills.
- The Black Knights return to Gillis Field House for their final home matches of the season. They are set to host American on Friday, Nov. 8, and Loyola on Saturday, Nov. 9. Saturday’s match versus Loyola also marks Army’s senior day in which five volleyball seniors will be recognized for their accomplishments on the court.
Wrestling (1-0, 1-0 EIWA)
- Cow Cole Gracey (165 pounds) pinned his opponent, and eight others won bouts as Army opened its season with a 34-4 Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) victory over Franklin and Marshall on Saturday.
- Firsties Paul Hancock (157) and Alex Smith (174) posted major decisions, while yearling Bryce Barnes earned a technical fall in the 197 bout.
- Army jumped out to a 6-0 lead after Hunter Wood topped Jason Bing, 6-5, in the 125-pound match, and plebe Logan Everett bettered Robert Ruiz, 7-3 at 133 pounds to notch his first college victory.
- Firstie Ryan Bilyeu posted an 8-7 win at 149 pounds before Hancock took a 13-3 major decision in the 157-pound bout to extend the Black Knights’ lead to 13-4. Gracey made it 19-4 after pinning his opponent in 1:29, and Smith grabbed a 14-1 major decision to put the visitors in front by 19.
- Nathan Dow slipped by Paul Alessandrini, 7-5, in the 184-pound match to give Army the decision before Barnes’ 15-0 technical fall lifted the Black Knights to a 31-4 advantage.
- Plebe David Farr won his collegiate debut at 285 pounds, topping Alex Henry, 3-1.
- The Black Knights are back in action on Wednesday, Nov. 6, when they host Stevens Institute of Technology in their home opener at Gillis Fieldhouse. The non-conference match is scheduled for 6 p.m.
