Army West Point Athletics
This Week In Army Athletics
September 18, 2013 | General
Sept. 18, 2013
Dear Friends,
For the second straight week, we are happy to report a victory over Air Force. After the men’s soccer team scored our first service academy win of the season last week, it was the volleyball team to get into the win column. Playing at the Pentagon, Alma Kovaci’s team stormed back from a 2-0 deficit to keep us unbeaten against the Falcons in the early part of the season.
It was a great week on the pitch as well with the men’s and women’s soccer teams going a combined 4-0 without allowing a goal. The men’s team is 5-0 for the first time since 1997 and has not allowed a score in the first five games for the first time since 1931. Four of the five game-winners have been scored by plebes, and goalkeeper Winston Boldt has raised his career shutout total to nine.
On the women’s side, Marcia McDermott’s team wrapped up a five-game stretch on the road with a 1-0 win over Central Connecticut State. The team followed that with a 5-0 home win against Rhode Island, the team’s largest offensive output since 2005. Katie Holder scored a combined three goals, including both game-winners, and added an assist. She was named both the Army Athletic Association Athlete of the Week and the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week. Goalkeeper Jordan Cassalia was honored as the Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Week for her two shutout performances.
The women’s tennis team started its fall schedule last weekend, splitting the team and participating in both the Stony Book Invitational and Quinnipiac Invitational. In Flight A Doubles at Quinnipiac, Margaret Iliev and Carolyn Pitman captured the tournament championship, defeating a team from Seton Hall, 9-7, in the finals. Plebe Taler Brazell also claimed a championship for Army in her collegiate debut. After a 6-2, 6-2, decision against Navy, shemoved on to capture a quarterfinal victory of 1-7, 7-6, 10-5 versus Seton Hall. Taler scored a, 6-1, 6-4, win in the finals to take the flight.
The sprint football team opened the defense of its Collegiate Sprint Football League title with a 35-12 home win over Penn last Friday. Quarterback James Wartski threw for 293 yards and three touchdowns, while plebe Marqus Burrell ran for 77 yards a pair of scores in his collegiate debut. Classmate Lane Holmes finished with a team-high 119 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
We would like to take a minute to say thank you to our great fans for their showing at Michie Stadium last Saturday. While the result on the scoreboard was not what we wanted, it was a tremendous atmosphere for college football. The crowd of 39,644 was the largest since the 2004 Air Force game and the biggest crowd for a non-Air Force game since the Tulane game in 2000.
If you weren’t able to make it to the Stanford game, be sure to get your seats for this Saturday’s Wake Forest game. We only have three games left at Michie Stadium and opportunities to experience game day at West Point are going fast.
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
- Army cross country was swept at Cornell on Friday afternoon at The Moakley Course in Ithaca, N.Y. The Black Knight women were topped 50-15, while the men were defeated 40-19. Firstie captain Ricardo Galindo highlighted the day by nearly capturing the men’s individual title.
- Galindo, who last won a meet title at Navy in 2012, was edged by 1.2 seconds by Cornell’s Mark Tedder on the 5-mile course. Galindo crossed the line in 25:23.5 while Tedder escaped with the win in 25:22.3. He led a trio of Black Knights who finished in the top 10. Kendall Ward, who claimed the individual title at last week’s Army Open, finished seventh with a 5-mile time of 25:45.1, while Tom Girardot followed closely behind in eighth (25:51.9).
- On the women’s side, Army struggled to break up Cornell’s pack as the Big Red captured the top 15 finishes. Katie Collins was the first Black Knight to finish as she crossed the line 16th with the 5,000-meter time of 18:51.4. Madison Hill, the Army Open winner, finished 18th (19:10.5), while Brianna Miller was the third Army runner to complete the course (23rd overall; 19:24.0).
- Army will compete in its first large-team competition next weekend at the Iona Meet of Champions. The Black Knight women claimed the team title at the 2012 Iona race, edging out 11 other programs, while the men placed fifth of 14. The 18th annual meet will kick off with the women’s 6K race at 9:30 a.m., followed by the men’s 8K at 10:15 at famed Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, N.Y.
Football (1-2)
- The Black Knights took an early lead, but eventually fell to fifth-ranked Stanford, 34-20, last Saturday in front of a sold-out crowd at Michie Stadium.
- Army led 6-0 after a pair of Daniel Grochowski field goals, but the Cardinal scored 17 straight points to take the lead for good.
- Cow running back Terry Baggett had his best game of the season with 96 rushing yards on only nine carries.
- Fullback Larry Dixon accounted for Army’s lone rushing touchdown, a 15-yard sprint up the middle to close Army’s gap to 17-13 in the second quarter.
- Both Angel Santiago and A.J. Schurr took reps at quarterback. Santiago finished with 54 rushing yards and 24 yards through the air. Schurr ran for 18 yards on six carries, and threw a six-yard touchdown pass to Edgar Poe with 17 seconds left. It was Poe’s first career reception.
- Plebe cornerback Josh Jenkins intercepted his first career pass against the Cardinal. Jenkins also broke up another pass.
- Cow defensive lineman Michael Ugenyi registered a sack and forced a fumble that Richard Glover recovered on Stanford’s first possession. The turnover set up Army’s first field goal.
- Grochowski hit a 39-yard field goal on Army’s first drive and followed with a career-long 48-yarder t put the Black Knights up 6-0. Grochowski was also 2-for-2 on PATs. He was named the FBS Independent Special Teams Player of the Week.
- Army wraps up a stretch of three home games in four weeks on Saturday when it hosts Wake Forest. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. and will be televised live by CBS Sports Network.
Golf
- Army continued its fall slate, participating in the Doc Gimmler hosted by St. John’s at the Bethpage Red Course in Farmingdale, N.Y. The Black Knights finished seventh in the 14-team field.
- Plebe Justin Pagila was the Black Knights’ top finisher. Pagila shot three straight even-par 70s to finish tied for 14th place.
- Yearling Robby Hill got off to a strong start, firing back-to-back 1-under par 69s on Saturday. Hill ended the tournament tied for 19th at +1 after a third-round 73.
- Senior Brandon Baerwaldt made his season debut and shot a one-under 69 in his first round of the season.
- Army has the week off before traveling to Annapolis for the annual Star Match with Navy on Sept. 27-28. Friday will feature the four ball matches, while the individual matches will be played Saturday.
Men’s Soccer (5-0, 0-0 Patriot League)
- The Army men’s soccer team is off to a 5-0 start for the first time since 1997 after defeating Marist, 2-0, and Fordham, 1-0 in double overtime. Plebe defender Trase Stapley scored his first career goal in the 104th minute versus the Rams.
- The Black Knights have not allowed a goal this season. It is the first time the team has opened a season with five straight shutouts since 1931.
- Four of the team’s five game-winning goals have come from plebes, and rookies have scored five of the team’s nine goals overall.
- Goalkeeper Winston Boldt has nine shutouts in his career, with five coming this season.
Women’s Soccer (4-3-1, 0-0 Patriot League)
- The Black Knights went 2-0 last week, posting a pair of shutout wins over the weekend. Army defeated Central Connecticut State, 1-0, Friday to close out a five-game road slate. Army romped past Rhode Island, 5-0, at Clinton Field on Sunday.
- Army’s five goals scored against URI were the most since 2005 when Army tallied six in win over Albany.
- Yearling forward Katie Holder scored 3 goals and had one assist for seven points in the two games. She netted both game-winning goals. Holder scored the only goal against CCSU and added two goals and an assist versus Rhode lsland.
- Holder was named the Army Athletic Association Athlete of the Week and the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week.
- Jordan Cassalia was named the Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Week after registering two shutouts.
- Army starts Patriot League play on Saturday when it travels to Bucknell.
Sprint Football (1-0, 1-0 CSFL)
- Quarterback James Wartski threw for 293 yards and three touchdowns on 16-of-24 passing during Army’s season-opening 35-12 win over Penn.
- Plebe Marqus Burrell ran for 77 yards a pair of scores in his collegiate debut, while classmate Lane Holmes finished with a team-high 119 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
- Firstie linebacker Patrick Franco led the Black Knights with 15 tackles (five solo) and added a half of a sack in the win over Penn.
- The Black Knights continue CSFL play on Friday, Sept. 20 when they host Post at 7 p.m. at Shea Stadium.
Women’s Tennis
- The women’s tennis team traveled to Stony Brook and Quinnipiac this weekend to open their 2013-14 season. The Black Knights split to partake in both events.
- In Flight A doubles at Quinnipiac, Margaret Iliev and Carolyn Pitman registered wins on both Friday and Saturday for the championship. The Black Knight duo pulled out a 9-7 win over a team from Seton Hall for the doubles title.
- Playing out of the D singles bracket, plebe Taler Brazell claimed a championship for Army in her collegiate debut. After a 6-2, 6-2, decision against Navy, Brazell moved on to capture a quarterfinal victory of 1-7, 7-6, 10-5 versus Seton Hall. Brazell came out untouched after taking the win from Providence, 6-1, 6-4, to win the flight.
- In Flight A doubles at Stony Brook, Jamila Paul and Gabriella Spindler advanced to the championship round after an 8-2 victory over a team from Rhode Island on Saturday. The duo suffered a loss in the championship round.
- Army hosts ten teams in the West Point Challenge on Friday, Sept 27. The invitational will continue through Sunday, Sept. 29.
Volleyball (3-7)
- Army participated in the Service Academy Challenge last weekend at the Pentagon in Washington D.C. The Black Knights were one of four teams to compete in the tournament including, Air Force, No. 8 Stanford and Yale.
- On Friday, Army went head-to-head with academy rival Air Force. After losing the first two sets, the Black Knights came back to force a fifth and deciding set. Early in the fifth set, forced errors allowed Air Force to gain a 6-1 lead, but the Black Knights picked up momentum and came back to tie the set 11-11. With kills from Margaux Jarka and Nicole Perri, Army was able to close the set, 16-14, to seal the victory.
- Following the Air Force triumph, Army had only 40 minutes to prepare and recover for the match against No. 8 Stanford on Friday. The Black Knights came out strong in each of the sets but fell to the Cardinal, 25-15, 25-17 and 25-17.
- Army played its final match of the invitational on Sat. Sept. 14, versus Yale. The Black Knights came out to win the first set, 25-14, but the Bulldogs came back to sweep the last three sets (25-14, 25-12 and 25-19) to take the match win.
- Army returns home this weekend to host Patriot League rivals Lehigh on Friday, Sept. 20, at 7 p.m. and Bucknell on Saturday, Sept. 21, at 7:30 p.m.
