Nov. 5, 2006

Box Score

LEWISBURG, Pa. - A goal in the eighth minute by freshman Shelly Moeller (Milford, Ohio) was all Navy needed as it captured its second Patriot League Tournament title with a 1-0 victory over fourth-seeded Colgate Sunday afternoon at Varsity Soccer Field in Lewisburg, Pa. Along with the tournament title, the Mids received an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament with the field of 64 being announced Monday between 3:00-4:00 pm on ESPNEWS.

"Our focus from the beginning of the season was to reestablish ourselves in the Patriot League," said Navy head coach Carin Gabarra who was named the Patriot League Coach of the Year on Thursday. "I was happy to make the tournament and it's fantastic to win the tournament.

We've played well all year, we've been healthy and we've played together. I've never coached a team that has played as one unit as well as what we have this fall. We are difficult to defend because so many of our players are able to attack and we have great depth. Our players will defend at all cost and today the championship came down to our defensive effort."

The Mids scored on their first shot of the afternoon, as Navy all-time assists leader Meggie Curran (Silver Spring, Md.) set up the goal on a free kick from 20 yards out on th left sideline. Curran sent the ball to the opposite post where Moeller, the 2006 Patriot League Co-Defensive Player of the Year, drove in her eight goal of the year and her second game-winner of the Patriot League Tournament.

Colgate spent the latter part of the opening half on the offensive, as it put its first shot on goal with 12 minutes remaining when Franny Iacuzzi took a shot from the top left corner of the box that was redirected by Josie Johnson. Navy keeper Lizzie Barnes (New Orleans, La.), a 2006 First-Team All-Patriot League selection, made the stop, but the ball bounced back out into play and Kelly Niland shot the ball wide right.

Navy sophomore forward Kristen Laraway (Long Valley, N.J.) saw a pair of second-half shots turned away. In the 70th minute, her shot was headed out of the goal by Kathleen Head, while four minutes later she nearly scored on an identical play that she netted Friday night, crossing over her defender and shooting left where Raiders' keeper Carly Sousa stretched out to save.

With just over 13 minutes remaining in the contest, Colgate took back-to-back corners, the second resulting in a ping-pong match between the two teams before the Raiders' Jackie Burch finally got a foot on it and sent a shot off the cross bar. Johnson's follow-up shut sailed wide right.

Barnes made a pair of stops on the afternoon, while Sousa was credited with one save. The two teams combined for a combined 14 shots with just five on goal.

Moeller was named the Patriot League Tournament MVP after driving in both game-winning goals for the Mids in the tourney. She was joined by teammates Lauren Bresnahan (Weston, Fla.), Julie Reynolds (Sherman, Conn.) and Barnes on the all-tournament squad.

Fans and media are invited to join the Mids at Dahlgren Hall on the Yard of the Naval Academy on Monday afternoon to watch the 2006 NCAA Div. I Women's Soccer Tournament Selection Show. The field of 64 teams will be unveiled, along with dates and times for the tournament contests. Sixteen first and second-round sites will be announced with games being held Nov. 10 and 12. The 2006 NCAA Div. I Women's Soccer Semifinals and Championship Game will be held at SAS Soccer Park in Cary, N.C. on Dec. 1 and 3, respectively. As Navy awaits its NCAA Tournament opponent, three of the Mids' opponents they beat during the regular season have captured automatic bids - Penn State (Big Ten), Columbia (Ivy League) and Jacksonville (Atlantic Sun).