Oct. 16, 2008
|
ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Navy women's soccer team (11-3-1, 3-0 PL) will aim to extend its season-best winning streak to seven games and improve to 4-0 in Patriot League play for just the second time in program history this weekend when they host American (5-9-1, 2-1 PL) on Friday evening in the first of a pair of weekend matches.
The Mids, who boast an 8-2-1 mark at home this fall, play host to in-state foe UMBC as the longest homestand in program history comes to a close on Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m.
Prior to the start of Sunday's contest, Navy will hold a short ceremony honoring the Mids' decorated eight-member senior class - Lizzie Barnes (New Orleans, La.), Jenn Dunbar (Crofton, Md.), Kristen Laraway (Long Valley, N.J.), Elise McCaskey (Butler, Pa.), Julie Reynolds (Sherman, Conn.), Sam Schroth (Chester Springs, Pa.), CiAnna Weikle (Lakeville, Minn.) and Carey Young (Virginia Beach, Va.).
Entering the weekend, the Class of '09 owns a 56-18-8 overall record, good for the second-best winning percentage of any class in school history (.731). The Class of 2005 graduated with the program record for both most wins (60) and highest winning percentage (.738).
"We have a large group of seniors this, and although it is a great thing during the season, it will be a tremendous loss come the end of the year," said Navy head coach Carin Gabarra. "This group has wonderful leadership, and is very driven and motivated. They are a diverse class, but all have the good of the team at heart. Day in and day out, their goal is to do whatever is necessary for the team to be successful, on- and off-the-field.
"They all work hard in the classroom and the Hall, and bring a vast amount of experience to the soccer field," added Gabarra. "They are a true example of fighting through adversity, and their potential to succeed this season is unlimited. We have relied on each one of them this season, and will continue to do so."
Navy, who is ranked No. 13 in the latest Soccer Buzz Mid-Atlantic Regional Poll, is giving up less than a goal per game this fall, boasting the league's lowest goals-against average at 0.72 (40th nationally) and has pitched four consecutive shutouts. Only two teams have scored more than a goal against the Mids in 15 games this season - No. 2/5 Stanford (3) and VCU (3).
Senior netminder Lizzie Barnes owns a league-best 0.77 GAA with four shutouts in 13 games. Meanwhile, she has warded off 48 shots on goal and owns a .842 save percentage - the best clip in the Patriot League.
Junior center back Shelly Moeller (Milford, Ohio), who on Tuesday was named to the Soccer America National Team of the Week for the second time in her career, anchors the league's top defensive unit. Moeller has started 62 straight games dating back to her freshman season. She scored a pair of goals this past week, including the game-winner against Lafayette, and has three goals this season.
Led by sophomore Carissa Youker (Potomac, Md.), the reigning Patriot League BRINE Offensive Player of the Week, Navy also owns the league's top scoring offense (2.13 g/gm). Youker has scored in each of Navy's three contests (4 goals in total), including a career-best two-goal effort against Delaware State, and through 15 games paces a well-balanced attack with seven goals and 16 points - both career-best totals.
American heads into Friday's competition owning a 5-9-1 record, including a 2-1 mark in Patriot League play. The Eagles rebounded from a recent seven-game winless streak, which included a league-opening 1-0 setback against Colgate, to sweep a pair of matches against Lehigh (1-0) and Lafayette (3-0) over the weekend.
In Friday's contest versus Lehigh in D.C., the two sides were mired in a scoreless deadlock into the 84th minute before sophomore Brooke Sheppard broke a 630-minute scoring drought with her first career game-winner to put the Eagles back into the win column for the first time since Sept. 14.
Junior midfielder Kelsey Brasher, a First-Team All-Patriot League selection in 2007, paces the Eagles' attack with a team-best five goals, three assists and 13 points in 12 games this season. Brasher enjoyed a breakout sophomore campaign a year ago, establishing herself as one of the league's top scoring threats after producing a league-best 1.53 points per game.
Reigning league goalkeeper of the year senior Kelsey Wiggins owns a 4-5-1 record, a 1.17 goals-against average and has turned away 77.2 percent of the 57 shots she has faced this fall. The Eagles return six conference all-stars from a 2007 squad that posted a 10-5-3 mark and finished just ahead of the Mids in the regular season standings in second place.
Friday's contest will mark the 15th meeting between the Midshipmen and Eagles. Navy holds a narrow 7-5-2 advantage in the all-time series, after posting a 1-0-1 mark against American in 2007. The Mids ousted the second-seeded Eagles from the Patriot League Tournament with a 2-0 win in a semifinal match contested in Lewisburg, Pa. The two sides had previously played to a 2-2 draw in D.C. during the regular season.
"We have always had quality, hard-fought games against American," said Gabarra. "They are well-coached and talented, and this will be a great match up for us in league play. I still do not think we are at our best, and look forward to getting better in specific areas we have been working on."
The UMBC women's soccer team stands at 2-14 overall and 1-5 in America East Conference play entering following a 5-0 loss Thursday at Vermont. UMBC has now lost five in a row since topping Maine on Sept. 28. Morgan Warrington is the Retrievers' top scorer with six points on three goals.
UMBC and Navy will be meeting for the eighth time and first since 2003 (a 3-0 Navy win). The Mids hold a 5-2 series advantage and have won five straight, outscoring the Retrievers by a 16-1 margin over that span. UMBC earned a pair of victories over Navy in 1993 and 1994, Navy's first two seasons as a varsity sport.
--Inside the Matchup--
Navy - AmericanAll-Time Series - Navy, 7-5-2In Annapolis - Navy, 3-2-0In Washington, D.C. - Navy, 3-2-2Neutral - Tied, 1-1-0PL Regular Season - Navy, 5-4-2PL Tournament - Navy 2-1-0Current Streak - Navy, 2-0-1 (3 gm)
Navy - UMBC SeriesAll-Time Series - Navy, 5-2-0In Annapolis - Navy, 3-1-0In Baltimore - Navy, 2-1-0Current Streak - Navy, 5-0-0 (5 gm)
--Navy Notebook---
*This season alone, Youker has recorded five game-winning goals tying Michelle Nance '00 for the sixth-best single-season mark in school history. During Navy's six-game winning streak, she has amassed a team-best 11 points (5 g, 1 a)... The Mids are 7-1 since she was inserted into the starting lineup for Navy's matchup against Mount St. Mary's.
*Through its first three league games in 2007, the Mids owned a 1-1-1 record. Navy has won its first four league games only once before. The 2006 squad won its first six contests before dropping its regular season finale. The Mids have twice finished the regular season league slate with unbeaten marks (in 1998 (5-0-1) and 2002 (4-0-3).
*With seven saves against Lehigh on Sunday, Barnes is now tied with Sarah Wilson '01 for third on the all-time saves list with 201 career saves. Moreover, the shutout win was the 10th of her career tying Kim Bonafede '05 for the most by a Navy keeper in league play. In 19 career league games, Barnes has allowed just seven goals in over 1,590-plus minutes of action (0.39 GAA).
*Navy's win over Lafayette pushed its record to 10-3-1, marking the 14th-consecutive season in which the Midshipmen have won 10 or more games. Additionally, Sunday's win over Lehigh secured the 14th-straight season in which Navy will finish with a winning record.
*Sophomore Christine Calderon (Yorktown, Va.) leads the Mids with seven assists and ranks 39th nationally with 0.5 ast/gm.
*Navy is 7-1 during its current 10-game, month-long homestand.
*Eighteen different Navy players have registered a point this season, including 12 Mids who have scored a goal. Freshman Stephanie Lomeli (Glendale, Ariz.) was the latest Navy player to find the back of the net, scoring her first collegiate goal in Friday's 4-0 win over Lafayette.
--Up Next--
Navy closes out the regular season with a string of difficult road tests beginning with the annual Star Game against archrival Army (Oct. 24) next Friday in West Point, N.Y. at 7 p.m.
