April 16, 2008
Box Score
ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Freshman Meg Decker led a Navy second-half rally as the Mids overcame a two-goal deficit with 15 minutes to play to defeat Robert Morris, 17-14, on Senior Day at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. The Mids improved to 11-3 overall, while Robert Morris falls to 4-11 overall.
The Mids wrapped up an undefeated season at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, posting an 11-0 record at the facility. Navy outscored its 11 opponents at NMCMS by an average of 9.5 goals per game.
"It was obviously great to close out the home season with a win, especially for the seniors," said Navy head coach Cindy Timchal, who needs just three more wins for 350 in her career. "They have been such an integral part of our season."
Leading the way on Senior Day, however, was a freshman. Decker, a midfielder from Catonsville, Md., equaled a career-high with six goals and notched her 11th straight hat trick. Decker scored a pair of goals in a key 5-0 run late in the game, the second of the pair coming with 12:08 to play to give Navy a 13-12 lead it wouldn't relinquish. The goal was her 50th of the season.
Decker and teammate Erin Rawlick (Forest Hill, Md.) both scored their 50th goals of the season, as Rawlick reached the plateau with her first goal of the game with 14:59 to play in the first half, and now has 52 goals on the season. They have combined for 102 goals so far this year and are the only pair in the country with 50-plus goals each.
"What can you say about Meg Decker today," said Timchal. "She was outstanding. Meg has become a player that knows what it takes to become a great player and is a player that has really bought into going all out every minute of every game."
The Mids and Colonials traded goals for most of the first half, before heading to the locker rooms tied at eight.
Navy scored the second half's first two goals to grab a 10-8 advantage four minutes into the half. The Colonials responded with the game's next four goals over a 10-minute span to grab a 12-10 advantage with 15:53 to play.
After a Navy timeout to regroup, the Mids responded with a five-goal run for a 15-12 cushion with 9:06 to play. The Colonials would score twice in a row to trim the Navy lead to 15-14 with 6:47 to play, but Rawlick and Brittany Amerau (Alexandria, Va.) tallied goals in the final five minutes to put the game out of reach.
"Winning draws in the second half was the key, especially during that run," said Timchal. "After the timeout, we recommitted to the draw and being tough and together on defense. We turned it around at the right time. Robert Morris is a very good team and this was a satisfying win for us.
"It truly is a great accomplishment to go undefeated at home and one that we are very proud of," said Timchal. "We take pride in defending our home turf. Robert Morris wanted to spoil that, but we persevered and found a way to win."
The Mids outshot Robert Morris, 31-27, and won 19 draw controls to RMU's 14. The Mids had just 14 turnovers, while the Colonials had 16.
Sophomore Mary Ruttum (Annapolis, Md.) added five points (2 g, 3 a) for the Mids, while Rawlick finished with four points (3 g, 1 a). Amerau tallied a hat trick, while senior Amanda Towey (Smithtown, N.Y.) recorded three points (1 g, 2 a).
Senior Natalie Blandon (Rockville, Md.) stopped seven shots in goal.
The Mids, who have wrapped up a Patriot League Tournament berth already, will conclude Patriot League regular-season play at Lafayette on Saturday, beginning at 1:00 pm. A Navy win, coupled with a Lehigh loss at Bucknell and an American loss against Colgate, will give the Mids the second seed in the tournament to be played on April 25-27 at either Colgate or American.
# GO NAVY #
