April 7, 2008

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. - Navy junior net minder Tommy Phelan (Towson, Md.) and first-year starting defenseman Andy Tormey (Syracuse, N.Y.) earned recognition from the Patriot League office Monday afternoon as both players were named to the league's list of men's lacrosse players of the week. Phelan took home goalkeeper of the week kudos, while Tormey was named the league's defensive player of the week. Both are first-time Patriot League player of the week selections.

Anchoring a defensive unit that shut down one of the most potent offensive arsenals in the country, Phelan and Tormey helped lead the Midshipmen to a 5-4 upset over No. 3 Maryland last Friday at Byrd Stadium in College Park. Navy's swarming defense held Maryland scoreless for the first 41 minutes of the game, as it was the first time since 2005 the Terps had been held scoreless in a half. Navy's top-ranked defense held in check the Terps who came into the game ranked seventh in the country with their 12.2 goals per game. Managing just four goals, it was Maryland's lowest goal output since April of 2005 when the Terps dropped a 10-2 decision to Virginia, the same game in which they were held scoreless in a half.

Tormey handled defensive duties against starting attack man Brett Weiss, allowing him to get off just one shot in the contest, while he also pushed up on some of the Terps' powerful midfielders. The Navy junior caused one Maryland turnover in the contest, while picking up a team-high tying five ground balls. Additionally, Tormey played an instrumental role in Navy's clearing game in which the Mids were successful in 17 of their 18 attempts, a season best.

Making just his third start in goal and second in a row against a top-5 program, Phelan played a pivotal role in leading Navy to its first win over a top-3 opponent since 2004. Making five stops in the first half and six in the second, he helped shut down a Maryland offensive unit that put up 13 goals against the then No. 1-ranked Virginia Cavaliers a week earlier. Two of his stops were against Grant Catalino, the team's second-leading scorer, and another was against Jeff Reynolds, the team's most accurate shooter.

Since taking over the goalkeeping duties from an injured Matt Coughlin (Brightwaters, N.Y.), Phelan has surrendered 18 goals while making 37 saves (.673 sv%, 5.93 GAA). He held Colgate to just three goals, giving up two in the final minutes, while keeping Maryland well below its 12+ goal average. He has produced double-digit saves in each of his three starts, including a career-high 13 against Colgate and nationally-ranked Georgetown.

The sixth-ranked Midshipmen will be back in action on Saturday when they travel to West Point where they will face No. 17 Army in the annual Star Game. Faceoff is set for 12:00 pm at Michie Stadium. Saturday's contest will be televised live on ESPNU with Rob Simmelkjaer (play by play) and former Army head coach Jack Emmer (analyst) calling the action. Pete Medhurst will lend his voice to the broadcast on 1430 WNAV and 1050 WFED. Additionally, a pay-per-view video feed will be available via Knight Vision on Army's web site at www.goARMYsports.com or follow the game for free via the live stats link found on the lacrosse schedule page.