Sept. 26, 2008
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ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- The Navy men's soccer team kicks off Patriot League play on Saturday night at Bucknell, beginning at 7:00 pm. The Mids, who are receiving votes in the NSCAA Middle Atlantic Regional poll, enter the contest with a 4-3-1 record, while Bucknell, ranked ninth in the same region, is 3-4-2.
Navy has played in four straight 1-0 games, going 2-2-0 during that span. The Mids stopped a brief two-game losing skid in their last outing, a 1-0 victory last Sunday at the Birmingham Southern Armed Forces Classic. After scoring eight goals in the team's first four games, Navy has just scored two in the last four contests. However, the Navy defense has been stout after allowing seven goals in the first four games, it has allowed two in the last four outings.
The Navy offense boasts a balanced attack, as seven different players have tallied the nine goals, and nine players in all have scored points. Leading the way is junior Chris Marino (Longwood, Fla.) with five points (2 g, 1 a). Sophomore Mike Porcelli (West Islip, N.Y.) has added four points on two game-winning goals, while Mark Garcia (Tempe, Ariz.) also has four points on one goal and a team-best two assists. Junior Matt Tapajcik (Alexandria, Va.) also has distributed two assists.
Senior Nolan Grebb (Woodbury, N.J.) is having a fantastic year in goal for Navy, registering a 0.85 GAA and a .778 save percentage with three shutouts. Grebb ranks second in the Patriot League in GAA and is 60th nationally. He is also third in the Patriot League and 84th in the country in save percentage and is tied for the league lead with three shutouts. He has allowed just one goal in his last 399 minutes and has a 0.27 GAA over the last four games.
Bucknell enters the contest on a three-game losing streak, falling to Binghamton (3-1), Niagara (2-1) and St. Francis (Pa.) (2-1), but have perhaps the league's most impressive results, a 1-1 tie against Ohio State and a 2-0 victory over Penn State earlier in the year.
Junior Chris Hennings leads not only the Bison, but the Patriot League, in goals (7) and points (14). He ranks 11th nationally in goals per game (0.78) and tied a school record earlier in the year with four netters in a 5-4 victory over Canisius on Aug. 31. Hermann Trophy Watch List candidate Conor O'Brien has added 10 points (3 g, 4 a) and Mark Schmiegel has six points (2 g, 2 a). For the year, Bucknell is outscoring its opponents, 17-16, and ranks 20th nationally in scoring offense (1.89).
Tommy Caso has played the majority of time in goals, registering a 1.61 GAA and a .739 save percentage. Will Byrne has made the last two starts, recording a 1.91 GAA and a .733 save percentage. Bucknell is getting outshot, 142-118, on the season, and have just 33 corner kicks to its opponents' 61.
Navy leads the all-time series with the Bison, 22-7-2, but Bucknell has won the last two contests. Navy's last win in the series came in the 2001 season. Navy is 0-5-1 in the last six meetings against the Bison.
The Mids will conclude their four-game roadswing on Wedneday, Oct. 1, at Mount St. Mary's, beginning at 3:00 pm.
# GO NAVY #
