Sept. 4, 2008

Complete Release in PDF Format

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- The Navy women's soccer team returns to action this weekend when they host to a pair of first-time opponents at the Navy Soccer Invitational. Navy, Central Connecticut State, Delaware and Winthrop will be featured in the two-day, four-game showcase. Navy begins play Friday against Winthrop at 7 p.m., and closes out the weekend on Sunday versus Central Connecticut at 3 p.m.

Navy Soccer Invitational

Friday, Sept. 5 Central Conn. St. vs. Delaware 4 p.m.
Winthrop at Navy 7 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 7 Delaware vs. Winthrop Noon Central Conn. St. at Navy 3 p.m.

--All games played at Glenn Warner Soccer Facility (Annapolis, Md.)

SCOUTING WINTHROP (1-1-0)
Winthrop split its opening two contests of the fall campaign, topping Tennessee Tech 3-2, before dropping a 4-0 result against Georgia State ... Senior forward Chelsea White, a Second-Team All-Big South selection in 2007, paces the Eagles with three points (1g, 1a) through two games. White, one of six returning starters in Winthrop's lineup this fall, had a team-leading eight goals and 22 points in `07 and enters her senior season as the program's all-time leading scorer (66 career pts.) ... Senior Dimitra Poulos, a three-time all-conference goalkeeper, returns to anchor the Eagles' backline. Poulos led the Big South in saves per game en route to earning first-team all-league laurels for a second consecutive season in `07 ... Winthrop returns 14 letterwinners from a 2007 squad that posted a 7-8-4 mark and advanced to the semifinals of the Big South Conference Tournament.

SCOUTING CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE (2-1-1)
Central Connecticut State has gotten off to a strong start with a 2-1-1 mark through its first four contests ... After playing to a scoreless draw at Hartford in their opener, the Blue Devils, a perennial power in the Northeast Conference, produced a stunning 2-1 victory over #11 UConn ... CCSU split its last two decisions, dropping a 2-1 result at Vermont last Friday, and then rebounding to shut out New Hampshire 1-0 on Sunday ... The Blue Devils (9-9-1, 6-3 NEC in 2007) fell short of their seventh league crown a year ago, losing to Sacred Heart in the NEC tournament semifinals ... CCSU returns 18 players from last year's squad including four all-conference performers, led by junior Rachel Caneen, a First-Team All-NEC selection a year ago and the team's top returning scorer. Sophomore captain Clio Tregear, a Second-Team All-NEC midfielder in 2007, is also back and through four games, leads the Blue Devils with a pair of goals (both in CCSU's win over UConn) and six points ... Although Sunday's meeting marks the first matchup between the two programs, Navy has enjoyed a considerable amount of success against members of the Northeast Conference. The Mids own a 15-2 all-time record against NEC opponents, including a perfect 8-0-0 mark against Mount St. Mary's.

MOELLER EARNS BRINE PATRIOT LEAGUE DEFENDER OF THE WEEK KUDOS
Junior Shelly Moeller is living up to her billing as one of the Patriot League's most dominant defenders. Moeller, who earlier this season was voted the league's preseason defensive player of the year, has garnered BRINE Patriot League Women's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week honors for her inspired play over weekend during the Midshipmen's two-game West Coast trip.

"Shelly has been phenomenal in the last two games," said head coach Carin Gabarra. "She really stepped up her game and was a major difference-maker for us in the back."

Moeller, who is a five-time recipient of the weekly award, is the second Navy women's soccer player to be honored by the league this fall. Senior forward Kristen Laraway (Long Valley, N.J.) was tabbed the offensive player of the week on Aug. 26. The Milford, Ohio native delivered at both ends of the field in Navy's thrilling 2-1 come-from-behind win at UC Davis on Sunday. She was stifling on the defensive end, helping hold the host Aggies to a single goal and after the Mids rallied to force overtime, she capped off the Navy comeback by heading home the game-winner in the 94th minute.

Moeller, no stranger to scoring game-deciding goals, is now tied for eighth all-time at Navy with four career game-winners. The golden goal, however, was a first for the 5-foot-10 dedender and just the 11th recorded in the program' history. Former Navy captain Molly Burd `06 scored the Midshipmen's last overtime winner against La Salle on August 28, 2005.

HOME COOKIN'
Navy carries an impressive 11-game home unbeaten streak (10-0-1) into this weekend's action. In 2007, the Midshipmen turned in an undefeated home mark (9-0-1) for just the second time in program history. Additionally, since the start of the `06 season, Navy boasts an impressive 24-1-1 record (.946) in Annapolis.

Navy Consecutive Home Wins/Longest Home Unbeaten Streak• Season               -14 in 2006• Over Multiple Seasons        -15 in 1997-98, 2005-06

Chasing History
With a career-high-tying 10 saves against UC Davis, senior goalkeeper Lizzie Barnes passed Kate MacFarlane '03 to move into fourth on Navy's all-time save list. Barnes now has 167 saves in 52 career games ... Already Navy's all-time leader in GAA (0.70), she enters the weekend with 21 career shutouts - just one shy of tying Kim Bonafede `05 for the program record.

Navy's Career Save Leaders                Saves   Years lettered1.  Amy Hakola  479 1994-972.  Kim Bonafede    234 2001-043.  Sarah Wilson    201 1997-004.  Lizzie Barnes 167 2005-present5.  Kate Macfarlane 158 1999, 2001

NAVY NOTEBOOK
Junior Shelly Moeller has started every game since the beginning of her freshman season, an impressive streak that reached 50 consecutive contests on Sunday ... Senior CiAnna Weikle (Butler, Pa.) netted her fifth career goal in Navy's 3-1 setback at Stanford. Weikle had a career-best two assists against Vermont in the Mids' season opener and now has four points through Navy's first three matches - equaling her point total from a year ago. Weikle's goal was the first to be scored against a Stanford team, that is ranked No. 7 in the most recent NSCAA/adidas national poll. The undefeated Cardinal (3-0-0) have shut out two of their first two opponents, including No. 13 Boston College ... Senior forward Sam Schroth (Chester Springs, Pa.) earned her first two career starts over the weekend. Schroth has made the most of her time on the first unit, assisting on Navy's lone goal against the nationally-ranked Cardinal and then delivering the game-tying second-half tally in the Midshipmen's 2-1 overtime win against the Aggies ... Eight different Navy players have recorded a point this season, including freshman Stephanie Lomeli (Glendale, Ariz.) who recorded her first collegiate assist against Stanford ... Junior back-up keeper Beth Reed (Indianapolis, Ind.) recorded a career-high four saves against the Cardinal in nearly 22 minutes of action off the bench ... Navy, selected as the favorite to win the Patriot League crown for a third consecutive season, returns a program-record eight seniors and 15 of the 19 letterwinners from last year's NCAA Tournament squad.

UP NEXT
Navy is back in action next weekend with a pair of road matches in neighboring Virginia. The Midshipmen women visit Liberty, at 7:00 p.m. on Friday (Sept. 12) and face VMI on Sunday (Sept. 14) beginning at 1:00 p.m.