Oct. 8, 2010
Courtesy of the Annapolis Captial | Original Release
by Dave Broughton
ANNAPOLIS, Md.- Every so often, Carin Gabarra is reminded why she loves coaching at the Naval Academy.
The only women's soccer coach Navy has had watched her team lose three straight games in early September - a 5-1 whipping by the University of Texas followed by excruciating double-overtime defeats to Texas State and Charleston Southern.
In the seven games since, however, Navy has gone 6-1, including a big 2-0 win at Colgate last Friday in the Patriot League opener for both teams. Colgate is the defending league champion and preseason favorite.
The Mids, with a number of freshmen among their key contributors, were able to regroup from that difficult stretch of games and are playing solid soccer heading into tonight's 7 p.m. N-Star Game at West Point against rival Army.
"We're getting there,'' Gabarra said of her team, which has outscored opponents 23-5 since the three-game losing streak. "We had some close results early on, but they didn't get down on themselves. Our players have never been the type to point fingers. They worked harder and focused on things they needed to do to get better. "Midshipmen love to be challenged and pushed to continue to improve and get better. It's why I love to coach Navy midshipmen.''
Navy (8-5-1) and Army (10-3) currently share first place in the Patriot League with Bucknell after each won their league openers. Gabarra expects a lively, pro-Army atmosphere tonight at Clinton Field in a game that will be broadcast on Fox Soccer Channel.
"We don't need any more motivation to play Army; it's inherent in the school atmosphere,'' said Gabarra, who owns a 10-8-2 coaching mark against Army. "It's a rivalry. I'm sure they'll have a packed house, but that can work both ways. That's not a downside to me.''
While Army's Kim An leads all Patriot Leaguers with eight goals, the Mids have featured a balanced attack with three players - Carissa Youker, Paloma Perez, and Ashlynn Soellner - sharing the team lead with five goals. Youker, a senior forward, leads the team with 14 points, while forwards Perez and Soellner are two of several first-year players making a positive impact for the Mids.
NOTES: Navy won last year's matchup, 2-0, in Annapolis. ... Navy plebes have accounted for 14 goals this season. ... Army is seventh in the current Mid-Atlantic Region rankings while Navy is ninth. ... Tonight's game will be aired on the Fox Soccer Channel at 11 p.m. ... Gabarra, in her 18th season at Navy, owns a 223-103-28 career record. She entered the season as one of 24 coaches nationally with 215 career wins. ... Navy's next home game is Saturday, Oct. 16 at 11 a.m. against Bucknell at Glenn Warner Soccer Facility.
