Stars on the line in Army-Navy matchup
Both men’s and women’s teams squaring off today
Stars will be on the line in lacrosse Saturday afternoon with Army and Navy meeting in showdowns 200 miles apart.
Navy men’s lacrosse travels to West Point to face archrival Army at Michie Stadium at 1 p.m. Back in Annapolis, Navy women’s lacrosse welcomes Army to Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium with opening draw set for 4:15.
Navy’s men come into the biggest regular season game of the spring riding a three-game winning streak and a wave of confidence. The Midshipmen (7-4, 4-1) are in a three-way tie for first in the Patriot League with Boston University and Colgate, but have beaten both.
“We know we’re getting better and that’s a good place to be at this point in the season,” coach Joe Amplo said. “I think our guys are confident that this team is moving in the right direction.”
Meanwhile, Army (8-2, 3-2) is in a three-way tie for fourth. One month ago, the Black Knights were unbeaten and ranked No. 1 nationally by Inside Lacrosse. Losses to Boston and Colgate have dropped Army to No. 12.
“I think Army is good top to bottom,” Amplo said. “They’re extremely deep on offense, very solid and aggressive on defense and strong in the faceoff game.”
Junior attackman Jackson Eicher leads Army in scoring with 42 points on 26 goals and 16 assists.
Senior attackman Reese Burek is the offensive quarterback and has 35 points on the strength of 20 assists. Sophomore Evan Plunkett (32 points) spearheads a dangerous first midfield that also features Jacob Morin (27).
“Evan Plunkett is as good a midfielder as there is in the country. He’s an old-school middie and does everything well,” Amplo said.
“Morin is a pure scorer and they do a lot of good things to help him get open looks.”
It will be a significant challenge for the Navy defense, which is anchored by sophomore goalkeeper Dan Daly. Senior All-American Jackson Bonitz is the key figure for a stingy close defense, while classmate Jackson Peters leads the defensive midfield.
Daly is stopping 54% of shots and the Mids have allowed just over nine goals against their five Patriot League opponents.
“They have six dangerous offensive players out there at the same time, so we need to be connected and have six guys playing together,” Amplo said.
Senior attackman Xavier Arline is enjoying the best season of his career and leads Navy with 29 points on 16 goals and 13 assists. Junior attackman Henry Tolker has been the top finisher with a team-high 24 goals. Midfielders Max Hewitt and Dane Swanson have contributed 21 and 19 points, respectively.
Army coach Joe Alberici has been impressed with the Navy defense, which includes Nick Licalzi and Ian McGullam on close and long stick midfielder AJ Marsh. Daly (126 saves) has shown the ability to make the spectacular stop that steals goals.
“I’m seeing a defense that is becoming more and more connected and playing at a higher level,” Alberici said. “They’re forcing teams to really work for good shots and getting some great goaltending.”
Both coaches agree a critical battle will come at the faceoff stripe where Army junior Will Coletti takes on Navy freshman Zach Hayashi. Coletti has won 64% (175-272) of draws and is already the program’s all-time leader in that category. Hayashi, a McDonogh product, has captured 57% (139-245) and provided a real spark with his energy and effort.
A bye in the Patriot League Tournament could possibly be at stake in the Army-Navy women’s game. The Black Knights (6-6, 4-1) and Midshipmen (10-3, 4-1) are part of a three-way tie for second place along with Holy Cross (9-3, 4-1). Both service academies have already lost to perennial powerhouse Loyola Maryland.
Navy, which is coming off a critical 13-9 victory over Holy Cross, would put itself in great position to earn a bye with a win over Army.
Army boasts a pair of prolific sophomore scorers in midfielder Brigid Duffy and attacker Allison Reilly, who have amassed 70 and 68 points, respectively. Duffy has fired in 48 goals and also leads the Black Knights with 81 draw controls, while Reilly is both a finisher (38 goals) and feeder (30 assists).
“Reilly is a pure athlete with great speed and is also very strong in the draw circle. She pretty much brings everything you would want in a midfielder,” Timchal said. “Reilly is a very talented lefty player who does a good job running the offense.”
It figures to be a significant challenge for Navy freshman goalie Felicia Giglio and the defense. Giglio has been solid in stopping 42% of shots as the Mids are allowing just over nine goals per game.
“I feel really good about Felicia,” Navy coach Cindy Timchal said when asked about the plebe making her debut in the ArmyNavy game. “She’s not playing the event, she’s playing the game.”
Junior midfielder Emily Messinese and junior attacker Tori DiCarlo have paced the Navy offense with 49 and 42 goals, respectively. Sophomore attacker Kat McAteer has stepped up and provided balanced production with 20 goals and 17 assists.
Junior attack Lola Leone has scored 24 goals, while freshman midfielder Mikayla Williams has totaled 17 goals and 11 assists.
“We’ve been focusing on getting a complete team effort. We’re looking to play good collective offense,” Timchal said. “We have many players on the team who can score and we will need a little something from everyone in this game.”
Navy won six straight meetings to start the series, but Army has won three of the last four. The Black Knights beat the Mids twice last season, 15-11 during the regular season and 12-11 in double overtime in the Patriot League Tournament.
“For anybody that’s been a part of such a rich tradition such as Army-Navy, it’s really an honor and privilege to have the opportunity to play and coach in the game,” Timchal said. “Army played really well against us the last few seasons. It’s going to be a real close game.”