NOTE: For comments, corrections, etc.: Morris.Herbert@wpaog.org
HERBERT ON SPORTS
February 2010
HOCKEY (9-12-5): Played two games at home against Air Force and came out with a win and a tie. This weekend series was the best I’ve seen Army play in many, many years. Air Force is second in the Atlantic Hockey Assn standings, and Army seventh of the 10 teams in the league. The Falcons league record was 12-5-5, while Army was 7-8-3. Both games were played at high speed, with hard checking and no quarter asked or given. On Friday, Army scored late in the first period as senior captain Eric Sefchik scored on a 4 on 3 power play. Early in the second period, yearling Kyle Maggard scored a short-handed goal after a scramble in front of the Air Force net. After two periods, Army was up, 2-0. There were frequent penalties (18 in all) and twice in the second period Army had a 5 on 3 advantage, but couldn’t score. Then, midway in the second period, Air Force took away our momentum and they finally scored twice in the 3rd period to tie the game. At that point, with 12 minutes left to play, it looked like we couldn’t hold them. Wrong again! Army fought back, and with 5 minutes to play, junior Drew Pierson scored the go-ahead goal for Army. With two minutes to play, Air Force pulled their goalie, and in the final minute yearling Bryant Skarda knocked in an empty net goal as Army won, 4-2. Army’s junior goalie Jay Clark made 30 saves.
If anything, Saturday’s game was even more thrilling. Early in the first period, Air Force scored twice in a 26 second span to take a 2-0 lead. The Falcons outshot Army 21-6 in the first period. But, we pulled up our socks and midway in the second period, Plebe Andy Starczewski scored to get Army back in the game, and we trailed, 2-1 at the end of two. With six minutes to play in the game, Army tied the score on a goal by Kyle Maggard. Air Force then put on the pressure, crashing the net, and it paid off as they scored with two and a half minutes left to take the lead, 3-2. With a minute to play, Army pulled our goalie. With only 11 seconds remaining in regulation, Army captain Eric Sefchik took a pass from senior Owen Meyer and fired a point blank shot from in front of the net that tied the game. The five minute overtime period was scoreless and the game ended 3-3. A character building experience for the Zoomies! BUT, Air Force leads the overall series, 27-21-3.
Prospects look bright for this Army team. Coach Brian Riley has only 3 seniors on the 27 man roster, and one of those is the second string goalie. The rest of the squad is made up of 6 juniors, 11 yearlings, and 7 plebes.
Army will play two games at Holy Cross this weekend.
WRESTLING (5-3): A good weekend for Army wrestling as we defeated both Brown and Harvard on Saturday on their mats. With some of our first string wrestlers sitting this one out, Army won 8 of 10 bouts for a 27-6 win over Brown. Junior Casey Thome (141 lbs) won by a pin; the other seven wins were decisions.
Later in the afternoon, Army defeated Harvard, 35-13. We recorded 3 pins (including another by Casey Thome) and a technical fall. Again, some of our starters sat out the match, including Matt Kyler (149), who is ranked 8th nationally.
Army will be at Annapolis for the Service Academy Championships this weekend.
MEN’S BASKETBALL (12-9): Although we began the season with a 9-2 record, it now appears that a winning season is no sure thing. Our losing streak is now 3 games as we lost at Lafayette last Wednesday, 68-77, and then on Saturday we went 10 minutes without scoring in the second half and lost at Bucknell, 48-55. Colgate at home Saturday.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL (9-12): Split two league games at home this past week. Army defeated Lefayette on Wednesday, 54-38, but Bucknell, a team with a 6-13 record, blew us away on Saturday, 41-59. At Colgate this Saturday.
LACROSSE: Played an exhibition game against the U.S. National Team in Florida. Army trailed 7-9 going into the final period but the National team outscored Army 6-0 in the last 15 minutes to win, 15-7. Army coach Joe Alberici was not displeased with the result as he cleared the bench and every Army player got into the game.
SWIMMING/DIVING: Army’s men improved to 12-3 on the season as they defeated Colgate, 195 – 77 and Lafayette, 212-65. The Army women, now 5-12 for the season, split. They defeated Lafayette by 165-112, but were routed by Colgate. 73-206.
MEN’S TENNIS (1-2): Opened the season by defeating Fairfield, 6-1, but we lost to Dartmouth, 1-6 and to Binghampton, 2-5.
WOMEN’S TENNIS (0-1): Lost at Dartmouth, 3-15.
GYMNASTICS (1-2): In a triangular meet at Springfield, Army scored 330.95, defeating Navy, who scored 326.10, but losing to host Springfield, who scored 333.00. Army plebe Ikaika Jakub and yearling Tim Tieng tied for first place on the parallel bars.
Army will be at Navy for a dual meet Saturday.
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