Navy Goalies Wickham, Samaniego Play for Keeps
by Clare Lochary | Lacrosse Magazine Online Staff
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Navy goalkeeper RJ Wickham gets full avoids the ride of Virginia attackman Matt Cockerton during Sunday's fall ball exhibition in Annapolis. © Kevin P. Tucker |
ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Navy alum Mickey Jarboe looked right at home at the Naval Academy’s Rip Miller field, tending the net for Team USA in scrimmages against Maryland, Virginia and his alma mater as a part of national team tryouts. But he wasn’t the only Navy goalie who looked sharp at Sunday's fall play day. Current keepers RJ Wickham and Alex Samaniego both shone against tough competition, assuring that Navy’s tradition of strong defense and goaltending should last into the 2010 season.
Wickham, a sophomore who started six games for the Midshipmen in 2009 and posted a .500 save percentage, had nine saves in the first have of an unscored scrimmage against Virginia. Samaniego, a junior who has yet to play in a varsity game, made seven stops in the first half against Team USA, allowing Navy’s struggling attack to avoid a blowout.
“Defensively and at goalie, we’re fine. Offensively, when [attackers] Timmy [Paul] and Brendan Connors are playing, we’re OK,” said Navy coach Richie Meade.
The Midshipmen carry 61 total players and five goalies, making it that much harder for hungry players to distinguish themselves. Navy had 10 scratches on the roster, including four starting midfielders.
Overall, Meade was pleased with his
squad’s ability to hang with top competition, and is
optimistic about the year to come.
“We had a very competitive fall ball season. I learned I can
push them hard. This season has been the most brutal conditioning
we’ve ever done,” said Meade.
“They can be pushed, and that’s really important to
know, because you’re not going to get any better without
pushing yourself.”
Paul and Connors aside, Navy
is still struggling to find an identity on attack. Assistant coach
and offensive coordinator Anthony Gilardi, in his second year in
Annapolis, saw some bright moments from speedy sophomore midfielder
Nikk Davis and senior middie Pat Moran, but the Mids need a
go-to-goal guy to provide the firepower to compliment their
defensive strength. Meade also tabbed Basil Daratsos, a senior
midfielder who has played sparingly in the past, to emerge as an
offensive threat.
“We have a young team, from the standpoint that we have a
lot of freshmen and a whole lot of older guys who haven’t
played much before,” said Meade.
Terps give Team USA fits
Maryland also put forth a
solid defensive effort, staying within a few goals of Team USA in
two scrimmages, despite having likely starting goalie Brian Phipps
on the sideline. (Phipps is still recovering from the season-ending
knee injury he suffered in last year’s NCAA tournament; he is
expected to be at 100 percent by spring.)
“We played some grown-man defense today, and showed some
hustle and scrap,” said Terps head coach Dave Cottle.
There were certainly moments when the scrimmages didn’t look
all that friendly -- Maryland players paid special attention to
Team USA midfielder Joe Walters and goalie Brian Dougherty, two
Terps on the U.S. roster.
Offensively, Maryland junior attacker Grant Catalino rattled off a
hat trick in the second scrimmage against Team USA and looks likely
to add to the 25 multi-point games he has had thus far in his
career. The Terps’ other behemoth attackman, Will Yeatman,
did not play due to a back injury.
"It's been a real intense fall," Yeatman said. "We're looking good. We've got guys who are older now, which is new."
Yeatman, the two-sport standout who transferred to Maryland from Notre Dame last year, said he still plans to join the Terps' football team as a tight end in the fall of 2010.
Wahoos regroup, post upset
Virginia struggled early
against Navy, falling behind the Midshipmen 5-3 after two quarters
and picking up some sloppy offsides penalties and struggling to
beat Wickham in the cage. Head coach Dom Starsia attributed that to
fall ball rustiness and some personnel issues -- five likely
starters, including Shamel Bratton and Chris Clements, were
sidelined with injuries.
The Cavaliers regrouped for their final game of the day, versus
Team USA, and came away with an 11-9 win. Virginia led by as many
as four goals in the game. Team USA clawed back within two only in
the fourth quarter when Starsia pulled starting junior goalie Adam
Ghitelman in favor of sophomore Rob Fortunato. The trio of Chris
Bocklet, Brian Carroll and Steele Stanwick appear well-prepared to
fill the Danny Glading-shaped hole in the Cavaliers’ offense.
Still, Starsia was modest about his team’s victory over the
U.S. squad: “I can tell you about just about any fall ball
results, good or bad, but it just doesn’t have that much
effect on the spring. We learned enough about ourselves that we can
become a real lacrosse team come spring.”
Lacrosse Magazine Online's Matt DaSilva contributed to this report.
