Review & preview: Navy

A look at the 2012 season for the Midshipmen and a glimpse into 2013

Here is the opening installment of a series that checks in with the seven Division I programs in the state to give a glimpse into the past and the future. Teams are scheduled to appear according to the chronological order in which their seasons ended. So Monday begins with a visit with Navy.

REVIEW

The good: As the Midshipmen learned last year when longtime coach Richie Meade was dismissed, the bottom line is wins and losses. In that department, the team improved from last year’s 4-9 record, going 6-6 this season. After a 2-4 mark in the Patriot League, Navy went 3-3 in the conference, including a victory over tournament champion Colgate. “That’s a baby step,” coach Rick Sowell said. “I wasn’t here a year ago, so I almost cringe saying that. This was a transition year and what we went through, ultimately we feel good about our program. … At the end of the day, we did improve upon last season.” … For a team sitting out the Patriot League and NCAA tournaments for the second year in a row, the Midshipmen ended the season on a high note with an 8-2 upset of then-No. 9 Johns Hopkins April 21. The win was akin to ending a tough round of golf with a birdie on the 18th hole. “We weren’t going to be playing in our conference tournament,” Sowell said. “It appeared to be the last game of our season, and we were playing for nothing more than pride. To go out and beat a top six or seven team in the country, you could go out in a lot worse ways, that’s for sure.” … Out of several key individual performances, the play of RJ Wickham was instrumental in Navy’s improvement. The senior goalkeeper registered an 8.87 goals-against average and a .570 save percentage after compiling a 9.26 goals-against average and .491 save percentage last spring. “What can I say about RJ?” Sowell said. “When people outside the team weren’t believing in him, he bounced back and had a tremendous senior season capped off by a game for the ages. To beat Johns Hopkins at home with an 18-save performance is special.”

The bad: The offense was stagnant. After dropping from 9.13 goals per game in 2010 to 9.08 last year, the unit stayed at 9.08 this spring. That number has to increase, especially in a conference where Colgate, Bucknell, Lehigh and Army averaged more than 10 goals. “While the work is in progress, we’ve got to develop offensively,” Sowell said. “Call it what it is, but we’re just not as talented in that area at this point. But the fact that we are young and now that the coaching staff knows what we’re dealing with, between the offseason and the players making improvements on their own, we’ll have a much better plan for how we want the offense to develop. The fact that all these guys do return with the experience they have, I like to think we’re going to be much improved on that end in 2013.” … Faceoffs continued to be a sore point. That unit won just 42 percent (110-of-262) in 2012 after winning 46.9 percent (137-of-292) last season. Sophomore long-stick midfielder Pat Kiernan and incoming freshman Ted Demiris of Hereford are candidates to replace Logan West (41.6 percent on 91-of-219), but it’s a facet of the game that will draw the coaches’ scrutiny. “[T]hat will be certainly one of the big questions coming back in the fall,” Sowell said. “How do we improve in that area? Right now, we have a few thoughts, but there’s work to be done.” … The Midshipmen have dropped their last four outings against archrival Army, which is the longest losing skid to the Black Knights. Sowell has been around for just one of those losses, but that’s just as irritating. “I’m 0-1 against them, and yes, that grates me,” he said, referring to the 9-6 setback April 14. “It was 6-6 going into the fourth quarter, and they made plays that we didn’t and couldn’t. They won the game. Next year, we’ll have it down at our place, and hopefully, we’ll have a different result.”

PREVIEW