Navy plans on honoring the 11 seniors on its men?s lacrosse team prior to Saturday?s regular-season home finale against arch-rival Army at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. But the pre-game ceremony will recognize much more than four years of service at the academy.
Like their football counterparts, the lacrosse seniors will graduate from Annapolis this spring with the most wins by a graduating class and the most wins by any Division I lacrosse program over the last four years.
Going into Saturday, Navy (8-2, 5-0 Patriot League) is 46-13 overall and 22-2 in Patriot League play since the start of the 2004 season, including 10-game winning streaks or more in three straight seasons and a school-record 15 wins in 2004. One of those 2004 wins ? a 9-6 victory against Maryland ? was the program?s first-ever victory over a top-ranked team.
“This senior class is on the threshold of doing something special,” Navy coach Richie Meade said. “Navy lacrosse has been around for 100 years, and for this group to accomplish what it has is something special. Every member of this senior class has made a positive contribution in their own way and has provided the leadership and dedication necessary for us to continue the momentum we started to pick up when they were plebes.”
While the four consecutive Patriot League regular-season titles, three straight NCAA appearances and three Patriot League tournament championships are all impressive, Navy senior midfielder/face-off specialist William Wallace said he and the rest of the seniors have more work to do before graduation. Beating Army (6-4, 3-2) for a 12th straight time Saturday is tops on the list. They also want to snap a current two-game losing streak and return to the NCAA championship game for the first time since 2004 and third time since 1975.
“We take a lot of pride in beating Army, and we don?t want to know what that failure feelslike,” Wallace said. “The program really turned around when we came in four years ago. We?ve been here at a time when Navy lacrosse is where it should be.”
NAVY NOTES
» Saturday?s Army-Navy game starts at noon.
» Navy has clinched the top seed in the Patriot League tournament, which will be held April 27 and 29 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
» With two more wins, Navy will reach the 10-win mark in four straight seasons, a feat it last accomplished in 1975-78.
