The Navy lacrosse team received an early boost in its bid to win a fourth straight Patriot League title when the conference granted senior attack Ian Dingman a fifth year of eligibility, Navy coach Richie Meade said.
Dingman returned to the Midshipmen last spring after being dismissed from the academy in the middle of the 2004-05 school year for a number of reasons, including academics and medical conditions. The 6-foot-4, 260-pound Defriet, N.Y., native was readmitted in the fall and led the Mids to an 11-4 record while scoring a team-high 33 goals.
However, his eligibility for this spring came into question because he played in a half a scrimmage in the fall of 2004 against Virginia. Meade said he felt the Patriot League made the right decision. Now, Meade added, it?s up to Dingman to make the most of the situation.
“This situation was cut and dry, and the Patriot League acted the way I thought they would,” Meade said. “Still, this situation was created because of the things Ian didn?t do. But now, he?s doing well and has been really positive regarding everything dealing with his situation.”
Prior to Dingman?s dismissal, he was regarded as one of the top attackmen in the nation. In 2004, he scored 36 goals and had 26 assists, leaving Navy to the national championship game. The year before as a freshman, Dingman led the team in scoring with 40 goals.
“We don?t have a lot of great players, but we have a number of good ones,” Meade said. “I doesn?t hurt to have a guy like Ian Dingman on the team going into this season.”
Meade added that while Dingman has gone through a lot in his time at the Naval Academy, it is nothing compared to what Dominick Floyd has experienced. The 2000 Navy graduate, who played for the Midshipmen, is recovering at Bethesda Naval Hospital after getting injured by a bomb in Iraq.
“Ian?s been through a lot, but in the larger scheme of things, he has had it pretty good, Meade said.
NAVY NOTES
» Seven Midshipmen are included on the 14-player preseason All-Patriot League team, including attack Ian Dingman and two-time All-American midfielder Billy Looney, who had 18 goals and four assists last season.
» Inside Lacrosse/Face-Off Yearbook selected Navy as its preseason favorite to win its fourth straight Patriot League title. The Midshipmen have won at least a share of the regular-season conference crown the last three seasons.
