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No. 13 Navy Sinks George Washington & No. 20 Johns Hopkins to Advance to ECAC Title Game
PRINCETON, N.J. -- The 13th-ranked Navy water polo team cruised past a pair of opponents by a combined score of 32-10 to advance to the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Championship on Sunday, September 20 at 3:00 p.m. against Princeton. The Midshipmen improved to 8-4 overall with the two victories.
Navy defeated George Washington, 18-3, in the opener, then routed 20th-ranked Johns Hopkins, 14-7, to reach the finals.
"Overall, it was a good effort for the day," said Navy head coach Mike Schofield. "We got off to a slow start against Johns Hopkins, but had a good second quarter and never looked back. We are excited to play Princeton tomorrow, who beat a very good Brown team today. It should be another great game between the two schools."
In the opener, the 18-3 win over George Washington, Chris Vahey scored a career-high four goals, while Kyle Wertz, Jordan Carter, Luke Baldwin and Johnny Meiners each scored two goals. Brett Rajchel stopped 11 shots in goal, before being replaced by Chase Hansen, who made seven stops.
In the second game, a 14-7 victory over Johns Hopkins, Navy led just 2-1 after one quarter, but outscored the Blue Jays, 6-1, in the second quarter to blow the game open. Navy led 13-4 after three quarters.
Wertz and Stevie Ray led Navy with four goals, while Baldwin added a pair. Four other players netted one goal each. Rajchel made three saves in goal while grabbing four steals. Hansen had five saves in a reserve role.
Navy and Princeton will battle for the 66th time on Sunday, with the winner earning the 2009 ECAC Championship.
Release courtesy Navy Athletic Communications
