Ninth-ranked Army (10-2, 7-0 Patriot League) won against Navy men’s lacrosse team (7-7, 4-3 Patriot League) in a game held on April 22, 2023, at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md.
Army had a strong start and held a three-goal advantage after the first quarter. It then extended its lead to 7 at halftime, remaining unbeaten in the Patriot League with one week remaining in the regular season. Navy tried to catch up in the second half, holding Army to just two goals over the last 30 minutes of the game, but it was not enough as the Black Knights won 11-6. Army’s Reese Burek scored four goals and had an assist to lead his team, while Navy’s Xavier Arline scored two goals.
Prior to the game, Navy celebrated Senior Day by honoring its 11 senior players and a senior student coach.
Army opened the game with a faceoff win and quickly scored three goals to take the lead. Navy midfielder Dane Swanson scored his first goal since February 25 against High Point with 4:32 remaining in the first quarter. Army scored the last goal of the quarter to take a 4-1 lead. The Black Knights’ Evan Plunkett scored two goals to open the second quarter, but Navy’s Xavier Arline responded with a spectacular no-look, over-the-shoulder goal two minutes later to trim the Black Knights’ lead to 3. However, Army scored four goals in a row to close the half with a 9-2 lead.
Navy came out of the locker room in the second half and scored three goals in a row, cutting into Army’s lead. After being held without a goal for the first 11-plus minutes of the second half, Army’s Reese Burek scored a goal at the 3:05 mark in the third frame. The Mids then scored another goal to trim the Black Knights’ lead to four. But Navy was unable to score again for the rest of the game, while Army added a Bailey O’Connor goal to win 11-6.
Burek led Army with five points on four goals and an assist, while O’Connor and Plunkett contributed two goals each. AJ Pilate anchored Army’s defense, recording three caused turnovers and grabbing four ground balls, while netminder Knox Dent made 10 saves and allowed all six Navy goals. After six of the 13 draws in the opening half, Army’s Will Coletti won six of the eight faceoffs in the second half and grabbed a game-high eight ground balls.
Arline, who made just his second appearance in the last six contests due to injury, scored a pair of goals, while seven other players finished the game with either a goal or an assist for the Mids. Navy goalkeeper Pat Ryan made 15 saves and allowed 11 goals, while All-American defenseman Jackson Bonitz recorded three caused turnovers and grabbed three ground balls.
Navy celebrated Senior Day by honoring its 11 senior players and a senior student coach. The senior players are Phil Arnold, Brian Calabrese, Dom Cole, Jack Dennehy, Brady Dove, Jack Flaherty, Daniel Gindling, Andrew Hennessey, Sean Merriman, Ryan O’Connor, and Pat Ryan. Senior student coach Calabrese is a surface warfare officer.