"I first want to say how proud I am of our guys and their ability to bounce back from a tough loss against Maryland last week," said eighth-year Navy head coach Rick Sowell. "We got out to a good start in the first quarter and were able to build upon it throughout the course of the game. I would have like to close out a little better than we did, but overall we are improving in all phases of the game."
The Mids opened up a 6-0 lead midway through the second quarter and the Bison would chip into
that lead four times (6-1, 7-2, 8-3 and 11-5), but could never get closer than five goals.
Navy's defense, one of the youngest in recent memory, was spectacular over the first 45 minutes of play, allowing just two even-strength goals while give up three extra-man goals over that same timeframe. For the game, the Bison scored five 6-on-6 goals and three extra-man strikes.
Eight players accounted for the Mids' 14 goals, including Daniel who punched in his third hat trick of the season with a team-high four goals. Among those four goals was a highlight reel goal where he caught the ball while in mid-air and dunked it over all-league goalkeeper Christian Klipstein's shoulder six minutes into the game. Daniel has produced a point in all 17 games in which he has worn a Navy uniform, including goals in each of the last 15 contests. Behind his seven-point performance, he is now just over halfway to the 100-point mark with 51 points on 35 goals and 16 assists.
"It's been there," said Sowell in response to Daniel's ability to score this season. "We all know what Christian is capable of doing. In all honesty, it sort of snuck up on me. He puts the ball on net, but he also is a pretty good feeder. I think he blossoming into an all-around attackman and one of the better ones out there in our sport."
Daniel was also lauded by Navy's All-Patriot League goalkeeper Ryan Kern (Jr / Middletown, Del.) for being the "scrappiest attackman on the team" after the second-year star paced the team with a career-best nine ground balls.
Torain, a two-time Tewaaraton Award Watch List member, pitched in his ninth career hat trick as he leapt past former teammate Patrick Keena from 27th to 24th on Navy's all-time scoring list with 109 points (69G, 40A). Meanwhile, he now has 69 career goals and is six away from joining the program's all-time top 20.
Co-captain Ryan Wade (Sr / Coronado, Calif.), meanwhile, pushed his point-scoring streak to 28 consecutive games behind a two-goal, two-assist performance against the Bison. Wade, whose streak is the 12th longest in Div. I, has porudced 72 points on 22 goals and 50 assists during that streak. Meanwhile, he has dealt out an assist in each of the last 25 contests.
Navy also saw strong performances on the offensive side from starting attackmen Nick Cole (Fr / Ashburn, Va.) with a goal and two assists and Jack Sweeney (Fr / Glenelg, Md.) with a goal and an assist. Starting midfielder Michael Foster (So / Manassas, Va.) had himself a career day, producing a goal and two assists.
Kern, meanwhile, anchored the defense from between the pipes where he made nine saves. The Mids forced six of Bucknell's 18 turnovers, including a career-high three takeaways by first-year starting defenseman Jacob Mandish (So / Davidsonville, Md.). Starting defenseman Andrew McKenna (So / Stony Brook, N.Y.) did yeoman's work in his coverage of Bucknell leading scorer Will Yorke, who was held to just a single assist after coming into the the weekend with a team-high 12 goals.
'Our defense continues to just get better every day," added Sowell, whose only returning starters on defense are Kern, McKenna and long-stick midfielder Jeff Durden (So / Cumming, Ga.). I thought we worked hard this week in practice. I just think we are growing each game.
"Ryan (Kern) also had some really big saves today at some key points in the game."
Bucknell was led by freshman attackman Alston Tarry's four goals, two of which were scored a man up, while Klipstein came up with 13 saves.
The Midshipmen return to action on Tuesday when they play host to Princeton beginning at 4:00 pm. While it marks the 56th time the two programs will have met, it's the first time the two have battled since Navy defeated the Tigers, 8-7, in the 2004 NCAA Championship Semifinals in Baltimore. A free live video stream will be available on PatriotLeague.TV with Pete Medhurst and Joe Miller on the call.
### Go Navy ###
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