Army West Point Unveils 2017 Schedule

The Army West Point Black Knights are the 45th team in our 2017 schedule preview. The Black Knights went 10-7 overall in 2016, and 5-3 in Patriot League play. Army lost in the Patriot League championship game for the second straight year, this time to Loyola, 14-6. Let’s dive into their schedule.

ARMY WEST POINT

The Black Knights have the same exact schedule as they did in 2016, so nothing’s really different here. They’ll start the season with two road games, first against UMass on February 11, followed by Rutgers on February 18. Their home opener is on the 20th against VMI, before the team goes back on the road, this time to take on Syracuse, on February 26. Last year’s meeting with the Orange was a nail-biter, as the Black Knights had a chance to tie it in the waning seconds, but a Cole Johnson shot hit the post. Expect the same this year.

Patriot League play begins at home on March 4 against Lafayette, followed by a trip to the Lehigh Valley to take on Lehigh a week later. The team then hosts NJIT on March 13, before resuming league play in Worcester, Massachusetts against Holy Cross on March 18. Army then hosts Colgate to conclude the month of March on the 25th.

April is always tough for the Black Knights, and this month won’t be kind to them this year. They begin on the road against dark horse Bucknell on April 1, before returning to West Point to host Boston University on April 8. Then comes the big time game against Navy in Annapolis on April 15. After winning five straight regular season meetings, the Midshipmen have won the last two regular season tilts, including last year’s overtime thriller in West Point. The Black Knights then host defending Patriot League champion Loyola on April 21. After the Patriot League Tournament concludes, Army finishes the regular season at home against Notre Dame on May 6.

Head coach Joe Alberici will lose some key contributors on offense from last season, including attackman Connor Cook, and midfielders Jimbo Moore and Shea Mullins. But the team does return their leading point getter in senior attackman Cole Johnson, along with sophomore Nate Jones and junior midfielder Ted Glesener. Also back are Conor Glancy, Nick Santorelli, Austin Colvin, and Avery Littlejohn. The loss of starting defensemen Austin Schultz and Sam Finney will sting, but the team does return Reaves Klipstein and LSM Danny DeSanti. Look for Johnny Surdick, Marc Pettrone, Dom Ricca, and maybe LSM Tim Stackpole as possible replacements at close defense this year. A.J. Canara was their top defensive midfielder last season, and he’s also gone. Look for Max Krieg to step up his game at d-middie this year. AJ Barretto returns in goal after his first year in college, as he recorded a 7.96 goals against average and a .528 save percentage. With Alex Daly gone, Dan Grabher will be counted on to take more face-offs. He’s one of the better offensive FOGOs in the country, as he sometimes stays on the field on offense, as he scored 10 goals last season.

To see every team’s schedule and which one’s we’ve highlighted, check our our master schedule list.