Player Bio: Rob Blanck - NAVY OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE

Rob Blanck

	Position: Assistant Coach
	Experience: 15th Year
	Alma Mater: Williams '89

In his 15th season, Rob Blanck has been alongside head coach Carin Gabarra from nearly day one in building Navy's women's soccer program. Blanck came to the Academy in 1995, just two years after the Navy women's soccer team was elevated to Division-I status.

Blanck knows nothing other than winning, having been a member of the Williams College varsity soccer team that produced a winning record all four years in which he played, while in his 15 years as a coach, all of his teams have posted winning records.

Blanck's background as an All-America goalkeeper has been a key element in developing Navy's corps of goalkeepers. Under his tutelage, Navy has produced five all-league goalkeepers -- three-time All-Patriot League honoree Amy Hakola, two-time all-league selection Sarah Wilson, 2001 Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year Kate Macfarlane, three-time all-league Kim Bonafede and two-time Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Year Lizzie Barnes.

Under Blanck's watch, Navy has owned the Patriot League's top-ranked defense in three consecutive seasons, in 69 games since 2006, posting a 0.63 GAA while allowing just 45 goals and recording 42 shutouts during that span.

Hakola, Navy's all-time saves leader (479) was a four-year starter (1994-97), while Wilson's 11.5 shutouts in 1998 stood as the Mids' single-season record until the fall of 2006 when Barnes broke it. Macfarlane played just two seasons for the Mids, but ended her career with a 1.00 goals-against average and 10.1 shutouts. Bonafede scorched the Navy record books in 2002 with her 0.36 GAA, and set the Mids' all-time shutouts record with 22, a mark which held up until this past season.

Barnes, meanwhile, has raised the standards of excellence at the Academy both on and off the field during her four-year career. She led the nation and set program records for single-season GAA (0.29), save percentage (.933) in 2006, while posting 13 shutouts - also a Navy record. Her breakout sophomore campaign earned her a spot on the 2007 Preseason Hermann Trophy Watch List; the first time a player from Navy or any Patriot League institution has been recognized on the prestigious list.

She graduated this past season as the Navy and Patriot League career leader in goals-against average (0.65), a career GAA which stands as the 20th-lowest in NCAA history. She also holds the school record with 29 solo shutouts, tied for the second-most in conference history. In addition to her athletic exploits, Barnes was a two-time First-Team Academic All-American, as well as the 2008 Patriot League Women's Soccer Scholar-Athlete of the Year and a NCAA postgraduate scholarship recipient

Over the last seven seasons, the Navy defensive unit has held its opponents to just 129 goals (18.4 goals per year) and produced a 0.82 goals-against average. Moreover, twice in the last seven years, Navy's defense has held its opponents to single-digit goals for the entire season (8 in 2002 & 9 in 2006).

The Midshipmen's defensive prowess has never been more evident than in the last three years. Navy has owned the Patriot League's top defensive unit in three-consecutive seasons and in 69 games since 2006, have posted a 0.63 goals-against average while allowing just 45 goals and recording 42 shutouts.

Blanck was also instrumental in recruiting Justine Fisher, a four-time All-Patriot League selection, as well as developing Nicole Aunapu, the first women's soccer player to garner all-league recognition all four years

In the summer of 2003, Blanck was selected to coach the United States in the CISM World Military Games in Germany. He guided the team, which included three former Naval Academy standouts -- Cristina Esposito (`98), Tara Refo (`00), and Sarah Wilson (`01), to a bronze medal with a pair of wins over neighboring Canada.

Prior to his arrival in Annapolis, he served as an assistant coach at Boston College -- three years with the women's soccer team and two seasons with the men. During his stay in Chestnut Hill, he helped guide the Eagles to postseason play three consecutive years, while Boston College also appeared in the national rankings.

A native of Weston, Mass., Blanck graduated from Williams College in 1989, where he captained the soccer team to two regional titles and earned First-Team All-America honors after setting four national goalkeeping records. Blanck compiled a 46-4-0 record as a college goalkeeper. He also played baseball and received the Fox Award (in honor of a Navy pilot killed in the Korean War) for recognition of achievements of character and sportsmanship.

Prior to coaching full time, Blanck worked for the Boston Red Sox for two years and completed his Master's Degree in sports management at the University of Massachusetts. He received a second master's in business administration from Babson College. Blanck has received his NSCAA advanced national diploma and his USFF "A" coaching license. He has also served on the staff for the Maryland Olympic Development Program for six years.

Blanck and his wife, the former Kristin Buckley, were married on July 29, 2006, and are the parents of a ta two-year old, Caden, and infant son, Anderson.