June 10, 2009

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Rising senior Beth Reed (Indianapolis, Ind. / Bishop Chatard) has been elected by her peers to serve as Navy's team captain during the 2009 soccer season.

"It is the ultimate Navy women's soccer individual honor to be respected by your peers to be chosen to lead the team," said 17th-year Navy head coach Carin Gabarra. "Beth has a balanced outlook and will demand excellence from her teammates. She has earned all of our admiration and we have no doubt that she will do a great job."

After three years serving as the team's primary back-up, Reed enters the fall as the Midshipmen's No. 1 goalkeeper where she faces the tall task of replacing Lizzie Barnes ('09), a two-time Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Year and both the program's and Patriot League's career leader in goals-against average (0.65).

"Lizzie was tremendous in so many ways and we'll miss her, but we won't ask Beth to replace her; nobody can," added Gabarra. "Beth has her own strengths and it is our job to play to those talents. She is a special athlete and leader and we expect a great year from her. Those who have seen Beth play over the years know that we will continue to have top-notch play in the goal."

Over her career, Reed has appeared in 24 games, making four starts, and posting a 0.50 GAA and 84.8 save percentage in 892 minutes. This past fall, she appeared in nine games with two starts, produced four victories and posted a 0.47 GAA and 88.2 save percentage in nearly 380 minutes of action.

Included amongst Reed's season highlights, was a clutch 61-minute, 52-second performance in Navy's 3-2 double overtime win at Holy Cross on October 26. In that contest, the 5-foot-7 keeper entered at the start of the second half and made a pair of saves including a huge stop on a late-game breakaway, helping the Mids secure a victory that clinched Navy's third-consecutive postseason playoff berth.

Reed also received some valuable experience in an early-season tilt against eventual Final Four participant Stanford on August 29, setting a career high with four saves in just 20-plus minutes of action. She later matched that save total, while playing a career-best 90 minutes in a 2-1 win over Liberty on September 12.

The Indianapolis native becomes the 17th player to don the captain's band, inheriting a role held this previous season by three-time All-Patriot League midfielder Julie Reynolds (Class of '09).

Reed will join an elite list of players who have served as Navy women's soccer captains, including four-time First-Team All-Patriot League defender and two-time Academic All-American Nicole Aunapu (Class of '99), as well as fellow keeper and three-time All-Patriot League selection Kim Bonafede (Class of `04).

Although she has yet to see extended time as Navy's top netminder, there is no doubt that Reed has the wherewithal to meet any and all new challenges that come her way as a student-athlete at the Naval Academy.

In her three years in Annapolis, she has epitomized the well-rounded midshipman, posting a 3.97 grade-point average as a mechanical engineering major. Reed is ranked 2nd in the Class of 2010 (1,032 students) and has achieved a 4.00 in five of her six semesters at the Academy.

In addition to earning three letters on the women's soccer team, this past winter Reed played in five games with the Navy women's basketball team and was given the team's Most Improved Player award.

All-Time Navy Soccer Team Captains
Year     Captain          Honors
2009     Beth Reed        3x PL Academic Honor Roll; Ranks No. 2 in Class of 2010
2008     Julie Reynolds   3x Second-Team All-Patriot League
2007     Kari Weniger     2x Academic All-American
2006     Molly Burd       2005 Second-Team All-Patriot League
2005     Lindsay Adlam
2004     Kim Bonafede     3x All-Patriot League
2003     Amelia Sheveland 2x All-Patriot League, 2003 Patriot League Tournament MVP
2002     Nadia Sheikh     2x All-Patriot League, Navy career assists record holder
2001     Erin Kelly
2000     Sarah Wilson     2x All-Patriot League
1999     Michelle Nance   2x All-Patriot League,
                          1996 Patriot League Rookie of the Year
1998     Nicole Aunapu    4x All-Patriot League,
                          2x Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year,
                          3x NSCAA Regional All-American,
                          1998 GTE Academic All-American,
                          1998 Patriot League Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year
                          1998 NCAA Woman of the Year (Md.
                          1998 Vice Adm. Lawrence Sword for Women award winner
1997     Amy Hakola       3x All-Patriot League,
                          Navy career and single-season saves record holder
1996     Kelly Kast
1995     Kate Standifer
1994     Trish Buchinger
1993     Kerry Kuykendall

## GO NAVY! ##