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Below you will find a rundown of Army two latest tournament victories, stay posted for more Army News!

Army Wins Collegiate National Championship

The Army Men’s Team Handball program won the 2009 Collegiate National Championship this weekend at the Air Force Academy by going undefeated in pool play and defeating the University of North Carolina, 38-26, in the gold medal match. Army continued its dominance at the collegiate level with its third straight title. In addition, Army’s developmental team, Army Gold, completed its best tournament of the year and finished in 4^thplace.

Army combined stingy defense with frantically-paced fast breaks, often started by the court vision and pin-point passing from goalkeeper Dexter Wise, to open up a ten goal lead on North Carolina within the first 15 minutes of play in the championship game. North Carolina would not go away that quickly, though, as the playmaking ability of Scott Knox, the tournament’s MVP, helped UNC to cut the lead to 16-10 with under ten minutes to play in the first half. However, Army’s experience, speed, and skill proved to be too much for the overmatched Tar Heels.

Led by seniors Brian Walsh, Justin Key, and Jake Abramowitz, Army pushed its lead to 23-12 at halftime and all but buried the team from UNC. The second half was a mere formality as UNC never cut the deficit to single digits.

Army utilized a formula of a balanced offensive attack, relentless fast breaks, physical and often rough defense, and stellar goalie play to find success in the 2009 Collegiate Championships. They began the tournament with a victory over a College Select team, consisting of players from across the nation, 21-14. They grinded out a victory in their next game, a championship preview against North Carolina, 21-19.

On Saturday afternoon, Army battled its military rival Air Force in the Service Academy Cup. As if the rivalry would not provide enough drama, USA Team Handball and the US Olympic Committee televised the event live on the website www.TeamUSA.org and a spot in the championship game was on the line. The game, like almost any matchup between the two teams, featured high intensity, fast-paced play, and plenty of emotion. In the end, though, Army came out on top 29-26.

ARMY WINS CAROLINA BLUE CUP

Army Black takes first at Blue Cup USA Team Handball February 17, 2009 Army Black won first place Sunday at Carolina Team Handball's 21st annual Blue Cup. Atlanta Team Handball United took second in the Gold Medal Match; New York City Team Handball Club, winner of the West Point Invitational in January, came in third. Eight teams competed in the Blue Cup during the weekend at the University of North Carolina's Fetzer Gymnasium. The bleachers were filled with fans from West Point and New York, cheering as the teams competed in four matches on Saturday. All of the squads moved on to the placement round on Sunday.

The matches were marked by intensity and speed. "We felt like we were watching a tennis match; the guys were going from one end of the court to the other with fast breaks and quick scoring," said Dominique Dumont, USA Team Handball's Southeast Regional Director. "It was very exciting to watch the pace of the Army Black team. They're highly fit; I saw great improvement after their training with Marko, our West Regional Coach. They exuded comfort and confidence on the court. They're a good, solid team." ATH United, however, gave Army Black tough competition during the Gold Medal Match; the squad from Georgia gave its best effort but couldn't catch up in the last 10 minutes after a few two-minute penalties and a red card expulsion.

Other tournament highlights include Atlanta's Thomas Schaefer, a centerback, securing ATH United's spot in the Gold Medal Match by throwing a last-second goal from nine meters to win the match against NYC. The crowd went wild. In addition, Carolina Blue and North Pitt both showed great potential. The Blue Cup was sanctioned by USATH. USATH would like to thank the referees from New York, Los Angeles and Salt Lake City as well as tournament organizers for their efforts.