Two-year letterwinner ... named co-captain along with attackman Jim Wagner ... Army's starting goalkeeper for the past two seasons ... most consistent performer in the cage for the Black Knights ... plays the angles well ... good positioning and steady performer ... won Jack Rust Award as team's top defensive player last spring ... received the Gen. George Ruhlen Award as the Army squad's most improved player in 2003.
2004: Started all 15 of Army's games in goal ... set single-season saves record at Army, which had stood for almost half of a century ... registered a season-high 22 saves in season opener at Syracuse ... notched 20 saves at Maryland in NCAA Tournament action ... recorded 20 saves or more three times ... currently is in ninth place on Army's all-time saves list (404) ... became just the fourth goalie in Army history to record 200 saves in a single-season ... part of the reason why the Black Knights are 4-1 in one-goal games and 2-0 in overtime contests ... stuffed Rutgers' Delby Powless on the doorstep as time ran out in win over No. 8 Scarlet Knights ... yielded a season-low three goals against Lafayette ... established new career-high for ground balls (58) ... lists 12th in Patriot League history in saves (386).
2003: Appeared in 15 games, drawing 14 starts ... made postseason start opposite Johns Hopkins in NCAA first round contest ... posted a 7-7 record with a 10.08 goals-against average and .575 save percentage in goal ... recorded career-high 25 saves in win over Hobart ... finished 13th in the nation in saves (177) ... tied the NCAA game-high for last season ... backstopped critical victories over Bucknell and Hobart ... made 15 saves on three occasions ... finished the 2003 season sixth on the single-season saves chart at the Academy with 177 ... scooped eight ground balls in win over Bison and seven grounders at Hobart ... finished second on the team with 51 grounders.
2002: Spent season with the junior varsity.
Prior to West Point: Letterman and all-division player his senior year at Sachem H.S. for head coach Rick Mercurio ... originally a defenseman until a teammate volunteered him for goalie when his high school team lost its keeper for the year.
Personal: Matthew Thomas Darak ... born May 20, 1983, in Huntington, N.Y. ... parents are Tom and Bobi Darak ... lists double-overtime victory over Air Force as favorite lacrosse moment ... majoring in Systems Engineering.
Year GP-S Min. SV GA SV% GAA GB
2002 spent season with JVA GB
2003 15-14 779:48 177 131 .575 10.08 51
2004 15-15 879:29 227 161 .585 10.98 58
Total 30-29 1659:17 404 292 .580 10.56 109
