There's a specific moment that redefines Morgan Bennett's day.

It's a moment that shifts her focus, when she can only think about that one thing. For only when Bennett crosses the white boundary lines and stands in net, is she finally able to relax.

THE FALL LEGEND

BREAKOUT WEEK HE WAS RUN-NING: Colorado senior Jorge Torres broke a course record set by Adam Goucher in 1998 when Torres won the 17th annual Rocky Mountain Shootout cross-country event last Saturday. Torres covered the 8K Buffalo Ranch course on Colorado's South Campus in 24:07, shaving five seconds off of Goucher's mark. The only other runner who came within reach of the course record was a former Colorado runner Scott Larson (1990-93), who ran a 24:42 in the 1997 Shootout's open division. Torres' outing helped the Buffaloes hold on to third place (418 points) in the MONDO national rankings. STREAKING CORNER POINT: First, give credit to sophomore midfielder Shelley Maasdorp for making the bold move from Zimbabwe to America. Then, take notice on how her rich field hockey tradition has benefited Harvard's program. Maasdorp, a member of Zimbabwe's under-18 team, has two goals and four assists in 10 games and has almost been the key component in boosting the Crimson's corner attack. Harvard is 6-3 and ranked 20th in the latest NFHCA poll. GAME OF THE WEEK WATER WORLD: The Loyola-Marymount men's water polo team, ranked No. 8 in the nation, will face Western Water Polo Association rival No. 11 UC-San Diego on Friday before returning to Los Angeles and take on No. 7 UCLA on Oct. 13. THE NUMBER 3 It was a hat trick, the first for Boston College senior forward Casey Schmidt that led his team to an important 4-0 victory over Dartmouth on Wednesday. Schmidt leads the team with six goals and 12 points. BC (6-2-0) is currently No. 19 in the SoccerTimes coaches poll.

Because it's not just about being a freshman goalkeeper, and it's not just about being a student athlete. It's about making both roles fit while being a cadet at the United States Military Academy.

"The first week I was here, I was pulling my hair out," Bennett said. "Now, I find that I have double the work, but I am handling it without even knowing that I am handling it."

It's that newfound composure that has also helped turn Bennett into the focal point of a young Army women's soccer team that is undefeated in its last nine games (9-1-2, 2-0-1 Patriot League).

Since replacing junior keeper Sara Johnson two minutes into Army's matchup against Saint Louis on Sept. 6, Bennett has been solid in net for the Black Knights, starting every game and winning every game.

And the games are a part of Bennett's juggling act between soccer, school and the military.

The typical day has Bennett waking at 5:30 a.m., making sure her uniform is pressed and her shoes are shined. As a freshman "plebe" cadet, she must brief upperclassmen on at least two front-page stories from The New York Times before having breakfast. Bennett attends classes with lunch, meetings, formations, military development and basic training in between.

Then, she hits the soccer field.

"It's been an adjustment," Bennett said. "But you learn to prioritize. West Point is designed to be stressful, so you learn to deal with challenges you're not prepared for and prepare for the academic and physical demands. The Academy has made me a better keeper, not technically, but mentally."

Bennett had plenty of preparation playing with Team Boca, a club team, and St. Andrew's High School in Boca Raton, Fla. But during Army's current nine-game streak, Bennett has posted five shutouts and has allowed only two goals against Rider on Sept. 14 and Army's last game vs. Navy on Oct. 4.

The stretch has helped keep Bennett ranked at No. 3 in the nation in scoring defense with a 0.32 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage.

"Every game, no matter the result, she's had to make the big save," Army coach Gene Ventriglia said. "And Morgan exhibits so much confidence, you think she's going to make every save."

Big praise for a player who finally chose West Point because she wanted to be around others who would be just as disciplined and regimented as she was in high school. Bennett doesn't, however, share the same physical stereotypes of other Division I goalkeepers. Standing at 5-foot-6, Bennett compensates with excellent footwork and power, while still managing to demonstrate good elevation.

"I've never understood that," Bennett said in response to the hype over height. "When it comes down to it, if you don't have good footwork, it doesn't matter if you're six inches taller or shorter, you're not going to get to the ball."

Bennett is also one of 10 freshmen on the Army women's team, and one of five who have made the starting roster. She credits her teammates for making that adjustment easier as well, saying the upperclassmen have been nothing but supportive of the younger players and have been "true leaders that we aspire to (be like)."

They are all leaders to Ventriglia, who thinks this team will bring Army back to the Patriot League conference tournament, an event they've missed the past two seasons, and in turn, a possible trip to the NCAA Tournament.

It's one of the many challenges Bennett looks forward to, like mastering calculus and figuring how she'll eventually serve her country. And she'll deal with the boundaries of those challenges by following an old cadet saying:

"Just drive on."

Joy Russo is a staff editor at ESPN.com. She can be reached at joy.e.russo@espn3.com.