Oct. 26, 2006

Box Score

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Sophomore forward Kristen Laraway (Long Valley, N.J.) scored a goal in the 80th minute to lead the 14th-ranked Navy women's soccer team to a 1-0 victory over No. 9 Penn State (12-4-3) Thursday night before a Glenn Warner Soccer Facility record crowd of 2,412. Navy extended its winning streak to a nation's-best 19 in a row, while also turning in the program's first win over a ranked team.

Having played more than 940 minutes since last giving up a goal, Navy's win marked the Mids' 10th-consecutive shutout. The loss by the Nittany Lions snapped their four-game winning streak, while it was just the second goal freshman keeper Alyssa Naeher has allowed in the last seven games.

Penn State quickly attacked the nation's top-ranked defense from the opening kick, but Navy fought back to gain possession on its offensive end of the field. A seesaw battle that featured scoring opportunities for both programs, Penn State nearly scored when freshman Ashley Myers booted a shot from 10 yards out in the middle of the box. The ball bounced off the crossbar and to the right out of play.

Six minutes later, Navy saw its first shot on goal swallowed up by Naeher as senior forward Meggie Curran's (Silver Spring, Md.) 20-yard shot up the gut was stopped.

The second half was as entertaining as the first for the fans as the Nittany Lions got off seven shots, five of which were on goal, while the Mids took five shots, three on goal.

Thirteen minutes elapsed when Curran fired a power-packing shot from the left side of the box that sailed wide. Five minutes later, freshman Brittany White (Carmel, Ind.) attempted to head in a shot from 10 yards out, but again, it went wide.

In the 68th minute Penn State was awarded a direct kick that was taken by sophomore midfielder Allie Long. Long's shot was deflected off a Navy player and was corralled in the box by the Nittany Lions. PSU took a shot that deflected off the crossbar and into the net. While it appeared to give the Nittany Lions a 1-0 advantage, the goal was waived off by the linesman who had raised his flag to signal offside.

Shrugging off the scare, Navy regrouped and fought to gain the advantage. In the 75th minute, Navy senior Carmen Myers (Woodbridge, Va.) sent a perfectly-served ball sailing towards the right post, but before teammate CiAnna Weikle (Lakeville, Minn.) could get a head on it, Naeher was able to intercept the serve and hold off the Mids for the time being.

In the 80th minute, team captain Molly Burd (Englewood, Colo.) sent a serve from the middle of the field to Laraway who was racing down the left side. The ball was placed between she and the goalkeeper as the Penn State defenders tried to run down Laraway. The keeper took a step out and Laraway quickly fired off a 15-yard shot that found the lower right-hand corner of the net, just past the outstretched arms of Naeher.

"It was a great play by Molly," said Laraway. "I noticed that tthe goal had stepped out and I thought I could chip her."

Navy's defense played a fantastic game with sophomore keeper Lizzie Barnes (New Orleans, La.) quick to point out the the cohesiveness of the five-man front. Meanwhile, senior defender Kristi Coonfare (Aurora, Colo.) and Navy head coach Carin Gabarra sang the praise of Barnes.

"The strength of our defense is all five of us working together and communicating," said Barnes.

"Our goalkeeper was amazing tonight," added Coonfare.

In addition to Barnes, freshman Shelly Moeller (Milford, Ohio) played a stellar game in the center back. She made two saves, heading out balls that were making their way towards the net.

"Defense has been our staple for a long time," said Gabarra. "I tell our team that it takes 11 people to defend and 10 to attack. Lizzie doesn't have to make a lot of saves because of how strong our defense is in front of her. Tonight, she stepped up and made some big time saves. We've been rock solid in the back this year and I'm so proud of them."

Asked if this was the program's biggest win, Gabarra grinned and said, "I would say so. We've never beaten a top-10 team."

Like most of Navy's wins this season, Gabarra credited the win to a great team effort.

"We don't look for individuals to make plays, it's a total team effort," she said. "Our depth allows us to make changes without changing our chemistry or skill.

"I've told our team all season long that we need to continue to improve and peak at the end of the season. I'd say tonight we've hit that peak."

The Midshipmen will have little time to celebrate their win as they return to Patriot League action on Sunday in a game that has playoff implications. If Navy defeats or ties the Bison, the Midshipmen will play host to the four-team Patriot League Tournament Nov. 3-5. If Bucknell beats Navy, the Bison will play host to the tournament in Lewisburg, Pa. Sunday's game is slated to begin at 1:00 pm at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility.