Oct. 24, 2008
Box Score
WEST POINT, N.Y. - The Navy women's soccer team (12-3-3, 3-0-2 PL) had its chances, putting nine shots on goal, but were unable to breakthrough against archrival Army (11-4-1, 4-0-1 PL) and wound up settling for a 0-0 draw in hard-fought affair on Friday night at Clinton Field.
In a matchup of the Patriot League's top two teams, it was strong defense and some timely goalkeeping that had the final say after 110 minutes of soccer.
"It was a good, hard-fought game," said Navy head coach Carin Gabarra. "Both teams left everything they had out on the field. I thought we played well and we certainly had some good chances. Nineteen out of 20 times we get that goal on the break-in late - we were just unlucky tonight."
The two sides played to a closely-contested first half. Army, who seemed to carry the play over the first 15 minutes, held the upperhand with two shots on goal to Navy's one during the period.
The Mids, who are now unbeaten in their last nine (8-0-1), came close to breaking the scoreless deadlock at the 84:08 mark as freshman Annie Kendzior (Southlake, Texas) broke in 1v1 with Army keeper Alex Lostetter for a golden chance to net her first collegiate goal.
It was not to be, however, as Kendzior's shot rang off the cross bar and Lostetter quickly scooped up the rebound out of harm's way to keep her clean sheet intact.
After the near breakthrough, the Mids maintained the pressure over the final minutes and won a corner, but were unable to convert as the Patriot League's top-two teams ended regulation just as they began at 0-0.
Navy put three attempts on target to the Black Knights' one over the two overtime sessions and finished the contest with nine shots on goal to host's five.
Navy has now shutout seven consecutive opponents and joins Army as the only two league teams to have not allowed a goal through five conference games.
Lizzie Barnes (New Orleans, La.) made five saves to record her sixth shutout this season (27th of her career) and fourth in five league games. The shutout lowers her league-leading GAA to a paltry 0.61 and extends her scoreless streak, which spans parts of six games, to 560:23.
Lostetter held true as the Black Knights' last line of defense as well. She made nine saves to preserve the shutout - her Patriot League-best eighth of the season and Army's sixth in as many games.
By virtue of the draw, Army is the first team this fall to secure a spot in the four-team Patriot League postseason tournament. The Black Knights now have 13 points to lead the Mids, who currently sit in second with 11, while Bucknell and Colgate currently occupy the final two spots with nine points apiece.
The Mids can clinch a playoff berth with a win Sunday against Holy Cross (3-12-1, 1-3-1 PL). Game time is set for noon.
Notes: Dating back to 2007, the Mids have shutout eight-straight league foes. The last goal they surrendered to a Patriot League opponent came on Nov. 3, 2007 - a scoreless span of 787:46.
