ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Playing its second nationally ranked team in four weeks, the Navy women's soccer team showcased a game and undaunted style of soccer in front of its home fans on Friday night versus No. 20 USF. Taking on a talented Bulls (4-1) squad, the Mids (2-2-3) jumped out early 1-0 by the sixth minute before the visitors netted two consecutive goals in the first half to go up 2-1, a margin that would stand up as the final score. Alex Jackson (Jr., Centennial, Colo.) found the back of the net for Navy on a header off of a Baseley McClaskey (Jr., Grand Junction, Colo.) corner kick in the opening portion of Friday night's game.
 
"That was a great collegiate game," remarked head coach Carin Gabarra. "I really like what I saw out of our team tonight. USF is a very good team. They're organized and they're good on both sides of the ball. Their forwards are always attacking and their entire team is always looking to move the ball up. They work extremely hard to win the ball back if they lose it. I thought that we took the fight to them and battled the entire game. We did a great job of connecting passes and getting forward. We transitioned very well tonight so we had numbers in the box and created a variety of chances. We had a good number of corners in the game. Our corners and restarts on their side of the field were well struck throughout and that made us dangerous; our goal tonight was off of a set piece."
 
After kicking off its 2018 campaign on August 16 versus then-No. 20 North Carolina State (currently, N.C. State is No. 13), Navy once again welcomed a nationally ranked squad to the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility. The Mids immediately took the action to the Bulls on Friday night as Regan McQuain (Jr., Lafayette, Calif.) tested USF's goalkeeper with a shot on frame 3:04 into the game. A little over two minutes later, a corner kick opportunity proved fruitful for Navy as McClaskey lofted a well-struck cross into the six-yard box where Jackson skied to the ball and powered a header cleanly into the back of the net.
 
Up 1-0 just 5:24 into the game, the contest continued at a breakneck pace as USF forced Sydney Fortson (Jr., Claremont, Calif.) to make a diving save at 9:51. 26 seconds later, the Bulls' striker Evelyne Viens received a pass in space and slotted a low shot past Fortson to knot the game at 1-1 at the 10:17 mark of the first half.
 
The back-and-forth action kept up over the next 10 minutes as both squads put their third shots on goal of the game. Unfortunately for Navy, USF's fourth shot on goal, a Viens strike, found its way into the box score as a goal at 21:27.
 
The physicality picked up exponentially over the final 23 minutes of the first half as the Bulls were called for eight fouls, including three that resulted in yellow cards. This change in style did not deter the Mids in the least as the hosts continued building with the ball and setting up quality scoring opportunities down the stretch of the opening stanza. Fortson did her part as well in the comeback attempt as she turned aside a powerful shot on goal by Viens in the 44^th minute.
 
At halftime, USF held a marginal 6-4 advantage in shots with a 5-3 mark in shots on goal.
 
In the second half, the hectic offensive action and physicality both were ratcheted down a bit as strong defending left its mark. Navy forced two missed shots by Viens over the first 10 minutes of the half, one wide and one blocked, as well as withstood a dangerous corner kick attempt by USF's Andrea Hauksdottir. Fortson made the only save of the second period in the 76^thminute when she denied Viens once again.
 
With all three of Navy's shots missing the frame, the Mids' hard fought comeback effort would come up short by a final score of 2-1.
 
For the game, USF outshot Navy, 11-7 and 6-3 in the shots on goal category. Navy recorded a 4-3 advantage in corner kicks.
 
Fortson made four saves in goal for the Mids.
 
USF came into Friday night's game average 2.5 goals and 18.8 shots per game.
 
"We learned a lot about ourselves and how we need to play when conference action begins next Saturday," said Gabarra. "We look forward to continuing to improve on Sunday versus a quality Penn team. This weekend is about fine-tuning our skills and quality of play so we're ready to go for Patriot League games."
 
The Mids will wrap up the 2018 Navy Soccer Classic on Sunday with a 3 p.m. showdown with Penn. The Quakers won their first game of the classic earlier on Friday by a 2-0 score over Delaware.