ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Coming off an nail-biting semifinal matchup versus the fourth-seeded Loyola Greyhounds on Friday, the Navy women's soccer team is just one game away from winning the fourth Patriot League Championship in program history. Advancing from Friday's game via penalty kicks, 4-3 (1-1 in regulation), the Mids will now turn their attention to their service academy rivals, the Army Black Knights. The showdown between the top-seeded Mids (15-2-3, 6-1-2 PL) and third-seeded Black Knights (9-6-4, 4-3-2 PL) is set for 1 p.m. at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility. The winner of tomorrow's game will earn the Patriot League's automatic bid to the 2019 NCAA Tournament.

Sunday's action will be streamed live on the Patriot League Network, as well as broadcast over the air on the Stadium TV channel. Live stats will also be provided at NavyStats.com.

Last Time Out
In the first Patriot League Semifinal game of the day on Friday, Navy and Loyola battled for over 110 minutes and were forced to decide who advances in the single-elimination tournament via penalty kick shootout. At the end of five nerve-wracking rounds of penalty kicks, the Mids deposited four of its attempts versus three for the Greyhounds to move along to the championship final on Sunday afternoon. Officially, the final score of Friday's contest was a 1-1 draw.

Navy's victory came from a variety of sources as sophomore Gina Peraino scored the Mids' only goal in regulation for her first career marker, while Navy's go-ahead penalty kick came from junior Emily Keast in round five. As Navy's goalkeeper, Sydney Fortson held Loyola to one goal in regulation, in addition to making a save on the Greyhounds' Nicole Rivas in the penalty kick portion of the contest.

With the score still knotted at 0-0 and less than five minutes to play in the first half, Baseley McClaskey stepped to the corner flag and lofted a soft floating ball that passed over the hands of Loyola's goalkeeper to the elevated foot of Peraino. All the sophomore needed to do was redirect the ball into the back of the net to put Navy up 1-0 at 42:35.
 
That goal sent Navy into the locker room riding high and just 45 minutes away from moving onto the finals. The action in the second half opened with the Mids testing Loyola's Paige Sim again in the 51st minute with a Keast shot on goal. Navy would tack on three more shots over the next 20 minutes, though none on target. With the score still 1-0 and Loyola holding onto a glimmer of life, the visitors started putting together a focused attack for that game-tying goal. As the clock ticked under 12 minutes, Hannah Hoefs, the Patriot League Midfielder of the Year, struck a deep, curling corner kick that bounded into the back of the net at 78:02.

Neither team could muster a go-ahead goal over the last 11:58 of play and the game moved onto overtime. The first 10 overtime period was devoid of quality chances and both teams went shot-less and the game quickly advanced to the second overtime. While Navy was much more active in the second period of sudden victory play with five shots and two on goal, neither attempt could beat Sim and the match went final with a 1-1 score.

Still tied and in need a victor to advance to the Patriot League Championship Finals, the game moved onto penalty kicks. Navy found itself in a quick 1-0 deficit in the five-round shootout as Sim made a save on Peraino's attempt. The second round saw Alex Jackson put the Mids on the scoreboard, though the Greyhounds' Sabrina Daglish answered in the bottom of the frame to make it 2-1. After Gabby Gordon pulled Navy even in the top of the third round, Fortson flexed her All-Patriot League First Team acumen with a save on Nicole Rivas' shot. Knotted at 2-2, both McClaskey and Loyola's Kate Reese made their shots to send it to the fifth round tied at 3-3. Keast was first up and calmly deposited the ball into the back of the net to go up 4-3. With the chance to extend the shootout, Julia Gray hit her shot straight into the crossbar and with that the Mids charged in from midfield to rejoice with Fortson in their goal box.

Navy in the Patriot League Tournament
Navy has now been a part of 22 Patriot League Tournaments, including ninth straight berths (2011-Pres.) ... Participating in 37 games all-time, the Mids' record is 19-18 ... In Navy's previous eight trips fo the tournament, the team has earned seven victories, with a win in each appearance from 2011 through 2017; last year that streak was halted as No. 6 Army Black Knights upset the third-seed Mids in double overtime, 1-0 in Annapolis ... In six matchups versus Army in the Patriot League Tournament, Navy is 2-4 ... Navy is 3-9 all-time in 12 Patriot League Final appearances ... The Mids have won the Patriot League Championship in 2003, 2006 and 2007.

Navy vs. Army in the Patriot League Tournament (6 Previous Matchups)
    2018 PL Quarterfinals in Annapolis - No. 6 Army 1 defeated No. 3 Navy 0, double overtime
    2011 PL Finals in Hamilton, N.Y. - No. 4 Army 2 - No. 3 Navy 0
    2008 PL Finals in Annapolis - No. 3 Army 1 defeated No. 1 Navy 0, double overtime
    1999 PL Semifinals in Hamilton, N.Y. - No. 2 Navy 2 defeated No. 3 Army 1, double overtime
    1998 PL Semifinals in Annapolis - No. 1 Navy 2 defeated No. 4 Army 0
    1997 PL Semifinals in Hamilton, N.Y. - No. 2 Army 1 defeated No. 3 Navy 0

Navy vs. Army
Sunday will be the 33rd meeting between the two schools in a series that began in Navy's second year of varsity existence in 1994 ... Over the first 32 matchups, Navy is 16-12-4 versus Army ... Starting on Sept. 20, 1994 and going through Nov. 8, 1997, Army took the first five games of the series ... Games six through 11 went the way of Mids from Oct. 30, 1998 through Oct. 26, 2001 ... Most recently, Navy has gone 3-1-1 over the past five matchups ... The Mids' senior class of 2020 has secured three Star wins (Sept. 16, 2016 - W, 1-0; Oct. 12, 2018 - W, 2-1, Sept. 27, 2019 - W, 1-0) and one tie (Oct. 13, 2017 - T, 0-0) over the Black Knights ... All-time, Navy has outscored Army, 39-26 ... In games played in Annapolis, the Mids are 10-5-0 and 4-1-0 over the past five matchups dating back to Oct. 21, 2011.

Last 5 Matchups
In the last five meetings dating back to 2016, the Mids are 3-1-1 and have outscored the Black Knights, 5-1.
    Sept. 27, 2019: Navy 1 - Army 0
    Oct. 30, 2018 (H-PLQ): Army 1 - Navy 0 (2ot)
    Oct. 12, 2018 (H): Navy 2 - Army 1
    Oct. 13, 2017 (A): Navy 0 - Army 0
    Sept. 16, 2016 (H): Navy 1 - Army 0

Recap from Sept. 27
In the annual Women's Soccer Star Match between Army and Navy, the Midshipmen earned a hard-fought 1-0 road victory on Friday, Sept. 27. Knotted in a stalemate through 73 minutes of action, Carolyn Mang found the back of the net as she flicked in a Baseley McClaskey free kick from inside the 18-yard box. With the dramatic victory at Malek Stadium, Navy improved to 10-1 and 2-0 in the Patriot League, while Army dropped to 3-4-3 and 0-1-1 in conference play at the time.

The first half of action was even throughout the opening 45 minutes as both teams recorded four shots with two on goal.

Defense played an even larger role in the final 45 minutes of regulation as the teams combined for five total shots in the second half. Army's best scoring opportunity came less than seven minutes into the period when Alyssa Carfagno found a bit of space and ripped an errant shot towards goal that hit the side-netting much to the chagrin of the boisterous home crowd. In the 59th minute, Sydney Shafer took the Black Knights' final shot of the game, a high shot that clanked off the crossbar.
 
Withstanding that initial attack. Navy tried to re-establish its brand of soccer. Controlling the pace and possession on the strength of its midfield and defense, the Mids starting tipping the offensive tide in their favor over the final 20 minutes of action. Mang was critical in the team's success during this span of play as she put a lengthy low shot on frame to test a diving Sydney Cassalia at 71:18. Less than three minutes after that shot, the sophomore midfielder was on the receiving end of a McClaskey free kick that started 25 yards from net. After McClaskey drove her free kick low past the Army wall, Mang re-directed that pass with a quick flick to the far side of the goal past the outstretched arms of the Black Knights' goalkeeper.
 
Following that goal at 74:00, the last 16 minutes of action were filled with physical play and defensive denials as neither team was able to muster any type of shot. With this lockdown style of play clicking, Navy was able to hold on for the 1-0 victory over its archrival.
 
For the game, Navy outshot Army, 7-6 with a 5-2 advantage in shots on goal. The Mids also held a slight advantage in corner kicks by a 4-2 margin.

Solidified by Sydney Fortson and her two saves in goal, Navy's defensive backfield of Alex Jackson, Avery Fries, and Kaitlynn Johns were on the field for 267 of a possible 270 minutes.

Comparing the Teams

(2019 Stats)	Navy	Army
Record	15-2-3 / 6-1-2 PL	9-6-4 / 4-3-2 PL
Goals/Gm	1.30	1.21
Assists/Gm	1.30	1.42
Shots/Gm	16.0	12.5
Goals Against Avg.	0.38	0.85
GK Saves/Gm	2.1	3.4

Individual Leaders

(2019 Stats)	Navy	Army
Goals	Mang/McClaskey, 4	Carfagno, 6
Assists	McClaskey, 6	Drysdale/Johns, 5
Points	McClaskey, 14	Carfagno, 17
Shots	McClaskey, 53	Johns, 33
GK Saves	Fortson, 34	Cassalia, 64

 
Parking / Shuttle / Ticket Information
Fans are reminded that the general public does not have access to drive their vehicles on to the U.S. Naval Academy. Fans may park at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium for $5 and take a shuttle that will run every 10 minutes starting one hour prior to the game (12:00 PM) and will continue running until one hour after the game is completed (approx. 4:00 PM). Fans 18 and over need a government-issued photo ID. Enter Gate 5 off Taylor Ave. to park at the stadium. Dogs are not permitted inside the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility.

Free Admission
All soccer contests at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility will be free of charge.