BALTIMORE, Md. – No. 25 Navy men's soccer (9-0-0, 2-0-0 Patriot League) stretched its winning streak to 13 wins, which is the best in the nation, with a 2-0 road win against Loyola (2-6-0, 1-1-0 Patriot League) on Saturday afternoon at the Ridley Athletic Complex. The 9-0-0 start for the Midshipmen is their best start in program history since 1966 and this is just the fifth time in program history Navy has won its first nine games of a season.
 
Navy's defense notched its seventh shutout in nine games to start the season. The Midshipmen's first-half goals move their scoring margin to 13-0 in the first half.
 
Nicko West (Jr., Mansfield, Texas) tallied the game-winning goal for his fourth goal of the season to set a new career-high. Ethan Singer (Sr., Clearwater, Fla.) notched his second goal of the season as five different Midshipmen recorded a point in the match.
 
"Loyola is a very good team and that group they have has been together for three years is very talented," head coach Tim O'Donohue commented after the match. "After we scored we kind of sat back and got in our blocks and defended. Our back four defended very well today. It was not a pretty game but, on the road, on the turf when it is 90 degrees, we did what we had to do to get the win."
 
Right out of the gate, Loyola held the early offensive pressure and had the first eight shots of the game. The Greyhounds forced Ian Bramblett (Jr., Easley, S.C.) into a pair of early saves and Matt Nocita (So., Porter Ranch, Calif.) cleared a header from Brian Saramago off the line.
 
However, Navy started to turn the field play in its favor over the last 20 minutes of the opening half and West broke the scoreless affair in the 27th minute. Joe Alex (So., Lockport, N.Y.) crossed a ball in from the left-wing, where Nocita centered the ball from the back post to West who flicked his first touch into the back of the net of the first goal of the afternoon.
 
In the 39th minute, Singer doubled the lead for the Midshipmen. Jacob Williams (So., Millersville, Md.) created space at the top of the penalty area and after Chase Vosvick stopped Williams' attempt, Singer beat Vosvick to the loose ball at the left post for the goal as Navy grabbed a 2-0 edge at the half.
 
Loyola held the advantage in shots in the first half as the Greyhounds tallied 11 shots compared to four from the Midshipmen while both teams had three shots on goal in the first stanza. Loyola also had six corner kicks in the first half compared to one from Navy.
 
To start the second half, Loyola continued to hold the offensive pressure against Navy. In the 72nd minute, Nocita made another stop on the goal line after a bouncing ball on the backline left the goal vacant, but Nocita kept the Midshipmen ahead by two goals with his second stop of the afternoon.
 
Navy's defense did not break over the final 20 minutes of action as the Midshipmen grabbed their third-straight shutout with five saves combined. Bramblett finished with three saves and Nocita cleared a pair of shots off the line to secure Navy's 2-0 victory.
 
In the win, Navy was outshot 21-4 and the Greyhounds had five shots on goal compared to three from the Midshipmen. Loyola also finished with 12 corner kicks on the afternoon, opposed to Navy's one.
 
The Midshipmen are back on the road Wednesday afternoon for a 3 p.m. kickoff at American in Washington, D.C.