ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The No. 15 Navy women's lacrosse team (0-1) travels to Philadelphia, Pa. for its first road game of the season as the Midshipmen continue nonconference play with Saint Joseph's (0-1) at Sweeny Field on Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 4:00 p.m. The game will be streamed live on the ESPN+ and live stats will be available.
 
All-Time Series
The game will mark the third meeting between the Midshipmen and the Hawks, and the second of the series played in Philadelphia. Navy holds a 2-0 advantage in the all-time series.
 
The last time the two teams met in the City of Brotherly Love, the Mids claimed a 16-11 victory during the 2018 season. Navy trailed 11-10 before scoring the final six goals of the game to earn the first victory in the series.
 
Last season, Annalise Heyward (Charlotte, N.C.) scored three times in less than two minutes, while Kayla Harris (Annapolis, Md.) scored the game-winner with 3:37 remaining as No. 13 Navy rallied for five goals in two minutes and 30 seconds to stun St. Joseph's, 12-11, at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. 
 
Four current Midshipmen – Kasey Dietzel (Warrenton), Erin Finley (Downingtown), Eloise Gebert (Pottstown), and Grace Loughery (Perkasie) – call Pennsylvania home.
 
Scouting the Midshipmen
Navy received a balanced attack in its season opener against No. 8 Virginia. Seven players recorded points in the game, including five who scored multiple goals. The team is currently led by senior captain Natalie Irwin (Annandale, Va.) and Nicole Victory (Issaquah, Wash.). Irwin paced the offensive attack against the Cavaliers, netting a team-high four goals, while Victory led the team with four assists. Kayla Harris (Annapolis, Md.), Annalise Heyward (Charlotte, N.C.), Moriah Snyder (Bel Air, Md.), and Victory each chipped in two goals apiece.
 
Gil Eby (Towson, Md.) was named Patriot League Defender of the Week for her efforts against UVA. The sophomore recorded a career-high five ground balls and caused a career-best four turnovers to anchor the Navy defense. Sophomore Abbi Young (Alamo, Calif.) earned her first collegiate start at goal, taking the hard-luck loss in overtime, while recording eight saves on the day.
 
Navy won the draw control battle against Virginia, claiming 18 of 28 draws in the game. Harris paced the squad with nine draws on the day, while Reagan Roelofs (Apple Valley, Minn.) and Heyward contributed four and three apiece, respectively.
 
Two players – Athena Corroon (Greenwich, Conn.) and Erin Carson (New Albany, Ohio) – made their collegiate debuts in the season opener. Corroon and Carson joined Young with their first collegiate starts in the game.
 
Scouting the Opponent
Saint Joseph's enters the game 0-1 after opening the year with a 19-5 loss to No. 19 Georgetown at Cooper Field in Washington, D.C. Bridget Cerciello and Sam McGee paced the Hawks' offensive attack with two goals apiece, while Stephanie Kelly chipped in a score.
 
Mikala Davis saw a majority of minutes at goal, earning the start for Saint Joseph's. She worked over 52 minutes between the pipes, registering five saves against the Hoyas. Davis was relieved by Amber Weedon who closed out the final seven and a half minutes.
 
Wednesday's game will be the home opener for Saint Joseph's. The Hawks went 7-1 at home last season.
 
The Hawks' head coach Alex Kahoe (Maryland '00) played for current Navy head coach Cindy Timchal at the University of Maryland. Kahoe was a part of the teams that won five National Championships and three ACC Championships. A three-time All-American, ACC Goalie of the Year, and two-time NCAA Goalie of the Year, she also earned ACC Rookie of the Year honors in 1997. Kahoe was inducted into the University of Maryland Athletics Hall of Fame on October 3, 2014.
 
National Rankings
The Navy women's lacrosse team is currently ranked in all three national polls this week. The Mids finished the 2019 season ranked in all three national polls, and have been ranked nationally for 33 consecutive weeks, dating back to the final poll of 2017. The Mids are No. 15 according to the IWLCA, while coming in at No. 13 and No. 17 per Inside Lacrosse and  US Lacrosse Magazine, respectively.
 
Last Time vs. Saint Joseph's (Feb 17, 2019)
Midfielder Annalise Heyward (Charlotte, N.C.) scored three times in less than two minutes, while midfielder Kayla Harris (Annapolis, Md.) scored the game-winner with 3:37 remaining as No. 13 Navy rallied for five goals in two minutes and 30 seconds to stun St. Joseph's, 12-11, at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. It was the second-straight year that Navy has had to rally to beat St. Joseph's. In 2018, Navy trailed 11-10 before scoring the final six goals of the game.
 
Heyward finished the day with six points scoring four goals and handing out two assists while adding a ground ball, four draw controls and causing three turnovers. Harris added three goals, four ground balls, six draw controls and a caused turnover. Goalie Gab Harchelroad (Pittsburgh, Pa.), making just her third-career start, was sensational coming up with nine saves, three caused turnovers and tying a school record with eight ground balls.
 
Navy led St. Joseph's 6-5 at the half, but the Hawks scored the first three goals and six of the first seven in the second half to take a commanding 11-7 lead on an Olivia Little goal with 7:18 left.
 
After a Navy timeout, St. Joseph's won the ensuing draw control but eight seconds later Heyward caused a turnover and Harris picked up the ground ball. Heyward would score her second goal of the day 63 seconds later to cut the St. Joseph's lead to three at 11-8 with 6:07 left.
 
The goal by Heyward seemed to spark the Mids as Navy would win the next five draw controls.
 
Andie O'Sullivan (Valley Cottage, N.Y.) started off the draw control dominance by picking up the loose ball and Moriah Snyder (Bel Air, Md.) would score her first career goal off the first career assist by freshman Reagan Roelofs (Apple Valley, Minn.) 31 seconds later to make it 11-9 with 5:36 left.
 
Harris would win the ensuing draw control and 26 seconds later it was Heyward again to make the score 11-10 and momentum had clearly swung to Navy's side.
 
O'Sullivan won Navy's third-straight draw control and 1:02 later Heyward buried her fourth goal of the game and third in under two minutes to tie the game at 11 as the Navy fans went wild.
 
Navy won its fourth straight draw control, this time it was Heyward coming up with the loose ball, and 31 seconds later Navy took the lead on Harris' goal off an assist from Kelly Larkin (Alexandria, Va.).
 
O'Sullivan won the draw control again for the Mids, but a Harris turnover gave St. Joseph's one final chance to tie the game. The Navy defense, however, came up big blocking  two shots, including one by Natalie Irwin (Annandale, Va.) that was picked up by Harris with 39 seconds left and Navy was able to run out the clock for the thrilling victory.
 
Navy ended up winning 16 of the 25 draw controls and forced St. Joseph's into 19 turnovers. St. Joseph's goalie Corinne Buttner was fantastic in defeat coming up with 16 saves.