ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy women's soccer team came ready for a battle in its 2020 season opening game on Sunday afternoon at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility.  After an extended preseason and multiple iterations of a potential 2020 season that was scheduled, re-scheduled and re-scheduled again due to the ever-changing nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mids hit the home pitch on Sunday afternoon in the latest Opening Day in program history and went stride-for-stride and shot-for-shot with the Pitt Panthers (4-0, 1-0 ACC) before falling victim to a penalty kick in the first overtime period that made it 1-0. Coming into the contest, Navy (0-1) was faced with taking on a Pitt squad that was 3-0 with a dominant 13-1 advantage in goals scored during the early part of its season.
 
"It was really nice to get a game under our belt," remarked head coach Carin Gabarra. "Today was Pittsburgh's fourth game and our first and I think that showed a bit especially in some of our younger players at times, but we pride ourselves on playing the best opponents we can. There's been a lot of ups and downs and unknowns this fall so to finally get out and play a collegiate game was important. We're disappointed because we had some chances to put the game away earlier. We have to be better in the big moments and work on our fitness a little bit. We're happy that our five seniors had a hand in this game and could show their leadership on the field, as they have been doing a great job of that off the field. We need to learn from our mistakes and continue to grow.
 
"There were a lot of learning moments today especially for our younger players who are integrating into the collegiate game. Today was a high-level game against an ACC opponent. We got tired at times and made some mental errors. We fouled a little bit when we tired, but all and all I'm proud of the effort and proud of the chances we got, it was just a disappointing end to the game."
 
Following the graduation of six seniors, four of whom earned multiple All-Patriot League playing honors, the 2020 Mids were looking at a young roster that was deep with talent. On Sunday, the team trotted out four freshmen in its starting lineup; Jenna Daunt (Haymarket, Va.), Katie Herrmann (Charlotte, N.C.), Kassidy Borden (Leesburg, Va.) and Chloe Dawson (Fairfax, Va.), while three more Lauren Huffstetler (Waxhaw, N.C.), Kat Healey (King George, Va.) and Sophie Ewing (Salt Lake City, Utah) saw action as reserves. Herrmann, Borden and Dawson were all starting defenders as they supported goalkeeper Molly Swiger (Sr., Johns Creek, Ga.), who was making her first Opening Day start of her career.
 
The contest started slowly for both teams as they combined for two total shots over the opening 25 minutes of play. Swiger was tested once in the 17th minute with a lengthy shot on goal by Pitt's Amanda West. The first potent offensive play occurred in the 29th minute when Pitt lined up for a free kick 25 yards away from goal, but Molly Gillcrist (Jr., San Diego, Calif.) deflected the ball away from her position in the wall.
 
Over the final 15 minutes of the first half, the action in the attacking third picked up a bit as the Mids had a pair of scoring opportunities that tested the Panthers' goalkeeper Katherine Robinson. First, in the 31st minute, Kaitlynn Johns (So., Austin, Texas) sent a deep cross from the wing into the box where Robinson and a charging Carolyn Mang (Jr., Forest Hill, Md.) collided with Robinson batting the ball away. Less than four minutes later, Kristina Dzhandzhapanyan (Sr., Diamond Calif.) recorded Navy's first shot on goal of the game as she tried to sneak a shot into the upper-90 on the near side, similar to Mang's attempt, Robinson made the denial.
 
After seven combined shots in the first 45 minutes, the second half opened with immediate action. The Mids were the aggressors in this opening run with three shots in the opening four minutes of play. Emily Keast (Sr., Springfield, Va.) and Daunt nearly connected for a corner kick-header combination 62 seconds in before Keast came back in the 48th minute with a shot on goal from distance. Swiger answered Pitt's response to this early offense with a save of Anna Rico's shot on goal in the 55th minute.
 
Always skillful on set pieces, Navy nearly broke the 0-0 stalemate in the 62nd minute as Keast lofted a curling corner kick towards the back to the on-coming Mang, who powered a header just wide of the goal. The back-and-forth pace continued as Pitt's offense had its chances next with a pair of shots and two corner kicks over the next nine minutes.
 
Down the stretch with the score still 0-0, Navy's young, but well-organized defense bent, but did not break as it withstood three shots in the last 12 minutes of regulation. Swiger came up with the most important play of this time period with a save of Emily Yaple's shot on goal in the 81st.
 
In the first sudden victory overtime period, the Panthers controlled the action with three shot attempts and two fouls drawn deep in the Mids' territory. Unfortunately for Navy and their loud, boisterous group of socially-distanced Midshipmen fans, that second foul resulted in a penalty kick. Amanda West, Pitt's leading scorer, casually marched up to the penalty stripe and knocked home the game-winning goal at 95:20.
 
For the game, Pitt outshot Navy, 13-9 with a 4-2 advantage in shots on goal. Swiger was credited with three saves in goal for the Mids. Both squads finished with four corner kick opportunities.
 
"This was a great atmosphere today," said Gabarra. "We always love playing at home. We wanted to get our seniors a game at home in the fall and we wanted to grow as a team. All of those factors came into play. We're so competitive and we work these Midshipmen so hard; they want to win and they want to compete at the top-level. Any time that we have a chance and don't win we're disappointed, but as long as we learn from that and grow we'll be a better team for it."
 
Navy and Pitt will conclude their home-and-home series as part of this abridged 2020 season in Pittsburgh on Sunday, Oct. 11. Kickoff between the clubs is set for 1:30 p.m.