ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Following a whirlwind sprint to the end of the regular season that saw Navy play four games in a span of 13 games and clinch the Patriot League South division with a record of 3-0-1 in those contests, the women's soccer team will begin its quest to repeat as the Patriot League champions on Wednesday night when they host Loyola in the semifinals of the 2020-21 Patriot League Tournament. The Mids (3-4-1, 3-1-1 PL, 3-0-1 PL South) will look to keep up its late season momentum and get a repeat performance against the Greyhounds (3-1-1, 3-1-1 PL, 2-1-1 PL South) as Navy knocked off Loyola in overtime on Saturday March 27 in Baltimore. Always competitive during the regular season in recent years, these two local rivals met in the postseason in 2019 and wowed the crowd in Annapolis with a nail-biting 1-1 tie in the Patriot League Semifinals that was decided on penalty kicks with the Mids advancing 4-3. Those same two teams will run back that memorable Patriot League Tournament matchup again on Wednesday at the same location, the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility. They'll be battling for a spot in the Patriot League Finals against the winner of the Colgate-Boston semifinal that begins at 7 p.m. in Boston. The Navy-Loyola action in Annapolis is set for 6 p.m. and will be streamed live on ESPN+.

Attendance Policy for Wednesday
Attendance is limited to those that reside on the grounds of the United States Naval Academy. No members of the general public, alumni, parents or sponsors will be permitted unless they fall into the category of academy residents.

Navy vs. Loyola
In a series that dates back to the first-ever NCAA Division I game for Navy on Sept. 4, 1993, the Mids are 9-3-4 all-time against the Greyhounds ... After dropping the first two games of the series in 1993 and 1994, Navy has fallen to Loyola only one time, a Sept. 24, 2016 meeting by a score of 2-1 in double overtime (8-1-4 record) ... Since Loyola joined the Patriot League in 2013, Navy is 5-1-3 in six regular season meetings ... The teams have 10 times in Annapolis with the Mids holding a 6-1-3 advantage.

Last 5 Matchups
In the last five meetings dating back to 2016, Navy is 3-0-2 and has outscored Loyola, 8-2
    March 27, 2021 (A): Navy 1 - Loyola 0, OT
    Nov. 8, 2019 (H): Navy 1 - Loyola 1 (Patriot League Semifinals, Navy advances 4-3 on PK)
    Nov. 1, 2019 (H): Navy 0 - Loyola 0
    Sept. 21, 2018 (A): Navy 2 - Loyola 1
    Sept. 22, 2017 (H): Navy 4 - Loyola 0

Most Recent Matchup ~ March 27 at Baltimore
Playing its first game in a month, the Navy women's soccer team came away with an important Patriot League South divisional win over Loyola courtesy of an overtime golden goal from Caitlin Doran. Scoreless through 90 minutes of regulation action, the Mids and Greyhounds found themselves in overtime, a place that they went to in each of their two meetings in 2019. In extra time, Doran flicked on a free kick from Avery Fries over Loyola's goalkeeper, who had left her line to challenge the cross, to earn the walk-off sudden victory after 93:31 of action at the Ridley Athletic Complex.

Coming off a 21-day period of ROM (restriction of movement) mandate for all members of the Naval Academy, the Mids, who started practice on Monday, had a slow ramp up into game action over the opening 45 minutes on Saturday night. As a team, the visitors were only able to muster two total shots in the first half. On the opposite side of the ledger, the host Greyhounds recorded six shots in the first half.

The first officially credited shot on goal of the game came in the 63rd minute when Loyola's Sarah Bayer took an off-balanced shot near the six-yard box that Gallagher saved with ease. The visitors registered their first shot on target in the 78th minute courtesy of Jenna Daunt. The freshman forward received a crisp pass to her feet from Katie Herrmann and quickly turned her body towards goal, unleashing a shot on frame that was met by Loyola's keeper, Paige Sim.

As 90 minutes wasn't enough time to decide a victor, the teams turned their attention to sudden victory overtime. Navy had the first quality look at ending it in the 92nd minute as Carolyn Mang soared above a crowd of bodies deep in the box and snapped a header that found Sim's hands on the goal line.

Just two minutes later, Doran found success with her header attempt as she met Fries' free kick approximately 12 yards out and looped the ball over Sim, who had charged off her line to jump at the incoming free kick. The goal was the second of Doran's young career as she scored against Pitt in Navy's abbreviated fall non-conference schedule in 2020.

Comparing the Teams

	Navy	Loyola
Record	3-4-1, 3-1-1 PL	3-1-1, 3-1-1 PL
Goals/Gm	1.00	0.80
Assists/Gm	1.63	0.80
Shots/Gm	11.0	9.4
Goals Against Average	1.29	0.38
GK Saves/Gm	3.88	2.6

Individual Leaders

	Navy	Loyola
Goals	Tran, 3	Tempert, 2
Assists	4 Players, 2	4 Players, 1
Points	Tran, 8	Tempert, 4
Shots	Tran, 15	Bayer, 10
GK Saves	Gallagher, 26	Sim, 13

Navy in the Patriot League Tournament
The Mids have competed in 23 Patriot League Tournaments, including a current streak of 10 straight appearances ... All-time, Navy is 19-18-1 in 38 contests ... In semifinal action, Navy is 12-8-1 ... Twice the Mids have taken on Loyola and twice they've advanced with a 1-0-1 record and a 4-3 advancement on penalty kicks in 2019 ... Navy has won the Patriot League Tournament in 2003, 2006, 2007 and 2019.

2020-21 Patriot League Tournament Bracket
South #1 Navy hosts South #2 Loyola at 6 PM on Wednesday
North #1 Boston University hosts North #2 Colgate at 7 PM on Wednesday
The finals will be hosted by the team with the highest number of Patriot League conference points (games versus divisional and opposing divisions count) ... 
    Hosting possibilities for Saturday ...
        Loyola (3-1-1, 10 pts) would host both Boston (2-1-1, 7 pts) or Colgate (3-3-1, 10 pts)* Greyhounds beat Raiders, 2-1 on March 8
        Navy (3-0-1, 10 pts) would host Boston (7 pts)
        Colgate (10 pts) would host Navy (10 pts)* Raiders beat the Mids, 2-1 in double overtime on Feb. 28.