ANNAPOLIS, Md. - It all comes down to Saturday as the 2020-21 Patriot League Championship title is on the line between two teams that kicked off the spring portion of the Patriot League season in the first and only game of week one. In a contest that served as precursor of the next eight weeks of Patriot League action, a matchup that had been agreed upon just days earlier due to previous COVID-19 cancellations, the Colgate Raiders knocked off the Navy Midshipmen by a score of 2-1 in double overtime, with just 17 seconds left in the second stanza and standing water smattered throughout the field in Annapolis. After two action-packed semifinal contests on Wednesday night, the Midshipmen (4-4-1, 3-1-1 PL) will head out on the road to Hamilton, N.Y. as the Raiders (4-3-1, 3-3-1 PL) will host the 2020-21 Patriot League Championship Final. Navy comes into the contest looking to defend its title from the 2019 season. The winner of Saturday's game will receive the conference's automatic berth into the NCAA Championship. The action at Beyer-Small '76 Field will begin at 2 p.m. and will be streamed live on ESPN+.

Navy vs. Colgate
Saturday will be the 40th meeting between the two schools in a series that began in Navy's second year of varsity existence in 1994 ... In that Oct. 16, 1994 matchup, Colgate took the contest by a 3-0 margin ... The Raiders would build up a 6-0 lead in the series over the first four years before extending the margin out to 9-1 following a postseason win over the Mids in 1999 ... Navy started leveling out the series in the second half of the 00's with five straight wins between 2006 and 2008, including two victories in tournament action ... Since 2013, Navy has posted a 7-2-1 record with wins in four of the last six matchups ... Colgate is Navy's most common opponent in Patriot League Tournament play with 12 contests between the two; the Raiders lead that series, 7-5 ... All-time, Navy leads the series 18-16-5, though Colgate has outscored Navy, 49-43.

Last 5 Matchups:
In the last five matchups dating back to 2017, the Mids are 3-2 with both losses coming in double overtime. Navy has outscored Colgate, 7-4 during this span.
   Feb. 28, 2021 (H): Colgate 2 - Navy 1, 2 OT
   Sept. 21, 2019 (A): Navy 1 - Colgate 0
   Oct. 20, 2018 (H): Colgate 1 - Navy 0, 2 OT
   Nov. 3, 2017 (H): Navy 3 - Colgate 0 (Patriot League Semifinals)
   Oct. 21, 2017 (A): Navy 2 - Colgate 1

Most Recent Matchup ~ February 28 in Annapolis
In the opening game of the 2021 portion of Navy's two-part 2020-21 season, the Mids went step for step with the Colgate Raiders and deep into double overtime in a matchup of two of the top-three teams in the 2021 Patriot League Preseason Poll. In an unfortunate conclusion for the host Midshipmen, a corner kick and header in the 110th minute gave the Raiders the walk-off 2-1 victory. In a contest plagued by heavy, constant rain and standing water throughout the field at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility, Victoria Tran sparked Navy's early game offensive theatrics with a goal in the 28th minute off of a build from the wings by Molly Gillcrist and Kristina Dzhandzhapanyan. In her first Patriot League start, goalie Mattie Gallagher turned aside five Raider shots on goal.

Before the rain really started to affect the playing conditions, Navy was extremely active on the offensive end during the first 17 minutes as it was credited with five shots and a corner kick. In the fifth minute, the Mids' first quality scoring opportunity came courtesy of a foul call from just outside the goal box and a strong shot by Emily Keast, who's attempt was deflected away from the goal by Colgate's wall.

After that opening rush by the Mids, the Raiders made their first shot on goal count as Emily Amano slotted a ball to Adrienne Vaughn, who found the back of the net with low shot from 16 yards out at 19:45.

Down 1-0, Navy didn't let that deficit linger for long as less than eight minutes later, Tran netted the equalizer for the home squad as she was on the receiving end of lay-off by Dzhandzhapanyan, who got a pass into the center of the box from Gillcrist on the left wing. The quick series of passes tied the score at 1-1 at 27:42.  

With the score still tied at 1-1, Navy's second shot on goal came in the 54th minute when Dzhandzhapanyan slipped a pass between a pair of defenders towards goal and an on-coming Carolyn Mang, who caught the ball in stride and deflected it towards net only to have Colgate's goalkeeper Sophia Boggs making the sliding save. The Mids kept the pressure in the Raiders' final third as they earned four corner kicks in the first 20 minutes of the second half.

Colgate's best scoring opportunity came in the 75th minute when it drew a foul 25 yards from goal. Lining up over the ball Ruby Diodati ripped the direct shot on frame only to find a prepared Gallagher waiting on the goal line to make the save for Navy. A similar series of plays unfolded 10 minutes later for the Mids as Keast lined up the free kick and lofted the ball towards the goal where a leaping Gillcrist flicked a header that sailed just high keeping the score at 1-1.

After 90 minutes of regulation competition, the game was still knotted and the two sides moved into overtime. The first period of extra time was controlled by Navy throughout as the Mids earned the only corner kick and shots (2) of the stanza for either team. In the second 10-minute period of water-logged sudden victory action opened up a bit as Colgate tested Gallagher when Ciardiello put a well-placed shot on goal that required the freshman keeper to make a diving save in the 103th minute. A little less than two minutes later, Sophie Ewing whipped a cross from the right wing into Keast, who found open space and a few moments to square up a shot on goal that forced Boggs to spring off her line and push the attempt wide of the frame.

This led up to the contest's finale when Diodati took a corner kick and sent it into a cluttered box where Hannah Pinkus headed home the game-winning walkoff goal with just 17 seconds left in the second overtime period at 109:43.

For the game, Navy outshot Colgate, 19-10, though the Raiders had a 7-3 advantage in shots on goal. The Mids also held a significant 10-2 margin in total corner kicks.

Comparing the Teams

What 2 Watch 4

• Sprint to the End: After missing 3+ weeks of action (3/1-3/22 without practice), Navy just came off playing four games in a span of 13 games to close the regular season
• Opening Day Rematch: The Mids and Raiders kicked off the 2021 slate for Patriot League Women's Soccer as the only game in week one on Feb. 28
• Common Patriot League Tournament Foes: Mids and Raiders have met 12 times in the Patriot League Tournament (Colgate leads, 7-5)
• Common Patriot League Final Foes: This will be the 6th Navy and Colgate matchup with the PL title on the line (1995, 1998, 1999, 2006, 2012); Navy won in 2006

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 20-18-1 in 39 contests ... The Mids have appeared in 13 previous Championship Finals (4-9 record) ... Navy has won the Patriot League Tournament in 2003, 2006, 2007 and 2019.