ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Navy men's soccer (4-1-1) has one more match on its schedule this season as the Midshipmen face Army (2-3-1) at the ninth installment of the Army-Navy Cup in Chester, Pa., at Subaru Park – home of the Philadelphia Union. The match is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. on Sunday afternoon.
Subaru Park will host fans at a partial capacity for the match and tickets are available for $10
here. Fans attending the match can park in
Lot J, free of charge. The Philadelphia Union and Subaru Park continue to follow government regulations, required health and safety protocols, and guidance from medical experts. All attendees must wear a mask at all times in Subaru Park, except when actively eating or drinking, and will receive temperature checks upon arrival at the gate. Additionally, seats have been spaced out throughout the bowl to allow for six feet of distance in all directions for each seated party. For full health and safety protocols at Subaru Park, please
click here.
Army-Navy Cup IX is also a Star Match within the Army-Navy Star Series presented by USAA. The Midshipmen lead the Star Series with a record of 11-6 where Navy has earned victories in men's cross country, men's basketball, wrestling, men's and women's indoor track & field, women's lacrosse, men's and women's outdoor track & field, men's tennis and men's and women's swimming and diving.
Navy comes into the match with a record of 4-1-1 overall and finished tied for second in the Patriot League South Division with seven points. In the Midshipmen's last match, they played to a 1-1 draw with American – who went on to win the Patriot League Tournament – after Navy controlled the match with 16 shots compared to the Eagles' four and the Midshipmen also had a 10-5 edge in corner kicks.
The Midshipmen produced the Patriot League Co-Defensive Player of the Year in
Matt Nocita along with the rookie of the year in
David Jackson. Nocita won the award for the second-straight season and this year, he played in five of Navy's six games where the junior played in all 470 minutes in those five contests. He helped the Midshipmen post a 0.80 goals-against average this season and limited the opposition to just 48 shots and 18 shots on goal. Jackson led Navy in scoring with two goals and two assists en route to his recognition this spring.
Nocita and Jackson highlighted Navy's seven All-Patriot League award winners, which led the league. Nocita was joined by
Jacob Williams and
Tyler Collins on the first team while the third team featured Jackson,
Toni Adewole,
Ian Bramblett and
Baba Kallie.
For the year, Navy has scored seven goals over six games with six different goal scorers and eight different players registered a point for the Midshipmen. In goal, Bramblett played all 560 minutes for Navy and he comes into the matchup with a 0.80 goals-against average and a .722 save percentage. Bramblett ranks fifth in school history with 13 career shutouts and fourth with a 0.94 goals-against average.
Army comes into the rivalry match with a record of 2-3-1 where it picked up a draw against Boston University to finish its Patriot League schedule. In the Patriot League North Division, the Black Knights finished fifth overall. Both of Army's wins came during the fall semester after it grabbed a 1-0 road win over Merchant Marine Academy and then defeated the Mariners at home, 4-0.
Oscar Pereira is the lone multi-goal scorer for the Black Knights as he finished the year with three goals and two assists. His eight-point season pushed him on to the Second Team All-Patriot League this spring. Jacob Suppiah has started all six contests in goal for Army this season and has produced a 1.01 goals-against average and a .538 save percentage.
In the first eight installments of the Army-Navy Cup, the Black Knights hold a narrow 3-2-3 edge over the Midshipmen after the two service academies played to a 1-1 draw during the 2019 meeting. In the all-time Army-Navy series, the Midshipmen hold a record of 40-30-16 against Army, where Navy has the longest winning streak in the series of six games that spanned from 1959 to 1964.
