ANNAPOLIS, Md. - With the Patriot League postseason tournament quickly coming into view the Navy women's soccer team closes its regular season on Friday night with a home tilt against American University. Winners of three straight Patriot League South divisional games, the Mids (3-4, 3-1 PL, 3-0 PL So.) will look for a sweep of its divisional foes when they welcome the Eagles (0-4, 0-4 PL, 0-3 PL So.). Friday's game will not have a direct effect on Navy's seeding in the upcoming Patriot League Tournament as the Mids have earned the number one seed for the PL South and will host the division's second place team (the victor of Friday's Loyola at Lehigh game) on Wednesday, April 14 though the program's overall record in Patriot League action could come into play when determining the host for the Patriot League Finals, that are scheduled for Saturday, April 17. Navy currently has nine conference points (3-1), while multiple teams in the Northern division have the ability to reach 10 or more points. Friday night's action at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility is set for 7 p.m. and will be streamed live on ESPN+.

Attendance Policy for Friday
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. American
Friday will be the 29th meeting between the two nearby schools in a series that began on Sept. 7, 1994 ... Navy leads the series 18-7-3 and has outscored American, 56-28 all-time ... Navy is 9-3-1 at home against American ... The Mids and Eagles have gone through large momentum swings throughout this series as Navy won the first four meetings from '94-'98 before stringing together its current run of 11 straight wins from '11-'19, including two postseason victories during that span ... During this undefeated run for Navy, the Mids have outscored the Eagles, 27-5.

Last 5 Matchups
In the last five meetings dating back to 2015, Navy is 5-0 and has outscored American, 15-2.
   Oct. 23, 2019 (A): Navy 1 - American 0
   Sept. 26, 2018 (H): Navy 3 - American 2 (OT)
   Sept. 27, 2017 (A): Navy 2 - American 0
   Oct. 19, 2016 (H): Navy 2 - American 0
   Nov. 3, 2015 (H): Navy 6 - American 0 (Patriot League Quarterfinals)

Most Recent Matchup: Oct. 23, 2019 in Washington, D.C. 
On the strength of an Emily Keast goal late in the first half, the Navy women's soccer team came away with 1-0 win on the road over American on Wednesday afternoon. The Mids bolstered their grip on the top of the Patriot League with a complete team effort that saw their offense outshoot the Eagles, 18-10 and their defense post shutout number 11 of 2019.

Navy began Wednesday's game at Reeves Field by flexing its offensive muscle early and often with five shots in the opening 20 minutes. Of that series of shots, three required American's goalkeeper, Morgan Lang to make a save. Sydney Fortson had her number called for the first time in the 30th minute when she turned aside a Samm Francucci shot on goal. That was the Eagles' only shot on frame during the first half.

With the host team held at bay by Navy's defense, the Mids were able to drum up additional looks on the offensive end over the final 15 minutes of the half. With a new look and energy to their lineup due to various substitutions, Navy's reserves registered four shots before the half expired. The two shots that resonated the loudest on the scoreboard were a Caitlin Doran shot on goal that deflected off Lang and Keast's powerful put-back on the loose ball to the back of the net at 41:28. Both Keast's score and Doran's assist were the first of their respective 2019 seasons.

At the half, Navy was outshooting American, 10-4 with a 5-1 advantage in shots on goal.

Coming out of the halftime intermission, the action was a little more even in the second half as the teams split 14 combined shots, eight in favor of Navy and six for American.

The game continued with Navy ahead by a score of 1-0 into the 72nd minute when American's Morgan Brinson challenged the Mids' defensive duo of Alex Jackson and Fortson. After Brinson chased down a through ball, all three players collided in the middle of the box before Brinson recovered and pushed her eventual shot wide.

Navy's last best look for an insurance goal came in the 87th minute when Kaitlynn Johns struck a high looping cross towards the back post where a charging Kristina Dzhandzhapanyan connected with a header shot that skipped wide of the goal.

In the Mids' 1-0 win, the visitors outshot the Eagles, 18-10 with an 8-3 ratio in shots on goal. Navy also held a 5-3 margin in corner kicks over American.

Comparing the Teams

Last Time Out: April 3 versus Lehigh
Playing its third game in eight days, the Navy women's soccer team continued its winning ways as the Mids defeated Lehigh on Saturday night by a score of 2-1. With first place in the Patriot League South Division standing in the balance, the Mids (3-4, 3-1 PL, 3-0 PL So.) received first half goals from Victoria Tran and Jeana Freeman on their way to knocking off the Mountain Hawks (1-2-2, 1-2-2 PL, 1-1-1 PL So.) at Glenn Warner Soccer Facility. The victory by Navy clinched the Patriot League South title, as well as the 350th win in program history.

Saturday night's game began with fast-paced end-to-end action as the Mountain Hawks tested the Mids' goalie Mattie Gallagher with a corner kick and header connection 88 seconds into the contest. On the ensuing possession for Navy, Carolyn Mang ripped a shot that sailed just over the net. After another five and a half minutes of soccer, the Mids registered their first shot on goal in a loud manner as Tran found the back of the net at 7:47. Starting in the midfield with Kristina Dzhandzhapanyan dribbling into the attacking third, the senior team captain slotted a pass to the top of the box towards Jenna Daunt, who quickly redirected the ball with a flick into space where Tran charged in and beat Lehigh's goalkeeper low and to the right.

With the score 1-0 in favor of the host Mids, the Mountain Hawks turned up their offensive pressure with multiple dangerous corner kick chances. Gallagher was up to the task as she batted away a corner kick in the 20th minute before pushing away a Courtney Supp shot two minutes. In total, Lehigh tallied four corner kicks between the 20th and 36th minute. The final corner kick resulted in an Imani Ashman shot towards goal that Gallagher and a multitude of teammates helped clear away.

Surviving that rush of Lehigh opportunities afforded Navy the chance to expand its lead in the 41st minute when the team worked the ball up the right wing. After Chloe Dawson gathered the ball near midfield, she played the ball to Caitlin Doran, who dribbled towards the end line before whipping a cross into the box where Freeman cut in front of a Mountain Hawk defender for a one-time shot past the on-coming goalkeeper at 40:18.

At halftime, Lehigh was out-shooting Navy, 6-4 with a 3-2 advantage in shots on goal.

In the second half, the Mids held their two-goal lead for the initial 40 minutes, though the hosts received a pair of high percentage looks courtesy of Molly Gillcrist. In the 56th minute she tackled the ball away from a Mountain Hawk defender and immediately rifled a shot that went wide of the net. Less than five minutes later, she put her attempt on frame and forced Lehigh's Miranda Royds to make the save.

The Mountain Hawks cut the Mids' lead to one at 85:09 when Chloe Tremblay netted a goal.

Navy didn't allow Lehigh to get any closer of the final 4:51 to collect the 2-1 victory.

For the game, Lehigh outshot Navy, 10-9, while the Mountain Hawks tallied five shots on goal versus three for the Mids. The visitors recorded seven corner kicks versus one for Navy.

The victory was the 350th in program history in its 28 years of action. Navy's first win came on Sept. 9, 1993 against Johns Hopkins. Gabarra has led the Mids in all 350 victories.

Saturday's win also clinched the Patriot League South divisional title and hosting duties in the Patriot League Semifinals on Wednesday, April 14. Navy will take on the second seed in the Patriot League South division that day. That playoff bid is the 23rd in 27 years that the Mids have been eligible for Patriot League postseason action.

What 2 Watch 4

• Sprint to the End: After missing 3+ weeks of action, Navy is in the midst of playing four games in a span of 13 games to close the regular season.
• PL South Competition for Navy: The Mids have gone 3-0 with wins over Loyola, Bucknell and Lehigh in South divisional play.
• Streaking: The Mids are currently on an 11-game winning streak against the Eagles; last lost was Oct. 29, 2010.
• Eye on the Playoffs: Having clinched the number one seed in the Patriot League South, Navy will have its attention on Friday's Loyola-Lehigh game as the winner of that game will be the two-seed in the South and play at Navy on Wednesday with a spot in the PL Tournament Finals on the line.  (A Loyola tie would also clinch #2 for the Greyhounds)