ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy men's soccer team will open its 2021 exhibition slate on Saturday as it travels to Charlottesville to take on Virginia with the opening kick scheduled for 7 p.m.
The exhibition is open to the public and admission to the match is free. Additionally, live statistics will be available for the contest via NavySports.com along with live video via the ACC Network on ESPN+.
The Midshipmen enter Saturday's exhibition following a 4-2-1 campaign in 2020-21 that resulted in Navy narrowly missing the four-team Patriot League Tournament. Navy returns seven starters from last season along with 11 letter winners.
Matt Nocita highlights the group of core returners for Navy after the senior garnered several postseason honors, including being named First-Team All-Patriot League and Co-Defensive Player of the Year. Along with Nocita, fellow seniors
Jacob Williams and
Tyler Collins were named First-Team All-Patriot League.
Joining Williams among the top offensive returners for Navy is
David Jackson, who received honors as the 2020-21 Patriot League Rookie of the Year, along with being a Third-Team All-Conference selection after tallying a team-best six points, scoring two goals and dishing out two assists.
Joining Jackson in the midfield is the pairing of
Cristian Coelho and
Sidney Paris. Coelho led all position players last year with 635 minutes played while starting all seven games, while Paris started in six of the Mids' seven matches, playing a total of 490 minutes.
Rounding out the top returning midfielders for Navy is team captain
Joe Alex, who played in six matches last year.
In goal, Navy is tasked with replacing Third-Team All-Patriot League honoree
Ian Bramblett. Bramblett played all 650 minutes last year for the Mids. Returners
Tyler Fahning,
Thomas Pearson and
Nick Sigman, along with newcomer
Pierce Holbrook, will compete for the starting position in goal during the preseason.
Virginia tallied a 7-8-1 record in 2020-21, finishing tied for fourth in the Atlantic Coast Conference Coastal Division. The Cavaliers return Kevin Ogudugu, who tallied a team-high seven points on three goals and one assist last season, along with Nick Berghold, who was tied for second on the team with six points on two goals and two assists.
Virginia is tasked with replacing its goalkeeping duo of Colin Shutler, a 2019 First-Team All-American, and Alex Rando, who started 11 of the Cavaliers 16 games in goal last season.
Navy and Virginia met last season in Charlottesville for an exhibition match with the Midshipmen picking up a 3-2 comeback victory over the No. 3 ranked Cavaliers. Navy completed the comeback victory after Williams and
Nicko West scored just 2:45 apart in the final eight minutes of the game.
Prior to last season's exhibition, Navy and Virginia had played 15 regular-season matches. In those 15 contests, the Midshipmen have an 11-4-0 edge over the Cavaliers.
Following Saturday's match, Navy is set to continue its exhibition slate as it returns home Tuesday, August 17 for a contest against No. 21 James Madison at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility with opening kick set for 7 p.m.
