COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Playing the University of Maryland for the 14th time in program history, the Navy women's soccer team found itself in an early 1-0 hole before flipping the script and coming from behind to secure the team's second-ever win over the Terps by a score of 3-1 on Sunday. Making the short trip to College Park and Ludwig Field on Sunday afternoon, the Mids (3-0-1) fell behind 55 seconds into the contest to a fast-starting Terrapin (3-1-0) team. From that point in the action, Navy slowly made in-roads on the scoreboard knotting the game in the 33rd minute before pushing ahead in the 52nd and adding an insurance marker in the 62nd minute to give the visitors their first victory in College Park.
 
Jeana Freeman (Jr., Raleigh, N.C.) drew Navy even in the first half, while Caitlin Doran (Jr., Queens, N.Y.) netted the go-ahead goal for her second game-winner of the week. Freshman Alexa Riddle (Tomball, Texas) scored her first collegiate goal to give the Mids their final 3-1 result. Sophomore defender Chloe Dawson (Fairfax, Va.) had a hand in both Freeman and Riddle's goals for the first multi-assist game of her young career. In goal, Mattie Gallagher (So., Gilbertsville, Pa.) spearheaded Navy's defensive effort as she stopped Maryland's final five shots on goal after giving up the early marker.
 
"That was one of the best team efforts, we've had in recent history," exclaimed head coach Carin Gabarra. "Everyone that played today had a huge role in this victory! Maryland is so athletic, fast, physical and talented; they hit us early, but we gathered ourselves and fought back. Once we settled in our confidence grew and we started playing our brand of soccer. It was a great performance from throughout our roster. Our depth today was awesome.
 
"Defensively, we started limiting Maryland's chances and forcing them into taking low percentage shots from distance. Everyone picked up their assignments and made it difficult for them. We played an extremely smart game as we controlled their opportunities and made the best of ours when given a window. This is a great result."
 
The action on Sunday had an inauspicious start as the host Terrapins jumped ahead just 55 seconds into the game when Mikayla Dayes scored.
 
Down 1-0, the Mids started to settle in and look for avenues to notch the game-tying goal. Over the next 10 minutes, they earned a pair of corner kick chances, though were unable to convert either of those into a shot attempt. Gallagher did her part in aiding the comeback effort by smothering a Malikae Dayes shot in the 31st minute. In a quick change in momentum, Navy turned defense into offense as two minutes later, the game was tied courtesy of Freeman. In a series of crisp passes, Riddle dribbled up the right wing and hit Dawson on an overlapping run. Once in control of the ball, Dawson whipped a smooth cross on the ground into the box to the waiting Freeman, who fired her shot into the goal at 32:23.
 
Neither team was interested in going into the locker rooms at halftime tied at 1-1 as Jenna Daunt (So., Haymarket, Va.) tested Maryland's goalkeeper with a shot on goal within a minute of Freeman's tally before the Terps responded with a shot on goal of their own. Both goalkeepers came up with saves and the half concluded with the score deadlocked.
 
At the break, Maryland held a 7-3 advantage in shots with a 3-2 edge in shots on goal.
 
Coming out after halftime, the Mids were a team on a mission as the visitors recorded three shots in the first six and a half minutes. That third shot was particularly beneficial to Navy as Doran dialed up her third goal of the season at 51:28. On Maryland's side of midfield, Amanda Graziano (Fr., Middlebury, Conn.) pressured a Terrapin defender into a turnover, came in possession of the ball and slotted a pass to Doran on a breakaway for the go-ahead marker.
 
The action quickly transitioned into Navy's defensive zone as Maryland was determined to re-tie the contest with a quartet of shots within 90 seconds, including one shot that rang off the post. The Terps' comeback attempt continued with two more shots over the ensuing two minutes.
 
Surviving that test, the Mids netted an insurance goal at 62:00 when Dawson found space up the right wing and pressed deep into the Terps' zone before crossing the ball into the 18 to Riddle, who didn't waste time in quickly depositing her shot past Maryland's goalkeeper.
 
With the score now 3-1, Navy focused on holding Maryland's potent offense at bay over the final 28 minutes of action. Coming into Sunday, the Terps had scored seven goals in three games. Gallagher and her blockade of defenders were impenetrable over this final portion of the game as Maryland took five shots with three shots on goal being denied by Navy's keeper, another getting blocked away and the fifth going wide of target.
 
In the 3-1 victory, Navy was outshot by Maryland, 19-11 with the Terps also holding a 6-4 advantage in shots on goal. Gallagher made five saves to improve her record to 3-0-1 this fall.
 
Prior to today over the previous 13 meetings in this intrastate series that began in 1996, Maryland held a 10-1-2 record over Navy with a spotless 8-0 mark in games played in College Park.
 
Navy will continue its action away from Annapolis as the Mids will head out next weekend for a pair of games in the Buckeye State. First up for Navy is a Thursday afternoon meeting with Ohio University before travelling to Columbus and a showdown with the Ohio State Buckeyes.