ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The stage is set for the next chapter in a regional rivalry, as the Navy men's soccer team (4-3-5, 2-1-3 Patriot League) hosts UMBC (8-4-1, 2-2 America East) in non-conference action on Wednesday, Oct. 19. First kick between the Midshipmen and Retrievers is slated for 7 p.m. from the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility.
 
The contest will serve as the penultimate non-conference game for the Mids, as the team wraps up its out-of-league schedule at Villanova next Tuesday, Oct. 25. Wednesday will also mark the first home match for Navy in over two weeks, with the Mids having played to a draw in each of their last four home games.
 
Midshipmen Discipline
With an average of 9.17 fouls per game, Navy is committing the 15th-fewest fouls in the nation, with only American (7.62) having fewer fouls per game among Patriot League members … The Mids also have the second-fewest amount on yellow cards in the NCAA this season at 11 (tied with Wisconsin), with only Missouri State having less than Navy at seven yellow cards.
 
Drawing Up Points
Since a Sept. 2 loss to Fairleigh Dickinson, Navy has posted a 3-1-5 mark over the past month and a half … This stretch also includes the Mids picking points in all but one Patriot League game so far, holding nine points through six league matches … Junior midfielder David Jackson has scored 12 of his 13 points this season during the nine-game stretch, while sophomore goalkeeper Pierce Holbrook has posted three shutouts and 25 saves in eight games played during the span.
 
Last Time Out
A thrilling 90-minute battle saw the Midshipmen nearly score a game-winning goal in the final four seconds, but Navy ended Saturday night with a 2-2 draw at Lehigh … The 15th minute saw the Mountain Hawks go up 1-0, as a Perry Kingson cross was deflected in by a Navy defender … The second half started with both teams putting chances together early until Tommy Chyzowych's save on a Jason Aoyama shot at 54' deflected out of play, as the ensuing corner kick led to three more Navy corner kicks in under two minutes, with the fourth corner from the foot of Jackson finding junior defender Zach Wagner, who headed the ball past Chyzowych to even the score in the 56th minute … Navy converted again in the 75th minute, when senior forward Kevin Hileman had a slide tackle near the Lehigh goal line that gained him possession before crossing it to sophomore midfielder Noah Ward, as Ward fed sophomore midfielder Connor Walcott for a give-and-go, with Walcott's pass back finding Ward enough room to fire a shot past Chyzowych to hand Navy its first lead of the night … A quick answer by Lehigh in the 78th minute had Jason Pynadath's cross find Sarkos in the box, who leaped and connected with his right foot on a shot that beat Holbrook to his right side, knotting the score even once again … Mids had the last chance of the evening with four seconds on the clock when Aoyama put a desperation shot on-target that caught Chyzowych out of the net, but defender Sam Davis was there to stop the potential game winner as time expired … Navy had a season-high 22 shots to Lehigh's 11, with the Mids tallying 13 shots alone in the first half … The 22 shots are the most in a game by Navy since recording 30 shots against Mount St. Mary's on Oct. 20, 2021.
 
Navy vs. UMBC
The Mids will play the Retrievers for the 32nd time in program history on Wednesday, with Navy having a 19-7-5 edge all-time … The series is dead-even in the last 10 meetings with a 4-4-2 record for each side … After playing every year consecutively from 2010-18, the series took two years off before resuming last season … The two teams squared off in their respective season openers last season, as Jackson tallied a goal and an assist to help Navy earn a 2-2 draw at UMBC on Aug. 26, 2021.
 
Scouting the Retrievers
UMBC opened the season with four-straight wins over four common opponents with Navy (Fairfield, Lehigh, St. Francis Brooklyn, Fairleigh Dickinson) before tying Fordham, losing to Mount St. Mary's and beating Saint Peter's … The Retrievers then suffered a three-game slide with a loss to Saint Joseph's and in-conference defeats against UAlbany and New Hampshire, but have responded by winning their last three matches over UMass Lowell, Delaware and Bryant … Ryan Becher paces the NCAA with 2.15 points per game, leading his team with 10 goals (fourth in the nation) and eight assists (sixth nationally) … Right behind Becher is Taylor Calheira, who is 12th in Division I with 1.67 points per game (seven goals, six assists) … Spencer Hanks has also scored five goals for UMBC, while Alek Wroblewski's four goals have all been game winners, putting him fourth in the NCAA at four game-winning goals … Quantrell Jones has played 1162:57 of the Retrievers' 1170 minutes this season, posting 38 saves and three clean sheets … As a team, UMBC has the seventh-most goals in the nation this season at 33 tallies.
 
Up Next
Navy hits the road again on Saturday, Oct. 22 for a 1 p.m. contest at Patriot League foe Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass.

Parking / Shuttle / Ticket Information
Fans are reminded that the general public does not have access to drive their vehicles on to the U.S. Naval Academy. Fans may park at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium for a fee and take a shuttle that will run every 10 minutes starting one hour before the game and will continue running until one hour after the game is completed. Fans 18 and over need a government-issued photo ID. Enter Gate 5 off Taylor Ave. to park at the stadium. Dogs are not permitted inside the Glenn Warner Soccer Complex. All soccer contests at Glenn Warner will be free of charge.