ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The penultimate game of the regular season has arrived for the Navy men's soccer team (4-4-7, 2-1-4 PL), as the Midshipmen are set to welcome Patriot League foe Loyola Maryland (4-5-6, 2-2-3 PL) on Saturday, Oct. 29. Navy will honor its senior class prior to the contest, while the Mids and Greyhounds are slated to begin action at noon from the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility.
 
Both sides are in the thick of a congested Patriot League playoff race, with each side looking to gain ground towards a berth in the league's six-team postseason tournament. Navy sits fifth in the standings with 10 points, while Loyola enters Saturday in seventh at nine points.

Parking / Shuttle / Ticket Information (UPDATED)
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 the Naval Clinic (695 Kinkaid Rd, Annapolis, MD 21402) 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. Dogs are not permitted inside the Glenn Warner Soccer Complex. All soccer contests at Glenn Warner will be free of charge.
 
Senior Salute
Saturday will see the Navy men's soccer program honor the Class of 2023 with Senior Day recognition prior to the noon contest … Six seniors will be honored: forward Kevin Hileman, midfielder Sam Kriel, midfielder Luke O'Hara, goalkeeper Thomas Pearson, defender Tait Thorne, and the team captain, defender JD Wagner … The program will also honor four-year student manager Nolan Wright.
 
Midshipmen Discipline
With an average of 8.60 fouls per game, Navy is committing the fifth-fewest fouls in the nation, tied with fellow Patriot League member American for the conference low … The Mids also have the second-fewest amount on yellow cards in the NCAA this season at 14, with only Missouri State having less than Navy at seven yellow cards, while Loyola Maryland has the second-most yellow cards (48) in the NCAA.
 
Breaking Even
The Midshipmen's seven draws this season are a program record, eclipsing the previous program high of five (2014, 2011, 1989) … Navy's four ties in Patriot League play are also a program record … The seven draws are tied for third-most in the nation this season with Milwaukee, UMass, Rhode Island and Western Illinois, while Fordham is leading the nation at nine ties and Saint Joseph's ranks second with eight draws.
 
RPI Watch
The newest RPI rankings from the NCAA were released on Monday, with Navy sitting No. 116 in the rankings … 10 of the Mids' 17 played or scheduled opponents this season reside in the top-100 teams, headlined by No. 54 Fairleigh Dickinson (1-0 loss) and No. 59 UMBC (1-1 tie) … Navy's two opponents this week are both in the top-100, as Villanova ranks 90th (1-0 loss) and Loyola Maryland sits 99th.
 
Navy Notes
The current Navy senior class have helped the Mids post a 32-16-10 overall record during their four years with the program … Since ending the 2018 season on a four-game winning streak, Navy is 19-9-6 in Patriot League games … Navy is 8-0-2 over the past three seasons when junior forward Baba Kallie records a goal and 7-2-3 when junior midfielder David Jackson scores.
 
Last Time Out
With multiple starters resting, Navy played even with host Villanova for almost the entire game on Tuesday afternoon, but a Wildcat goal in the 77th minute sent the Midshipmen home with a 1-0 loss to end their non-conference slate … It was the first road loss of the season for Navy, and the win broke a four-game losing streak for Villanova … Notable absences in the Navy lineup included senior captain JD Wagner, junior Jason Aoyama and sophomore goalkeeper Pierce Holbrook, while junior midfielder David Jackson and sophomore midfielder Noah Ward both came off the bench late in the first half to conserve minutes … Navy's best chance came when Jackson sent a free kick off the crossbar at 37' and junior midfielder Cristian Coelho followed with a shot that was blocked only a few seconds later … Villanova broke through in the 77th minute when Anthony Cousins Jr. crossed the ball to Tomer Drimmer, as a shot from Drimmer's right foot found the back-left corner to give the Wildcats a late lead … Tuesday also marked the first appearance for sophomore defender Rowan Browne since being injured on Sept. 4.
 
Navy vs. Loyola
The local rivals are set for the 14th meeting all-time on Saturday, with Loyola having a narrow 6-5-2 advantage over Navy … Despite the geographical proximity to each other, the schools only squared off three other times between their first meeting in 1979 and the Greyhounds' arrival to the Patriot League in 2013 … Loyola has a 5-3-1 edge over Navy since joining the Patriot League, but the Mids are 3-2-1 overall against the Greyhounds when playing in Annapolis … The two sides have yet to face each other in the Patriot League Tournament … The past three matchups between the schools have been decided by a 2-0 score, with Navy winning the 2019 contest in Baltimore while Loyola got a 2-0 road win in the spring of 2021 and a 2-0 victory at home in the fall of 2021 … Last season's game saw Daniel Tshiani (20') and Justin Ingram (90') score for the Greyhounds, with Ingram also scoring one of Loyola's goals during the spring 2021 season.
 
Scouting The Greyhounds
A season-opening loss to N.C. State was followed by a four-game unbeaten streak by Loyola before falling to Army in the league opener … Since then, Loyola has played .500 soccer in league action, picking wins against Lehigh and at Holy Cross while tying Colgate and Lafayette … A 85th-minute goal by Albert Kang helped the Greyhounds pick up a 1-1 draw at Lafayette on Saturday, as Alex Bobocea made one save in Easton … Kelan Swales paces the Greyhounds in goals (4), assists (5), points (13) and shots (37) … Swales' 13 points put him tied for fourth in the Patriot League with Navy's Jackson … Matthew Lala is second on Loyola with three goals on the season … Bobocea has seen the bulk of the action for Loyola in net, making 33 saves and recording four shutouts over 13 starts.
 
Up Next
Navy closes out the regular season on Wednesday, Nov. 2, taking on another regional league rival in American at 7 p.m. from the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility.