DURHAM, N.C. – The Navy women's lacrosse team (0-1) dropped a 15-10 decision to No. 11 Duke (1-0) on Friday afternoon at Koskinen Stadium in Durham, N.C. to open the 2023 season. The Midshipmen were led by its underclassmen as all 10 goals were scored by either freshmen or sophomores.
 
"We have a really young team, but we played extremely hard today," head coach Cindy Timchal said. "Coming up short against Duke wasn't our goal, but I thought we competed like crazy. We were highlighted by Emily Mess[inese] winning seven draws and scoring a hat trick coming off of an injury. It is a testament to her resiliency to come back against a formidable Duke team. Ava [Yovino] came out strong in her first collegiate game. We had a new goalie in the cage and a very young team out on the field today, but I feel like we rallied together and got the nerves out, especially in the second half.
 
"There were mistakes here and there; and a team like Duke can make you pay for those mistakes, but we fought to the end. I think most people will feel good about this team and their effort moving forward from this game. We now have to regroup and get ready for a game against ECU on Sunday."
 
Offensively, the Mids tallied 13 points on 10 goals and three assists. Twelve of the 13 points on the day were recorded by either freshmen or sophomores. Freshman Ava Yovino (Parkland, Fla.) led the way with five points on three goals and a pair of assists, while sophomore Emily Messinese (Manchester, Md.) finished with three scores, marking the first collegiate hat tricks for the duo. Freshman Maura Murphy (Woodbine, Md.) added a pair of goals with freshman Maggie DeFabio (Summit, N.J.) and sophomore Lola Leone (Bay Shore, N.Y.) chipping in scores. Junior Lindsay Beardmore (Annapolis, Md.) rounded out Navy's points with an assist.
 
Emma Richardell (Bethesda, Md.) worked a complete game in the cage for the Midshipmen. The sophomore registered eight saves with four ground balls and a pair of caused turnovers in her first collegiate start. She anchored a Navy defense that caused 13 of Duke's 20 turnovers. Richardell's four ground balls led the team while Leone, Morgan Lewis (Alexandria, Va.) and Grace Peterson (Mound, Minn.) added two GB apiece. Murphy, Athena Corroon (Greenwich, Conn.), and Gabby Lavin (Gambrills, Md.) also picked up ground balls in the game.
 
Messinese led the way for the Midshipmen in the circle, winning seven of the Mids' 11 draws. Yovino added a pair, while Murphy and Corroon were credited with one draw each.
 
Duke was led by Katie DeSimone, Maddie Jenner, and Anna Callahan. DeSimone and Jenner led the Blue Devils with three goals apiece, while Callahan added two goals and three assists for a team-best five points. Jenner, who entered the game ranked second in NCAA Division I history in total draw controls, finished the game with 13 of Duke's 18 draws. At goal, Sophia LeRose finished the game with nine saves and four ground balls.
 
In the first quarter, the home team raced out to a 5-0 lead with five different Blue Devils scoring in the quarter. The Midshipmen stopped the run as Leone netted the first goal of the 2023 season for the Midshipmen. Eighty seconds later, Murphy registered her first collegiate score, burying a pass from Yovino to pull the Mids to within three, 5-2.
 
The second quarter saw Duke extend its advantage to six goals at 8-2 before Yovino notched her first collegiate goal with a cross-cage strike. The Blue Devils added a goal to head into intermission in front, 9-3.
 
The home team extended its lead in the third quarter with consecutive scores. The Midshipmen responded as Messinese netted back-to-back goals to trim the margin back to six. The Blue Devils closed out the third quarter with a goal to enter the final period up seven, 12-5.
 
Duke pushed the advantage to 13-5, but Yovino trimmed the margin back to seven with a score. Following a Blue Devil goal, DeFabio registered her first collegiate goal. Messinese completed her first career hat trick converting a free-position opportunity. Duke extended the margin to seven, but Navy closed out the game with scores by Yovino and Murphy. The goal by Yovino gave the freshman her first collegiate hat trick, while Murphy's goal gave the freshman her first multi-goal performance.
 
Navy returns to action on Sunday, Feb. 12, as the Mids travel to Greenville, N.C. to take on East Carolina (1-0). Opening draw between the Midshipmen and Pirates is slated for 12:00 p.m. Live stats and live video will be available throughout the game.