ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy women's lacrosse team (2-1) travels to Pennsylvania for a nonconference contest against Villanova (3-0) on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. at Villanova Stadium. The game will be streamed live on FloSports.
The game marks the fourth consecutive road competition for the Midshipmen to start the season. All total, the Mids play five of the first six games of the season away from home.
All-Time Series
The game between Navy and Villanova will mark the ninth meeting between the two teams. The Midshipmen have a 6-2 advantage in the all-time series, including a 4-0 mark in Villanova, Pa.
The two teams first met in 2008 with the Mids claiming a 19-8 road victory. The following season, the Wildcats edged the Midshipmen, 15-14, in overtime to even the season. Navy won the next five meetings between the two teams from 2014 to 2019, however, Villanova claimed the last meeting of the series, earning a 12-9 win over Navy in Annapolis in 2020.
Scouting the Midshipmen
Following a 15-9 road victory over Monmouth last weekend, the Navy women's lacrosse team enter the weekend 2-1 overall.
Ava Yovino (Parkland, Fla.) leads the team with 19 points on a team-high nine goals and 10 assists. The rookie has a pair of hat tricks in three games with a team-best five assists in the Mids' last game at Monmouth. Yovino is joined by
Emily Messinese (Manchester, Md.) who is second on the team with 10 points. The sophomore has eight goals with two assists, netting a pair of hat tricks.
Lola Leone (Bay Shore, N.Y.),
Maggie DeFabio (Summit, N.J.),
Leelee Denton (Nashville, Tenn.),
Charlotte Ryan (Tully, N.Y.),
Emma Kennedy (Cooksville, Md.),
Lindsay Beardmore (Annapolis, Md.),
Maura Murphy (Woodbine, Md.), and
Athena Corroon (Greenwich, Conn.) round out the scoring for the Midshipmen. Leone has six goals, while DeFabio and Denton have five and four, respectively. Ryan (3g), Kennedy (2g 1a), and Beardmore (1g 2a) all have three points in the early goings of the season. Murphy has two points on a pair of goals, while Corroon notched her first point of the season with an assist at Monmouth.
Defensively,
Emma Richardell (Bethesda, Md.) has logged all 180 minutes between the pipes for the Midshipmen. The sophomore goalkeeper has notched 18 saves with seven ground balls and two caused turnovers. Corroon leads the team with 10 ground balls, followed by
Grace Peterson (Mound, Minn.) and Richardell who have picked up seven GB apiece. Corroon leads the team with six caused turnovers, while Peterson and
Erin Carson (New Albany, Ohio) follow with three caused turnovers each.
Additionally, Messinese led the team with 21 draw controls, while Murphy has won 10 draws. Yovino has added six draw controls, while
Alyssa Daley (Walkersville, Md.) and
Kat McAteer (Bohemia, N.Y.) round out the top five for Navy with three draws apiece.
Scouting the Opposition
Villanova enters the weekend with a 3-0 record on the season. The Wildcats opened the season with an 18-6 road win over William & Mary, before claiming a pair of home contests against Saint Joseph's (W, 14-13) and La Salle (W, 16-7).
Sydney Pappas and Elena Torres lead the Wildcats with 16 points apiece. Pappas has a team-leading 13 goals, while Torres has notched 10 scores. Sami Carey and Caroline Curnal have each scored double-digit points in the early going of the season. Carey has a balanced 12 points on five goals and a team-leading seven assists, while Curnal is tied for second on the team with 10 goals scored, adding a helper for 11 total points.
Olivia Conquest has started all three games for Villanova at goal, logging 162:39 minutes in the cage. She has 22 of Nova's 23 saves with a 48.9 save percentage. Molly Dunphey leads the team with seven ground balls, followed by Conquest who has six. Mary Kate Conniff leads the team with seven caused turnovers, while Curnal paces the team with 30 draw controls.
Corroon Repeats as Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week
For the second consecutive week, Navy women's lacrosse's
Athena Corroon (Greenwich, Conn.) has been named Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week, as announced by the conference office.
Corroon anchored a Navy defense in road victory over Monmouth (W, 15-9). The nine goals marked the first time this season the Mids' defense limited an opponent to single-digit goals. She finished the game with a team-best four ground balls and three caused turnovers, while adding an assist.
Corroon matched up with one of the Hawks' top attackers, limiting her to just one goal and one assist. She served as an integral part of Navy's transition game in the clears, helping the Mids record 17 clears in 19 opportunities. Corroon recorded three of Navy's five caused turnovers in the game. The defensive team captain tallied her first point of the season with an assist on a goal by fellow team captain
Charlotte Ryan (Tully, N.Y.), tying the game early.
Up Next
Following the game with Villanova, Navy hosts Oregon in the home opener on Friday, March 3. Opening draw between the Midshipmen and Ducks is slated for 6:00 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
