ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The No. 24 Navy women's lacrosse team (8-2, 2-0 Patriot League) returns home to Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium to host Patriot League opponent Lafayette (1-10, 0-3 Patriot League) on Wednesday evening at 6:00 p.m.
 
The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and live stats will be available.
 
Navy Up One Spot in ILWomen / IWLCA Division I Poll
The Navy women's lacrosse team moved up to No. 24 in the latest ILWomen / IWLCA Division I Poll. In addition, the Mids are ranked No. 19 according to US Lacrosse Magazine.
 
The Midshipmen, who are currently on a six-game winning streak, entered the IWLCA poll last week at No. 25.
 
In its history, Navy has been ranked 72 total weeks, including a stretch of 46 weeks from the final poll of 2017 (May 30) to April 5, 2021. The Mids' first appearance in the national rankings came on March 11, 2013, coming in at No. 20. The Midshipmen's highest ranking – sixth – came in the final polls of the 2017 and 2018 seasons. Last season, the Midshipmen were in the top 25 poll for seven weeks, rising as high as No. 17.
 
Richardell, Yovino Combine to Earn Three Patriot League Weekly Honors
Navy goalie Emma Richardell (Bethesda, Md.) and midfielder Ava Yovino (Parkland, Fla.) combined to claim three of the five weekly Patriot League women's lacrosse honors, as announced by the conference office. Richardell was named Goalkeeper of the Week, while Yovino earned Midfielder and Rookie of the Week distinction. The duo helped lead Navy to a 15-4 road victory over Lehigh on Saturday.
 
For Richardell, it was the first Goalie of the Week honor of her career, while it was Yovino's first Midfielder of the Week accolade and her fourth Rookie of the Week award.
 
Richardell anchored Navy's defense, which held Lehigh to its lowest point total of the season, while allowing the fewest goals by an opponent this year. The sophomore tied a career-high with 11 saves, while causing a turnover and picking up a pair of ground balls in just over 57 minutes of action. Aided by six second-half saves by Richardell, the Midshipmen did not allow a goal in the second half, marking the first time since defeating George Washington (W, 22-2) in 2021 that the defense held an opponent scoreless in a half. All total, Richardell and the Navy defense held Lehigh to no goals over the final 39 minutes and 22 seconds and limited the Mountain Hawks' offense to just four total goals.
 
Yovino led the team with six total points on a team-best three assists while adding three goals. She had an assist on Lola Leone's go-ahead goal in the first quarter that gave the Mids a lead they would not surrender. The rookie added a helper on Tori DiCarlo's goal to close out the first quarter, while notching an assist on what proved to be the game-winning goal by Leelee Denton. Yovino scored her first goal of the game in the second quarter, while adding her second and third goals in the third quarter as part of Navy's 6-0 run in the period to take command of the game. In addition, Yovino registered a team-best two caused turnovers with a pair of draw controls and a ground ball.
 
Scouting the Midshipmen
Navy enters the week 8-2 overall and 2-0 in the Patriot League. The Midshipmen have won six consecutive games, including all three home contests this season. As a team, the Midshipmen have tallied 150 goals with 72 assists, while picking up 163 ground balls, winning 157 draw controls, and causing 87 turnovers. In two Patriot League games, the Mids have scored 36 goals with 13 assists with 34 ground balls, 37 draw controls, and 22 caused turnovers.
 
Entering the week, junior Leelee Denton (Nashville, Tenn.) leads the NCAA in shot percentage. Following three games where she converted 15 of 17 shots, Denton has upped her percentage to .750. In addition, freshman Ava Yovino (Parkland, Fla.) is second nationally in assists (39), assists per game (3.90), points (63), and points per game (6.30).
 
Yovino's 63 points and 39 assists lead the team, while her 24 goals are tied with Denton for the second most on the squad. Emily Messinese (Manchester, Md.) paces the Mids with 25 goals, while adding eight assists for 33 total points. Denton is third on the team with 28 points, adding four helpers to her 24 scores. Denton is the team's active leader with 12 career hat tricks, including a team-high five in 2023.
 
Maggie DeFabio (Summit, N.J.), Charlotte Ryan (Tully, N.Y.), Lola Leone (Bay Shore, N.Y.), and Tori DiCarlo (Rosemont, Pa.) round out Navy's double-digit point scorers. DeFabio and Ryan both have 19 points on 16 goals and three of assists. Leone (18 pts) is one point back with 17 goals and an assist, while DiCarlo (16) has notched 12 goals with four helpers.
 
Defensively, Emma Richardell (Bethesda, Md.) has logged nearly 600 minutes between the pipes for the Midshipmen. The sophomore goalkeeper has notched 70 saves with 21 ground balls and five caused turnovers. Against Lehigh, Richardell tied a career-high with 11 saves, while causing a turnover and picking up a pair of ground balls in just over 57 minutes of action. She surrendered a goal with 9:22 remaining in the first half and then did not allow another goal the remainder of the game.
 
Athena Corroon (Greenwich, Conn.) leads the team with 25 ground balls, followed by Grace Peterson (Mound, Minn.) and Richardell who have picked up 23 and 21 GB, respectively. Corroon leads the team with 12 caused turnovers, while Erin Carson (New Albany, Ohio) and Peterson follow with 11 and nine.
 
Additionally, Messinese leads the team with 35 draw controls, while Maura Murphy (Woodbine, Md.), Alyssa Daley (Walkersville, Md.), and Yovino have each won more than 20 draws this season. Murphy and Daley have 29 apiece, while Yovino adds 28. Against Bucknell, the Midshipmen won a school record 27 draws as a team, led by a career-high 14 draws by Daley.
 
All-Time Series
The game marks the 15th meeting between the two teams. Navy holds a 14-0 (1.000) overall record against Lafayette. The Mids are 7-0 (1.000) all-time against the Leopards at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
 
The two teams met every season from 2008 (Navy's inaugural season) through 2019. The two teams did not meet in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic ended the season prior to conference play. In 2021, the Patriot League split into divisions with a shortened schedule due to the ongoing COVID restrictions. With the Mids and Leopards in opposite divisions the two teams did not meet in 2021.
 
Last season marked the first meeting between the two teams since 2019. The then-No. 22 Navy women's lacrosse team posted a 17-5 road victory over Lafayette at Fisher Stadium in Easton, Pa. Nine different Midshipmen scored goals in the game, including seven who notched multiple scores.
 
In 2019, the last time the two teams met in Annapolis, Navy scored 13 goals in a row to close out the first half to take control and never look back, posting a 21-5 victory over Lafayette on Senior Day. Nine different players registered goals in the game, while defensively, ten different players caused at least one turnover.
 
Scouting the Opposition
The Leopards enter the week with a 1-10 overall record, including a 0-3 mark in the Patriot League. Lafayette opened conference play with a 15-3 loss to Lehigh. Following the game with the Mountain Hawks, the Leopards have dropped two Patriot League contests by a combined three points, losing to American (L, 16-15) and Bucknell (L, 17-15).
 
Lafayette is led by Sarah Bennett and Sara Rogers, who have 27 and 25 points, respectively. Bennett leads the team with 18 goals, while adding nine assists. Rogers (17g 8a) is one back in each column for her 25 points. Meghan McLachlan leads the team with 10 assists.
 
At goal, Lexie Coldiron has played in every game at between the pipes for Lafayette. The junior has logged over 650 of the team's 666 minutes at goal, leading the team with 119 saves with a 43.3 save percentage with a 14.37 goals against average. In addition, Coldiron leads the team with 33 ground balls.
 
Up Next
Following Wednesday's game, Navy continues Patriot League play at home against Colgate on Saturday, April 1 at 12:00 p.m. at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.