FAIRFAX, Va. – In its final non-conference tilt before Patriot League play, the Navy men's soccer team was defeated by George Mason, 4-0, on Monday evening at George Mason Stadium.
 
After battling back-and-forth for the opening part of the first half, goals by the Patriots in the 27th and 30th minutes put the Midshipmen in a hole heading into the break, while a George Mason tally 30 seconds into the second half and another score in the closing minutes doomed the Navy side.
 
Junior goalkeeper Pierce Holbrook has to stop a pair of chances in the opening five minutes, while senior Jason Aoyama responded with a shot on goal in the fifth minute that forced a Jaume Salvado save.
 
George Mason broke onto the scoresheet in the 27th minute when Asparuh Slavov was stopped by Holbrook, but Souley Diouf found the rebound and buried it from just outside the six-yard line for the opening score.
 
Slavov then got his own tally just over three minutes later, as Giovanni Sanna-Lenzi crossed a ball into the middle of the box and Slavov settled it down before firing a shot into the top right corner.
 
Coming out of halftime, the Patriots reset off the opening kid and pushed the ball into the Navy end, as Diouf got another cross from Sanna-Lenzi just outside the box and lofted a shot over Holbrook's head in the 46th minute.
 
Holbrook then stopped two more back-to-back Patriot chances in the 48th minute, but George Mason continued its pressure until the 75th minute when sophomore A.J. Schuetz put a shot on target that Salvado had to turn away.
 
Another Holbrook save in the 87th minute did not stop the Patriots' offense, as Ahmed Mohamed fed a pass to Davis Crittenden, who raced past the Navy backline and put a hard shot into the low right corner with just over two minutes remaining.
 
Salvado ended his shutout with two saves, while Holbrook registered a season-high six saves.
 
Head Coach Tim O'Donohue Comments
"A really disappointing performance. We have to be resilient, learn from our first six games and come out and defend the Patriot League. It's a new season now and we have to approach it that way and have a short memory."
 
Match Notes
• Navy now trails 4-8-3 in the all-time series with George Mason, with Monday snapping a three-game undefeated streak by the Mids over the Patriots.
• Monday marked the first game this season where Navy did not outshoot its opponent.
 
Up Next
Navy begins its Patriot League schedule on Saturday, Sept. 16, heading to Baltimore for a 5 p.m. match against Loyola at the Ridley Athletic Complex.