ANNAPOLIS, Md. - A matchup between two of the most competitive rivals in the Patriot League lies ahead on Wednesday night in Baltimore as the Loyola Greyhounds host the Navy Midshipmen in the second round of regular season league contests. Meeting twice in last four Patriot League Tournaments and playing to one-goal decisions in six of their last seven matchups, the Mids (5-1-3, 1-0 PL) and the Greyhounds (6-2-0, 1-0 PL) have aced their 2023 non-conference slates and have two of the best records in the league at the moment. Kickoff between the two local squads is set for 7 p.m. at Loyola's Ridley Athletic Complex.
The action this Wednesday night will have live stats provided online, as well as an ESPN+ broadcast. ESPN+ is a subscription-based streaming service that requires patrons to sign-up for monthly or yearly plans prior to tuning into the contest.
Navy vs. Loyola
In a series that dates back to the first-ever NCAA Division I game for Navy on Sept. 4, 1993, the Mids are 11-4-4 all-time against the Greyhounds ... After dropping the first two games of the series in 1993 and 1994, Navy has fallen to Loyola just twice, a Sept. 24, 2016 meeting by a score of 2-1 in double overtime before getting nipped 1-0 last season due to goal in the 74th minute (11-2-4 record) ... Since Loyola joined the Patriot League in 2013, Navy is 5-2-3 over 10 regular season meetings ... The teams have met six times in Baltimore with the Mids posting a 3-2-1 mark.
Last 5 Matchups
In the last five meetings dating back to 2019, Navy is 3-1-1 and has outscored Loyola, 5-2
Sept. 21, 2022 (H): Loyola 1 - Navy 0
Sept. 22, 2021 (A): Navy 2 - Loyola 0
April 14, 2021 (H): Navy 1 - Loyola 0 (Patriot League Semifinals)
March 27, 2021 (A): Navy 1 - Loyola 0, OT
Nov. 8, 2019 (H): Navy 1 - Loyola 1 (Patriot League Semifinals, Navy advances 4-3 on PK)
Most Recent Matchup - September 21, 2022 in Annapolis
In a women's soccer matchup of clashing styles, the defensive-minded Loyola Greyhounds came away with a 1-0 victory over the aggressive attacking Navy Midshipmen at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility. The two teams came into the mid-week Patriot League showdown on completely different ends of the soccer spectrum as the Mids were riding high after an emphatic 4-0 win over Bucknell last Friday night, while the Greyhounds had posted four straight shutouts. In an evenly-matched contest, a Zoe Willis goal off of a corner kick in the 74th minute proved to be the decisive play as the visitors held on for their second league win and fifth straight clean sheet.
The action on Wednesday night opened very evenly with the teams playing freely up and down the pitch at Glenn Warner. Over the initial 20 minutes of the game, both teams were credited with two shots each, though none of the attempts were on target. Navy's first real test of Loyola's defense came in the 22nd minute when
Caitlin Doran burst through the Greyhounds' defense and took a shot that was blocked late by a defender from the side and resulted in a corner kick for the Mids. Loyola had an answer of its own less than five minutes later as Baylee DeSmit sprinted around a Navy defender and put a low shot on goal that forced
Mattie Gallagher into action with a diving save.
At the half, Navy was outshooting Loyola, 7-4 with a 2-1 advantage in shots on goal.
Coming out of the locker room, the Mids immediately took aim at the Greyhounds as
Jenna Daunt slotted a pass to
Alexa Riddle up the wing and saw Riddle rip a shot wide of goal in the 47th minute.
With the score still knotted at 0-0, Gallagher was called upon multiple times to continue the clean sheet effort over the next 25-plus minutes. In the 53th minute, she turned aside a Payton Hurley shot before denying Sarah Mirr in the 73rd.
The visitors finally broke the scoreless draw at 73:57 when DeSmit's corner kick was met with a diving header by Ada Clara Tempert before Zoe Willis re-directed the shot away from the on-coming Gallagher.
The defensive-minded Greyhounds allowed just one shot by the Mids for the remainder of the game as Paige Sim didn't have a problem saving
Katie Herrmann's attempt in the 85th minute. Gallagher made sure the one-goal deficit didn't increase over the final five minutes as she dove to her right and pushed aside a well-struck DeSmit shot that had eyes for the lower corner of the goal in the 86th minute.
Comparing the Teams
| 2023 Stats |
Navy |
Loyola |
| Record / PL |
5-1-3, 1-0 |
6-2-0, 1-0 |
| Goals/Gm |
1.89 |
1.75 |
| Assists/Gm |
1.78 |
2.00 |
| Shots/Gm |
11.4 |
12.1 |
| Goals Against Average |
1.00 |
1.00 |
| GK Saves/Gm |
4.2 |
2.5 |
| Common Opponents: N/A |
-- |
-- |
Statistical Leaders
| (2023 Stats) |
Navy |
Loyola |
| Goals |
Riddle, 4 |
DeSmit, 4 |
| Assists |
Graziano, 6 |
DeSmit, 5 |
| Points |
Graziano/Riddle, 10 |
DeSmit, 13 |
| Shots |
Riddle, 18 |
DeSmit, 23 |
| GK Saves |
Gallagher, 38 |
Sim, 19 |
Last Time Out: September 15 vs. Lehigh
Coming off a strong run of non-conference play, the Navy women's soccer team opened Patriot League action with a complete 90-minute effort against Lehigh and came away with a 1-0 win at home on Friday night. Scoreless going into halftime, the Mids (5-1-3, 1-0-0 PL) bolted ahead in the 49th minute when Alexa Riddle made the Mountain Hawks (3-2-3, 0-1-0 PL) pay for a turnover with a quick one-timer goal.
Senior goalkeeper Mattie Gallagher backstopped Navy to the clean sheet victory at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility with three saves.
Tied coming out the locker room after halftime, Navy's dynamic attacking trio of Marlee Heaven, Amanda Graziano and Riddle made Lehigh pay for an error in its defensive third. After pressure by Heaven turned the Mountain Hawks over 30 yards from goal, Riddle set Graziano for a shot that was initially blocked, but an alert Riddle charged in on the loose ball and blasted a blistering shot into the back of the net at 48:30.
Over the next 42 minutes, Navy's defense stood up against a versatile and athletic Lehigh attack that was constantly buzzing on the attacking side of the field. Though the Mountain Hawks were active with the ball only one of their final six shots were on goal, a Hope Flanegin effort from long distance in the 88th minute. The hosts Midshipmen also withstood four Mountain Hawk corner kick opportunities in the second half as they tried to draw even.
With Lehigh's offense held at bay, Navy had three more looks at goal to post an insurance score though Ousouljoglou made saves in all three attempts to hold the 1-0 margin.
For the game, both teams recorded 13 shots, though Navy put eight of those shots on goal versus just three for Lehigh. The corner kick statistic was even, as well as both squads had four restarts from the corner.
