ANNAPOLIS, Md. - With Patriot League play lying just one week away, the Navy women's soccer team will face two more non-conference foes this weekend as it hosts Virginia Tech on Thursday night before making the short trip to Catonsville for a Sunday matchup at UMBC. Kickoff between the Mids (3-0-3) and Hokies (2-1-3) is slated for 6 p.m. at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility, while the action is on Sunday is set for 12-noon at the Retrievers' (2-4) home pitch, the Retriever Soccer Park.

All of the women's soccer action this week will have live stats provided online, as well as live video broadcasts. ESPN+ is a subscription-based streaming service that requires patrons to sign-up for monthly or yearly plans prior to tuning into the contest. Sunday's stream will be free as part of AmericaEast TV.

Navy vs. Virginia Tech / ACC
Thursday marks the second-ever meeting between the Mids and Hokies and first since fall of 2020 ... all-time, Navy has played 15 games versus ACC competition and has come away with three victories (3-12 overall): 2-2 vs. Pitt; 1-1 vs. Miami, 0-1 vs. Virginia Tech, 0-2 vs. UNC, 0-6 vs. NC State ... the Mids' most recent ACC win came on Sept. 6, 2009 when they knocked off the Miami Hurricanes as part of the 2009 Hurricane Cup ... Navy has matched up against an ACC squad six times since 2016: 2020 (3 times); 2019 (NCAA Tournament vs. NC State), 2018 and 2016.

Five Most Recent Navy vs. ACC Matchups
    Oct. 24, 2020 (A): Virginia Tech 2 - Navy 1
    Oct. 11, 2020 (A): Pitt 4 - Navy 1
    Sept. 20, 2020 (H): Pitt 1 - Navy 0 (OT)
    Nov. 15, 2019 (A): NC State 3 - Navy 0 *NCAA Tournament
    Aug. 16, 2018 (H): NC State 2 - Navy 1

Most Recent Navy vs. Virginia Tech Meeting: Oct. 24, 2020 in Blacksburg
In its final game of an abbreviated 2020 fall season (due to the COVID-19 pandemic), Navy went toe-to-toe for 90 minutes versus a Virginia Tech club that competed in the NCAA Tournament in each of the past two seasons. Following an offensive first half, in which the teams combined for three goals, the Hokies' 2-1 lead at the intermission would hold on as the final score as neither squad was able to find the back of the net in the second half. The then-freshmen duo of Jenna Daunt and Mattie Gallagher led the Mids' effort on Saturday against the Hokies at Thompson Field as Daunt netted her first collegiate goal, while Gallagher made eight saves in her first start at goalkeeper.

The host Hokies eventually broke through with the game's first goal in the 22nd minute as Gray found a streaking Tori Powell, who went to goal one-on-one with Gallagher. Virginia Tech increased its lead to 2-0 in the 41st minute when Allyson Brown collected a rebound off of a save and deposited the loose ball into the back of the net.
 
Navy recaptured a bit of momentum before the halftime intermission when Daunt took a Carolyn Mang pass up the right wing and into the goal box before beating Skinner one-on-one to the near post. The goal came with 42 seconds remaining in the half at 44:18.

Gallagher and the Mids' defense stood strong versus an active Hokie squad during the closing portion of the game as she made three more saves to give her eight for the match.
 
In the 2-1 victory for Virginia Tech, the Hokies outshot the Mids, 17-7 with a 10-3 advantage in shots on goal. The Hokies had five corner kicks versus two for the Mids.

Navy vs. UMBC
Sunday will be the 13th meeting between the two schools in a series that began in 1993 ... All-time, Navy holds a 8-3-1 advantage over UMBC, including a six-game winning streak from 1997 through 2008 ... In the first-ever matchup on Oct. 8, 1993 in Catonsville, the Retrievers defeated the first-year Mids team, 3-0 ... The series has gone quiet over the past 10 years with just a pair of meetings in August of 2014 (UMBC 1-0) and again in August of 2015 (Navy 3-2) ... In an exhibition spring matchup on April 7, the two teams met this spring in Annapolis.

Last 5 Matchups
In the last five matchups dating back to 2008, the Mids lead the Retrievers, 3-1-1 with Navy holding a slight 7-4 advantage in total goals scored during that span.
    Aug. 21, 2015 (H): Navy 3 - UMBC 2
    Aug. 22, 2014 (A): UMBC 1 - Navy 0
    Sept. 19, 2012 (H): Navy 2 - UMBC 1
    Sept. 21, 2011 (A): Navy 0 - UMBC 0
    Oct. 19, 2008 (H): Navy 2 - UMBC 0 

Most Recent Navy-UMBC Meeting: August 21, 2015 in Annapolis
Navy women's soccer freshmen Mary August and Margaret Woodward score back-to-back goals in the final 10 minutes to help the Mids defeat UMBC, 3-2, in the season opener on Friday at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility.

Down 2-0 early in the second half, Navy's junior midfielder Rachel Feldman came off the bench in the 63rd minute. Feldman then seized her opportunity less than three minutes later as she grabbed possession of a loose ball atop the 18-yard box and sent a shot towards the net. Feldman's shot grazed off a UMBC defender and hit inside the near post to cut Navy's deficit to one, 2-1, with 24 minutes to go.

Navy then built off the momentum that Feldman created in the 83rd minute. The Mids were award a corner kick and sophomore defender Megan Rogers sent in a pass that was punched out by UMBC's goalie Jen Nance to create a loose ball in the box. August gained possession of the loose ball just outside the six-yard box and lined a hard shot past Nance to the far corner for the equalizer.

With little time to celebrate the equalizing goal, Navy created its final offensive opportunity 1:30 later. Rogers, again, was given the nod for the Mids' seventh corner kick and sent in high pass in the middle of the 18-yard box where Woodward out-jumped a UMBC defender and headed in the eventual game-winning goal in the 85th minute.

Statistical Leaders

(2023 Stats)	Navy	Virginia Tech	UMBC
Goals	Heaven/Riddle, 3	DeGuzman/Mitchell, 2	Four Players, 1
Assists	Graziano, 4	Five Players, 1	Three Players, 1
Points	Riddle, 8	DeGuzman/Mitchell, 5	McKye, 3
Shots	Riddle, 11	DeGuzman, 13	Negrete, 11
GK Saves	Gallagher, 27	Skinner, 20	Cowles, 32

Last Time Out: September 3 at Wofford
The Navy women's soccer team continued its strong start to the 2023 season with another 3-1 decision on Sunday. Two days after knocking off Presbyterian College by a 3-1 score, Navy came back on Sunday afternoon in Spartanburg, S.C. and mirrored that outcome versus Wofford. The Mids improved their record to 3-0-3 this campaign on the strength of goals by three different players against the Terriers (1-5) on Snyder Field.
 
Alexa Riddle started the scoring on Sunday as she found the back of the net in the 20th minute. Less than three minutes after Wofford tied the game late in the first half, Isabella Romano pushed Navy back in the lead heading into the intermission. Kat Healey wrapped up the Mids' scoring output as she slotted home her first career goal in the 84th minute.

The visitors started making substantial in-roads on the offensive side of the ball mid-way through the first half as Rylee Rives slotted a pass into space to Marlee Heaven, who two-touched it and put Navy's first shot on frame in the 18th minute. A little over 90 seconds later, Navy's pressure resulted in a goal when a failed clearance found its way to Amanda Graziano. After gathering herself, the junior danced around her defender and whipped a curling left-footed cross towards the six-yard box to a charging Riddle, who controlled the one-hopping pass and volleyed the ball into the far side of the net at 19:04.

Terriers' comeback effort began soon after as the hosts registered three of the next four shots over the ensuing 20 minutes. Wofford's third shot made Navy pay as Saachi Bureau netted the equalizer at 39:26.
 
The score wasn't tied at 1-1 long as a little over two minutes later, a transitional clearance saw Healey receive the outlet pass and quickly find Romano in space. Dribbling the ball across the midfield stripe and into Wofford's side of the field, Romano noticed that the Terriers' goalkeeper was significantly off her line and lofted a high-arching shot that hit the post and had enough back-spin to roll over the goal line at 41:51.

Withstanding all of Wofford's attempts to net its second goal of the game, the momentum flipped to Navy over the final 10 minutes of the contest. In the 84th minute, Heaven played Graziano up the left wing. Drawing the attention of the nearest Terrier defender, as well as the goalkeeper, Graziano calmly cut back and played a square pass to Healey, who one-timed the ball into the gaping net for her first career goal at 83:27.
 
Wofford outshot Navy on Sunday, 11-10 though both teams finished with five shots on goal. The host Terriers held a 6-2 advantage in corner kicks.

**Note: Gallagher Moves to #2 All-Time in Saves
With four saves against Wofford on Sunday, Mattie Gallagher is up to 27 stops on the season and 235 for her career. In the all-time program standings, she surpassed Kim Bonafede (234 saves, 2001-04) for the second-most saves and trails just Amy Hakola (479, 1994-97).

Parking / Shuttle / Ticket Information
Fans are reminded that the general public does not have access to drive their vehicles on to the U.S. Naval Academy. Fans may park at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium for a fee and take a shuttle that will run every 10 minutes starting one hour before the game and will continue running until one hour after the game is completed. Fans 18 and over need a government-issued photo ID. Enter Gate 5 off Taylor Ave. to park at the stadium. Dogs are not permitted inside the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility. All soccer contests at Glenn Warner will be free of charge.