ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Navy women's soccer team will continue its run of Patriot League play this Friday night with a home tilt versus Bucknell. In a match with implications for the top of the league standings, the Mids (8-6-1, 2-1-1 PL) will welcome a Bison (7-3-2, 3-1 PL) team that currently is tied for first place, two points ahead of the Mids. In a series that has seen the team split the last two games and tally seven goals each over the past five matchups, Friday night's contest at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility has all the makings of another 90-minute battle. Kickoff between the Patriot League's last five postseason champions, the most recent three for Bucknell (2021-23) and the earlier two for Navy (2019-20), is set for 7 p.m. in Annapolis.

The Navy-Bucknell contest this Friday will have live stats provided online, as well as an accompanying 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. Bucknell
Friday will be the 37th meeting between the two schools in a series that began in Navy's second year of varsity existence in 1994; all-time the Mids lead the Bison, 20-14-2 with a 9-8-1 advantage over 18 games in Annapolis ... In that initial Oct. 22, 1994 matchup, the Mids earned a 2-1 victory over the Bison ... Since that contest, the series has gone in multi-year waves numerous times ... From 1995 through 1999, Navy went 4-0-1 before the programs split six games between 2002 and 2007 with Navy winning the first three and Bucknell the later three ... More recently, the Mids won four straight from 2011 to 2014 before going 1-3-1 from 2015 to 2017 and then winning three straight, including a 1-0 victory in Lewisburg on March, 31, 2021 by a score of 1-0 ... During the 2021 regular season, the Bison collected a pair of victories over the Mids; 4-2 in the regular season and 1-0 in the Patriot League Semifinals ... Since then the teams have split a home-and-home with both squads defending their respective turf ... All-time, Navy has outscored Bucknell, 56-38.

Last 5 Matchups
In the last five matchups dating back to the 2020-21 season, the Bison hold a slight 3-2 edge, though both teams have netted seven goals over that span.
    Oct. 6, 2023 (A): Bucknell 2 - Navy 0
    Sept. 16, 2022 (H): Navy 4 - Bucknell 0
    Nov. 4, 2021 (H): Bucknell 1 - Navy 0, overtime ~ PL Semifinals
    Sept. 18, 2021 (A): Bucknell 4 - Navy 2
    March 31, 2021 (A): Navy 1 - Bucknell 0

Most Recent Navy-Bucknell Matchup: October 6, 2023 in Lewisburg
In a matchup of teams looking to move up the Patriot League conference standings, the host Bucknell Bison held home field advantage and defeated the Navy women's soccer team  by a score of 2-0 on Friday night. Fighting through rainy and soggy conditions at Emmitt Field at Holmes Stadium, the Bison registered two first half goals and withstood a plethora of Midshipmen scoring chances in the second half.

Navy's hunt for its first goal started almost immediately as less than four minutes into the game Alexa Riddle found herself with a clear path to the goal and ripped a low shot towards the far side of the goal only to see Bucknell's goalkeeper Jenna Hall dive low to her right to deny the attempt. After that initial shot on goal, the host Bison set their sights on making a move on the scoreboard as they took three of the game's next four shots. Unfortunately for the Mids, the Bison's third shot, a Hannah Stuck shot on goal, found the back of the net at 14:48.

The action toggled between the attacking third of both sides as Rylee Rives unleashed a shot in the 24th minute that rang off the post before Bucknell came down less than three minutes later and had Paige Temple test Mattie Gallagher from distance with a low line drive shot that forced Gallagher to dive into action. Soon after, Riddle was aggressive on the other end of the pitch and ripped a deep shot on goal in the 30th minute that was saved by Hall for her second save of the game.

A Kelley Francis goal at 41:14 sent the hosts into the locker room up 2-0.

Trailing by a pair of goals, Jordan Townsend nearly cut Navy's deficit in half in the 54th minute when she came in control of the bouncing ball off of Mori Sokoloff's corner kick and snapped off a one-timer on goal right into Hall's chest. The Mids continued to battle as Gallagher turned aside a Teresa Deda shot in the 59th minute before the duo of Riddle and Marlee Heaven set up Amanda Graziano with a high percentage look in the 64th. Initially, Riddle raced up the right wing and slotted a square ball to Heaven, who quickly laid off a pass to the on-coming Graziano, but her shot was denied by a determined Hall, the reigning Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Year.

Still trailing by two, Navy continued showing a good nose for the goal as in the 77th minute, Riddle drew two defenders and placed a square pass into the six-yard box to Katie Herrmann, but the senior's attempt was pushed just wide of the goal mouth. The Mids' final three shots over the last 11 minutes of regulation were unable to find the back of the net and the game went final at 2-0 in favor of the Bison.

For the game, Bucknell out-shot Navy, 20-16, although both teams recorded six shots on goal. The Mids had a slight 5-3 edge in corner kicks.

Comparing the Teams

2024 Stats	Navy	Bucknell
Record / League	8-6-1 / 2-1-1 PL	7-3-2 / 3-1 PL
Home / Away	6-3-0 / 2-3-1	4-2-1 / 3-1-1
Goals/Gm	2.20	1.42
Assists/Gm	2.07	1.42
Shots/Gm	13.4	14.9
Goals Against Average	1.73	1.00
GK Saves/Gm	4.60	3.25
Common Opponent(s):	FDU - W, 3-2 Colgate - L, 0-3	FDU - T, 0-0 Colgate - W, 3-0

Individual Leaders

	Navy	Bucknell
Goals	Heaven/Riddle, 5	Deda, 6
Assists	Graziano, 6	Deda, 6
Points	Graziano, 14	Deda, 18
Shots	Riddle, 31	Deda, 53
GK Saves	Stramrood, 61	Benattar, 22

Last Time Out: October 5 at Boston University 
In a matchup of teams fighting for the top spot in the Patriot League, the women's soccer squads from Navy and Boston University ended 90 minutes of nip-and-tuck competition with a 1-1 draw on Saturday afternoon. Close throughout the action at BU's Nickerson Field, the Terriers scored in the 33rd minute before the Mids immediately fired back with the game-tying goal by Isabella Romano in the 36th minute.

The Terriers came out of the gates fast as the host squad put the game's first shot on frame just 1:48 into the contest on Saturday afternoon. Freshman goalkeeper Natasha Stramrood was up to the task as she easily collected the attempt by Giulianna Gianino. After that initial shot on goal, the action over the next 25 minutes saw Boston control the majority of the action, but fail to make significant in-roads in Navy's final third as the Terriers earned four corner kick opportunities, but were unable to register a single shot. On the opposite side of the ledger, the Mids weren't able to build either long-standing possessions on offense or connect on potent quick-strike through balls and were held without a shot during the opening 30 minutes of play.

The scoreboard saw its first activity in the 33rd minute when Juliana Osterman crossed a ball into the box and hit the on-coming Jaiden Schultz in the knee for a deflected shot on goal that snuck into the upper-90 past Stramrood at 32:20.

Trailing by one goal, Navy immediately took aim at drawing even. In short order, Stramrood made a save and punted the ball up the pitch. After the punt bounced off a BU defender near mid-field, Chiara Cosenza possessed the ball and quickly lofted a ball over the top, hitting a sprinting Isabella Romano in stride. Going one-on-one with the final Terrier defender, Romano dribbled into the box and curled a shot towards the far corner past the out-stretched arms of Bridget Carr for the tying tally at 35:35.

Two minutes into the second half, Navy nearly took the lead as Alexa Riddle raced up the right wing and played a cross into the box where Amanda Graziano beat her defender, but saw her touch push the shot high of frame. Less than four minutes later, the action flipped to the opposite end of the pitch as Margy Porta turned past her nearest defender and ripped a shot to the near post, though Stramrood sprung off her line and made the stop.

After that action-packed opening run of play to start the second half, Navy and Boston slowed the action down a bit as their respective midfielders and defenders took over. The Mids were the first to re-engage their offensive attack. In the 74th minute, Hannah Mulholland forced a turnover on the Mids' side of midfield and after a clash of bodies, Cosenza came in control of the lose ball, quickly turned and fed Mackenzie Morrow, who dribbled to the top of the 18 and blasted a shot on goal that Carr grabbed at the last second.

Navy's offensive pressure continued as in the 79th minute when Riddle hit an out-swinging cross from the right that was met by both a Navy and BU player and popped straight up; when the ball finally came down, Cosenza volleyed the ball out of the air, though her shot rang off the far post.

With the score still deadlocked at 1-1 and the clock under four minutes both teams took to their final swings at registering the go-ahead goal though both came up empty. Stramrood denied BU's attempt in the 87th minute when she stopped a Gianino free kick from 25 yards out before a Cosenza one-timer strike skipped wide in the 89th minute.

For the game, BU out-shot Navy, 10-8, including a 5-2 edge in shots on goal. The host Terriers also held an 8-2 advantage in corner kicks. Stramrood finished her day in goal with four saves.

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