ANNAPOLIS, Md. - With the 2024 Patriot League regular season wrapping up in less than a week, the Navy women's soccer team knows that every game and every available point in the standings matter down the stretch. First up for a Midshipmen team that is currently tied for seventh place, two points out of the playoffs, is a showdown with the team that they're tied with in the standings, the Holy Cross Crusaders on Friday afternoon. The matchup between Navy (8-9-1, 2-4-1 PL) and Holy Cross (5-10-1, 2-4-1 PL) will have a special early start time of 4 p.m. on Friday afternoon with a brief Senior Day ceremony slated prior to kickoff at 3:45 p.m.; the Mids will honor the five members of its Class of 2025: Emma Frommelt, Amanda Graziano, Alexa Riddle, Rylee Rives and team captain Tatum Kelly.

The Navy-Holy Cross game will have live stats provided online, as well as be broadcast on the ESPN+ platform. 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. Holy Cross
In a series that dates back to 1994 in Navy's first full season of NCAA Division I play and first year as a member of the Patriot League, the Mids are 22-4-3 all-time against the Crusaders ... A pair of consecutive ties in 2015 and 2016 broke up a streak of 14 straight wins by Navy dating back to 2001 ... Since that date, the Mids are 18-2-2 over the Crusaders with just a 1-0 loss in 2019 and a 2-0 setback in 2022 as the only blemishes ... Navy is 12-1-1 all-time versus Holy Cross in games played in Annapolis.

Last 5 Matchups
In the last five matchups going back to 2018, the Mids are 3-2 with a 5-3 advantage in scoring during this span with every victorious team posting a shutout.
    Oct. 20, 2023 (A): Navy 3 - Holy Cross 0
    Oct. 21, 2022 (H): Holy Cross 2 - Navy 0
    Oct. 23, 2021 (A): Navy 1 - Holy Cross 0
    Oct. 12, 2019 (A): Holy Cross 1 - Navy 0
    Sept. 13, 2018 (H): Navy 1 - Holy Cross 0

Most Recent Navy-Holy Cross Matchup: October 20, 2023 in Worcester
Navy turned in a strong wire-to-wire road effort at Holy Cross on Friday and came away with a 3-0 victory. Heading out on the road for the final time in 2023, the Mids withstood a physical challenge from the Crusaders and found that next gear offensively in the second half with three goals over a run of play from 56:14 to 67:05. Rylee Rives, Katie Herrmann and Kat Healey all scored for Navy in the win, while Mattie Gallagher and Talley Applewhite shared the combined clean sheet with five total saves.

Holy Cross was aggressive out from the opening whistle with three shots, including one on goal in the initial seven minutes of action. Mimi Abusham registered Navy's first shot on target as she tested Julia Walsh in the 11th minute to no avail. Over the ensuing 15 minutes, the host Crusaders tallied five of the next six shots, including another shot on goal that was saved by Gallagher. Alexa Riddle continued to spark the Mids' offense as she ripped shots in the 27th and 36th minutes for her second and third attempts of the game. Her shot in the 36th was especially noteworthy as she raced in behind Holy Cross' defense before Walsh crashed in off her line to make a save and keep the shutout intact.

Scoreless at the halftime intermission, Navy came out of the locker room on a mission. Just over 11 minutes into the second stanza, Holy Cross' Cerys Balmer received a red card for tackling Riddle on a breakaway scoring opportunity. Setting up on a free kick chance from just outside 18, Kassidy Borden drilled a shot that was stopped by Walsh, but a fortuitous bounce to Rives saw the Texan immediately play the ball into the back net at 56:14.

Up 1-0, the Mids kept their foot on the offensive pedal as 7:23 later the visitors were up 2-0 on the strength of a Herrmann header. Building off a long throw-in by Rives, Amanda Graziano flicked the ball towards the goal before a Holy Cross defender deflected the pass away. With the ball up for grabs, Herrmann got her head on it first and powered home her second goal of the season at 63:37.

Another save by Gallagher, her fifth of the game, after that goal helped Navy hold onto its 2-0 lead momentarily before Healey made it 3-0 less than four minutes later. Breaking out and dribbling into Holy Cross' final third, Ali Barrow was taken down for a foul within 20 yards of the goal. Calmly taking aim for the goal on the free kick opportunity, Healey deposited her shot past Walsh at 67:05 for Navy's third goal of the game and her team-leading fifth goal of the 2023 campaign.

Leading 3-0, the Mids continued controlling the action in the Crusaders' end and recorded three more shots on goal over the final 23 minutes, though none found their way through for scores to finalize the contest with the same margin.

For the game, Navy out-shot Holy Cross, 16-14 with a 10-5 advantage in shots on goal. Gallagher played the first 73:32 and made five saves before Applewhite closed out the shutout with 16:28 of scoreless action in net.

Comparing the Teams

2024 Stats	Navy	Holy Cross
Record / PL	8-9-1 / 2-4-1 PL	5-10-1 / 2-4-1 PL
Home / Away Record	6-5-0 / 2-4-1	4-3-1 / 1-7-0
Goals/Gm	1.83	0.81
Assists/Gm	1.72	0.50
Shots/Gm	12.6	11.7
Goals Against Average	1.78	1.25
GK Saves/Gm	4.94	3.69

Statistical Leaders

	Navy	Holy Cross
Goals	Heaven/Riddle, 5	Three Players, 2
Assists	Graziano, 6	Graham, 2
Points	Graziano, 14	Graham, 6
Shots	Riddle, 36	Graham, 28
GK Saves	Stramrood, 80	Walsh, 52

Last Time Out: October 19 at Army
Navy was unable to overcome a two-goal halftime deficit on Saturday night and ultimately lost their annual Star Match contest versus Army by a score of 4-0. Taking on a Black Knights squad on their home pitch, Malek Stadium, the Mids started out strong, matching the hosts in most facets of the game before a goal in the 26th minute turned the tide in Army's favor and from there the Black Knights were systemically able to edge away from the Mids over the remaining 64 minutes.

The standing room only crowd at Malek Stadium was treated to tight back-and-forth action right from the start as each team registered a shot attempt over the opening eight minutes of play. Army's second shot, in the 11th minute, found its way on frame and Natasha Stramrood was up the task as she skied up to the upper left corner and snagged the Bella Cooke shot out of the air. The end-to-end action continued with a Rylee Rives shot followed up shortly with a Brigid Duffy shot on goal that Stramrood corralled in the 18th minute.

Navy's first shot on goal came in the 24th minute from a build up the right wing and culminated with a swinging cross from Alexa Riddle into the box for a one-timer volley by Marlee Heaven, though Army's Sage Strohman denied the effort. The catalyst for the Black Knights' eventual success came in the 26th minute when they converted off a chaotic corner kick possession that saw Grace Pohlidal on the receiving end of a Duffy cross to the back post and score at 25:47.

Trailing 1-0, the Mids immediately turned their attention to drawing even and nearly did, three minutes later when Riddle sprinted onto a long pass over the top of the Black Knights' defense and went one-on-one with Strohman. Taking aim at the low corner of the goal, Riddle put her shot on frame and saw it deflect through Strohman's arm, but roll away just wide of the goal. Withstanding that potential game-tying look from Navy, Army ratcheted up its offensive pressure and rattled off four shots in quick succession between the 33rd and 36th minutes of play. Just three short minutes after that final shot, the Black Knights were back at it and saw them advance their lead out to 2-0 as Kaelan Bradley one-timed a bouncing ball into the back of the net at 38:08.

Coming out of the locker room down 2-0, Navy knew that it had to take a few more risks if it was to inch back into the game versus Army. Emma Romano was the first Mid to step forward for that task as she put on shot on goal in the 49th minute that was stopped by Strohman. Unfortunately, Navy's efforts to find that goal to spark a comeback never came in the second half as it was unable to make consistent in-roads into the attacking third. Rives had the next best look at goal in the 60th minute when her shot rang off the crossbar.

Army salted away the victory with goals by Duffy at 58:42 and Hannah Pohlidal at 76:20.

For the game, Army out-shot Navy 26-7 with a 12-3 advantage in shots on goal. The host Black Knights also posted a significant 11-3 margin in corner kicks.

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