ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Seeking to extend its unbeaten streak to four-straight contests, the Navy men's soccer team (2-4-4, 1-1-1 PL) will welcome a nearby Patriot League foe on Saturday to close out its three-game homestand, hosting Loyola Maryland (1-5-3, 1-1-1 PL) in a 1 p.m. matchup at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility.
 
In a series that has seen the Midshipmen and Greyhounds post draws in their last two meetings, the two Maryland-based schools will look to gain ground in the crowded Patriot League standings that has both sides in a five-team tie for fourth place. The match is set to stream on ESPN+, with Matt Sabados covering all the action.
 
Kriel Named PL Defender of the Week
Just days removed from scoring his first goal of the season, Navy men's soccer senior captain Charlie Kriel was named the Patriot League Defender of the Week on Monday … Playing the full 90 minutes in both of Navy's draws last week, Kriel also netted his first tally of the campaign in Saturday's Patriot League contest against Colgate … On the season, Kriel has played all 900 minutes for the Midshipmen while recording 13 shots and helping the team post two shutouts … This marks Navy's fourth weekly league award of the season and the Mids' first Patriot League Defender of the Week since Matt Nocita on Oct. 11, 2021.
 
No Place Like Home
The Mids have posted an outstanding 17-7-11 mark at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility since the start of the 2021 season, including a 4-2-2 home record last season … Navy has outscored opponents, 51-27, in those 35 games, with the 2023 campaign seeing the Mids outscore their foes, 13-4, across eight home games … Head coach Tim O'Donohue is 36-22-16 in his career at Glenn Warner.
 
Stevens Shining
After shining during the Mids' exhibition slate, Stevens has carried his success into the regular season, making the starting lineup in each of Navy's first eight matches and scoring four goals (T-2nd in the Patriot League) before missing the last two contests … With the game-tying tally against Stonehill, the rookie forward became the first Navy freshman to score the Mids' first goal of a season since Phillip Gustafson on Aug. 31, 2017 against Campbell … Stevens is also the first Navy freshman with four-or-more goals in a season since Jacob Williams' eight tallies during the 2018 campaign.
 
Pierce Between the Posts
With 40 saves made and 12 goals allowed across Navy's first 10 games, senior goalkeeper Pierce Holbrook has picked up right where he left off from the past two seasons … League- and nation-wise, Holbrook is second in the Patriot League with 40 total saves (18th in the country) and ranks third in the league with 4.00 saves per game (44th in the country) and fourth with a .769 save percentage (50th in NCAA) … Holbrook's 17 career shutouts are the second most by a Navy goalkeeper since 1983, three shy of Brian Steckroth's 20 clean sheets from 1998 to 2001 … The 17 career shutouts are also the 13th most among active Division I goalies while his .755 career save percentage is 20th compared to other active DI keepers … Holbrook's 64 saves last season and 69 saves in 2022 made him the first Navy goalkeeper with back-to-back 60-save seasons since Mac Burke in 2016-17 (64, 92).
 
Last Time Out
Falling behind early, a pair of highlight-reel goals helped the Navy pick up a 2-2 draw against Patriot League foe Colgate on Saturday afternoon in Annapolis … After allowing the Raiders' Blake Pipkin to score just five minutes into the contest, the Mids overcame that deficit when sophomore Nate Stewart and Kriel both ripped laser-like goals in the 14th and 42nd minutes, respectively, but Colgate spoiled Navy's comeback when Aidan Wright snuck a shot past the Mids' defense at 74' to score the equalizer and eventually force the tie … Both Holbrook and Oliver Townend wrapped up the afternoon with three saves apiece, as Colgate had the 12-8 shot advantage and a 10-0 advantage on corner kicks … Navy is now 15-16-7 in the all-time series with Colgate.
 
Navy Notes
The current Navy seniors have helped the Mids post a 27-23-19 overall record over their four seasons in Annapolis, going 12-8-10 in Patriot League matches … The Mids are 4-0-3 when junior A.J. Schuetz records a point, while Navy has tallied a 3-1-1 mark when junior Andrew Schug scores and a 2-0-5 record when senior Noah Ward tallies a point … Kriel has started all 69 of Navy's games during his time with the Mids … Navy's 8.80 fouls per game rank as the 10th-lowest in the NCAA this season.
 
Scouting Loyola
Facing a schedule that has included three ranked teams, including two inside the top-five, the Greyhounds struggled through their non-conference slate … After starting the fall with a 1-1 draw at NJIT, Loyola suffered losses to Iona and No. 2 Marshall before a posting scoreless draw with Saint Joseph's … Losses at No. 5 Clemson and American, a 2-2 tie against Boston U., and a defeat to No. 22 Hofstra followed that … Loyola notched its first win of the season at Holy Cross last Saturday, 2-1, thanks to goals from Richie Nichols and Seth Powder … The Greyhounds have had six different players record a goal this season, while Caden Stafford paces the team with four points (1 goal, 2 assists) … Dylan Van der Walt has started all nine games for Loyola, making 33 saves and recording one shutout … Loyola was picked as the favorites to win the Patriot League in the preseason coaches poll … Van der Walt, Sean McEvoy, Jordy Luches and Chris Ogor were all named to the Preseason All-League Team as well … Ogor is the reigning Patriot League Rookie of the Year, as he was one of six Greyhounds to earn all-league honors last season.
 
Series History
Navy is 5-6-4 in the all-time series with Loyola, including a 3-2-2 record when playing Loyola in Annapolis … The Mids have gone 3-5-3 against the Greyhounds since Loyola joined the Patriot League in 2013 … Loyola has outscored Navy through 15 meetings by a 23-18 margin … Last year's meeting on Sept. 16 saw the teams post a 1-1 draw in Baltimore to open league play, as Jordy Luchies buried a penalty kick in the eighth minute to give Loyola the lead, but then-freshman Victor Saade tapped home a rebound in the 43rd minute to equalize the game … The last meeting in Annapolis in 2022 also had the in-state foes play to a 1-1 draw, as Jason Aoyama put the Mids ahead in the 82nd minute off a Baba Kallie cross but Kelan Swales outraced Navy's defenders to score with six seconds left in the game and spoil the Mids' potential victory.
 
Up Next
Navy will head to Chester, Pa., on Oct. 11 for Army-Navy Cup XIII. The Mids and Black Knights are set for a 7 p.m. opening kick at Subaru Park.