ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The No. 17 Navy women's lacrosse team (5-0) posted a 14-5 victory over No. 20 Richmond (4-1) on Saturday evening at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. With the win, the Midshipmen improved to 5-0 for the first time since 2014 when the team opened that season 9-0.
 
The win over the nationally-ranked Spiders gives the Midshipmen its second win over a ranked opponent this season. Navy has defeated two or more ranked opponents in the same season six times (2017, '18, '19, '22, '23, and '24) in program history.
 
The Midshipmen used a combination of stout defense and a balanced offense to come away with the nine-goal win.
 
"We gave up five goals to a team that was averaging 17 goals a game," head coach Cindy Timchal said. "We got off to a hot start; had a little lull; but then came back. We have leaders in each class. We trust each other and we've done the work. We are totally committed to being as prepared as possible. That doesn't necessarily guarantee victory, but it puts us in a better position to be successful on the field."
 
Navy finished the game with 14 goals on 40 shots compared to just five goals on 20 shots for Richmond. Six different Midshipmen found the back of the net in the game with four notching multiple goals.
 
Emily Messinese paced the offensive attack with a team-high four goals, while Maggie DeFabio and Tori DiCarlo added three scores apiece for hat tricks. Lola Leone added two scores, while Lindsay Beardmore and Isabelle Thornburg each scored once.
 
DeFabio and DiCarlo added an assist apiece to finish with four points each. Kat McAteer and Mikayla Williams paced the squad with two assists each, while Leone was credited with a helper.
 
The Mids closed out the game with 24 ground balls. DeFabio paced the team with a career-high seven ground balls. Her seven GB tied for the second most ground balls by a Navy player in a game in school history, falling one shy of tying Gab Harchelroad (vs. St. Joseph's in 2019) and Jenna Collins (vs. Virginia in 2018) who hold the record with eight ground balls.
 
"Maggie is the real deal," Timchal said of the sophomore midfielder. "She plays tough. She plays both ends of the field. Coming up with ground balls and scoring goals is what Maggie DeFabio is all about. She is all in and all heart."
 
Thornburg and Jaclyn Johns added four ground balls apiece, while Williams picked up a pair.
 
Additionally, Navy caused 12 of Richmond's 24 turnovers on the day. Caroline Gage caused a team-high four turnovers, tying for the sixth-best performance in program history. It was the most caused turnovers since Athena Corroon had four CT against Holy Cross last season. Caroline Stefans added a pair of caused turnovers.
 
Felicia Giglio earned the win at goal for the Midshipmen. The freshman surrendered five goals, but registered five saves, while picking up a ground ball in just under 58 minutes of action. Emma Richardell came into the game in relief, holding the Spiders scoreless the final 2:14 of the game.
 
Alyssa Daley was once again stellar in the draw circle. The junior won eight of Navy's 13 draws in the game. Williams added a pair of draws with DeFabio and Stefans winning a draw apiece.
 
For Richmond, Juliana Stanley led the Spiders with two goals, while Grace Muldoon recorded a team-high two assists. Nicole Burney earned the start at goal, recording five saves and allowing five goals in one quarter of play. Abby Francioli entered the game for the final three quarters, surrendering nine goals with seven stops.
 
Navy was the first team to score, as Beardmore put the Mids on the scoreboard. Following a Spider goal, the Midshipmen responded with a 4-0 run to close out the first quarter. Messinese netted back-to-back goals to give Navy a lead it would not surrender. DiCarlo found the back of the net for the first time with just under six minutes to play in the first quarter. Thornburg, who moved to defense during the preseason, caused a turnover, picked up the ground ball and raced into the offensive third, finishing with her first goal of the season to put the Mids up 5-1. Thornburg's goal was the first for the senior since scoring a pair of goals against Holy Cross last season.
 
In the second quarter, the Spiders trimmed the Mids' lead to one with a 3-0 run to start the period. Stanley had a pair of goals in the run. DiCarlo ended the run with her second goal of the evening, while Leone pushed the Navy lead to 7-4 just before halftime.
 
Leone opened the second half with her second goal of the game. Following a Richmond goal, DeFabio rattled off three straight scores to give the Mids an 11-5 advantage. Messinese closed out the third quarter with a goal to complete her hat trick, giving the junior a hat trick in five straight games to start the season.
 
In the fourth quarter, Messinese and DiCarlo scored for the Midshipmen, while the Navy defense held the potent Richmond offense scoreless in the final 15 minutes of the game.
 
Navy hosts Drexel at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in a midweek tilt on Wednesday, March 6 at 6:00 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and live stats will be available.