ANNAPOLIS, Md. – After three consecutive road games, the No. 18 Navy women's lacrosse team (7-2, 1-1 Patriot League) returns home to Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium as the Midshipmen host Boston University (4-3, 0-1 Patriot League) on Saturday afternoon at 12:00 p.m. The game will be broadcast on
ESPN+ and
live stats will be available.
The game is part of a doubleheader with the Navy men's lacrosse team, who is set to play Holy Cross at 3:30 p.m.
All-Time Series
The game marks the 12th meeting between the two teams and the sixth competition in Annapolis. Navy holds an 8-3 (.727) overall record against Boston with a 4-1 mark at home. Last season, the Midshipmen defeated the Terriers, 20-13, in the first round of the Patriot League Tournament at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on April 30.
The Mids have won eight of the last night meetings in the series. The Midshipmen had won seven in a row against the Terriers prior to BU's one-goal victory (W, 12-11) last season on April 8 in Boston.
Despite the Mids holding an 8-3 advantage in the series, seven of the 11 games played between the two teams have been decided by three goals or less with five games decided by one goal. All four contests played in Boston have been decided by three goals or less.
Prior to the 2023 Patriot League Tournament, the two teams met in 2022 in Annapolis with Navy notching a 16-6 victory over BU. Prior to the 2022 game, the Mids and Terriers did not meet for two seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2020 Patriot League season was canceled and the 2021 season saw the conference split into divisions. Navy was in the South Division and did not play Boston who was in the North Division.
Scouting the Midshipmen
The No. 18 Navy women's lacrosse team enters the week 7-2 overall and 1-1 in the Patriot League. In their last outing, the Midshipmen dropped a 17-12 decision to No. 8 Loyola on Wednesday night at the Ridley Athletic Complex. The Mids outscored the Greyhounds 8-4 over the final 32:16, but were unable to overcome a 9-2 second quarter run by Loyola.
As a team, the Midshipmen have tallied 136 goals with 54 assists, while picking up 152 ground balls, winning 153 draw controls, and causing 73 turnovers.
Entering the weekend,
Emily Messinese leads the team with 39 points with on 31 goals, while adding eight assists. The junior has registered eight hat tricks in nine games, including a career-long five consecutive hat tricks to start the season.
Messinese is joined atop the Navy leaderboard by
Tori DiCarlo who is second on the team with 30 goals, while adding four assists for 34 total points. DiCarlo had a career-long streak of seven consecutive hat tricks snapped against Loyola, but she did net a pair of goals against the Greyhounds to extend her multiple-goal streak to eight games.
Kat McAteer is third on the team with 25 total points. The sophomore has a balanced 13 goals with a team-high 12 assists to her credit.
Lola Leone is fourth in points (22) and third in goals (17) with four hat tricks on the year.
Mikayla Williams moved into fifth on the team with 19 points on 12 goals and seven assists, while
Maggie DeFabio has 11 goals with six assists for 17 points.
Emma Kennedy has posted a balanced attack of five goals and six assists for 11 points to round out Navy's double-digit point scorers.
Defensively,
Felicia Giglio has logged over 461 of the 540 minutes between the pipes for the Midshipmen. The freshman goalkeeper has notched 48 saves with 16 ground balls and seven caused turnovers.
Emma Richardell, who had nine saves against Loyola on Wednesday, has recorded 11 stops with four caused turnovers and three ground balls in just under 76 of action in 2024.
DeFabio leads the team with 17 ground balls, while Giglio and Williams are one back with 16 each.
Caroline Stefans has picked up 15 GB close out the Mids' double-digit ground balls.
Stefans has caused a team-high 10 turnovers, ahead of Giglio and
Jaclyn Johns who have seven apiece. Freshmen
Caroline Gage and Williams have caused six turnovers each with DeFabio adding five CT.
Alyssa Daley leads the team with 75 draw controls. The junior ranks eighth in program history with 152 career draws and is 19 draws back of Kathy Young (171 draws) for seventh. Messinese, Williams, and Stefans follow with 29, 16, and 11 draws, individually. With four draws against Loyola, Messinese now has 103 total draws becoming the 13th Midshipmen with 100 or more career draws controls.
Scouting the Opposition
The Terriers enter the weekend with a 4-3 overall record, including an 0-1 mark in the Patriot League. After opening the season with four straight wins, Boston University has dropped its last three contests, including falling to Bucknell (L, 16-13) last weekend to open Patriot League play.
Boston is led by Elle Stevenson and Hannah Tillier, who have 22 and 21 points, respectively. Stevenson leads the team with 18 goals, while adding four assists. Tillier is second on the squad with 14 goals, while pacing the Terriers with seven assists.
Reilly Walsh (11g 5a), Abby Cotraro (11g 1a), Avery Jones (8g 3a), Tobey Tick (7g 4a), and Leah Hodgins (10g) round out BU's double-digit point scorers with 16, 12, 11, 11, and 10 points, individually.
At goal, Natalie Aiosa has played in all seven games, making six starts between the pipes for BU. The freshman has logged over 406 of the team's 420 minutes at goal, leading the team with 63 saves with a 37.3 save percentage and a 15.66 goals against average.
In addition, Ellen Monahan leads the team with 19 ground balls and 12 caused turnovers, while ranking second on BU's squad in draw controls with 27. Tessa Geddes leads the Terriers with 42 draws won.
First year BU assistant coach Brindi Griffin returns to Annapolis for the first time since departing Navy for Boston University. Griffin spent two seasons as an assistant coach for the Midshipmen (2022-23), helping the Mids to 28 victories during her tenure.
Up Next
Following the game with BU, Navy travels to Philadelphia for a midweek nonconference game at Saint Joseph's on Wednesday, March 27 at 2:00 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and live stats will be available.
