ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The No. 20 Navy women's lacrosse team (14-3, 8-1 Patriot League) used numerous career-best performances to post an 18-10 victory over American (7-9, 3-6 Patriot League) on Thursday evening at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
 
"It was an exciting night for Navy women's lacrosse," head coach Cindy Timchal said after the game. "I want to give credit to American. They were fighting for a spot in the Patriot League Tournament. They fought hard and played us tough. They really gave us some problems. For us, it is always a learning opportunity. I am glad to come away with a decisive victory. Overall, I am proud of the team. The final was an 18-10 victory. We were able to get our seniors into their final home game. Now, it is time to focus in on the semifinals of the Patriot League Tournament."
 
As a team, Navy tied the school record with 27 draw controls in a game, matching the previous mark that was set at Bucknell last season. Needing three draw control wins to set the Navy single-season record for draws, junior Alyssa Daley finished with 16 draw controls in the game, giving her 167 draws for the season. It is the seventh time this season that Daley finished with double-digit draws. The 16 draw wins in a game is fourth in program history behind Reagan Roelofs' school record of 18 draws and Daley's career-best 17 that she accomplished twice this year – at Holy Cross and vs. Army.
 
Offensively, seven players combined to tally 18 goals on the night, including five multi-goal performances with four hat tricks. The four hat tricks in the game marked the fifth time this season the Midshipmen had four or more players record hat tricks in a game. In its history, Navy has had 44 games with four or more players registering hat tricks, including a team best six players on two occasions.
 
Maggie DeFabio led all scorers with a career-high five goals, while Tori DiCarlo, Lola Leone, and Mikayla Williams each finished with three goals apiece. Lindsay Beardmore posted a career-best six points on a pair of goals and a career-high four assists. Emma Kennedy and Emily Messinese rounded out the scoring with goals. Beardmore's four helpers paced the team while Messinese chipped in three assists and Williams added a pair.
 
Leone led the team with a career-high seven ground balls, which tied for the second-most ground balls in a game in program history. DiCarlo, Williams, Caroline Gage, and Caroline Stefans added two ground ball wins apiece. As a team, Navy caused nine of American's 13 turnovers, led by Gage and DiCarlo who had two takeaways apiece.
 
The Midshipmen used a pair of goalkeepers in the game. Felicia Giglio earned the start, recording one save in just under 25 minutes of action. She was relieved by Emma Richardell, who notched four stops in just over 35 minutes of work.
 
For American, Becca Frank led the team with four goals, while Maddy Spratt added three. Alyssa Apuzzo led the Eagles with two assists. Hannah Spease caused a team-best four turnovers with goalkeeper Caleigh Forti pacing the squad with three ground balls. Forti worked a complete game allowing 18 goals in 60 minutes, but setting the American school record with 21 saves in the game.
 
American was the first team to score, netting a goal two minutes into the game. Navy responded with five straight scores to take a lead it would not relinquish. Leone had a pair of goals in the run with DeFabio, DiCarlo, and Williams also finding the back of the net. The Eagles stopped the run with a goal, but Beardmore countered with her first score of the game. Following an AU goal, DeFabio and Williams each scored to push the lead to 8-3. American scored with under a minute to play in the quarter to trim the margin to 8-4 through one quarter.
 
The Eagles opened the second period with a goal, but three straight scores by DeFabio, Beardmore, and DiCarlo pushed the Navy advantage to 11-5. American netted the next two goals, but DiCarlo ended the scoring in the first half with her third goal of the half.
 
American scored the first two goals of the second half, but Navy followed with a 6-0 run that carried into the fourth quarter to put the game away. The Mids matched the visitors in the third quarter with scores by Beardmore and Kennedy. Messinese and Williams both scored with DeFabio netting a pair of goals to put Navy in front 18-9. The Eagles provided the final margin of 18-10, scoring the final goal of the game.
 
Up next, Navy will compete in the Patriot League Tournament against a yet-to-be-determined opponent. The semifinal game is slated for on Thursday, May at the Ridley Athletic Complex at 7:00 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and live stats will be available.