ANNAPOLIS, Md. – If one was to tell the fans that braved the sporadic rain showers on Wednesday night at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility, that they would witness a competitive one-goal women's soccer game between local rivals, Navy and Loyola, they probably would believe it based on the recent series results that saw Loyola win back-to-back meetings by 1-0 scores after Navy won the previous three matchups by a combined four goals, but little did they know that at the conclusion of 90 minutes, the Mids (8-5, 2-0 PL) would walk away with a wild 4-3 victory over the Greyhounds (4-3-3, 0-1-1 PL).

Alexa Riddle (Sr., Tomball, Texas) was the sparkplug for Navy's offensive fireworks as the explosive striker netted her first career hat trick within the initial 31 minutes of play on Wednesday. Tied late at 3-3, Chiara Cosenza (So., Westfield, N.J.) headed home a rebound off an Amanda Graziano (Sr., Middlebury, Conn.) shot in the 82nd minute to give the Mids the win. Graziano was around nearly all of the goals for Navy as she tied the team's program-record with three assists.

"That was a fun game to watch and be a part of," remarked head coach Carin Gabarra. "I thought we were good with our possession in the first half; we stuck to the game plan, got some chances and put them away. We defended well at all three levels. Over the course of the game, Loyola got momentum; as all good teams do so we changed our formation a bit coming out after half. It was a transitional game.

"We fought for 90 minutes. I'm proud of that effort because we had to come back a few times; after they tied it at 1-1 and again at 3-3. It's hard to keep rebounding. We had enough faith in ourselves and belief that we could continue to play and get that fourth goal; and we did."

The action started out fast-and-furious as Graziano lofted a deep corner kick towards the center of the six-yard box that was met by the leaping Riddle for a powerful header shot to the back of the net at 5:34.

Navy's 1-0 lead didn't last long as the Patriot League's leading scorer Baylee DeSmit entered her name into the box score with a powerful shot and goal at 9:25.

With the score 1-1, DeSmit took aim on her second tally as she blistered a shot on goal in the 16th minute that forced Natasha Stramrood (Fr., Cypress, Texas) into an athletic save.

The back-and-forth play continued into the middle portion of the first half and the scoring picked up as Riddle dialed up her second goal of the game at 24:31. Unlike her first tally that came from inside the box, this goal came after Graziano dropped a short free kick to her classmate, who rocketed a shot inside the low far post from 25-plus yards out.

Riddle kept up her aggressive scoring pace as just over six minutes later she netted a go-to "Alexa Riddle goal" that saw her electric speed catch a long Hannah Mulholland (So., Chandler, Ariz.) pass behind Loyola's defense and race in one-on-one with the Greyhounds' goalkeeper before slotting a shot into the low right corner at 30:47. The hat trick was the 20th in program history and first against a Patriot League opponent since Nov. 3, 2017 when Ash Fairow scored three goals against Colgate in the semifinals of the PL Tournament.

"Alexa was fantastic tonight," exclaimed Gabarra. "It wasn't just her three goals, but it was every time she got the ball over the top and every time she was dribbling up and changing the point of attack. Her possession was very good all game. She showed why she's one of the top forwards in the region."

Stramrood short-circuited the Greyhounds' final two shots on goal of the first as she deflected away Leah Carter's shot in the 37th minute before doing the same on another DeSmit attempt in the 45th minute.

The freshman goalkeeper continued holding the score at 3-1 with two more saves over the opening five minutes of the second half. That run of success came to an end at 50:39 when DeSmit earned a penalty kick opportunity that she converted to make it one-goal game.

Unwilling to sit on a one-goal lead, Emma Romano (Jr., Syosset, N.Y.) and Mulholland both tested Loyola's goalkeeper with shots on goals over the next 15 minutes.

The visitors completed their comeback at 68:20 when DeSmit struck a free kick into the box that met the head of Zoe Willis to draw the Greyhounds even at 3-3.

The Mids looked to add another goal to the scoreboard and nearly did just that in the 79th minute when an Emma Romano shot was blocked out of bounds for a subsequent threatening corner kick that saw Tatum Kelly (Sr., Pinehurst, N.C.) put a shot on goal that forced Brigid Mulholland into a sprawling save and another corner kick. That second opportunity was also dangerous as Graziano ended up with ball after a bounding clearing attempt and the senior immediately sent a shot on goal, that was saved.

As the end-to-end track meet moved into the final 10 minutes of action, Stramrood came up with her sixth and final save in the 81st minute on another DeSmit shot on the goal before the ball was released down the field where Riddle played Graziano into the 18-yard box for a shot on goal that was batted into the air by Mulholland, but near enough to Cosenza that the sophomore soared up and headed the ball over the goalkeeper for the go-ahead score at 81:47.

Loyola valiantly tried to re-tie the game down the stretch, but were only able to muster one shot that was blocked as time expired.

For the game, Loyola out-shot Navy, 20-17, though the hosts had a minute 10-9 edge in shots on goal. The Mids held a slight 5-3 advantage in corner kicks.

Stramrood completed the eighth win of her freshman campaign with six saves.

"What a game," said Gabarra in closing. "Tonight was about heart, fight and grit. Both teams left it all out there tonight, it was so hard fought. Loyola is very talented. I know they're going to have a very successful run of conference play going forward."

Navy will have a quick turnaround before its next Patriot League game as the Mids will host the Colgate Raiders on Saturday in 12 p.m. kickoff at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility.