ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Undefeated and scoring at an breakneck pace through two Patriot League contests, the Navy women's soccer team will host Colgate in the third conference game of the year for both squads on Saturday. The Mids (8-5, 2-0 PL) have knocked off Lehigh and Loyola in early-season league action by scoring a total of seven goals, while the Raiders (2-8-1, 0-2 PL) will come into the contest with an 0-2 conference mark courtesy of losses to Bucknell and Boston University. Saturday's game will be part of a women's/men's soccer doubleheader that features Navy-Colgate matchups in both legs of the twinbill. Kickoff for the women's matchup is scheduled for 12 p.m.
Live stats will be provided online with an accompanying ESPN+ broadcast on Saturday. ESPN+ is a subscription-based streaming service that requires patrons to sign-up for monthly or yearly plans prior to tuning into the contest.
Navy vs. Colgate
Saturday will be the 44th meeting between the two schools in a series that began in Navy's second year of varsity existence in 1994 ... In that Oct. 16, 1994 matchup, Colgate took the contest by a 3-0 margin ... The Raiders would build up a 6-0 lead in the series over the first four years before extending the margin out to 9-1 following a postseason win over the Mids in 1999 ... Navy started leveling out the series in the second half of the 00's with five straight wins between 2006 and 2008, including two victories in tournament action ... Since 2013, Navy has posted an 8-3-3 record ... All-time, the Mids lead the series, 19-17-7 with a 9-7-2 advantage in games played in Annapolis ... The Raiders lead the scoring margin category, 54-47.
Last 5 Matchups
In the last five matchups dating back to 2021, the Mids are 1-2-2 versus the Raiders ... Colgate outscored Navy, 7-5 during this span.
Sept. 23, 2023 (A): Colgate 2 - Navy 0
Sept. 30, 2022 (H): Navy 2 - Colgate 1
Oct. 2, 2021 (A): Navy 1 - Colgate 1
April 17, 2021 (A): Navy 1 - Colgate 1 (Patriot League Finals; Navy earns title 4-1 in penalty kicks)
Feb. 28, 2021 (H): Colgate 2 - Navy 1, 2 OT
Most Recent Matchup - September 23, 2023 in Hamilton, N.Y.
Navy dropped its second consecutive Patriot League game as the Mids fell on the road at Colgate University on Saturday afternoon. An early goal in the ninth minute by the Raiders (2-7-2, 1-1-1 PL) was the difference-maker as the Mids (5-3-3, 1-2-0 PL) were unable to find a tying score before the hosts netted a late insurance goal to salt away the 2-0 decision at Beyer-Small '76 Field.
Always dangerous off of restarts Navy was on attack early as
Amanda Graziano whipped a threatening corner kick towards the far upper-90 and forced Colgate's goalkeeper, Alli Popham, to bat the potential score away from the goal line in the eighth minute. On the rebound,
Marlee Heaven didn't think twice and ripped a one-timer that sailed off frame.
The action flipped ends of the field as just over a minute later, the Raiders broke onto the scoreboard first with an Ari Bezanson goal at 8:40.
Mattie Gallagher helped Navy hold the score at 1-0 as she leapt up and denied an Ana Schremp shot in the 19th minute.
Heaven had strong look at a potential game-tying tally in the 24th minute when she deked a pair of Colgate defenders and squared up a shot that tested Popham. Neither team was able to affect the scoreboard for the rest of the first half, as they combined for just two shots, and the teams retired to the locker room with the Raiders ahead 1-0.
Coming out trailing by a goal, Navy had the first scoring look as
Alexa Riddle called her own number and took the first shot of the second half in the 51st minute. Unfortunately for the visitors, her attempt was wide right.
For the next 20 minutes, the Mids constantly were making in-roads into the Raiders' final third, but their builds were short-circuited before the process was complete in the form of shots on goal. Finally, Navy was able to breakthrough with a look on frame in the 71st minute when Riddle curled a cross off the left wing into the box where
Hannah Mulholland volleyed the ball into the waiting hands of Popham.
While Navy stayed on the hunt for its first goal of the contest, Colgate took advantage of an error on defense and snuck home another score at 75:45. Up 2-0, the Raiders held the Mids scoreless for the final 14-plus minutes as the visitors could only muster two off-target shots.
For the game, Navy outshot Colgate, 11-9, though both sides recorded three shots on goal. The Mids held a significant 8-2 advantage in corner kicks.
Comparing the Teams
| 2024 Stats |
Navy |
Colgate |
| Record / League |
8-5 / 2-0 PL |
2-8-1 / 0-2 PL |
| Home / Away |
6-2 / 2-3 |
1-3-1 / 1-5 |
| Goals/Gm |
2.46 |
1.27 |
| Assists/Gm |
2.31 |
1.00 |
| Shots/Gm |
14.1 |
11.1 |
| Goals Against Average |
1.69 |
2.00 |
| GK Saves/Gm |
4.69 |
4.55 |
| Common Opponent(s): n/a |
--- |
--- |
Individual Leaders
|
Navy |
Colgate |
| Goals |
Heaven/Riddle, 5 |
Bezanson, 7 |
| Assists |
Graziano, 6 |
Stokes, 3 |
| Points |
Graziano, 14 |
Bezanson, 14 |
| Shots |
Riddle, 29 |
Bezanson, 30 |
| GK Saves |
Stramrood, 53 |
Popham, 44 |
Last Time Out: September 25 vs. Loyola
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 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 headed home a rebound off an
Amanda Graziano 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.
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.
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 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.
Natasha 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.
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.
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.
Navy at Glenn Warner Soccer Facility
The initial homestand on Aug. 22-29 kicked off the 24th season of soccer at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility. All-time, the women's soccer team is 191-55-27 (.749) over 273 home games since 2001 ... The Mids were 5-3-2 (.667) at Glenn Warner last season ... The program has posted winning seasons in 21 of 23 years that it has played at Glenn Warner.
Parking / Shuttle / Ticket Information
Fans are reminded that the general public does not have access to drive their vehicles on to the U.S. Naval Academy. Fans may park at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium for a fee and take a shuttle that will run every 10 minutes starting one hour before the game and will continue running until one hour after the game is completed. Fans 18 and over need a government-issued photo ID. Enter Gate 5 off Taylor Ave. to park at the stadium. Dogs are not permitted inside the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility. All soccer contests at Glenn Warner will be free of charge
