WASHINGTON, D.C. – After a recent string of tight heart-breaking results, the Navy women's soccer team left little to chance on Wednesday as the Mids went on the road to American University and dominated the Eagles to the tune of a 3-0 victory. The Mids (9-5-2, 2-2-2 PL) took the lead over the Eagles (2-9-3, 2-4-0 PL) on a
Chiara Cosenza (Jr., Westfield, N.J.) goal in the seventh minute and never looked back with two additional scores in the second half.
Cosenza paced Navy's offense with a pair of goals on Wednesday afternoon at Reeves Field as she added her second score in the 60th minute.
Marlee Heaven (Sr., Rockville, Md.) continued to play a leading role in the Mids' attack with a goal in the 52nd minute and an assist. Sophomore goalkeeper
Natasha Stramrood (Cypress, Texas) backstopped the Navy's defense with seven saves over the 90-minute shutout performance.
"That was as of complete of performance as we've had all season," remarked head coach
Carin Gabarra. "It was well rounded with strong performances from across our roster, its too hard to single out any specific player because we had so many people playing at high levels today. We were due for a result and performance like this, we've put together stretches of good attacking and good defending, but rarely at the same time over the past few games; today we did.
"We earned the lead and protected it for 90 minutes. That what we've been in search of these past couple of games. We created high-level scoring opportunities and converted them when we had the chance. I'm also proud that we were able to showcase our depth and get 24 players in the game today, with another tough road game coming on Sunday we'll need as fresh as legs as possible."
Looking to impose their style of play, the Mids came out of the gates on a mission on Wednesday. After Stramrood turned aside a pair of American shots over the opening three minutes, Cosenza focused on getting Navy on the scoreboard with a shot on goal in the third minute and a second attempt that just missed off target in the sixth minute. The junior made her third attempt of the early goings count when she ran up on a deflected Heaven shot and struck home the loose ball to give the Mids at 1-0 at 6:22.
Stramrood was the story of the next 38-plus minutes of the half as she continued to withstand every scoring opportunity by the Eagles with three additional saves. Central defender
Jordan Townsend (Sr., Marriottsville, Md.) also played a key role in this first half shutout as the team captain raced back on a breakaway by American's Jenna Etienne-Valtrin in the 32nd minute and slide-tackled the ball away from danger before the Eagle forward could unleash a shot.
At the half, Navy was out-shooting American, 10-7, though both sides had recorded five shots on goal.
Holding just a one-goal lead coming out of the locker room, the visiting Mids almost immediately pounced on the opportunity to double their lead as just over six minutes into play,
Hannah Mulholland (Jr., Chandler, Ariz.) dribbled in from the right wing, slotted a square pass to
Lizzie Emerson (So., Houston, Texas), who turned to her left and laid the ball to a wide open Heaven at the top of the 18-yard box. With time and space to play with Heaven surveyed her options and flicked a looping shot over the American goalkeeper into the far corner of the goal at 51:19.
Less than eight minutes later at 59:05, the Mids' crisp passing was showcased again when
Jessica Black (Fr., Cedaredge, Colo.) navigated her way through the Eagles' defense and played a square ball to
Katia Katsari-Hoefer (Fr., Herndon, Va.), who dummied a shot and deflected the ball on a bit further into the box where the hard-charging Cosenza one-timed a shot low and through the hands of American's goalkeeper for her second goal of the game.
In control of the game, 3-0 with 30 minutes to go, Navy kept its foot on the proverbial gas pedal in all facets of the action with its offense continuing to pepper Addison Roemer, American's goalkeeper with two additional shots on goal, while Stramrood and the Mids' defense held the Eagles to just two easily denied looks at goal to clinch the 3-0 shutout victory.
For the game, Navy out-shot American, 19-11 with a 9-7 edge in shots on goal. The host Eagles had a 5-2 advantage in corner kicks. After making five saves in first half, Stramrood completed her clean sheet outing with seven stops.
Navy will continue its action on the road with a trip to Lewisburg, Pennsylvania this Sunday for a matchup at Bucknell. Kickoff between the Mids and Bison is set for 1 p.m. at Holmes Stadium.
