ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Coming off a dominant 3-0 road win over American on Wednesday, the Navy women's soccer team continues its quest for a Patriot League Tournament berth with a conference tilt at Bucknell on Sunday afternoon. Passing multiple teams in the league standings with their win on Wednesday, the Mids (9-5-2, 2-2-2 PL) currently are in a tie for fifth place and sit just a win out of third with three regular season games left to play. Meanwhile, the Bison (3-7-5, 1-2-3 PL) are mired in five-game winless streak (0-2-3), in which they've manufactured just one goal over 450 minutes of action. Sunday's contest in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania is set for a 1 p.m. kickoff at Emmitt Field at Holmes Stadium.

The Navy-Bucknell contest this Sunday will have live stats provided online, as well as an accompanying ESPN+ broadcast. 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. Bucknell
Sunday will be the 38th meeting between the two schools in a series that began in Navy's second year of varsity existence in 1994; all-time the Mids lead the Bison, 20-15-2 with an 11-5-1 advantage in 17 games in Lewisburg ... In that initial Oct. 22, 1994 matchup, the Mids earned a 2-1 victory over the Bison ... Since that contest, the series has gone in multi-year waves numerous times ... From 1995 through 1999, Navy went 4-0-1 before the programs split six games between 2002 and 2007 with Navy winning the first three and Bucknell the later three ... Over the past 10 years, the series is knotted at 5-5 ... All-time, Navy has outscored Bucknell, 56-39.

Last 5 Matchups
In the last five matchups dating back to the 2021 season, the Bison hold a 4-1 edge with an 8-6 advantage in goals scored ... Three of Bucknell's wins during this span have come via shutouts (2021, 2023, 2024)
    Oct. 11, 2024 (H): Bucknell 1 - Navy 0
    Oct. 6, 2023 (A): Bucknell 2 - Navy 0
    Sept. 16, 2022 (H): Navy 4 - Bucknell 0
    Nov. 4, 2021 (H): Bucknell 1 - Navy 0, overtime ~ PL Semifinals
    Sept. 18, 2021 (A): Bucknell 4 - Navy 2

Most Recent Navy-Bucknell Matchup: October 11, 2024 in Annapolis
In a matchup of teams separated by just two points at the top of the Patriot League standings coming into the game, the first-place Bucknell Bison held onto their spot with a 1-0 victory over the Navy Midshipmen at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility. The visiting Bison (8-3-2, 4-1 PL) went ahead in the 30th minute on a Teresa Deda goal and kept the Mids (8-7-1, 2-2-1 PL) off the scoreboard for the remaining 60 minutes to earn the win on Friday night.

Bucknell was active early-and-often on Navy's home pitch as it recorded two shots on goal versus Natasha Stramrood over the opening five minutes with three more corner kicks and two additional shots in the ensuing 10 minutes. The visitors kept control on both ends as the Mids were only able to muster two errant shots over the initial 25 minutes of play. The Bison used their success on defense to spark their offense as the two-time Patriot League Midfielder of the Year, Teresa Deda struck home the game's first goal at 29:30.

Down 1-0, Stramrood was called upon twice in the final three minutes of the first half with saves on shots by Deda in the 43rd minute and Presley Sutter right as the clock struck zero.

Coming out of the locker room, Bucknell re-engaged its offense quickly with four shots and one corner kick over the first 10 minutes of the stanza. Stramrood turned aside the one shot that made its way on frame in the 51st minute.

Navy's offense started making significant in-roads over the final 30 minutes of play beginning with a long free kick by Amanda Graziano that had eyes for Tatum Kelly, but Bucknell's goalkeeper Jess Benattar was active off her line and intercepted the pass in the 60th minute. The Mids continued their quest to draw even as Alexa Riddle spun past her defender and ripped a shot that beat Benattar, but rang squarely into the left post in the 62nd minute.

Stramrood was called into action less than minute later with her final save of the game as she leapt up to the left corner of the goal frame and batted away a header attempt by Kelley Francis.

Navy's last push for an equalizer came in the final 10 minutes of action. Hannah Mulholland kick-started this run of play when Lucy Gaines crossed her the ball over to the right wing and she immediately placed a shot on goal at 80:57. Gaines was involved in the last look on goal of the game for the Mids in the 87th minute as she struck a deep, looping shot that forced Benattar to jump up and punch the shot into the crossbar.

For the game, Bucknell out-shot Navy, 15-7 with a 7-2 advantage in shots on goal. The Bison also held an edge in corner kicks by a 7-2 margin. Stramrood finished with six saves in goal for the Mids.

Comparing the Teams

2025 Stats	Navy	Bucknell
Record / League	9-5-2 / 2-2-2 PL	3-7-5 / 1-2-3 PL
Home / Away / Neutral	6-1-1 / 3-4-0 / 0-0-1	1-4-2 / 2-3-3
Goals/Gm	2.00	1.07
Assists/Gm	1.81	0.80
Shots/Gm	14.6	13.4
Goals Against Average	0.88	1.47
GK Saves/Gm	4.06	4.20
Common Non-Conference Opponent(s):	Delaware - L, 0-1	Delaware - L, 1-2

Individual Leaders

	Navy	Bucknell
Goals	Heaven, 9	Andican, 5
Assists	Cosenza, 5	Four Players, 2
Points	Heaven, 21	Andican, 11
Shots	Heaven, 27	Andican, 43
GK Saves	Stramrood, 55	Dolan, 50

Last Time Out: Wednesday, October 15 at American in 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 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 continued to play a leading role in the Mids' attack with a goal in the 52nd minute and an assist. Sophomore goalkeeper Natasha Stramrood backstopped the Navy's defense with seven saves over the 90-minute shutout performance.
 
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 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 dribbled in from the right wing, slotted a square pass to Lizzie Emerson, 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 navigated her way through the Eagles' defense and played a square ball to Katia Katsari-Hoefer, 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.