ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The slate of 2025 Patriot League competition continues for the Navy women's soccer team this weekend with a road matchup at Holy Cross on Sunday afternoon. Part of an extremely tight middle of the league leaderboard, Sunday's contest marks the fourth of nine conference contests this fall. The Mids (8-4-1, 1-1-1 PL) and Crusaders (3-5-4, 0-1-2 PL) have been a part of a five close matchups recently with Navy winning three and Holy Cross two with the victors all posting shutouts. Kickoff at the Linda Johnson Smith Soccer Stadium is set for 1 p.m. on Sunday.

The Navy-Holy Cross game will have live stats provided online, as well as be broadcast on the ESPN+ platform. 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. Holy Cross
In a series that dates back to 1994 in Navy's first full season of NCAA Division I play and first year as a member of the Patriot League, the Mids are 23-4-3 all-time against the Crusaders ... A pair of consecutive ties in 2015 and 2016 broke up a streak of 14 straight wins by Navy dating back to 2001 ... Since that date, the Mids are 18-2-2 over the Crusaders with just a 1-0 loss in 2019 and a 2-0 setback in 2022 as the only blemishes ... Navy is 10-3-2 all-time versus Holy Cross in games played in Worcester ... The Mids have out-scored the Crusaders 66-20 over 30 meetings.

Last 5 Matchups
In the last five matchups going back to 2019, the Mids are 3-2 with a 5-3 advantage in scoring during this span with every victorious team posting a shutout.
    Oct. 25, 2024 (H): Navy 1 - Holy Cross 0
    Oct. 20, 2023 (A): Navy 3 - Holy Cross 0
    Oct. 21, 2022 (H): Holy Cross 2 - Navy 0
    Oct. 23, 2021 (A): Navy 1 - Holy Cross 0
    Oct. 12, 2019 (A): Holy Cross 1 - Navy 0

Most Recent Navy-Holy Cross Matchup: October 25, 2024 in Annapolis
Navy rounded out the home portion of its 2024 regular season schedule with a dramatic 1-0 victory over Holy Cross on Friday afternoon. In day meant to honor its senior class, it was junior Marlee Heaven, who came through with the late fireworks as she slotted home the game-winning goal in the 84th minute at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility.

The action in the first half was quite even with the teams combining for just nine shots, five for Navy and four for Holy Cross. The Crusaders recorded their first and only shot on goal of the opening stanza just 82 seconds in as Adi Botet re-directed a cross onto frame, though Natasha Stramrood was up for the task and snagged the shot.

Holy Cross increased its advantage in shots taken with two back-to-back attempts that were blocked by Navy defenders in the 10th minute. The Mids' recorded their first shot on goal of the half in the 20th minute when Chiara Cosenza put a mid-range free kick into the waiting arms of Julia Walsh, the Crusaders' goalie.

The visitors continued to pester Navy's defense with their fourth and fifth corner kicks in quick succession in the 29th and 30th minutes, though Stramrood was active off her line and punched both crosses away from danger.

The Mids' best build and look at breaking the scoreless deadlock came in the 37th minute when Cosenza crossed the ball towards the goal mouth and Rylee Rives headed a shot just off-target.

Coming out of the locker room knotted at 0-0, Navy flipped a switch and dominated the possession and scoring opportunities throughout the second 45-minute period. Right off the bat, Emma Romano and Cosenza tested Walsh with respective shots on goal in the 47th and 50th minutes of action. This duo nearly connected for the host's first goal ten minutes later when Romano whipped a cross into the box, that Cosenza headed over the crossbar.

With less than 20 minutes of action left in regulation, the pace picked up for both sides and Holy Cross had consecutive strong looks at netting the go-ahead goal denied. In the 70th minute, Kayana Adlam was the hero as a broken play in the middle of the field resulted in the Crusaders' Ava Graham with over 45 yards of clear space to the goal and not a Midshipmen defender in sight before Adlam caught her at the top of the 18-yard box after finding that next gear in an all-out sprint. Stramrood matched her fellow classmate's clutch demeanor and batted away Sydney Baldwin's shot on goal two minutes later.

With Holy Cross held at bay offensively for the final 15 minutes of the contest, Navy was locked in on finding that go-ahead score. In a chaotic possession in the 78th minute, the Mids cracked back-to-back shots on goal as Amanda Graziano's initial effort was saved by Walsh before Heaven quickly put the rebound back on frame, though a Crusader defender deflected the ball away from the gaping goal mouth for a team save.

The host's constant pressure finally found a crack at 83:22 when a series of ping-pong passes and defensive ricochets ended with Heaven in control of a bouncing ball inside the six-yard box. Once in her possession, the junior calmly flicked her shot past Walsh for the go-ahead score.

Holy Cross was unable to muster an equalizer over the final 6:38 of action and Navy earned a massive three points in the Patriot League standings with a 1-0 victory on Senior Day.
 
For the game, Navy out-shot Holy Cross, 17-6 with a 6-2 advantage in shots on goal. The Crusaders had a substantial 7-1 edge in corner kicks.

Comparing the Teams

2025 Stats	Navy	Holy Cross
Record / League	8-4-1 / 1-1-1 PL	3-5-4 / 0-1-2 PL
Home / Away	6-1-1 / 2-3-0	2-3-1 / 1-2-3
Goals/Gm	2.08	0.92
Assists/Gm	1.77	0.92
Shots/Gm	13.9	11.8
Goals Against Average	0.85	1.00
GK Saves/Gm	3.85	5.42
Common Opponent(s):	Colgate - L, 1-2	Colgate - L, 0-1

Individual Leaders

	Navy	Holy Cross
Goals	Heaven, 7	Halligan/Perez, 2
Assists	Cosenza, 5	Beckstein, 3
Points	Heaven, 15	Perez, 6
Shots	Heaven, 17	Halligan, 21
GK Saves	Stramrood, 40	Haesche, 54

Last Time Out: October 1 versus Lehigh in Annapolis
The Navy women's soccer team had Lehigh on the ropes throughout the majority of the action on Wednesday night, but were unable to land a finishing blow to seal three points in the standings as the Mountain Hawks came from behind to earn a 2-2 draw. The Mids (8-4-1, 1-1-1 PL) stacked numerous high percentage scoring chances together during the contest and had a substantial 21-12 advantage in total shots, but the Mountain Hawks (2-5-3, 0-2-1 PL) pulled even with just under two minutes in regulation at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility to net the tie.

Navy's offense was highlighted by well structured goals from Kayana Adlam in the 25th minute and Jordan Townsend in the 77th.

The action on Wednesday night opened evenly with both teams recording three shots over the initial 20 minutes of play. Momentum quickly swung to Navy's side in the 25th minute when the hosts carved through Lehigh's midfield and defensive third with a series of passes that culminated with Jessica Black feeding Chiara Cosenza from the left wing and Cosenza immediately opening her body up for one more pass to the right with a perfectly placed lead pass for Adlam. The speedy forward took two dribbles, drew the goalkeeper from the cage and expertly ripped a shot in the far upper-90 for a 1-0 lead at 24:08.

The Mids kept up the pressure and hunt for a second goal throughout the remaining 20-plus minutes of the first half, but came up empty as the Mountain Hawks' goalkeeper R'Reeyah Mabry-Francis was active diving on crosses and making a kick save of Sona Gonzales' shot on goal in the 39th minute and a point-blank denial of Mimi Abusham in the 40th.

Navy dominated the scoring opportunities with an 11-3 advantage in total shots though only a 3-1 edge in shots on goal.

That ratio would loom large in the second half when the Mids held just a one-goal lead coming out of the locker room. The competition in the final 45 minutes was much more evenly matched as both teams were able to traverse end-to-end and pepper each of the opposing goalkeepers quite frequently. In the initial 15 minutes of the second half, Navy tested Mabry-Francis with three shots on goal, while Lehigh forced the newly-inserted Natasha Stramrood into back-to-back saves within 30 seconds of each other in the 51st minute.

The constant action in the defensive third finally resulted in a goal for the Mountain Hawks as Aminah Burawa struck a left-footed shot into the back of the net at 65:31 to draw even at 1-1.

The Mids' nose for the goal came into play just over 11 minutes later at 76:07 when Madison Whitworth curled a high arching corner kick towards the back post where Townsend powerfully headed the ball home for the go-ahead goal. The score was the first of Townsend's career.

With the minutes counting down and Navy closing in on three points in the league table, Lehigh had other plans and scrambled to the finish line with a Cyndea Labissiere game-tying goal at 88:07.

For the game, Navy out-shot Lehigh, 21-12 with a 9-6 edge in shots on goal. The Mids also held a 6-2 advantage in corner kicks. Talley Applewhite and Stramrood split time in goal for the Mids on Wednesday with Applewhite making one save in the first half and Stramrood denying three scoring opportunities in the second stanza.