VILLANOVA, Pa. – The No. 16/14 Navy women's lacrosse team (2-0) posted a 17-16 victory over Villanova (2-1) in a mix of snow and rain on Saturday afternoon at Villanova Stadium in Villanova, Pa. The Midshipmen were tested by the Wildcats and the elements, but were able to come away with the one-goal victory.
 
"I am so proud of the team and their effort today in less-than-ideal conditions," head coach Cindy Timchal said. "We were able to put away 17 goals on a slippery field. Snow was all over the field in the beginning with that snow turning into rain the second half. This was a true test to pull out this victory. We have to have a quick turnaround because we go down to Richmond on Wednesday.
 
"We received an outstanding performance by senior Tori DiCarlo, who is local to this area. She led us in scoring in front of her hometown fans. Also, our senior team captain Emily Messinese continues to lead us on the field and in the stats. It was a total team effort with everyone on the field and high energy on the sideline. I am really proud of the team's effort today."
 
Offensively, the Midshipmen were able to score 17 goals on 31 shots.
 
The Mids were led by Tori DiCarlo, who finished with six points on five goals and an assist. With her five goals, the senior now has 100 goals scored in her career.
 
DiCarlo was joined atop the leaderboard by Emily Messinese. The senior team captain finished with five points on three goals and two assists. The hat trick was her second of the season and the 26th of her career.
 
Alyssa Chung, Lola Leone, and Ava Yovino added two goals apiece, while Emma Kennedy, Taylor Miles, and Mikayla Williams each found the back of the net. Williams tied Messinese for the team lead with two assists while Chung, DiCarlo, and Yovino added helpers.
 
Defensively, Navy caused 10 of Villanova's 18 turnovers on the day. Messinese and Williams led the way with two caused turnovers apiece, while Maggie DeFabio, Felicia Giglio, Jalin Jenkins, Jaclyn Johns, Grace Peterson, and Yovino all finished with takeaways. DiCarlo and Williams picked up three ground balls apiece with Giglio adding a pair of GB.
 
Giglio worked just under 54 minutes (53:51) in the cage. The sophomore finished with five saves to go along with her two ground balls and one caused turnover. Emma Richardell saw six minutes of action with a save to her credit.
 
The Midshipmen finished the game with 11 draw control wins. Alyssa Daley paced the team with five with Messinese and Williams adding two draws apiece. Johns and Maura Murphy also won draw controls for the Mids.
 
Villanova had three players register hat tricks in the game. Elena Torres led the Wildcats with four goals, while Sydney Pappas and Bella Piselli added three goals each. Emma Verhoest won 16 of Nova's 24 draws on the day. Goalie Makenzie Fisher took the hard-luck loss surrendering 17 goals with eight saves in a complete-game effort.
 
The home team was first team to score, taking a 1-0 lead midway through the first quarter. The Midshipmen countered with back-to-back goals by DiCarlo and Kennedy to take their first lead of the game. Villanova tied the score at two, but Leone found the back of the net to put Navy back in front. The Wildcats regained a one-goal advantage thanks to consecutive scores. With three ticks on the clock, Yovino sent the game into the second quarter tied at 4-4.
 
Chung started the second quarter with a goal to give the Mids a 5-4 advantage. Piselli countered with back-to-back goals to put Nova in front 6-5. Navy scored four of the next five goals to go ahead 9-7. Messinese scored a pair of free-position goals in the run, while DiCarlo and Williams each added scores. Leading 9-8, Miles and Yovino scored around a Wildcat goal to send the game into halftime with the Mids in front, 11-9.
 
In the third quarter, Navy used goals by Chung, Messinese, and DiCarlo to score three of the first four goals of the quarter and go ahead 14-10. Villanova countered with a 3-0 run to trim the margin to 14-13, but DiCarlo ended the frame with her fourth goal of the game.
 
Villanova opened the final quarter of play with a goal to trim the margin to one, but DiCarlo once again came through with a goal to put Navy in front by two, 16-14. Nova once again cut the margin to one, but Leone took a pass from DiCarlo and buried it in the back of the net to give Navy a 17-15 advantage with under six minutes to play. Villanova scored with two minutes remaining on the game clock to cut the Navy lead to 17-16. The Wildcats won the ensuing draw control, but Johns caused a turnover with 65 ticks on the clock. The Midshipmen were able to run out the remainder of the clock and preserve the one-goal victory.
 
Navy takes on No. 20/19 Richmond (2-0) at Robins Stadium in Richmond, Va. on Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 2:00 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and live stats will be available.