ANNAPOLIS, Md. – An early second-half goal from Delaware snapped the Navy women's soccer team's undefeated start to the 2025 campaign, as the Blue Hens (4-0-0) handed the Midshipmen (3-1-0) a 1-0 loss Sunday afternoon at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility.
After falling into a defensive battle over the first half of action, a 53rd-minute tally from Adiat Olaogun-Dickson proved to the be only scoring in a showdown of unbeaten opponents despite a closing push from Navy.
In a first half that saw the two sides combine for just four shots, Navy's
Natasha Stramrood had to smother a Maggie Groh back-kick off a Delaware corner at 11' in what ended up being the only shot on-target in the opening 45 minutes.
With both teams looking to strike in the opening minutes of the second half, an
Ali Barrow shot went off-target for Navy at 47', while the Blue Hens responded when a cross into the box was redirected by Brooke Vogel to Olaogun-Dickson near the right post, who kicked it in for the 53rd-minute tally.
Stramrood had to collect a pair of shots to keep the deficit at 1-0, stopping Ava Agresti at 55' and Groh at 62', while
Mackenzie Morrow put a shot dead-center on cage that forced a Sophia Hall save in the 73rd minute and
Jessica Black's shot was blocked by the defenders at 76'. Stramrood then pulled out a stop at 79' on Olaogun-Dickson to keep the game in reach, and
Faith Graziano rifled a ball at the middle of the net at 84' that was knocked down by Hall.
After a
Marlee Heaven shot sailed wide at 86',
Helen Bonner's kick on-target with 30 seconds left ended up being the final chance of the day for Navy, with Hall closing out the three-save shutout for Delaware.
Head Coach Carin Gabarra Remarks
"I thought we were very disciplined today with our defensive shape and game plan, and had some success turning the ball over in some dangerous spots. Unfortunately, we weren't able to capitalize on any of those chances and Delaware was able to convert one of theirs. I am proud of our effort, mentality and physical presence, and we will learn from this game and get better moving forward. We have really great depth on this team, and will continue to create team cohesion and the ability to execute in the big moments."
Match Notes
• Navy is now 2-1-0 in the all-time series with Delaware.
• Stramrood tallied four saves for the second-straight contest.
• Heaven led the Mids with three shots in the game.
Up Next
Navy will close out the homestand on Tuesday afternoon, hosting Marywood in a 4 p.m. contest.
