ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Returning to its winning ways, a hat trick from rookie Faith Graziano and solid contributions from 20 different players guided the Navy women's soccer team (4-1) to a 3-0 victory over Marywood University on Tuesday afternoon at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility.
 
Led offensively by Graziano's three-goal outing and Emily Clay's two assists, the Midshipmen also posted the clean sheet with a formidable backline and a combined shutout from Talley Applewhite and Cadence Tordai, outshooting the opposition by a 27-2 margin.
 
The Pacers, who compete at the Division III level and officially begin their season on Friday, started the contest by pushing the Mids' defense and controlling possession early, resulting in Carly Walters placing a shot on target at 6' that required the Navy defenders kicking away a chance heading for the left post.
 
Navy quickly turned the tables, with Mimi Abusham having an attempt blocked at 7' and Isabella Romano forcing Marywood goalkeeper Jenna Orr to make the eighth-minute save. Continuing to put chances toward the cage, Navy finally got its first shot past Orr at 21', as Madison Whitworth's pass found Clay upfield, who then fed Graziano for a kick that rifled into the right side.
 
Trading possession after the restart, another Navy push found a loose ball knocked down by Graziano near the box, with the rookie launching another goal past Orr in the 25th minute. After Clay sent a trio of shots wide trying to extend the lead, Graziano completed her hat trick and made it 3-0 when Clay crossed a pass into the box, with Graziano aiming a shot into the left side of the net at 39'.
 
The second half started with Sona Gonzales nearly making it 4-0 just 54 seconds into the period, as she beat Orr to a ball and touched a shot on target that had to be knocked away by a Marywood defender, while Orr then denied another Gonzales shot at 50'.
 
Orr stopped Gonzales two more times at 54' and 56', and made three more saves against the Mids before being relieved in the 77th minute. Replacing Orr, Addie Galea then batted down a Romano chance at 81' and saw a Jane Ambrozy shot sail off-target at 81' to close out the Navy attack's day.
 
Head Coach Carin Gabarra Remarks
"It was great to post a clean sheet at home, allowing us to showcase our depth and allow more players to gain game experience. This is one of the deepest teams we've had in a while and it is spread out across classes and positions. This will play a key role as we progress deeper into the season and towards the league schedule. This week is a tough stretch with four games in eight days, so this was also a good chance to rotate our roster before another big road game on Thursday."
 
Match Notes
• Navy is now 1-0 in the all-time series with Marywood.
• The 4-1 record is Navy's best five-game start to a season since an identical 4-1 open to the 2019 campaign.
• Graziano's hat trick is the first by a Navy player since Alexa Riddle netted three goals in a win against Loyola on Sept. 25, 2024, with Graziano's older sister Amanda helping on two of those scores in a three-assist effort.
• Graziano is the first Navy freshman to record a hat trick since Chiara Cosenza scored three times in the Sept. 25, 2023 win over Marymount.
• Clay's two assists marked the first multi-assist performance by a Navy player since Amanda Graziano's after-mentioned three-assist contest against Loyola.
 
Up Next
Navy heads to in-state foe Maryland for a 7 p.m. match Thursday night in College Park, Md.