ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Hitting the stretch run of its Patriot League schedule, the Navy men's soccer team (3-6-4, 1-3-1 PL) will finish off its road swing Saturday afternoon with a visit to Lafayette (3-6-3, 2-1-2 PL) at Gummeson Grounds in Easton, Pa.
 
Set for a 1:05 p.m. opening kick on Mike Bourger '44 Field at Oaks Stadium, the Midshipmen and Leopards are both in the thick of the league table, with Lafayette sitting in third at eight points and the Mids tied for seventh in the standings with four points. The match is set to air on ESPN+.
 
Sullivan, Brown and Smith Win Patriot League Weekly Honors
Three members of Navy earned weekly honors from the Patriot League on Monday, as juniors Duncan Sullivan and Keane Brown were named the league's Midfielder of the Week and Defender of the Week, respectively, while freshman Will Smith was tabbed as the league's Rookie of the Week … All three players were crucial in the Mids' 4-3 win over rival Army on Friday in Army-Navy Cup XV, as Sullivan netted a goal and two assists while Brown and Smith both scored in the program's first star victory over the Black Knights since 2021 … It is the second time Sullivan has earned Midfielder of the Week in his career, while Brown and Smith's weekly honors are the first of their college careers.
 
Sullivan Named to TopDrawerSoccer's Team of the Week
Tallying four points in Navy's high-scoring win over Army on Friday, junior midfielder Duncan Sullivan was named to the TopDrawerSoccer.com Men's Team of the Week on Tuesday … Sullivan was crucial in Navy's 4-3 star win over rival Army, recording a goal and two assists while playing the full 90 minutes of Army-Navy Cup XV … Sullivan is the second Navy player to be named to the TDS Team of the Week this season, joining senior defender Alex Galloway (Sept. 9).
 
Last Time Out
Heading south to historic Williamsburg, Va., for its final non-conference game of the regular season, Navy was knocked off by a talented William & Mary squad, 4-0, on Tuesday evening … While the Midshipmen kept the game close in the opening half and reached the intermission within striking distance of the Tribe, the hosts added three more goals in the final 45 minutes to seal their victory … Led by Brown Huffard's brace, the Tribe also got a two-assist night for Gabe Ruitenberg and a one-save shutout by Diego Garciarena, while Dylan Carmody tallied three saves on the Navy side … Tuesday marked the first time this season that Navy has started the same lineup in back-to-back games.
 
Navy Notes
Nick Gallucci is tied for first in the Patriot League with four assists on the season, while Will Cawlfield and Duncan Sullivan's three assists apiece are tied for fourth … Will Smith's three goals are good to be tied for fourth in league scoring … Navy is 5-0-2 when Duncan Sullivan records a point, while the Mids are 3-1-3 when Gallucci tallies a point and 2-0-3 when Cawlfield registers a point … Navy is 2-1-1 when rookie Jack Illig records a point and 3-1-3 when Keane Brown gets a point … The win over Army marked the 50th collegiate victory for Navy head coach John Hackworth, tallying 47 wins at South Florida from 1998-2001 and three wins during his first season at Navy.
 
Clark Stepping Up
After Dylan Carmody went down with his injury in the second game of the season, Sam Clark stepped into the starting role and solidified the Mids' net while going 2-4-4 … Dating back to the Aug. 28 match against George Washington through the Sept. 12 game at Holy Cross, Clark had posted a shutout streak of 408:29 … Clark's three-straight shutouts from Aug. 31 to Sept. 8 were the most by a Navy netminder since Pierce Holbrook's three consecutive clean sheets from Sept. 19-30, 2023 … Clark's .776 save percentage and 1.20 goals against average sit third and fourth in the league, respectively … The .776 save percentage ranks 39th in the country.
 
Scouting the Opponent
The defending Patriot League Tournament champions, Lafayette enters Saturday with a 3-6-3 overall record and 2-1-2 league mark, posting a four-game unbeaten streak in league games after a league-opening loss to Bucknell … Following a 1-0 at Army two weeks ago and a 1-0 midweek loss to Temple, the Leopards' last game featured a 45th-minute goal by Samir Dishnica to tally a 1-0 home victory over Loyola, with Francisco Benbox making three saves for the shutout … Dishnica leads the team with five points, sharing the Leopards' goal-scoring lead with Lucas Gardeniers at two goals apiece … Griffin Feather has a team-best two assists while former All-Patriot League selection Roy Biegon has a team-high 19 shots … Three different goalkeepers have earned multiple starts, with Harrison Wolfrom pacing the team with eight starts while collecting a .765 save percentage.
 
Series History
The Mids lead the all-time series with the Leopards, 27-17-6 … Navy is undefeated in its last eight matchups with Lafayette and has won 11 of its last 14 meetings against the Leopards … Posting an 9-5-1 all-time record in Easton against the Leopards, Navy has a five-game winning streak over Lafayette at Gummeson Grounds … The series' last meeting in Easton saw a three-point effort from A.J. Schuetz and Wyatt Stevens score the game-winner, as Navy notched the 2-1 victory on Sept. 21, 2024 … Last season's battle in Annapolis saw first-half goals from Alex Galloway and Nick Gallucci along with Luke Parker's 90th-minute tally to help the Mids rally for a 3-3 draw against the Leopards on Oct. 18.
 
Up Next
Navy will come home to host Loyola next Saturday, Oct. 24 for Senior Night. Match time is set for 8:05 p.m. at Glenn Warner Soccer Facility.