ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The regular season game of the year in the Patriot League awaits fans in the greater Philadelphia area on Friday afternoon as the top-two women's soccer teams in the conference go head-to-head at Subaru Park in Chester, Pennsylvania with the 2026 Star Match between Army and Navy. Two of the most historic and evenly-matched programs, the Black Knights (7-6, 4-0 PL) and Mids (10-4-1, 3-1 PL) are separated by just one game in the standings of the 2026 Patriot League and just two games in the all-time series as Navy has an 18-16-5 edge. Friday's neutral site contest that kicks off at 4 p.m. promises to bring the excitement and intensity to the professional pitch that is home to the MLS' Philadelphia Union. 

Friday's women's game is part of the Army-Navy Cup XV doubleheader that also features their male counterparts battling it out for service academy supremacy at 7 p.m. Both soccer games at Subaru Park are part of the annual Army-Navy Series presented by USAA. In total, three Stars will be on the line on Friday with volleyball matching up at West Point starting at 7 p.m.

The Navy-Army contest will have live stats provided online, as well as an accompanying ESPN+ broadcast. 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. Army
Friday will be the 40th meeting between the two schools in a series that began in Navy's second year of varsity existence in 1994 ... Over the first 39 matchups, Navy is 18-16-5 versus Army ... Starting on Sept. 20, 1994 and going through Nov. 8, 1997, Army took the first five games of the series ... Games six through 11 went the way of Mids from Oct. 30, 1998 through Oct. 26, 2001 ... After Navy won three straight between 2019 and 2021, Army took four straight over the Mids including three Star contests ... The first-ever Star Game at a neutral site in 2025 ended in a 2-2 draw at Subaru Park, home of the MLS' Philadelphia Union ... All-time, Navy has outscored Army, 47-39 ... The teams have met four times at neutral sites; (three times at Colgate as part of the Patriot League Tournament) with Army holding a 2-1-1 edge ... In dedicated Star matchups, Navy is 15-11-5 over Army.

Last Five Matchups
In the previous five meetings dating back to 2022, the Black Knights hold a 4-0-1 advantage and have outscored the Mids, 11-3
    Oct. 10, 2025 (N): Navy 2 - Army 2 ~Subaru Park, Chester, Pa.
    Nov. 3, 2024 (A): Army 1 - Navy 0 **PLT-Quarterfinals
    Oct. 19, 2024 (A): Army 4 - Navy 0 
    Oct. 14, 2023 (H): Army 2 - Navy 1
    Oct. 15, 2022 (A): Army 2 - Navy 0


Most Recent Navy-Army Matchup: Oct. 10, 2025 at Subaru Park, Chester, Pa.
The first-ever Army-Navy Cup played at Subaru Park will go down as one of the most memorable for the two rivalry service academies as over 6,000 fans in attendance at the MLS stadium were treated to hard fought 2-2 contest on Friday. The Mids (8-5-2, 1-2-2 PL) jumped out to a 2-0 lead by the 48th minute before the Black Knights (8-4-2, 2-2-1 PL) rallied late with a pair of goals in the final 26 minutes. Friday's game was the second of 26 meetings this academic year between the rivalry service academies as part of the Army-Navy Series presented by USAA.

Navy's senior class starred in Friday's action as Mimi Abusham registered the Mids' first goal as she put home a lead pass from Marlee Heaven in the 36th minute before Heaven scored herself in the 48th when she converted a penalty kick.earning seven versus five for the visitors.

The passion was on display early at Subaru Park as the ball was moving up-and-down the pitch with each of the respective goalies being tested over the opening 14 minutes. Natasha Stramrood was up to the task for the Mids with one save during that span and a second coming in the 23rd minute.

Coming in fresh off the bench, Abusham made sure she'd make an impact in her final Star Match as just over 12 minutes after she checked in, she put her squad up 1-0 with second goal of 2025. The scoring opportunity began when Heaven headed a punt from Army's goalkeeper Karalyn Dail directly back toward the Black Knights' goal where Abusham rushed up on the ball and easily maneuvered around one defender and ripped a low line drive into the net at 35:21.

Coming out of the locker room up 1-0, Navy doubled its lead within minutes as Heaven was fouled as she dribbled into the 18-yard box, drawing a penalty kick opportunity. The sharp-shooting senior calmly deposited her penalty kick into the left-side netting to put the Mids up 2-0 at 47:35.

The Black Knights didn't allow that margin to last long as less than seven minutes later at 54:21, Grace Pohlidal deflected home a loose ball following a free kick into the box.

Army continued to hunt for that game-tying goal as the Black Knights recorded 10 of the next 12 shots. Unfortunately for the Mids, that 12th shot ended up being another goal off the foot of Pohlidal at 84:13.

That score stood up for the final 5:47 of play and the 31st Army-Navy Star Match went final 2-2. In dedicated Star matchups, the series leans towards Navy, 15-11-5 all-time.

For the game, Army out-shot Navy, 22-11 with a much smaller 6-5 margin for shots on goal to the Black Knights. Stramrood finished with four saves.
 

Comparing the Teams

2026 Stats	Navy	Army
Record / League	10-4-1 / 3-1-0	7-6-0 / 4-0-0
Home / Away	6-2-0 / 4-2-1	5-3-0 / 2-3-0
Goals/Gm	2.27	1.62
Assists/Gm	1.87	1.08
Shots/Gm	15.9	10.8
Goals Against Average	1.07	1.62
GK Saves/Gm	4.07	4.85
Common Opponents	Air Force - L, 0-4 Lehigh - W, 3-1 Boston U. - L, 1-2 Colgate - W, 3-1	Air Force - L, 1-4 Lehigh - W, 2-0 Boston U. - W, 2-0 Colgate - W, 3-0

Individual Leaders

	Navy	Army
Goals	Black, 5	McWhinney, 7
Assists	Black, 5	Henry/Rowe, 3
Points	Black, 15	McWhinney, 14
Shots	Cosenza, 35	Conti, 22
GK Saves	Stramrood, 58	Dail, 63

Last Time Out: Saturday, October 3 vs. Holy Cross
Climbing up the Patriot League standings game-by-game, the Navy women's soccer team ascended to second place on Saturday on the strength of a 3-1 come-from-behind victory over Holy Cross. Winners of three straight contests, the Mids (10-4-1, 3-1 PL) overcame a goal by the Crusaders (5-5-2, 1-2-1 PL) in the 26th minute with three unanswered markers over a span of 17 minutes between 43:56 and 59:58 to flip the scoreboard and seal the win in an extremely physical contest at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility.

Navy's goal scoring began with a Helen Bonner tally near the end of the first half before Chiara Cosenza and Jessica Black completed the comeback with second half scores within 121 seconds of each other. In goal, Natasha Stramrood was a standout for the Mids as she tied her career high with eight saves.

The visitors from Worcester controlled the action out of the gates on Saturday as only 2:33 into the contest, Abigail Cushing juked around Stramrood and took aim at the wide-open net before Ali Barrow was there to make the team save and deny the no-doubt goal. The Crusaders continued making in-roads into the Mids' defensive third as they ultimately recorded the first six shots of the game over a span of the initial 29 minutes. Unfortunately for the Navy fans at Glenn Warner on Saturday, the fifth shot, a header by Ava Graham off an Adi Botet cross found the back of the net at 25:45 to give Holy Cross a 1-0 lead.

Still struggling to find their offensive footing, the Mids' first and only shot on goal of the first half was golden for the hosts as Bonner picked up a bouncing loose ball deep in box and lofted it over the goalkeeper to draw her squad even, 1-1 at 43:56.

In the first half, the shots were 8-2 in favor of Holy Cross with a 3-1 edge in shots on goal.

The Crusaders quickly increased that statistical advantage with a quintet of shots, including four on goal within the first seven-and-a-half minutes of the second half. Stramrood was extremely active and locked in during this run as she was constantly under pressure and up to the task with four saves.

Invigorated by the play of their goalkeeper, the Mids made it count as once again their first shot on goal of the period paid dividends. Tightly marking a Holy Cross defender, who was trying to play the ball out of her end, Cosenza dispossessed her and dribbled in unabated towards the goal before unleashing a shot into the upper right 90 from 20-plus yards away at 57:57.

Ahead 2-1, the Mids nearly saw its lead disappear in a matter of seconds as an attempt on goal by the Crusaders' Abigail Cushing had eyes for the top corner before Stramrood leapt off her line to make an athletic denial.

The breakneck back-and-forth action continued as less than a minute after that save, Navy had flipped the field and turned a potential 2-2 score into a 3-1 margin as Sophia Ryan and Black worked a two-player game into the box before Ryan was tackled while in the process of taking a shot, but the loose ball made its way to foot of Black, who didn't hesitate and immediately slotted a shot into the low corner of the goal mouth at 59:58.

The final 30 minutes saw Navy's defense smother Holy Cross' offense to the tune of just three total shots with two making their way on goal. Stramrood was up to the task in both of those situations and made that 3-1 lead hold up as time expired.

For the game, Holy Cross out-shot Navy, 18-8 with a 10-4 advantage in shots on goal. The Crusaders also recorded seven more corner kick opportunities with a final margin of 8-1 on Saturday.