ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Trailing by one early, the #5 Navy women's lacrosse team (8-0, 1-0 Patriot League) used a 9-0 run to take control of the game, opening Patriot League play with a 17-6 victory over Bucknell (4-3, 0-1 Patriot League) on Saturday afternoon at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. In addition to the conference opener, the game served as Senior Day for the Midshipmen. Prior to the game, the Mids recognized the senior class – Marina Bergin, Quinn Cramer, Maggie DeFabio, Anna Gotterup, Emma Kennedy, Morgan Lewis, Josie Mazzeo, Kat McAteer, Maura Murphy, Bella Paradiso, Avery Robertson, and Ava Yovino – for their efforts both on and off the field. Saturday's Senior Day contest was presented by First Command.
 
"Opening up Patriot League play at home and it is Senior Day, it is a very special day for Navy women's lacrosse," head coach Cindy Timchal said after the game. "We want to carry that into our games next week. It was our third game in a week, which can be rough. Hats off to Bucknell. They came in here and were matching us ball for ball early on. I am proud of the team for carrying us all the way through to get the running clock with the 10-goal lead. This is about the seniors and their leadership. To honor them and get them in the game was really special for us."
 
Nine different Midshipmen combined to score Navy's 17 goals in the game.
 
Alyssa Chung led the charge with a team-high four goals, while Kennedy and Mikayla Williams followed with three goals apiece. For Williams, the hat trick marked the junior's fifth consecutive game with three or more goals. McAteer recorded her first multi-goal performance of the season, finishing with a pair of scores. Rowan Kimmel, Taylor Miles, Natalie O'Neill, Paradiso, and Yovino closed out the scoring for Navy with one goal each. It was the fourth consecutive game for Paradiso to find the back of the net, while it was the first collegiate goal for Kimmel and the first score for O'Neill since April of last season against Lehigh.
 
Chung and McAteer led the team with two assists apiece with Caroline Gage, DeFabio, Kennedy, Paradiso, and Yovino each adding helpers.
 
Defensively, the Mids held their fourth opponent this season to single-digit goals. Felicia Giglio and Angelina Price combined for eight saves with just six goals allowed. Giglio earned the start at goal and registered seven saves in the game in 49 and a half minutes of action, while Price registered a stop in 10 and a half minutes at goal.
 
Navy caused eight of Bucknell's 19 turnovers on the day with eight different Midshipmen, including five seniors – Bergin, Kennedy, Murphy, Paradiso, and Yovino – recording takeaways. Yovino led the team with four ground balls with Lily Schmalz, Giglio, and McAteer picking up two apiece.
 
In the circle, Murphy won nine draw controls with fellow seniors Kennedy and Yovino earning four draw wins each.
 
For Bucknell, Katie Powers led the team with two goals. Kate Hearns paced the Bison with four ground balls with Anna Cornell causing a team-high three turnovers. Gigi Abernathy and Megan Krestinski won two draws apiece to lead the visitors. Bucknell used a pair of goalies – Bella Crowley and Julia Dembowitz. The duo combined for eight saves and 17 goals allowed.
 
Bucknell was the first team to score, finding the back of the net three and a half minutes into the game. Thirty seconds later, Kennedy knotted the score at one with her first goal of the game. The Bison regained the advantage, but Chung converted a free-position opportunity to tie the game at two. The visitors scored to regain a one-goal advantage, but back-to-back goals by Williams and Paradiso gave Navy its first lead of the afternoon, 4-3. The two goals sparked a 9-0 run by the Midshipmen that continued most of the way through the second quarter to give Navy control of the game.
 
In the second quarter, the run continued. Miles and Kennedy pushed the advantage to 6-3. McAteer notched her first goal of the game with Williams following with her second score of the half. Chung scored consecutive goals for the Midshipmen with Kennedy extending the advantage to 11-3 before Bucknell ended the run with a score.
 
Chung opened the third quarter with a goal to extend the margin back to eight, 12-4. The Bison used a goal to trim the margin to seven, but a 5-0 run that extended into the fourth quarter pushed the margin to 12 goals, 17-5. Williams and Yovino each scored to close out the third with McAteer, O'Neill, and Kimmel extending the lead in the fourth quarter. Bucknell scored a goal to provide the final margin, 17-6.
 
Up next, Navy continues its three-game homestand on Tuesday, March 17 as the Midshipmen host Arizona State at 4:00 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and WNAV with live stats available throughout the game.