WORCESTER, Mass. – The #4 Navy women's lacrosse team (10-0, 2-0 Patriot League) scored early and often, while the Midshipmen defense was stout en route to an 18-3 victory over Holy Cross (4-5, 2-1 Patriot League) on Saturday afternoon at Kuzniewski Field in Worcester, Mass. The Mids outscored the Crusaders 16-0 through the first two and a half quarters of play to cruise to the victory.
 
"We played Navy lacrosse today – tough, disciplined, and connected," head coach Cindy Timchal said after the game. "I loved how Emma and Ava and Meeks stepped up in big moments. However, what defined this win was our defense. Holding a team like Holy Cross to seven shots; that's pride in our preparation."
 
With the win, the Midshipmen improved to 10-0 on the season. It is the first time in program history that the Mids have opened the season with 10 consecutive victories.
 
Eight different players found the back of the net during the game, including five that score multiple goals. Senior team captain Emma Kennedy led the team with a career-high six goals, while Taylor Miles followed with three scores for her fourth hat trick of the season. Alyssa Chung, Caroline Gage, and Bella Paradiso followed with two goals apiece with Maggie DeFabio, Zoe Ryan, and Lily Schmalz added one apiece. For Gage and Paradiso, it was the first time in their careers that they notched multiple scores in a game, while it was the first collegiate goal for Ryan and Schmalz.
 
Mikayla Williams led the team with two assists, while Chung, Miles, Julia Frosch, and Anna Gotterup each added helpers. The assist by Frosch marked the freshman's first collegiate point.
 
Defensively, the Midshipmen held the potent Crusaders' offense to just three goals, two of which came on free-positions. The Navy defense held Holy Cross to just seven shots on the day, including just two in the first half.
 
Felicia Giglio earned the win at goal. The junior logged just over 50 minutes in the cage (50:09) with three saves and just two goals allowed. She kept the Holy Cross defense without a goal for the first 38 minutes of the game. Angelina Price entered the game in relief, working the final 10 minutes (9:51). She allowed a goal, while notching a save.
 
Additionally, Navy caused 11 of Holy Cross' 24 turnovers on the day. Jalin Jenkins led the team with two caused turnovers, while DeFabio, Gage, Giglio, Gotterup, Landen Cain, Tiana Griffin, Kat McAteer, Maura Murphy, and Ava Yovino each added takeaways.
 
Giglio led the team with five ground balls with Cain and Williams following with three apiece. McAteer and Yovino added two ground balls each with DeFabio, Frosch, Gage, Murphy, Jaclyn Johns, and Natalie O'Neill also picking up GBs.
 
Navy held a slight 12-to-10 advantage in the draw circle. Murphy led the team with eight draws with Yovino adding a pair. Johns and Kennedy also won draw controls for the Midshipmen.
 
For Holy Cross, Hadley Cepiel, Jenn Prince, and Tess Prunier combined to score the Crusaders' three goals. Annabel Brennan led the team with three caused turnovers, and was one of four HC players with two ground balls. Racheli Levy-Smith paced the home team with nine draw wins. Mackenzie Creagh and Emmy Cullinan split time at goal for the Crusaders. Creagh allowed 16 goals with six saves, while Cullinan surrendered a pair of goals with four stops.
 
Navy used a 16-0 run than spanned the first two and a half quarters of the game to take control and never looked back. Kennedy (6 goals), Miles (3), Chung (2), Gage (2), Paradiso (2), and DeFabio all scored during the run, while the defense held Holy Cross scoreless, limiting the Crusaders to just a pair of first-half shots that Giglio turned away. Holy Cross used a pair of free-position goals to end the Navy run, but Schmalz scored her first collegiate goal to push the margin back to 15. Following a Crusader goal, Ryan buried a pass from Frosch for both freshmen's first collegiate points to provide the final margin of 18-3.
 
Up next, Navy returns to Annapolis for a midweek Patriot League game against Lehigh on Wednesday, March 25 at 6:00 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and an audio-only portion of the contest will be available via WNAV. Additionally, live stats will be provided online.