TAMPA, Fla. – The #5/5 Navy women's lacrosse team (6-0) posted a 19-8 road victory over South Florida (4-2) on Saturday afternoon at Corbett Stadium in Tampa, Fla. The Midshipmen played complimentary lacrosse as the offense saw nine players combine for a season-high 19 goals, while the defense held its third opponent of the season to single-digit goals.
 
"Proud of our team today," head coach Cindy Timchal said after the game. "Great fight and speed on the road. Outstanding defense. Felicia stepped up big in the cage; Ava played at an elite level back home in Florida; and co-captain Emma Kennedy made the decisive plays."
 
"We wanted to come out hard and fast," senior team captain Emma Kennedy said after the game. "We still have that underdog mentality. We never let the rankings get to our heads. The knew heat was going to be a factor, so we wanted to use the clock to our advantage. We wanted to get ahead and then possess the ball. I think we were able to do that today. We played a calm, clean game of lacrosse. I couldn't be prouder of this team."
 
Kennedy led a group of nine Midshipmen that found the back of the net in the game. The senior notched her first hat trick of the season and the ninth of her career, tying a career-best with five goals. She was joined by Taylor Miles and Mikayla Williams, who each added five points. The duo matched one another with three goals and two assists each. It was the third consecutive game for Williams with a hat trick, while it was also Miles' third of the year. Maggie DeFabio and Ava Yovino added two scores apiece with Alyssa Chung, Caroline Gage, Anna Gotterup, and Bella Paradiso contributing goals. Yovino joined Miles and Williams with two assists with Chung and Kat McAteer also being credited with assists.
 
Defensively, the Mids held its third opponent this season to single-digit goals. Navy caused 10 of South Florida's 14 turnovers on the day. DeFabio and Jaclyn Johns led the way with two takeaways each with Chung, Miles, Williams, Yovino, Lily Schmalz, and Tiana Griffin each causing turnovers. The Mids picked up 18 ground balls with Felicia Giglio leading the way with four GB. Johns added three with DeFabio and Gage following with two apiece.
 
Giglio earned the win in the cage, working 54:45 minutes. The junior notched six saves to go along with her four ground balls. Angelina Price entered the game in relief, working the final 5:15. The freshman recorded a save, giving the rookie four stops on the year.
 
In the circle, held a slight 15-13 edge in the draw controls. Yovino led the charge with six draw wins, while Maura Murphy finished with five draws. Cain and Julia Frosch rounded out the draw wins for the Mids.
 
For South Florida, Kaitlyn Tartaglione and Ava Uphues led the Bulls with two goals apiece. Maggie Newton recorded both of USF's assists. Kali Cleary led South Florida with four draw control wins. The Bulls used a pair of goalies – Natalie Eastwood and Hailey Darko. Eastwood worked a majority of the game (48:53), allowing 14 goals and notching nine saves, while Darko did not register a save with five goals allowed in 11 minutes of action.
 
In the first quarter, the Midshipmen took a quick 2-0 lead. Just under one minute into the game, DeFabio buried a pass from Miles into the back of the net to put the Mids up one. Eighteen (18) seconds later, Kennedy called her own number, driving to the cage and putting Navy in front by two. South Florida countered with a goal, but Navy closed out the first period on a 3-0 run. Miles opened the run with a goal with Yovino adding her first score of the game. Kennedy put the Mids in front 5-1 though the first period with her second score of the game.
 
The Bulls opened the scoring with a goal to start the second quarter. The Midshipmen responded with a 4-0 run to push the advantage to seven. Paradiso began the run with her second score in as many games. Williams followed with back-to-back scores to push the lead to 8-2. Chung notched her first goal of the game with a behind-the-back score to extend the margin to 9-2. Following a USF goal, team captains Yovino and Kennedy closed out the half with consecutive scores. The goal for Kennedy gave the senior her first hat trick of the season and the ninth of her Navy career.
 
Miles opened up the scoring in the third quarter, converting a free-position opportunity. Following a South Florida goal, Williams completed her hat trick with an unassisted score. The Bulls scored to close the gap to 13-5, but the Midshipmen rattled off a 4-0 run to close out the quarter. During the run, Miles scored her second 8-meter goal of the quarter. DeFabio buried a pass from Yovino into the back of the net to give the Mids a 10-goal lead and start the running clock. Kennedy recorded her fourth goal of the game with Gage scoring her first collegiate free-position goal to push the advantage to 17-5.
 
USF started the fourth quarter with a goal, but Kennedy countered with her fifth score of the game. It was the fourth time in her career that she scored five goals in a game and the first since notching five goals against #19 Army in the 2025 Patriot League Tournament. Gotterup scored a goal, marking the second consecutive game with a goal to extend the advantage to 19-6. South Florida recorded the final two goals of the game to provide the final margin of 19-8.
 
Up next, Navy starts a three-game homestand on Tuesday, March 10 as the Midshipmen play host to Jacksonville at 2:00 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and WNAV with live stats available throughout the game.