ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The #7 / #5 Navy women's lacrosse team (16-1, 8-1 Patriot League) posted an 18-5 victory over American (4-12, 3-6 Patriot League) in the regular season finale at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on Wednesday night. With the win, the Midshipmen claimed a share of the Patriot League Regular Season Title and earned the No. 1 overall seed in the upcoming conference tournament.
 
"This is a very special moment for Navy women's lacrosse," head coach Cindy Timchal said of earning the top seed in the Patriot League Tournament. "It means everything to be able to host. The pride that we have within Navy women's lacrosse. The work that we have put in, I am so proud of this team. Everyone made a difference – the top performers, the starters, the scout team. We are so appreciative of everyone that helped make this happen – from our players and coaches to Mr. Michael Kelly, our sports admin Scott Strasemeier, as well, our athletic trainer Rachel St. Pierre, our strength coach Jake Potthoff, our SID Chris Whitehead, our equipment manager Tayia Ferguson, and our wonderful fans. This is a culmination of hard work and dedication and we have more to come. We are excited about the future."
 
It was the third time in program history that the Midshipmen earned the No. 1overall seed in the Patriot League Tournament (2012, '13, '26) and the first time since 2013.


 
The Mids finished the game with 18 goals with nine different players finding the back of the net. Four players recorded multiple scores with a pair of hat tricks on the day. Alyssa Chung led all scorers with six goals, while Taylor Miles chipped in three goals for a hat trick. Seniors Emma Kennedy and Bella Paradiso followed with two scores apiece with Maggie DeFabio, Julia Frosch, Sophia Neitzell, Mikayla Williams, and Ava Yovino rounding out the goal scorers. Yovino finished with a team-high four assists while Chloe Brown, Anna Gotterup, and DeFabio were each credited with helpers.
 
The Navy defense held its 11th opponent of the season to single-digits. The Midshipmen have held eight Patriot League opponents to single-digit goals, including five straight conference games holding the opponent to under 10 goals.
 
The Midshipmen caused eight of the Eagles' 12 turnovers in the game. Yovino led the team with three takeaways, while DeFabio added a pair. Caroline Gage, Jordan Strang, and Miles also registered caused turnovers. DeFabio paced the team with five ground balls with Chung and Yovino added three apiece. Felicia Giglio, Jalin Jenkins, Kat McAteer, Angelina Price, Gotterup, Miles, and Paradiso also added ground balls.
 
Giglio earned the win, working 53 minutes in the cage. The junior allowed four goals while notching seven saves, including stops on a pair of free-position attempts. Price took over in goal for the final seven minutes, recording a save and allowing a goal, while picking up a ground ball.
 
Navy won 17 of the 23 draws in the game. Maura Murphy led the team with eight draw wins with Yovino adding five and Chung claiming four draw wins.
 
For American, Annabelle Jackson led the team with two of the teams' five goals. Samantha Buonaccorsi caused a team-high two turnovers, while Izzy Masengarb picked up a team-best three ground balls and Nickie Prendergast won three draw controls. Brooke Hill worked a complete game at goal, allowing 18 goals with 11 saves to her credit.
 
American was the first team to score, finding the back of the net just 71 seconds into the game. Chung scored her first goal of the evening to knot the game at 1-1 with Miles giving the Midshipmen a lead with her first score of the game.
 
In the second quarter, Navy used back-to-back goals by Yovino and Chung to extend the advantage to 4-1. Following an Eagle goal, Chung and Kennedy both found the back of the net to push the lead to four at 6-2. American trimmed the margin to three just before halftime with a goal.
 
The Midshipmen took control of the game in the third quarter. The Mids outscored the Eagles, 7-0, in the frame to extend the advantage to 10 and start the running clock. Miles opened the third-quarter scoring with Williams following with a goal. Chung scored her fourth goal of the night, while Paradiso followed with back-to-back scores. DeFabio and Kennedy both scored to put Navy in front, 13-3, through three quarters.
 
Miles extended the advantage to 11 with her third goal of the game. American was able to briefly stop the run with a goal, but Navy responded with four straight goals by Chung (2x), Neitzell, and Frosch. The Eagles scored with 20 ticks remaining on the clock to provide the final margin of 18-5.
 
Navy will host the semifinals of the Patriot League Tournament on Thursday, April 30 against a yet-to-be-determined opponent. The game, which will be played at 3:00 p.m., will be aired on ESPN+ with an audio only broadcast on WNAV. Additionally, live stats will be available throughout the game.