ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The busiest week of action for the Navy women's soccer team in 2026 wrapped up with a perfect 3-0 mark over three games as the Mids (4-2-1) came from behind to defeat the Marist Red Foxes (0-5) by a score of 3-1 on Sunday afternoon. After falling behind early 1-0 in the 13th minute, the Mids rallied with three unanswered goals over a 35-minute span of play during the middle portion of the contest at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility.
Goal scorers for Navy included
Katia Katsari-Hoefer (So., Herndon, Va.) with the game-tying tally in the 40th minute and
Jessica Black (So., Cedaredge, Colo.) with the game-winning score coming out of halftime in the 52nd minute. The run of sophomores finding their way into the box score continued as
Faith Graziano (So., Middlebury, Conn.) added the Mids' insurance goal with free kick in the 75th minute.
"I don't think we stepped on the field ready to play together as a team today and we gave up an early goal," remarked head coach
Carin Gabarra. "Soccer doesn't always have to be pretty and today we just found ways to score goals. I'm really proud of that. I'm also proud of the team for the grit, persistence and the resilience they showed this afternoon. We played a lot of players today. When they came in, they lifted the game and had big moments for us.
"It's hard to play games on Thursday and Sunday so we knew the second day could be tough. We need to do a better job with possession and need to do a better job overall defensively."
As referenced by Gabarra, the Mids fell behind early in when Sophia Dorsey turned around a poor clearance and ripped a shot into the back of the net at 12:33.
Trailing 1-0, Navy began its comeback attempt almost immediately as
Emmalea Sidorsky (So., Ocoee, Fla.) and Black both tested Marist's goalkeeper Samantha Graf with shots on goal within eight minutes of that initial score, though unfortunately for the hosts both were saved.
Playing its third game in five days and second in three, the Mids looked to their bench for fresh legs and a new vision for its attack. Entering 10 new players between the 24th and 31st minutes of play, Navy nearly found its equalizer during this run of wholesale changes when
Sophia Ryan (Fr., Solon, Ohio) fed
Sona Gonzales (So., Henderson, Nev.) for a one-timer shot on goal that was denied at the goal line by Graf in the 31st minute.
The Mids' fresh outlook eventually paid off at 39:58 with a throw-in from
Sofia Grundy (Fr., Bethesda, Md.), a dribble into the box by Graziano and a one-touch shot into the corner of the net by Katsari-Hoefer resulted in the game-tying goal.
Junior goalkeeper
Natasha Stramrood (Cypress, Texas) was called upon just over two minutes later to preserve the 1-1 score with her first save of the game on an Ariana Mullin shot in the 42nd minute.
Coming out of the locker room with the momentum of Katsari-Hoefer's goal and Stramrood's save bolstering them, the Mids went up 2-1 at 51:23 when
Chiara Cosenza (Sr., Westfield, N.J.) played a lead pass up to Black, who did the rest as she held off multiple physical Marist challenges before slotting a shot into the goal.
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Strong play in the midfield and defensive thirds dictated play for the next 20 minutes as the teams combined for just three total shots, one on goal by the Red Foxes that was saved by Stramrood and a pair that were pushed off target by the Mids.
Navy was able to breath a bit easier in the 75th minute when Graziano increased the host team's lead to two goals. Drawing the foul on a dribble up the field, Graziano calmly stepped up to her free kick opportunity and curled her shot up around the wall and into the welcoming upper-90 quadrant of the goal at 74:17.
Stramrood's fourth and final save of the game in the 86th minute preserved the 3-1 victory and increased the Mids' current unbeaten streak for four games (3-0-1).
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For the game, Navy out-shot Marist, 11-9 with a 7-5 edge in shots on goal. In a losing effort, the Red Foxes held a 5-2 advantage in corner kick opportunities.
"We feel pretty good as a team and as a program right now," said Gabarra in closing. "However, we're not where we need to be and we know that. We don't have the consistency in our performance and consistency with some of the big things that we've been working on so that'll be a goal moving forward. It's a process and we're all committed to that process."
Navy will now take its talents on the road with five straight contests away from the friendly confines of the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility. First up, is a pair of games in Virginia next week with a 7 p.m. tilt at Radford on Thursday followed by a 1 p.m. matchup at VMI on Sunday.
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