The Navy women’s lacrosse team achieved an impressive victory over Monmouth in a game with its fair share of surprises. Despite a fire alarm, a two-hour delay, and a change of venue, the Midshipmen maintained their focus to win 15-9 against a strong Monmouth team.
Navy’s head coach, Cindy Timchal, praised her team’s unity and resilience after the eventful game, saying, “This was not an easy game, but they found a way to win.”
Navy’s offense put in a solid performance, scoring 15 goals and seven assists. Emily Messinese and Maggie DeFabio stood out, each registering a hat trick in the game. Messinese finished with four goals, while DeFabio contributed three for her first collegiate hat trick. Charlotte Ryan, Lola Leone, Lindsay Beardmore, Leelee Denton, Emma Kennedy, and Ava Yovino also got on the scoresheet with one goal apiece. Yovino played a key role, providing five of the Navy’s seven assists. Beardmore and Athena Corroon also contributed to the team’s success with one assist each.
Defensively, the Midshipmen picked up 18 ground balls and caused five turnovers, with Corroon and Megan Marengo leading the way with four ground balls apiece. Richardell put in a complete game in goal, picking up five saves and three ground balls.
Navy also dominated the draw control, winning 17 draws compared to Monmouth’s 11. Messinese stood out in this area, winning a team-high nine ground balls, while Maura Murphy recorded a season-best five draws.
Monmouth had a good fight, scoring nine goals and registering five assists. Carli Mangum and Cassidy Orban led the Hawks with two goals each, while Caroline Brennan provided two assists. Goalkeeper Gia Mitchell made eight saves and a ground ball.
In the first quarter, Monmouth started strongly with an early two-goal lead, but Navy responded with three consecutive scores, with Messinese and Ryan getting on the scoresheet to give the Midshipmen their first lead of the game. Monmouth tied the game three times over the next five minutes, but Beardmore and Yovino scored back-to-back goals to end the first quarter, giving Navy a 7-5 lead.
Early in the second quarter, Navy was whistled for a foul, setting up a free-position opportunity for Monmouth. However, the game was interrupted by a fire alarm, which resulted in a full stadium evacuation. After a two-hour delay, the teams were forced to relocate to Hesse Field, Monmouth’s soccer field. After the restart, the Midshipmen continued their strong performance, with goals by Denton and Leone to push the advantage to 9-5. Monmouth scored a goal, reducing the deficit to three at half-time.
In the third quarter, Monmouth scored the first goal, but Navy quickly responded with goals by Messinese and DeFabio to restore their four-goal lead. Monmouth scored again, heading into the final quarter of play with a three-goal deficit. Monmouth scored the first goal in the fourth quarter, but the Navy defense held firm, allowing no further goals while picking up four ground balls, five draws, and registering two saves. Leone, Kennedy, DeFabio, and Messinese all scored to provide extra insurance and secure the final 15-9 victory for Navy.
The Midshipmen will next face Villanova in a road game on February 25, streamed live on FloSports ($).