The No. 23 Navy women’s lacrosse team used a total team effort to post a 17-8 victory over American on Wednesday afternoon at the Jacobs Recreational Complex. The defense tied a season-high with 15 caused turnovers, while the offense posted the third most goals of the season in the win.
“Our commitment today was to play for each other,” head coach Cindy Timchal said after the game. “Coming off of the BU loss, we wanted to come together and rise to the occasion.”
The Midshipmen’s defense wreaked havoc on the Eagles offense throughout the game. The Mids finished with a season-high 15 caused turnovers, tying its previous best this season originally set in a 17-6 victory over Lafayette. Thirteen different Midshipmen caused turnovers with team captains Athena Corroon and Charlotte Ryan leading the charge with two CT apiece.
Nine different players found the back of the net during the game for Navy with four notching multiple scores. Emily Messinese led the way with four goals, marking the fifth hat trick of the year for the sophomore. Lindsay Beardmore and Maggie DeFabio registered hat tricks in the game with three score apiece, while Tori DiCarlo finished with a pair of goals.
Navy won 21 of 28 draw controls on the day to help control possession. Alyssa Daley led the charge for the Mids, winning 12 draws, while Ava Yovino finished with five and Messinese added three.
For American, Kellie Linehan led the Eagles with three goals and an assist for four total points. Hannah Spease added two goals, while Reagan Murdoch added a team-best two assists.
Navy was the first team to score, scratching the scoreboard with a Yovino goal in the first quarter. Messinese followed to put the visitors in front 2-0. After an American goal, Corroon became the first Navy defender of the season to score a goal, burying a Thornburg pass in the back of the net on a breakaway. AU closed the gap to one, but Lola Leone closed out the first quarter with a goal to put the Midshipmen in front 4-2.
The Mids took control of the game in the second quarter, scoring the first seven goals of the period to push the advantage to 11-2. Messinese opened the second-quarter run with back-to-back scores to complete her first-half hat trick. DeFabio registered her sixth hat trick of the season, rattling off three consecutive goals for the Mids. Thornburg and DiCarlo dented the net to put Navy in front by nine.
In the second half, American used two quick goals to close the gap to six, but a 5-0 run by Navy gave the Mids a double-digit advantage. Beardmore scored three straight goals for her first hat trick of the season to begin the run. DiCarlo added her second score and Messinese buried her fourth goal in the back of the net to push the Navy advantage to 16-5 through three quarters.
Navy continues Patriot League play at home with a game against Holy Cross on Saturday, April 15 at 12:00 p.m. at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. The game against the Crusaders will be Senior Day for the Midshipmen. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+. Saturday’s game is part of a doubleheader with the Navy men’s lacrosse team (vs. Lafayette – 3:30 p.m.).