The Navy women?s soccer team has received a lot of national attention after getting off to a school-record 18-0 start.
The Midshipmen are currently ranked 14th nationally, are in first place and have clinched a berth in the Patriot League tournament, and own the longest winning streak in the nation. Still, Navy has its doubters, but it has a shot to prove them wrong by knocking off ninth-ranked Penn State tonight at 7 p.m. at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility in Annapolis.
Penn State (12-3-3) just wrapped up their ninth consecutive Big Ten regular-season title with a 2-1 win over Northwestern Sunday. The Nittany Lions, whose losses are all against nationally ranked teams, have a balanced attack at both ends of the field. Defensively, freshman goalie Alyssa Naeher has given up 16 goals in 17 games while stopping 66 shots. Junior forward Aubrey Aden-Buie paces the offense with nine goals and two assists.
But Navy boasts a deep and balanced squad, one that has seen 20 different players tally at least one goal or an assist. Also, Navy has outscored its opposition, 65-3, while setting team records in goals, assists (76) and shutouts (15), including nine in a row entering this week.
Senior forward Meggie Curran leads Navy with 11 goals and 14 assists. Sophomore goalie Lizzy Barnes has a .069 goals-against average and a .981 save percentage.
“This year has been fun, and I just want us to keep getting better game after game,” said Navy coach Carin Gabarra, who is 169-82-17 in 14 seasons at the helm. “Our attacks on offense have come all over the field, and that has been exciting. Also, defense has always been a cornerstone of this program, and our back four has been outstanding this year.”
A win by the Midshipmen tonight would mean a number of different things. Along with getting revenge against the team that beat them three straight years, including in the 2003 NCAA tournament, Navy could also greatly improve its chances of earning an at-large NCAA bid in case it fails to qualify automatically by losing in the Patriot League tournament.
“Beating Penn State would mean a lot to our program,” Gabarra said. “A win would help validate what we’ve done all year. I want to give our players games to remember, and this could be one of those games. It’s important that we do well here so other teams know where we stand.”
