ANNAPOLIS, Md. – A dominating performance on both sides of the ball helped lead the Navy women’s soccer team (11-3-5, 6-1-2 PL) to defeat Army (7-8-3, 4-2-3 PL), 3-0 on Friday in the annual Star match at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility. Navy’s 3-0 victory over Army was the second largest win in the 26-match history.

“It was a great way to end our regular season with a solid performance against our archrivals (Army) on senior night,” Navy head coach Carin Gabarra said.

Navy held advantages in almost every statistical category over Army, in shots, 23-5, shots on goal, 12-1 while the Black Knights edged Navy in corners, 5-4. Navy goalkeeper Dayton Wetherby (Wesley Chapel, Fla.) played a strong game in net, denying the lone shot on net and helped punch away three of the five corners that came her way. Army’s Jordan Cassalia, the Patriot League’s leader in saves, recorded eight saves on 11 chances in the loss.

Navy opened the flood gates in the 26^th minute to grab an early 1-0. Army looked to begin its clear attempt but misplayed the ball inside the 18 and was loose at the far post. Senior forward Caprice Kelty (Odenton, Md.) sprinted towards the ball and finished to the far post for her third goal of the season.

The Mids again capitalized in the 37^th minute from a failed clear from Army’s backline. Following a Black Knight defender’s attempt to clear the ball out of the defensive third, senior midfielder Rachel Hunter (Raleigh, N.C.) intercepted the ball and dished it over to teammate Clare MacAdam (Palmyra, N.J.) to the top of the 18. MacAdam deked out one defender and launched it past Cassalia for her sixth goal of the year.

Taking its momentum into the second half, Navy wasted very little time for its third and final goal in the 51^st minute. With Navy on the attack, Army looked to kick the ball to the sidelines but senior forward Morgan Dankanich (Glenmoore, Pa.) was able to redirect the pass inside the 18. With a loose ball inside the 18, freshman midfielder Meghan Hegarty (Richmond, Va.) gained possession, took two touches and sent a hard shot to the upper 90 for her third goal of the season.

“We had the fight and energy tonight to finish off the opportunities that were given to us but more importantly we were able to do something smart with the ball,” Gabarra said. “Combining our fight and our energy with the composure that we had with the ball was a great recipe for success.”

Navy improved its Star match record over Army to 11-8-2 overall and increased its all-time lead over its archrival to 13-11-2. Navy extended its unbeaten streak to ten matches. During its ten-match unbeaten streak, Navy has outscored its opponents, 24-3 and has recorded seven shutouts.

Navy finished the Patriot League regular season with 20 points and a 6-1-2 record, which places them first at the moment. Colgate stands at 19 points (6-1-1) and Boston University at 17 points (5-1-2) with one game remaining. Both the Raiders and the Terriers will wrap up the regular season on Saturday to determine playoff positioning in the league tournament.

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