ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Despite a slow first half, the Navy women’s soccer team (6-3-3, 2-1 Patriot League) put on a dominating second-half performance to defeat American (3-8, 0-3 PL), 4-1 on Wednesday at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility. Following tonight’s four-goal performance, Navy has tallied 11 goals during its three-game homestand.

“I don’t think we had a lack of effort but American had a lot of fight, kept us off balance and we were not executing the way we should be,” Navy head coach Carin Gabarra said on the Mids’ slow first-half start. “We talked about the fact that we needed to continue the fight, move the ball forward and connect on our passes in order to get back into the game.”

Navy continued its solid play at home against American, holding advantages in shots, 31-4, shots on net, 15-2 and corner kicks, 9-4. Navy has held its last three opponents to a combined six shots on net.

Down 1-0 at the half, Navy came out of the gates firing on all cylinders and did not look back. Off of the first corner kick of the second half for Navy, junior defender Lexi Ricketts (The Woodlands, Texas) picked up the loose ball inside the six-yard box and sent in the equalizer past American goalie Charlene Belanger in the 56^th minute.

Two minutes later, Navy freshman forward Meghan Hegarty (Richmond, Va.) began the give-and-go, inside the 18, with freshman forward Clare MacAdam (Palmyra, N.J.) for her first collegiate goal and the eventual game winner.

“I was able to work with Clare inside the six where I sent the ball to her, she fed it back and I was able to slip the ball underneath the goalkeeper,” Hegarty said on her first collegiate goal.

Navy did not stop there as Julie Schumacher (Sr., Plantation, Fla.) and Jade Seabrook (Sr., St. Paris, Ohio) teamed up to extend the Mids lead to two, 3-1 in the 77^th minute. Schumacher, from 35 yards out, sent the free kick inside the 18 where Seabrook was placed perfectly to flick her shot past Belanger for Navy’s third goal.

Navy capped off the night in the 82^nd minute with its fourth and final goal. Off the ninth corner kick of the game, Seabrook grabbed the loose ball at the top of the 18 and sent it back towards midfield where sophomore midfielder Courtney Hook (Midlothian, Va.) rushed to the ball and served a great pass into the middle of the 18. With the pass crossing in front of the six-yard box, senior forward Caprice Kelty (Odenton, Md.) dashed in front of the pass and headed it into the net for her first goal of the season.

American was able to find the net in the 37^th minute to grab the early 1-0 lead. The Eagles Hayley Mullins dribbled down the right side of the field and served a pass into the 18. Mullins’ pass was bounced around between two Navy defenders until American’s Michaela Garcia grabbed possession of the ball and beat Navy goalkeeper Dayton Wetherby (Wesley Chapel, Fla.).

Wetherby started and played for 83:20, recording one save on two chances and teammate Taygan Grundy (Fremont, Calif.) finished the final 6:40 by not allowing a goal. Belanger earned the loss for the Eagles, allowing four goals on 15 shots.

Navy will take its three-match winning streak into its Patriot League matchup against Colgate on Friday in Hamilton, N.Y. The match is slated for 7 p.m. and can be seen live and for free on PatriotLeague.TV.

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