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Navy women’s lacrosse put forth probably its poorest performance of the season when it met archrival Army on April 12 at West Point.Standout junior attacker Allison Reilly amassed eight points on the strength of six goals as Army built a big early lead and never looked back, beating Navy, 17-12. The Midshipmen were dominated in every facet, falling behind 7-0 in the first quarter and found themselves playing catch-up the rest of the way.
Navy is getting a shot at redemption in the form of a rematch with Army in the semifinals of the Patriot League Tournament at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Ridley Athletic Complex in Baltimore.
Navy coach Cindy Timchal and staff have been working overtime to find ways to reverse the regular season result.Timchal said it starts with being more aggressive and setting the tone from the outset.“We need to be a little hungrier.
Army came at us with fierce intensity and we have to match that,” Timchal said. “We have to focus on Navy and the things we do well. We have to build on the successes we’ve had and learn from coming up short at Army.
We have to go in with confidence and certainty about our game plan.”The Black Knights made a strong statement in the opening minute after losing the opening draw with junior attack Lily Valenti quickly causing a turnover to set up a goal by Gabrielle Mirak just 49 seconds in.That was just the beginning of an onslaught that saw Army dominate possession and finish its scoring opportunities at a very efficient rate.
The Black Knights scored those seven goals on 11 shots. Meanwhile, Navy only got off five shots and committed five turnovers in the first quarter.“Defensively, we stood on our heads and really pressured Navy into multiple turnovers.
Offensively, every time we got the ball we capitalized and scored in various ways,” Army coach Michelle Tumolo said of the decisive opening quarter.Timchal said ball security must be paramount in the rematch. “That was a real tough first quarter and it was difficult to recover,” she said.
Timchal was disappointed with the overall defensive performance and said the Midshipmen must “collectively” be much better on that end of the field this time around. Goalie Felicia Giglio made just three saves in the first game, but that was due in part to the high percentage shots the Black Knights were getting.Related ArticlesNavy women’s lacrosse attacker Alyssa Chung named Patriot League Rookie of the YearPoor shooting dooms Navy men’s lacrosse in Patriot League quarterfinal loss to LafayetteNavy linebacker Colin Ramos accepts invitation to Buccaneers rookie minicampNavy safety Rayuan Lane III drafted in 6th round by Jacksonville JaguarsNavy men’s lacrosse secures final berth in Patriot League TournamentThird-seeded Navy (13-5) routed Lehigh 19-2 in Sunday’s quarterfinal round, while second-seeded Army (13-2) received a bye.
Tumolo fully expects the Mids to come out with all guns blazing.“This is do or die to win a championship, so we need to be at our best on Thursday night,” Tumolo said. “We’re seeing a team that is our biggest rival and that we know really well for the second time.
Hopefully, we can play even better than we did in the first game because we know Navy is going to raise its game.”Army is led offensively by Reilly and do-it-all junior midfielder Brigid Duffy, both of whom were named first-team All-Patriot League. Reilly piled up 93 points on 55 goals and 38 assists, displaying an ability to finish herself and set up teammates.
Reilly holds the Army career record for assists (95) and is on the verge of breaking her own single-season mark for total points (95).“Allison is very versatile in that she can score and feed in so many different ways. She’s just a really dynamic, very intelligent offensive player who is extremely hard to guard,” Tumolo said.
Duffy is one of the finest two-way midfielders in the country and leads the Patriot League in goals, ground balls and caused turnovers per game. She has totaled 61 goals, 83 points, 93 draw controls, 44 ground balls and 31 caused turnovers.Duffy already holds the Army career records for goals (179), points (259) and draw controls (285), while her 2024 ground ball and caused turnover totals are single-season marks.
“Brigid is a super-strong, highly athletic player who makes an impact all over the field and in every area of the game. She is the most forceful player I’ve ever seen,” Tumolo said.Those two are not the only offensive weapons for Army, which is averaging almost 15 goals per game.
Mirak has scored 23 goals, while junior attack Chloe Garrett has posted 34 points. Sophomore midfielder Ryan Remaly (18 goals) and Valenti (17 goals) are also strong finishers.“They’ve proven all season that they can’t be shut down,” Timchal said.
“They’re very dynamic with a lot of incredible athletes and defensively we’ll have our hands full in limiting what they’re able to do. They are very tough to stop.”Army also has a pair of All-Patriot League performers on defense in juniors Meghan Pedrani and Sarah Chernik.
Junior goalkeeper Lindsey Serafine earned all-conference recognition after leading the Patriot League in save percentage (.467) and goals-against average (9.4).
Navy had six players named All-Patriot League led by freshman attacker Alyssa Chung, who tops the team with 56 goals and 68 points. The Severna Park High product was voted the Patriot League Rookie of the Year.Navy’s Emily Messinese ranks second on the team in points and is a first-team All-Patriot League selection.
(Paul W. Gillespie/Staff)Senior attacker Emily Messinese, sophomore midfielder Mikayla Williams and senior draw control specialist Alyssa Daley also earned first team laurels. Messinese (64 points) and Williams (56) rank second and third on the squad in scoring, while Daley led the league and ranked fourth nationally in draw controls per game.
Daley set the single-season school record with 194 draw controls and was one of the bright spots in the regular season game against Army. The Midshipmen won the draw control battle 21-12 and Tumolo says the Black Knights must be better in that department in the rematch.“There is no doubt the draws are going to be a big key because Alyssa Daley is so great inside the circle,” she said.
“We need to find a way to neutralize Daley.”Meanwhile, Timchal pointed out that Navy did not capitalize on its draw control advantage in the regular season meeting due to the turnovers and getting beat on ground balls.Top seeded Loyola Maryland (12-5) takes on No.
4 Holy Cross (10-7) in the first semifinal at 3 p.m. The 15th-ranked Greyhounds are seeking their ninth Patriot League Tournament title.
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PATRIOT LEAGUE SEMIFINALSNavy vs. ArmyAt Loyola MarylandThursday, 7 p.m.
Stream: ESPN+Radio 1430AM.
