ANNAPOLIS, Maryland. – The Navy women’s soccer team begins its 32nd collegiate season this Thursday night with the first of two consecutive road games in the state of Texas. First up in 2024, the Mids (’23: 9-7-3) will play in San Antonio against the UTSA Roadrunners (’23: 7-7-4) at the Park West Athletics Complex at 8 p.m. ET before heading east on I-10 to Houston to face the Rice Owls (’23: 3-13-2) at Holloway Field on Sunday afternoon. Kickoff between Navy and Rice is scheduled for noon ET. The Texas game will be a homecoming for a quintet of native Texans; seniors Alexa puzzle And Rylee Rivesand freshmen Lizzie Emerson, Natasha Stramrood And Ande Swan. This two-game road trip will be followed by four consecutive home games at the Mids’ Glenn Warner Soccer Facility, beginning on Thursday, August 22 against Sacred Heart.

All of this week’s women’s soccer matches will be streamed online in live stats as well as on ESPN+. ESPN+ is a subscription-based streaming service that requires customers to sign up for monthly or annual plans before they can watch the competition.

Navy vs. UTSA | Navy vs. Rice | Navy vs. American Athletic Conference
This week’s matchups are two firsts, as the Mids have never faced the Roadrunners or Owls directly on the field… Navy has a brief history overall against teams from the Lone Star State, playing six total games and compiling a 2-4 overall record: Texas A&M (0-1 overall; 9/10/99, 6-0 L)… Houston (1-0; 9/12/99, 4-0 S)… Texas (0-1; 9/3/10, 5-1 L)… Texas State (1-1; 9/5/10, 3-2 2ot N and 8/26/11, 3-0 S)… TCU (0-1; 8/21/16, 1-0 2ot N)… The Mids’ first-ever appearance in Texas came in 1999 in the Aggieland Classic at Texas A&M; They lost to the Aggies and won over the Houston Cougars in the event, 1-1… It took 11 years for Navy to return to Texas with a two-game road trip to Central Texas, first with an appearance at UT Austin, followed by a contest at Texas State… Navy’s last meetings with Texas teams were at home against Texas State and TCU… This weekend will be the fifth and sixth meetings ever in the Lone Star State and the first since Sept. 5, 2010.

Returning executives

Season outlook:
The large graduating class of 2023 offers new faces numerous opportunities to get involved

After a 2023 season that saw the Navy women’s soccer team finish just one point shy of the Patriot League tournament, the Mids look to get back into title contention this season with their 13th tournament appearance in 14 years. The Naval Academy’s graduation ceremony last May marked the end of eight players’ time in Annapolis, opening the door for numerous returning players and newcomers who can step up into key roles in 2024. In total, nearly 30% of the Mids’ goal, assist and shot production have graduated, with the departure of Jenna Daunt (M), Sophie Ewing (F), Kat Healey (F) and Katie Herrmann (M). The Mids defense also suffered a significant blow due to the graduation of the starters Kassidy Borden (D), Chloe Dawson (DM), Kieffer Williamson (D) and Mattie Gallagher (GK). Gallagher’s record-setting career ended with the second-most saves in program history and 16 solo shutouts.

A look at 2024
A talented quintet of seniors should lead Navy’s leadership and production, at least initially, as eight freshmen make their collegiate debuts and seven sophomores return seeking their first significant playing time. The Mids’ senior class is led by team captain Tatum Kellywho returns for her fourth season as a defender in the starting lineup. Other 1/C starters include Alexa puzzle (F), Amanda Graziano (M) and Rylee Rives (M). Emma Frommelt (M) will bolster Navy’s efforts with three seasons of experience as one of the program’s most sought-after options off the bench.

Breakdown by positions

Forward
Any team led by a head coach Carin Gabarra will undoubtedly have an aggressive attacking strategy that offers depth in addition to the many dangerous forwards. The 2024 Navy women’s soccer team is no exception, with nine players listed as part of the forward group. Alexa puzzlethree-time All-Patriot League honoree, headlines this group, which looks to build on its outstanding career stats of 14 goals and 8 assists in 54 games. The junior forward class consists of the talented trio of Mimi Abusham, Marlee Heaven And Isabella Romano. Heaven took a big step forward in 2023 when she played over 1,000 minutes and had four goals and an assist in 17 starts. Abusham and Romano were popular options off the bench when the Mids needed to change their attack and look, as Abusham played in all 19 games and had three goals and an assist in 669 minutes, while Romano appeared in 16 games and put the ball in the back of the net four times in 521 minutes and had an assist on four more goals. Navy will expect a similar development from this year’s sophomore class as Chiara Cosenza, Hannah Mulholland And Madison Whitworth have one year of college experience under their belts. Cosenza appeared in brief spurts in her 16-game debut season and showed a knack for scoring goals, scoring four goals and adding two assists in 294 minutes of play. Mulholland also made 16 appearances as a freshman, making her mark with a goal and two assists, while Whitworth scored a goal and an assist in limited playing time in her rookie season. Kayana Adlam And Emily Clay are freshmen in the program in 2024. After a standout career as a youth forward that included stints in the Jamaica U-20 youth national team training camp, Adlam’s talent could earn her playing time in a variety of positions as the Navy coaching staff looks to utilize her. Clay is unlikely to make an impact on the field this season, as she was sidelined with an offseason injury during the team’s preparation for 2024.

Midfielder
The Mids senior class will make its biggest mark in the midfield this season, with a trio of 1/C in the midfield. After playing up front as a game-winning striker in her first three seasons, Amanda Graziano will move to center as Navy looks to utilize her vision and nimble passing over more of the court. In her first three seasons with the Mids, she was a leading playmaker with 13 assists and seven goals in 57 career games. Rylee Rives is the only returning starter from Navy’s midfield lineup for 2023. A veteran and active athlete, Rives broke out last season, starting 17 times and scoring two goals in 1,289 minutes of play. He is a vocal leader on and off the field. Emma Frommelt will continue to provide the team and midfield with excellence when needed. In her first three seasons with Navy, she has played in 26 games and scored two goals, including a game-winning goal in 2021. Juniors Mori Sokoloff And Jordan Townsend will provide the Mids with a more defensive option in the midfield in 2024. Sokoloff played over 200 minutes and found the back of the net once, while assisting on two more goals last year. Although Townsend was used primarily as a reserve in 19 games in 2023, she has 17 games as a starter on her resume. Navy’s freshman class will have the biggest impact on the midfield at the start of the 2024 season, as Ande Swan, Mackenzie Morrow And Lizzie Emerson are all being considered for starting or key reserve roles following training camp. Swan focused primarily on the club scene with the Challenge SC ECNL Club during her youth and thrived as an ECNL Texas All-Conference First Team honoree in 2021-22. Morrow and Emerson had successful high school careers where Morrow was named North Carolina Class 3A All-State following her junior and senior seasons at Jacksonville HS, while Emerson was named to the All-6A Region 3 District 17 team for several years for her performances at Stratford HS.

defense
Under the direction of Associate Head Coach Rob BlanckFrom the outset, the Navy Defense Corps will have a host of new faces who will be involved in significant operations. Tatum Kelly will lead the way as a center back with 53 career games and 4,381 minutes of action. She is dangerous from set pieces and has scored a goal in each of her first three seasons. After a quiet rookie season in 2022, Junior Emma Romano fought her way into the team’s starting lineup in the final stretch last season and helped Navy eliminate two straight Patriot League opponents and close the 2023 season. She increased her playing time from 119 minutes as a freshman to 773 last year. Ali Barrow, Lucy Gaines And Clara Jane Williams were used in game-changing roles off the bench as they proved themselves in the college game last year. Barrow was the most active of the trio, playing all 19 games in 2023 and logging 624 minutes of playing time. Gaines was used a little less, playing 13 games and 266 minutes of playing time. Williams appeared in three games as a freshman and played 129 minutes. Two local Maryland talents will look to make their mark in their debut campaigns. Lauren Toms And Paige Kush bolster Navy’s defense. As juniors, both Toms and Kush were selected to the All-Maryland State teams.

goalkeeper
Deputy Head Coach Michael Melton will also lead the Mids’ “Goalkeeper Association” this season. After four strong years Mattie Gallagher With Navy in goal, the Mids will rely on returnees Talley Applewhite And Cadence Tordaiand freshman in the first year Natasha Stramrood to answer thbell and lead from behind this season. As a unit, Navy posted a 1.05 goals-against average and six clean sheets in 2023, including joint efforts in which Applewhite and Tordai split time in clean sheets victories over Marymount and Delaware State. Applewhite, a junior from Midlothian, Virginia, also shared a clean sheet with Gallagher in Navy’s 3-0 road victory at Holy Cross. Applewhite and Tordai, a sophomore from San Diego, combined for 196 minutes of play in 2023. Stramrood joins the union after a successful junior career that culminated with Region 2-6A Goalkeeper of the Year honors and Texas All-State First Team honors as a senior at Tomball Memorial HS.