Navy versus Drexel women’s lacrosse on a cold, rainy Wednesday night in Annapolis had all the makings of a trap game for the home team.
Navy was playing just four days after a superb effort against Richmond in a matchup of ranked teams, controlling all aspects of play in a convincing 14-5 victory. The Midshipmen were riding a five-game winning streak that started with a one-goal win against Duke, which was ranked No. 24 at the time.
Drexel, meanwhile, had a week off after an uplifting upset of previously No. 25 Penn State on Feb. 28. The Dragons have played a challenging early schedule with their lone two losses coming against No. 9 Maryland and No. 14 Pennsylvania.
Sure enough, the host Midshipmen were unable to gain any separation early and suddenly found themselves trailing for the first time all season early in the third quarter.
Redshirt senior attacker Allison Drake scored four goals while fifth-year senior Corinne Bednarik totaled three goals and an assist as Drexel stunned No. 16 Navy, 13-12, on a nasty night at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
Redshirt sophomore goalie Jenika Cuocco made eight saves to anchor a suffocating defense for the Dragons, who held the Mids below their season average of 15.2 goals per game.
“That was a tough loss for Navy women’s lacrosse. Drexel came out hot and motivated and really pushed us,” coach Cindy Timchal said. “This loss is disappointing, but there are no excuses here. Whenever there’s a loss, it’s an opportunity for Navy women’s lacrosse to galvanize and decide what we need to start doing in order to really get after it in our next game.”
Redshirt sophomore attacker Kate Marano had a goal and two assists, while freshman midfielder Ellie Wall added two goals for Drexel (4-2), which will likely enter the Inside Lacrosse/IWLCA Top 25 after being in the “others receiving votes” category this week.
Fifth-year senior Molly Weygand contributed a goal and assist for the Dragons, who outshot the Mids 29-23 and scored on 4 of 6 free position shots.
“I’m so proud of this group. We had a huge win last week and I think we were fired up and ready to come out for another big game. The kids battled and executed for a full 60 minutes,” Drexel coach Katie O’Donnell said. “That’s an incredible team over there on the other side, but we got it done. This is our fourth Top 25 game in a row so we are battle-tested. It was difficult coming right back against another great team, but we were ready.”
Eight saves does not do justice to the impact made by Cuocco, who cut down angles and forced Navy to shoot for corners. The 5-foot-7 netminder was clearly a difference-maker and her clearing passes were equally as impressive as the stops.
“Jenika has been phenomenal all season,” O’Donnell said. “Seeing her come out with even more confidence and more leadership has been incredible to watch. She is just a force within our defensive unit and a real backbone for our team.”
Drexel had a solid defensive game plan, doubling Navy midfielder and leading scorer Emily Messinese every time she tried to go to the net. The Manchester native and Gerstell Academy graduate was limited to a season-low two goals and an assist.
Junior attacker Tori DiCarlo had a hat trick to lead Navy (5-1), but all her goals came in the first 18-plus minutes of the contest. Junior attacker Lola Leone also scored three times for the Mids, while sophomore attacker Kat McAteer added a goal and three assists.
O’Donnell credited defensive coordinator Katrina Geiger with designing three different game plans that Drexel was able to switch in and out of. She credited the players for preparing properly then executing defensively.
“Their defense is really ignited by the outstanding play of their goaltender. She has a big presence in the cage,” Timchal said.
DiCarlo notched the hat trick with a free position goal at the 12:56 mark of the second quarter to give Navy a 5-2 lead. Back-to-back unassisted goals by Messinese and fellow midfielder Mikayla Williams made it 7-4 with 6:37 remaining in the second period.
Navy’s offense fell silent from that point on, failing to score another goal until there was just 1:22 left in the third quarter. That lengthy drought enabled Drexel to net six straight goals and grab a 10-7 lead.
McAteer delivered two great feeds to cutting teammates for goals that sparked a 3-0 run that enabled the Mids to tie the score at 10 at the 9:34 mark of the fourth quarter. However, Drexel won consecutive draws and Drake scored two straight goals as the visitors quickly restored their three-goal cushion.
“We’ve had a couple of big, big games already this season where it’s been back-and-forth and we’ve gone down then battled our way back. I think we’ve learned to keep our heads,” O’Donnell said. “When Navy tied it back up, we responded. I give credit to our attack for being poised and taking care of the ball and doing what they did all game. That’s a sign of a great up-and-coming team.”
Leone scored unassisted to cut the deficit to 13-11 with 5:40 to go in the game, but Drexel won another draw and succeeded in taking valuable time off the clock. McAteer scored inside off an assist from Messinese to make it a one-goal game with 33 seconds left, but there was not enough time for the Mids to get the equalizer.
“The way we played toward the end of the game was the way we needed to play for the entire game. We started out-hustling them and getting to the ball first,” Timchal said.
Afterward, Timchal was dismayed to scan the final box score and see that Navy was whistled for 32 fouls. She also noted the number of shots taken by the Mids and said “that is not going to be enough.”
“We’ve never, ever had that. Having a lot of those green cards in the midfield, which hasn’t been called like that ever before,” Timchal said.
No. 16 Navy at Jacksonville
Saturday, noon
Stream: ESPN+
