The AU Eagles failed to keep their hot streak alive on Oct. 8, falling to the Naval Academy 2-0 in Annapolis, Maryland.
The No. 20 ranked Eagles entered the game with a vengeance, and they fought to earn a win against the Midshipmen, who defeated them 1-0 last year, but the Navy offense proved too strong. The Midshipmen (6-4-2, 2-1-0 PL) separated themselves in the final 13 minutes of the evenly fought match, and they never looked back.
Senior defender Grant Valenstein secured the lead for Navy after gaining possession of the ball off a rebounded shot, and he launched a rifle past AU junior goalkeeper Dylan Hobert from the 22-yard line.
The Eagles (7-3-1, 1-2-0 PL) attempted to recover from the goal, but the Midshipmen defense held AU scoreless. Navy junior goalkeeper Jackson Morgan earned his second consecutive shutout of the season with five saves.
Navy senior midfielder Geoff Fries notched an insurance goal with a minute to play to secure the win for the Midshipmen. He accepted a header from junior forward Jamie Dubyoski and outran the AU defensive line, earning a breakaway shot that soared into the net.
Dubyoski also served as a critical playmaker for the Midshipmen throughout the match, recording two shots on goal, and his physical offensive play characterized his performance.
With 26 minutes remaining in the first half, Duyoski was called for a shove, and he made his frustration clear to the referee, throwing up his hands in protest of the call. He earned a second foul only four minutes later when he continued to apply pressure to the AU offense. Navy racked up a total of 11 fouls throughout the course of the game, but neither team earned yellow cards.
The first half of the game remained tight as both AU and Navy struggled to create opportunities. AU junior midfielder Liam Robley worked to initiate offensive attacks in the early minutes, but defensive efforts from Navy senior defenders Jospeh Greenspan and Fries prevented the Eagles from taking control.
With just over 15 minutes to play in the half, AU sophomore forward Joe Iraola created a potential scoring chance for AU, as he took a pass from sophomore forward Jake Garcia and raced down the field, outrunning three Navy defenders.
Greenspan ended Iraola’s play with a critical block, and he remained instrumental for Navy, stopping the follow-up shot from AU senior defender Conor Osborne as well. The Eagles continued to apply offensive pressure at the end of the first half, and Osborne attempted another shot with in the final five minutes off a corner kick from Robley, but Fries cleared the ball out of the zone.
Iraola continued to fight offensively for AU, and he led team with four shots during the game. With 34 minutes to play in the second half, Iraola sent a crisp shot towards the Navy goal, but he collided with a Navy player, drawing a foul. Sophomore forward Dale Ludwig, who also recorded four shots during the game, took the free kick but failed to find the back of the net.
Hobert recorded six saves during the game, but Navy’s late offensive surges overpowered the goalkeeper.
Head coach Todd West remains optimistic for his team’s future, despite the loss.
“I am confident that we will rebound,” he said, according to a press release.
