Navy Men’s Soccer Battles Holy Cross to 1-1 Draw in Patriot League Opener

WORCESTER, Mass. — Navy men’s soccer opened Patriot League play with a point on the road Saturday afternoon, battling Holy Cross to a 1-1 draw at Linda Johnson Smith Soccer Stadium in a match that became increasingly frantic during the second half.

Junior midfielder Duncan Sullivan put Navy ahead from the penalty spot in the 57th minute, but Holy Cross forward Archie Hatcher answered in the 71st. The Crusaders nearly found the winner several times down the stretch, but goalkeeper Sam Clark delivered a career-high seven saves and helped the Midshipmen escape Worcester with a draw.

The result moved Navy to 1-2-4 overall and 0-0-1 in the Patriot League, while Holy Cross moved to 0-3-4 and 0-0-1 in conference play. Navy has now drawn three consecutive matches after playing Temple and Mount St. Mary’s to scoreless ties before Saturday’s conference opener.

Scoreless First Half

Holy Cross generated more of the pressure during the opening 45 minutes, outshooting Navy 9-4. The Crusaders put four attempts on goal, forcing Clark to remain involved throughout the half, while Navy managed one shot on target.

Neither side could turn those opportunities into a goal.

The teams also split four first-half corner kicks, while Navy was called for eight fouls compared with seven against Holy Cross. Midshipman Ryan Skandalis received a yellow card in the 29th minute as the physicality increased.

Despite Holy Cross having the statistical advantage, Navy entered halftime with the game exactly where it started at 0-0.

That changed quickly after the break.

Navy Begins to Attack

The Midshipmen came out much more aggressively in the second half.

Junior defender Keane Brown provided Navy’s first dangerous opportunity in the 48th minute when he controlled a bouncing ball inside the box and put an attempt on target. Holy Cross freshman goalkeeper Caleb Klepacz made the save.

Navy continued pushing forward, and freshman Jack Illig helped create the sequence that finally broke the scoreless tie.

Illig sent a free kick into the attacking area in the 57th minute. Senior Alex Galloway got a touch on the service, forcing Klepacz to deflect the ball away. Holy Cross was then called for a handball during the sequence.

That sent Sullivan to the penalty spot.

Sullivan Gives Navy the Lead

Sullivan used a stutter step before sending his penalty low to the right. Klepacz got a piece of the attempt but could not keep it out of the net.

At 56:32, Navy had a 1-0 lead.

It was Sullivan’s first goal of the season and continued his perfect career record on penalty kicks. The junior is now 4-for-4 from the penalty spot during his Navy career.

Sullivan was Navy’s most aggressive offensive player Saturday. He finished with a team-high four shots, putting three on goal.

The Midshipmen nearly added to their advantage.

Illig found Sullivan again during an attacking sequence shortly after Clark stopped Griffin Collins at the opposite end. Sullivan ripped another attempt that forced Klepacz into an athletic save.

Sullivan threatened again in the 68th minute, looking for his second goal of the afternoon. Klepacz went fully extended to deny him and kept the deficit at one.

Those saves became increasingly important.

Holy Cross Answers

Holy Cross equalized at 70:43.

Peter Borges helped start a Crusaders counterattack and Hatcher took advantage of the odd-man opportunity. Hatcher drove forward before placing his shot low beyond Clark to make it 1-1.

Borges and Kyle Martell received assists on the goal. It was Hatcher’s team-leading third goal of the season.

Hatcher was a constant problem for Navy throughout the afternoon. He attempted six shots, three of which were on goal.

Once he tied the match, the entire complexion changed.

What had been a relatively controlled Patriot League opener suddenly turned into an end-to-end battle.

Crossbar Saves Navy

Holy Cross almost completed the turnaround less than three minutes after tying the game.

A throw-in eventually found Jude Jakes-McKay in front of the Navy goal in the 74th minute. Jakes-McKay got his touch toward the net, but the attempt struck the crossbar.

Navy had survived one of Holy Cross’ best opportunities.

The Midshipmen responded at the other end. Brown connected with a header following a cross in the 79th minute, forcing Klepacz to make another save.

Holy Cross immediately countered.

This time it appeared the Crusaders had taken the lead.

Video Review Takes Holy Cross Goal Off the Board

Jack Fiedler beat Clark during the counterattack, seemingly giving Holy Cross a 2-1 advantage with approximately 11 minutes remaining.

But the celebration did not last.

Officials went to video review and determined Liam Heneghan had committed a foul during the buildup. The goal was disallowed and the match remained tied.

It was another major escape for Navy.

Holy Cross had hit the crossbar and then had a potential go-ahead goal overturned within roughly five minutes.

The Crusaders kept attacking.

That is when Clark became the biggest reason Navy returned to Annapolis with a point.

Clark Comes Up Huge Late

Clark had already been busy, but the Navy goalkeeper was at his best during the closing minutes.

Holy Cross’ Luke Myers tested him from a wide position in the 88th minute, and Clark made the stop.

The Crusaders came again as regulation approached its conclusion. Noah Moodey had an attempt blocked, but Clark secured the loose ball before Holy Cross could capitalize.

There was still one final chance.

With only eight seconds remaining, Hatcher fired another attempt toward the Navy goal. Clark dove to make the save, preserving the 1-1 draw.

That final stop completed a career afternoon for the Navy goalkeeper.

Clark finished with seven saves on eight Holy Cross shots on goal, setting a new single-game career high. Klepacz was nearly as busy on the opposite end, making six saves against Navy.

Without Clark’s performance, particularly during the final 20 minutes, Navy could easily have left Worcester without a point.

Numbers Show How Competitive the Match Became

Holy Cross finished with an 18-13 advantage in total shots, but the margin was much closer in attempts on goal, 8-7.

The teams were dead even with five corner kicks apiece.

Navy actually became the more dangerous attacking side during portions of the second half. After producing only four shots in the first 45 minutes, the Midshipmen attempted nine after halftime and put six on goal.

Holy Cross recorded nine shots in each half.

The Crusaders were whistled for 16 fouls compared with 12 for Navy.

Sullivan led Navy with four shots. Brown, Galloway and Illig each attempted two, while Will Cawlfield, Nick Gallucci and Skandalis each added one.

Brown put both of his attempts on target. Galloway and Cawlfield also tested Klepacz.

Navy’s back line of Brown, Cawlfield, Galloway and captain Nate Stewart all played the entire 90 minutes, as did midfielders Luke Parker, Gallucci and Sullivan.

Navy’s Defense Continues Strong Stretch

Although Navy finally conceded after consecutive shutouts, the Midshipmen’s defense continued to show signs of becoming one of the team’s strengths.

Navy entered Saturday coming off a 0-0 draw at Mount St. Mary’s on Sept. 8. That result followed another clean sheet against Temple, giving the Midshipmen back-to-back shutouts entering Patriot League play.

Galloway’s work during that stretch earned him national recognition when TopDrawerSoccer selected the senior defender to its Team of the Week.

Holy Cross finally ended the shutout streak with Hatcher’s 71st-minute goal, but Navy’s defense still prevented the Crusaders from turning a sustained late push into a winner.

That matters on the road in conference play.

Another 1-1 Battle With Holy Cross

The draw continued a remarkably close recent series between the programs.

Navy and Holy Cross also played to a 1-1 draw in their 2025 Patriot League opener, although that match took place in Annapolis. Navy had to score late in that contest to salvage the point.

This time the roles were reversed.

Navy scored first and Holy Cross responded.

Saturday’s result moved Navy’s all-time record against Holy Cross to 14-16-8. The Midshipmen are also now 12-18-5 all-time in Patriot League openers.

For Navy, earning a road point remains valuable even if the Midshipmen will feel they had an opportunity to win after Sullivan put them ahead.

Three Straight Draws

Navy’s record does not fully describe how competitive the team has been.

At 1-2-4, the Midshipmen have already played four draws through their first seven matches. Three of those ties have now come consecutively.

The encouraging part is Navy has allowed only one goal over those three matches.

The frustrating part is the Midshipmen have scored only once during the same stretch.

That places significant pressure on Clark and the defense. One mistake can completely change a match when the offense is struggling to consistently produce multiple goals.

Saturday was a perfect example.

Navy finally broke through with Sullivan’s penalty and had several opportunities to make it 2-0. Klepacz denied those chances, Holy Cross equalized and the Midshipmen suddenly found themselves fighting to preserve a draw.

Improving the finishing in the attacking third will be important as the Patriot League schedule progresses.

Longwood Up Next

Navy will remain on the road for one more match before returning to Annapolis.

The Midshipmen travel to Farmville, Virginia, to face Longwood on Tuesday, with kickoff scheduled for 2 p.m. The nonconference matchup will conclude Navy’s three-game road trip.

After that, attention will increasingly turn toward the Patriot League race.

Navy already has its first conference point.

The next objective is turning competitive performances into victories.

MSB Take

Navy probably has mixed feelings about this one.

Taking a point on the road in a Patriot League opener is never a bad result, especially when Holy Cross produced 18 shots and created several dangerous opportunities late. Sam Clark deserves enormous credit for making sure the Midshipmen got that point. His career-high seven saves included a stop with only eight seconds remaining, and Navy needed nearly every one of them.

At the same time, the Midshipmen had a 1-0 lead and chances to extend it. Sullivan was excellent from the penalty spot and nearly scored again, but Klepacz kept Holy Cross within striking distance.

The biggest concern remains Navy’s offense. The Midshipmen have conceded only one goal during their last three matches, which is outstanding defensive soccer, but they have also scored only once. Asking the defense and goalkeeper to be nearly perfect every match is difficult to sustain through an entire Patriot League season.

Still, Navy is becoming a difficult team to beat. Three consecutive draws and only one goal conceded during that stretch show how much progress the Midshipmen have made defensively.

If Navy can pair that defense with more consistent finishing, some of these draws should start turning into wins.