RADFORD, Va. — Navy women’s soccer opened its five-game road trip in dominant fashion Thursday night, cruising past Radford, 5-0, at Patrick D. Cupp Memorial Stadium. The Midshipmen scored four times after halftime and received goals from five different players while improving to 5-2-1 on the season. The victory also extended Navy’s winning streak to four matches following victories over Marywood, Maryland and Marist.
Navy controlled nearly every statistical category, finishing with a 22-4 advantage in shots and putting 10 attempts on goal. Radford did not record a single shot on target, while the Midshipmen also held a 7-1 advantage in corner kicks. The five goals were a season high for Navy and came from Jessica Black, Ande Swan, Chiara Cosenza, Faith Graziano and Katia Katsari-Hoefer.
Early Red Card Changes the Match
The complexion of the game changed almost immediately when Radford’s Caitlyn Nottingham was issued a red card in the third minute, forcing the Highlanders to play almost the entire match with 10 players. Navy had the numerical advantage, but Radford initially did a respectable job of remaining organized defensively and keeping the Midshipmen from turning their possession into goals.
Navy eventually broke through in the 29th minute. Black intercepted a Radford pass deep in the Highlanders’ defensive third and converted the opportunity at 28:38, putting Navy ahead 1-0 with her third goal of the season. The Midshipmen continued applying pressure but could not add another before halftime despite outshooting Radford 11-3 during the opening 45 minutes.
The 1-0 halftime advantage did not completely reflect how much control Navy had established. Head coach Carin Gabarra’s team needed to remain patient against a Radford side that had dropped numbers behind the ball following the red card. Navy made adjustments at halftime, increased its pressure and quickly turned a competitive match into a rout.
Swan Opens the Floodgates
Navy’s second goal arrived at 51:51 following a Cosenza corner kick. The ball eventually came to Swan, who controlled it and lofted her shot over the Radford defense and goalkeeper for a 2-0 advantage. It was the first collegiate goal for the junior defensive midfielder and gave Navy the breathing room it had been searching for throughout the first half.
Cosenza went from facilitator to scorer less than seven minutes later. Kayana Adlam put an initial free-kick attempt on goal, and after Radford goalkeeper Lexi Radvanyi made the save, Cosenza cleaned up the rebound at 58:20 to stretch Navy’s lead to 3-0. It was Cosenza’s first goal of the 2026 season after she had already contributed an assist earlier in the half.
The Midshipmen continued attacking rather than simply protecting the three-goal advantage. Gabarra rotated players into the match, but Navy’s pressure never disappeared. That depth ultimately produced two more goals in rapid succession.
Graziano and Katsari-Hoefer Finish the Rout
Freshman Malia Harding created Navy’s fourth goal by forcing a turnover deep inside Radford territory. Harding quickly found Graziano inside the penalty area, and the sophomore converted at 71:25 for her second goal of the season. Navy had turned its narrow halftime advantage into a 4-0 lead in less than 20 minutes.
Only 91 seconds later, Navy struck again. Harding helped start another sequence before Sophia Ryan and Graziano combined to get the ball to Katsari-Hoefer, who finished the move at 72:56. The goal was Katsari-Hoefer’s third of the season and completed a devastating stretch in which Navy scored four times between the 52nd and 73rd minutes.
Perhaps the most impressive part of the performance was how many Midshipmen contributed. Five different players scored, while Cosenza, Harding, Graziano and Ryan were credited with assists in the official scoring summary. Gabarra noted afterward that eight Navy players recorded either a goal or an assist, illustrating the depth of an attack that became increasingly difficult for Radford to contain as the match progressed.
Navy Dominates the Numbers
The final statistics showed just how thoroughly Navy controlled the contest. The Midshipmen outshot Radford 22-4, including 10-0 in shots on goal. Navy generated seven corner kicks compared with just one for the Highlanders and forced Radford goalkeeper Radvanyi to make five saves.
Adlam and Cosenza each attempted four shots, while Black had four attempts and scored once. Swan put both of her attempts on target and scored her first career goal. Navy was also able to use 20 different field players, allowing Gabarra to spread minutes around while maintaining the aggressive pressure that overwhelmed Radford in the second half.
Navy’s goalkeepers had essentially nothing to do from a shot-stopping standpoint. Starter Natasha Stramrood played the majority of the match, but Radford never registered an attempt on target. For a Navy team that had already recorded shutouts against Robert Morris, Marywood and Maryland earlier in the season, the performance represented another complete defensive effort.
Midshipmen Continue Strong Run
The victory continued an impressive turnaround following Navy’s difficult early-season stretch. After losses to Rice and Air Force and a 2-2 draw at Delaware, the Midshipmen responded by beating Marywood 4-0, Maryland 2-0 and Marist 3-1 before dismantling Radford. Navy consequently improved to 5-2-1 with its fourth consecutive victory.
More importantly, Navy’s offense has become increasingly diverse. Black, Swan, Cosenza, Graziano and Katsari-Hoefer all scoring in the same match showed that opponents cannot simply concentrate on one primary attacking threat. Navy also demonstrated an ability to create opportunities through turnovers, set pieces and sustained pressure, all three of which contributed directly to goals against Radford.
The early red card unquestionably tilted the circumstances heavily in Navy’s favor, but playing against 10 players does not automatically produce a five-goal victory. The Midshipmen still had to remain organized, move the ball effectively and eventually break down a Radford team determined to limit the damage. After struggling to do that consistently during the opening half, Navy made the necessary adjustments and overwhelmed the Highlanders after halftime.
MSB Take
This was exactly how Navy needed to handle a match in which it gained an early numerical advantage. The Midshipmen did not immediately turn the red card into a blowout, but they remained patient, went into halftime ahead and then completely took control after Gabarra made adjustments. Four second-half goals and a 22-4 advantage in shots leave little question about which team dictated the match.
The bigger takeaway is Navy’s balance. Five players scored and eight contributed either a goal or an assist, while the defense did not allow Radford to put a single shot on target. Navy has now won four consecutive matches and has shown it can win through defense, pressure and an increasingly dangerous group of attacking options.
For a team preparing for Patriot League competition, that kind of depth could become extremely valuable. The Midshipmen left Radford with another shutout, their largest scoring output of the season and plenty of momentum as their lengthy road stretch continued.
