Navy Women’s Soccer Opens 2026 Season With Dominant 4-0 Win Over Robert Morris
The Navy women’s soccer team could not have asked for a much stronger start to the 2026 season.
Four different Midshipmen found the back of the net as Navy rolled past Robert Morris, 4-0, on Aug. 12 at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility in Annapolis. The Midshipmen controlled much of the match, outshooting the Colonials 14-3 while opening the season at 1-0.
Jessica Black got Navy on the board in the 18th minute before Kayana Adlam, Lizzie Emerson and senior captain ClaraJane Williams added second-half goals. Navy also received a combined shutout from Natasha Stramrood and freshman Shea Best.
Black gets Navy started
The teams spent much of the opening 15 minutes feeling each other out, combining for only two shots during that span.
Navy finally broke through after Chiara Cosenza drew a foul in the penalty area while battling Robert Morris goalkeeper Emma Cameron. Black stepped to the penalty spot and calmly converted her opportunity at the 17:44 mark, giving the Midshipmen a 1-0 advantage.
The Midshipmen continued applying pressure for the remainder of the first half. Robert Morris managed to keep the deficit at one heading into halftime despite Navy controlling much of the possession and generating six first-half shots.
Navy breaks the game open
Robert Morris nearly changed the direction of the game early in the second half.
Madison Sievering broke free for the Colonials’ best scoring opportunity of the afternoon in the 53rd minute, but Stramrood came through with a kick save to preserve Navy’s 1-0 lead. It ultimately proved to be the only save Navy needed all game.
Just minutes later, the Midshipmen took control.
Adlam doubled Navy’s advantage at 55:08 with one of the highlights of the match. Following a foul in the attacking third, Adlam curled a right-footed strike from roughly 20 yards into the upper corner to make it 2-0.
Things quickly got worse for Robert Morris.
Less than two minutes after Adlam’s goal, Cameron received a straight red card following a challenge outside the penalty area. The Colonials were forced to continue with 10 players, and Navy immediately capitalized.
Helen Bonner blasted the ensuing free kick toward substitute goalkeeper Kally Prescott. Prescott made the initial save, but the rebound fell to Emerson, who buried it at 56:57 to increase Navy’s lead to 3-0.
The goals from Adlam and Emerson came just 1 minute, 49 seconds apart and effectively put the game away.
Williams puts the finishing touch on the opener
Navy continued controlling the match after taking the three-goal advantage and added one more goal before the final whistle.
With only 20 seconds remaining, Cosenza sent a corner kick into the Robert Morris penalty area. Williams rose above the defense and headed it into the net for the first goal of her collegiate career.
It was a fitting ending to an impressive opener in which Navy received goals from four different players.
Black, Adlam, Emerson and Williams each scored once, while Bonner and Cosenza registered assists.
Navy controls the numbers
The final statistics reflected Navy’s control of the match.
The Midshipmen finished with a 14-3 advantage in total shots and put seven attempts on goal compared with only one for Robert Morris. Navy also held a 3-2 advantage on corner kicks. The teams were relatively even in fouls, with Robert Morris committing 10 and Navy nine.
Navy goalkeeper Stramrood played the first 73 minutes before Best finished the final 17 minutes. The pair combined for the clean sheet, with Stramrood making Navy’s lone save.
The performance came in front of an announced crowd of 855 at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility.
For Robert Morris, the loss came with a young and revamped lineup. Five transfers made their first starts for the Colonials, while freshman Addison Orehowsky also made her first collegiate start. Prescott made three saves after entering in goal during the second half.
MSB Take
This was about as complete of an opening performance as Navy could have wanted.
The Midshipmen scored four times without needing one player to carry the attack, and that balance could become an important strength as the season progresses. Four players scoring in an opener gives head coach Carin Gabarra several attacking options instead of allowing opponents to focus their defensive game plans on one primary threat.
Navy was especially dangerous on dead-ball situations. The penalty kick, Adlam’s free-kick strike, Emerson’s rebound following another free kick and Williams’ header from a corner demonstrated how dangerous the Midshipmen can be when they earn opportunities around the penalty area. Robert Morris later noted that all four Navy goals originated from set-piece situations.
There are still areas for Navy to sharpen. Gabarra acknowledged afterward that she wants the Midshipmen to create more opportunities through the normal flow of play. That is a reasonable emphasis despite the four-goal result.
Still, a four-goal performance, four different scorers, a 14-3 advantage in shots and a clean sheet represents an outstanding opening statement.
Navy starts 2026 at 1-0 with plenty of reasons for optimism.
Sources: Naval Academy Athletics, Navy women’s soccer official box score and Robert Morris Athletics.
