Navy's 12-7 victory over Patriot League rival Lafayette may have barely registered on the national landscape, but the outcome was of enormous significance to the Midshipmen.
Not only did the win snap a three-game losing streak and help the team improve to 2-3 overall and 1-1 in the conference, but it also gave Navy a glimpse of what its offense could be.
Each member of the starting midfielder in senior Nikk Davis, junior Bryce Dabbs and sophomore Pat Durkin scored a goal, freshman Gabe Voumard scored twice to power the second midfield, and fourth attackman, sophomore Austin Heneveld, scored once.
Coach Rick Sowell was pleased to get some extended minutes for players who had seen sporadic stretches in the team's previous four contests.
"[F]or the first time, we were able to play a few more players, and I think that helped, too," he said Monday afternoon. "We got two goals out of our second midfield and plebe Gabe Voumard, which was nice, and our fourth attackman, Austin Heneveld, also chipped in and scored a goal. [Sophomore long-stick midfielder] Pat Kiernan seems to have regained that form before he got injured [with a broken hand] and was a big impact in the game. So overall, it was just a good team win both offensively and defensively. When you can play a few more guys, that's always good."
No one is comparing the Leopards to No. 12 North Carolina or Bucknell – two opponents that tagged the Midshipmen with losses – but Lafayette had entered the game surrendering just 6.5 goals per contest, which ranked as the country's third-stingiest mark.
Is this a sign that the offense may have found its rhythm with a midweek game against Towson looming Tuesday night?
"I hope so," Sowell said. "It's definitely a work in progress. We've talked about taking steps, and you certainly don't want to take steps backwards. Even just a baby step is a step in the right direction, we hope. We'll be challenged tomorrow against a real solid Towson defense, so we're going to have to play better than we played on Saturday. But hopefully, we're prepared."