Loyola’s men’s soccer team defeated the Navy Midshipmen in convincing fashion on Saturday night, taking the match 4-1 at the Glenn Warner Soccer Complex in Annapolis. This marks Loyola’s first Patriot League win of the season and brings the team to a 5-2-1 record overall.

The Hounds fired on all cylinders, creating an advantage in every major statistical category except saves. They notably had 10 shots on goal to the Midshipmen’s two and nine corners to Navy’s three. Goalie Chase Vosvick, ‘21, was hardly challenged, recording one save. Brian Saramago, ‘20, had a productive night for Loyola, tallying a goal and two assists to lead the team’s scoring efforts.

Sam Brown, ‘21, scored his second goal of the season off an assist from Saramago to open the scoring early in the ninth minute. Saramago himself struck again just two minutes later off a free kick from midfielder Gabriel Carlsson, ‘19.

Navy settled in and survived several missed scoring opportunities by Loyola. A well-executed corner kick from Wyatt Millard found Jacob Williams, whose header cut the Midshipmen’s deficit to one in the 27th minute. This goal snapped Vosvick’s 226-minute shutout streak for Loyola, going back to their Patriot League opener against Colgate on Sept. 21.

The match slowed down to Navy’s liking, but both teams struggled to create scoring opportunities as the half came to a close. Saramago looked to score early in the second half, setting the tone for the Hounds. He found space inside the box in the 59th minute and connected with classmate Barry Sharifi, ‘20, on a beautiful left-footed cross, making the score 3-1.

The Greyhounds stayed aggressive throughout the 90 minutes, keeping Navy goalie Ian Bramblett (six saves) and his defenders busy. Junior Nico Brown netted his first goal of the season for Loyola off a pass from Carlsson in the 88th minute, putting an exclamation point on the Hounds’ victory.

Loyola continues Patriot League play on Wednesday at 7 p.m. when the Bucknell Bison come to Ridley Athletic Complex. Both teams are 1-0-1 in league play thus far, so this match could be crucial in determining the seeding for the Patriot League championship in November.

Feature Image: Courtesy of Craig Chase