ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The Boston University women's soccer program opened Patriot League play with a 3-1 loss to the Navy Midshipmen on Saturday afternoon at Glenn Warner Soccer Facility.
 
Following a scoreless first half, the Midshipmen (8-3-0, 1-0-0 PL) and Terriers (3-4-2, 0-1-0 PL) traded initial goals in the second half, but Navy added two more and the Terriers could not keep up.
 
Sophomore Olivia Avellar scored BU's lone goal and was tied with seniors Giulianna Gianino and Helene Tyburczy for the team lead in shots on goal, both with two each. The Terriers had an 8-3 advantage in shots on goal, but Navy scored on each of their three shots.
 
Helen Bonner led the way for Navy with three points, and Marlee Heaven and Jessica Black both scored goals to power the Midshipmen.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Terriers earned a corner kick in the 6^th minute and Tyburczy got free for a shot on net, but the Navy keeper made an easy save.
• In the 27^th minute, Gianino put a good boot on a ball toward the bottom right corner of the net, but the Navy goalkeeper held strong with a save.
• Navy's second corner of the day came in the 36^th minute, but they pushed a shot off target.
• In the 44^th minute, Gianino almost broke free for a 1-on-1 with the keeper, but her shot was blocked at the last second by a Navy defender and glanced wide.
• The squads went into halftime at a scoreless tie, but BU held a 4-0 advantage in shots on goal.
• Navy earned the first corner of the second half
• A Terrier long ball that went untouched turned out to give Navy the lead, as the Midshipmen worked it down the field with four passes before a strong shot from the right foot of Bonner beat senior Susan Shobeiri in net to make it 1-0 in the 53^rd minute.
• BU's answer came as junior Ava Maguire sent a cross into the box that was diverted to Avellar's foot by a Navy defender. Avellar deposited the shot into the left side of the net and tied the game 1-1 in the 58^th minute.
• The Midshipmen were not finished, however, as Heaven's powerful free kick ripped through Shobeiri's outstretched hands and into the net in the 63^rd minute.
• Then the Midshipmen were able to extend their lead as Black received a throw in, turned around and flipped a shot to the top right corner of the net to make it 3-1 in the 71^st minute.
• The Terriers continued to battle, keeping the ball on the offensive side of the field over the final 20 minutes and posting four shots on goal in the second half, but were unable to capitalize.

STATS

• The Terriers outshot Navy 14-10 and 8-3 in shots on goal.
• BU also had an edge in corner kicks, earning five compared to Navy's four.
• Five Terriers played the full 90 minutes: Gianino, Tyburczy, senior Morgan Weaver, senior Mackenzie Stickelman and freshman Nina Tzouganatos.
• Freshman Georgia Prouty and junior Samantha Aronson were the other Terriers to register shots on goal.

NOTES

• Avellar's goal was her first of the season and her third point of the year.
• Maguire's assist was her first of the season and her first since Oct. 17, 2023 in a tie with Yale.
• The Terriers suffered their first loss to Navy since 2019 and their first regulation loss to the Midshipmen since 2017.
• BU still owns the series lead (10-4-1).

UP NEXT

• The Terriers return to Nickerson Field for just their second home game in a month on Saturday, Sept. 27 at 1 p.m. as they host Loyola Maryland for Alumni Day.