CHESTER, Pa. - Army West Point men's soccer took down archrival Navy by a score of 2-0 in the Army-Navy Cup XI to secure the Star and pick up three points in the Patriot League.
Gage Guerra and Brandon Bryant provided the goals, with Tomas Hut notching the shutout with two saves as the Black Knights earned the victory as part of the Star Series, presented by USAA.
Playing in front of over 8500 fans from Subaru Park, the two sides looked to make their mark in the coveted star series matchup. The first half was ultimately an uneventful one, with neither team producing an attempt on target with the Mids winning the corner (4-3) and shots (6-4) tally. The Army backline, which has been vital across the current streak of suffering just one loss in its last eight fixtures, kept the Mids at bay through the first 45.
Coming out determined in the second half, Army was able to find the go-ahead goal in the 52nd minute through Gage Guerra. After a long throw from Nick Atkinson into the box, Sam Epitime fired a shot that was well saved by the Navy goalkeeper. On the rebound, Dylan Mitchiner was first to the spot and delivered a square ball into the path of Guerra who, true to his recent form, found the finish to give Army the breakthrough.
The Black Knights were not content with the one-goal lead, doubling the advantage in the 69th minute. Cooper Warren delivered the service off a corner kick, finding the head of Jack Eaton who put the ball on net, only for Brandon Bryant to get the final touch and give Army the crucial two-goal advantage. It marked Bryant's first goal since August 29 against Fairleigh Dickinson and gave Eaton his first assist of the season.
Navy would respond with its best spell following the goal, with Hut making both of his saves in the first few minutes following the second score. Up to the task, the sophomore goalkeeper was in control all night as Army refused to let Navy put any quality service into the box for its forwards. Seeing out the two-goal lead, Army was able to repeat the 2020 scoreline and notch the 2-0 victory and move into first place in the Patriot League standings.
Coach's Corner
"What a performance from the team tonight. This game is so unique and to get a chance to play in front of 8500 spectators at an incredible venue against your biggest rival is a special opportunity. I loved the way our team competed. Navy is a very good team with talented players and it was great for us to win this game. It was 29 guys connected and fully committed to their roles and getting a result. We will be back training tomorrow to prepare for Albany on Tuesday." - head coach Brian Plotkin
