NCAA Rewind: Navy Snubbed Despite Strong Season

Before USA Lacrosse Magazine looks ahead to what’s to come in 2025 — look out for our NCAA Way-Too-Early Top 25 rankings later this summer — our team of staff and contributors decided it was worth taking a last look at the 2024 college lacrosse season.

To do that, we’re taking a journey through 30 of the top teams in men’s and women’s lacrosse to see what went right, what went wrong and how we should feel about the season.

NAVY

USA Lacrosse preseason/final ranking: also considered/also considered
2024 record: 15-4 (8-1, Ivy League)

What went right: Cindy Timchal has developed quite a deep roster, one that was tested early when Ava Yovino — who starred as a freshman in 2023 — was lost before the season with an injury. That opened the door for others to admirably step up. Seven Mids reached the 20-goal mark, and eight reached 24 points.

Emily Messinese’s scoring output rose year-over-year from 49 to 68 goals, first-time starter Tori DiCarlo deposited 58 goals, and Lola Leone continued her ascension with 40 goals.

The offense was given ample possessions to work with thanks in large part to the work of Alyssa Daley and the draw team. Daley won 191 draws on her own, ranking fifth nationally, and the unit ranked first in draw control percentage (.687) and second in draw controls per game (18.79).

What went wrong: Not much. Navy’s 2024 season will be a tough one to look back on, if only because many feel as if the Mids belonged in the NCAA tournament. They beat Duke 10-9 to open the season, but that head-to-head result mattered little to the NCAA Selection Committee when it chose Duke for the tournament field instead.

Navy lost four times in 2024. Three were justifiable — 13-12 to NCAA tournament team Drexel; 17-12 to Patriot League leader Loyola; and 12-11 in overtime to Loyola — and the fourth was a 14-13 slip up against Saint Joseph’s.

It’s hard to believe that one blip on the radar might have been Navy’s downfall, though in the eyes of the committee, something failed to click with the Mids.

Season highlight: That game against Army is always going to be circled on the calendar, and Navy sang second after downing the Black Knights 17-11 on April 13. Army had recently come on strong in the all-time series, so much so that Navy might have felt a bit left in the dust to the surging team at West Point.

Timchal’s team dominated in April, though. Navy smothered the Army offense, limiting it to 17 shots on goal. It overwhelmed the Army draw team for a 26-5 advantage. And it forced Army into 16 turnovers and six failed clears.

Verdict: It’s a shame that Navy didn’t make the NCAA tournament, because when we’re talking resumes, the Mids probably should have been in. Navy did, though, reestablish itself as the No. 2 in the Patriot League behind Loyola and even gave the Greyhounds a scare in the Patriot League tournament. That all adds up to a very good season.