ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Despite needing just 54 seconds to erase a two-goal deficit, the Navy men’s soccer team (4-9-4, 2-6-1 PL) could not complete the comeback over American (6-6-5, 6-1-2 PL) on Tuesday night, as the Eagles got a James Quesenberry game-winner in the 87th minute to defeat the Midshipmen, 3-2, at Glenn Warner Soccer Facility in Annapolis, Md.
 
While Yuta Phoenix gave American a first-half lead and Massimo Meneses added on in the 54th minute, Navy finally capitalized on offense with just over 20 minutes left as rookie phenom Jack Illig’s header went in at 68′ and was followed just under a minute later by Nick Gallucci’s long-range equalizer. Unfortunately, Quesenberry game-winning kick with just under four minutes left in the tilt dashed the Mids’ hopes of victory.
 
Tuesday’s result secured AU the No. 2 seed in the Patriot League Tournament and a first-round bye, while Navy was eliminated from postseason, ending the Mids’ season.
 
With Phoenix intercepting a Navy clearance in the seventh minute and then getting the angle to beat Dylan Carmody for the opening tally, Navy tried to answer back right away. With Evan Tubbs making a pair of saves on Gallucci and then turning aside Duncan Sullivan’s grade-A chance at 22′, the Eagles took back momentum and Phoenix forced Carmody to dive for his first save of the night in the 35th minute.
 
Jostling early in the second half, American extended the lead at 54′ when Nicholas Beil set up Finn O’Brien for a cross into the box, with Meneses knocking it down and winding up to rip a shot into the net.
 
Recovering, Navy was able to put itself on the board when Sullivan got the ball to Braedy Strothkamp well outside the box, with Strothkamp’s bending cross finding Illig beating the defenders for a header just before the six-yard line.
 
Getting possession back after the restart, Gallucci got a pass back from Sullivan near the far sideline, cutting in to rip a shot to the top-left corner of the cage from over 25 yards out for the 70th-minute equalizer.
 
With both teams attempting to break the draw, Moad Ezzahir picked up Andrew Workman’s 87th-minute throw-in and crossed it into the box, with Quesenberry crashing in for the loose ball and launching a shot from the 18-yard line that beat Carmody.
 
Holding off a last-chance shot from Illig, American extended its unbeaten streak to six games, as Tubbs finished with three saves in the win compared to Carmody’s two saves.
 
Match Notes
• Navy is now 13-19-9 in the all-time series with American.
• This marked Sullivan’s second two-assist performance of the season.
• Illig’s 15 points on the season are the most by a Navy player since David Jackson’s 23 points in 2023.
• Sullivan’s six assists on the season are the most by a Navy player since Jackson and Sidney Paris each tallied seven assists in 2021.
•  Illig has now recorded at least one point in six-straight Patriot League contests.