Philadelphia Union today announced the return of Army-Navy Cup XII Presented by Leidos to Subaru Park. It’s a battle of champions with Army West Point winning the Patriot League regular season in 2022, and Navy taking the Patriot League Tournament to earn a berth in the 2022 NCAA tournament. The rival academies will kick off on Friday, October 13 at 7:00 p.m.
“We are so honored to welcome back the teams of Army West Point and Navy for the 12th edition of Army-Navy Cup at Subaru Park,” said Tim McDermott, Philadelphia Union President. “This longstanding tradition showcases the competitive spirit, camaraderie, and dedication of these courageous student-athletes and we look forward to another entertaining rivarlry match between these two outstanding teams."
This event continues to grow and is supported by a broad coalition of local and national sports, civic, and corporate entities, led by Leidos, an international leader in science, technology and engineering in support of their client’s missions.
“We have been a proud supporter of the Army-Navy Cup since 2017,” said Gerry Fasano, Leidos Defense Group president. “Leidos is committed to our nation’s armed forces, both on and off the field, and we can’t wait to cheer on the Soldier- and Sailor-athletes.”
Philadelphia Union has played host to the Army-Navy Cup since its inaugural match in 2012. This year brings a 3-year extension with Army West Point and U.S. Naval Academy, presented by Leidos. Army currently leads the series at 5-3-3 across 11 editions, and is hosting this year’s cup. The debut edition in 2012 ended in a draw, as did the 2017 match. Navy won in both 2013 and 2014, while Army took the victory in 2015, 2016 and 2018. In 2019, the match ended in a 1-1 draw in double overtime. In April 2021, Army retained the Cup behind a 2-0 win. In October 2021, Navy saw its first victory in seven years. The two academies last played in October 2022, where Army claimed a 2-0 victory.
“Ever since its inaugural edition took place 11 years ago, the Army-Navy Cup has cemented itself as one of the premier events and matchups in collegiate soccer each season,” said Army Director of Athletics Mike Buddie. “Now, thanks to the endless support of the entire Philadelphia Union organization, and the team at Subaru Park, we are eager to usher in the next chapter of this special Academy Rivalry Game and return to Philadelphia through 2025.”
“We are truly appreciative of the Philadelphia Union and their extraordinary efforts to continue to host what has become one of the best regular season college soccer events in the nation,” said Navy Director of Athletics, Chet Gladchuk. “The Army-Navy rivalry is like no other and Subaru Park puts this event on a stage for all to see. The first 11 match-ups have been exciting to watch and I Iook forward to many more in this first class facility.”
The Black Knights enter the matchup after finishing the 2022 season with an overall record of 8-4-5, led by Head Coach Brian Plotkin. The Black Knights are captained by D’Anthony Brown and First Team All-Patriot League players Cooper Warren and Nick Atkinson. Warren tied for the conference lead in assists while Atkinson was second on the team in goals scored with 5 last season. Offensively, the team is looking to Brandon Bryant and Joey Hickson to lead the team’s attack this season, both of whom featured last season, and scored important goals as the Black Knights won the Patriot League Regular Season crown.
Navy enters the matchup after finishing the 2022 campaign with a 7-5-9 record. The Midshipmen are led by head coach Tim O'Donohue, who returns for his eighth season at the helm of the Navy men's soccer program, having led the team to winning records in each of the last four years. Captaining the Midshipmen is senior defender Zach Wagner, a product of the Philadelphia Union Academy. Wagner has played 34 career matches for the Midshipmen, recording nine points while logging 2,418 minutes of action. Joining Wagner among the top returning players for Navy this season are David Jackson and Baba Kallie, who garnered All-Patriot League honors. Jackson looks to build off a strong 2022 season where he was awarded Patriot League Midfielder of the Year. Kallie belongs to the 2022 All-Patriot League Second Team for his second year in a row.
Army Navy Cup XII is presented by Leidos and made possible with the support from the following sponsors: Visit Delco, Steam Fitters Local Union 420, Energy Transfer, Holman Automotive, PHL Sports (Red White and You), IBEW Local 98, Comcast, United Concordia Dental, Artillery Brewing, Widener University, Boeing, TD Bank Foundation, US Army Recruiting, US Navy Recruiting, Monroe Energy, Sunoco LP, EAS Carpenters, EY, Essity, and Herman Goldner, Inc.
