The Navy men’s soccer team opened the 2026 season with a 7-0 loss at UC San Diego on Thursday night, falling behind early and unable to slow the Tritons’ attack in the second half at Triton Soccer Stadium in La Jolla, California.
The result marked the first regular-season game for new head coach John Hackworth, who was hired in December after four years as director of coaching and technical director for MLS side St. Louis CITY SC. Hackworth, who also spent time as an assistant with the U.S. men’s national team and as head coach of the USMNT U17 team, previously served as head coach of USL’s Louisville City FC, MLS’ Philadelphia Union and the University of South Florida. He became the seventh head coach in the 105-year history of the Navy program.
Navy pushed forward from the opening whistle, with Duncan Sullivan forcing a save from UC San Diego goalkeeper Nic Thiele less than a minute into the match.
UC San Diego took an early lead in the fifth minute when Sean McTague set up Oren Stuppel for a tap-in goal, and Stuppel doubled his tally two minutes later on a shot inside the right post after beating the Navy defense again. Navy had a look to equalize when Gavin McBride tested Thiele in the seventh minute, but the shot was saved. Navy kept pace through the rest of the first half — goalkeeper Andrew Carmody and the Midshipmen defense held UC San Diego scoreless for nearly 40 minutes after the early goals — but the Tritons added a third in first-half stoppage time when Kelham Wolf finished a play from Gavin Carlson and Cael McElderry.
UC San Diego pulled away in the second half. McTague scored his second goal of the night in the 61st minute, and Jack Nishimoto capitalized on a Navy defensive breakdown six minutes later to make it 5-0. Ryan Namdar added a header off an Adam Dunbar cross in the 74th minute, then scored again in the 85th minute for the Tritons’ seventh goal of the night.
Navy finished with seven shots and three shots on goal to UC San Diego’s 19 shots and 12 shots on goal. Carmody made five saves, a career high, while UC San Diego’s Nic Thiele made three.
Hackworth called the result a humiliating loss but said the team has “to use that as motivation heading into Sunday’s contest.” He added that letting the game get away from the team in the second half wasn’t reflective of the program’s culture.
Five Midshipmen made their Navy debuts in the loss: Liam Plum, Jack Illig, Cohen Nance, Denis Pauze and Chase Paige. Illig, Nance and Paige were among six freshmen Hackworth welcomed to the program earlier this month as part of the incoming class, which arrived at the Naval Academy in June.
The loss dropped Navy to 70-21-15 all-time in season openers under the program’s various coaches. The Midshipmen will look to regroup Sunday when they close out their West Coast trip at San Diego State, with kickoff set for 3 p.m. Eastern (noon Pacific).
