ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The results have all been close but Colgate is still working to solve the riddle of the Patriot League's upper division.
 
The Raiders lost their fourth game out of four to the teams ahead of them in the conference standings when Navy held on for a 12-10 decision here Saturday night.
 
Colgate at 2-4 remains in a three-way tie for fifth place, and the Raiders still control their fate for a return to the Patriot League tournament. Colgate carries wins over both 2-4 Army and 2-4 Boston University, with games remaining against 1-5 Holy Cross and 0-6 Lafayette.
 
The losses have come by three goals to Bucknell, three to Lehigh, four to Loyola and by now two to Navy. The Raiders need to reach the tournament to get a second crack at these near-misses.
 
Seven different Raiders found the netting Saturday, led by two goals apiece from James Caddigan Jr., Mike Hawkins and Griffin Brown. Nicky Petkevich added a solo tally to go with a pair of assists, with Parker Baddley, Duncan Hoskinson and Joe Delaney adding goals.
 
Colgate posted a season-high eight caused turnovers, led by three apiece from Jack Donaghue and Will Blumenberg. Both of those figures were personal career highs for Donaghue and Blumenberg, and the best on the team this season.
 
Bottom Line
Navy 12, Colgate 10
 
Won-Lost Records
• Colgate is now 6-5 overall and 2-4 in the Patriot League.
• Navy improved to 7-4 and 6-1. The Mids conclude Patriot League play next Saturday at Army West Point.
 
Raider Facts & Figures
• There were crazy swings in shots on goal.
• Navy outshot Colgate 15-3 in the first quarter and yet the score was tied 2-2.
• Baddley and Brown scored on Colgate's first two shot attempts.
• The Raiders outshot Navy 13-10 in the second when the Midshipmen rang up a 6-3 goals advantage to take an 8-5 lead into halftime.
• Navy scored five consecutive goals in the second quarter over a 7:02 stretch, turning a 3-2 Raiders lead into a 7-3 Navy advantage.
• Navy's six goals in the second matched its highest output in any quarter this season.
• Colgate in the second half outshot Navy a combined 31-12 but could trim only one goal off that intermission margin.
• Hawkins and Brown stayed atop the team goal-scoring chart with 28 and 27, respectively.
• Sam Cleveland was held without a point for the first time this season. Hawkins is the only Raider with at least one point scored in all 11 games.
• Baddley's goal early in the first quarter was his second of the season.
• There was just one penalty called in the game but it led to a Navy goal with 5:07 left in the third quarter, putting the Mids in front 9-6.
• Colgate was perfect on clears for the second time this season, finishing 16-of-16. The Raiders were 15-of-15 in the opening win at Marist.
• The Raiders committed just three of their 12 turnovers in the second halr. Navy committed 15 total turnovers.
• Blumenberg added an assist and six ground balls to his three caused-turnover performance.
 
From the Source
• Colgate head coach Mike Murphy: (On the game) "You've got to play 60 minutes. That second quarter really put us behind the eight ball. In terms of giving them transition, we knew coming in that we had to be able to stop that. It was bad discipline from our team but credit Navy; they ran the field great and did what they needed to do.
 
"They got us sliding to things we didn't necessarily need to slide to, and when we figured that out we played a little bit better man defense. But you can't give a team as many opportunities as we gave them. Give them credit because they capitalized on our mistakes.
 
"I wouldn't change anything on the scouting report; we know who they are. Our sliding caused indecision on the back end of plays. We did a better job of that in the second half, but they did a better job than we did of executing in certain situations."
 
Up Next
• Colgate is home for Senior Day next Saturday against Holy Cross.
• The Crusaders are 3-8 overall and 1-5 in the Patriot League after Saturday's 10-9 overtime win over Lafayette.
• Faceoff from Hamilton is 1 p.m., with Senior Day festivities before the game. The Patriot League Network is carrying all the action.