Goalkeeper Kern helps Navy avoid Holy Cross upset bid

Midway through the fourth quarter, Navy men’s lacrosse was staring at the very real possibility of suffering an embarrassing home loss.

Due mostly to shoddy offense, the Midshipmen trailed a struggling team that had managed just two wins all season and was without its head coach. That this was happening on the hallowed grounds of Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium only made the sense of disbelief among the 1,409 fans in attendance all the more palpable.

Goalkeeper Ryan Kern and the defense literally saved the day as Navy survived a valiant upset bid by Holy Cross. Midfielder Casey Rees and attackman Chris Hill scored goals just over four minutes apart down the stretch as the Midshipmen…