Alyssa Chung, Navy women's lacrosse prepare for Maryland in NCAA quarterfinals

Alyssa Chung, a sophomore on the Navy women's lacrosse team, is looking forward to playing Maryland on Thursday in the NCAA quarterfinals.

Chung, from Severna Park, Maryland, has led the Midshipmen in scoring since she arrived on base as a freshman.

One of the biggest moments of Chung's college career was scoring the game-winning goal against Syracuse in the NCAA Tournament on May 10.

That goal sent Navy to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2018. The Midshipmen will play Maryland at 5 p.m. on Thursday in College Park.

Chung has 78 goals and 33 assists this season.

Living the dream at the U.S. Naval Academy

Her motto for the season is to play loose and have fun, which is what she is doing by pursuing her childhood dream.

Chung grew up 20 miles from the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis. She would attend lacrosse games as a kick, and that's when she saw the players connecting like a family.

"I just distinctly remember the way that they were just so happy for each other for anything, like how they score a goal, if it was somebody's birthday, like anything, looking for something to be happy about," Chung said.

Attending the Naval Academy has a distinct quality, and it has been the driving force behind Chung and the Navy's success this season.

"The Naval Academy is all about the team more so than self," Chung said. "I talk a lot with my officer rep, Captain Johnson, about what it means to be a successful leader and stuff like that."

Chung said she is living in the joy that she distinctly remembered watching as a little kid.

"Everybody's kind of really emotional and just happy that we get another game and it's such a special group this year," Chung said.