Navy’s Alyssa Chung: Play Loose, Have Fun

Alyssa Chung, Navy’s dynamic sophomore lefty attacker and the main scorer on a balanced Navy group using its greatest common season within the faculty’s 19-year Division I historical past, admits she is a full-blown perfectionist.
 
“I realize there is no such thing as a perfect game, but I’m one of those people who always sees something I can improve,” Chung mentioned. “Something I tend to struggle with being overly critical [of myself]. The best description of my personality is I’m California Type A. Or East Coast Type B. If lacrosse ever became not fun, I wouldn’t play it anymore.”
 
Chung says she does not have true hobbies that match into her busy student-athlete schedule on the Naval Academy. She likes to learn – when she has time. Same with journey, hanging out along with her firm on the academy and watching sports activities on tv. She admits she is ‘godawful’ at watching films, since she will’t sit nonetheless that lengthy.
 
The majority of the enjoyable Chung experiences on the Yard is undeniably lacrosse-based. For years, she has honed her superior offensive expertise as a shooter and feeder. She research opponents as totally as she absorbs suggestions and tips by watching tape of varied female and male lacrosse greats, largely fellow lefties representing completely different eras.
 
There is not any restrict to Chung’s curiosity, creativity and lacrosse IQ. Her shot has registered 85 miles per hour. Her imaginative and prescient and capturing vary are formidable. Her aggressive fireplace and pleasure for the sport are just about continuous.
 
During a given week, Chung may commit as a lot time – or extra – on her additional capturing work and solitary, wall ball exercises than the time she spends on the follow subject along with her fellow Midshipmen.
 
“Put simply, that girl is just a true lax rat. ‘A.C.’ loves anything that has anything to do with lacrosse,” mentioned senior star two-way midfielder Ava Yovino, one in every of Navy’s high leaders and a captain.
 
“She is so dedicated to getting better and developing every day,” Yovino added. “It would be silly not to say she has an insane shot. We haven’t seen a shot like hers in the women’s game in a while. Watching her step down [shot] in practice is jaw dropping. She is a freak of nature. We joke that she is either playing lacrosse in her free time or catching a nap.”
 
Chung has studied and tried to repeat luminaries resembling Gary Gait, Casey Powell (and youthful brothers Ryan and Mikey), Paul Rabil, Deemer Class, Pat Spencer and Mac O’Keefe. When she drops down sidearm and rips a goal-scoring shot, consider O’Keefe, a present member of the PLL’s Archers who graduated from Penn State 5 years in the past as the highest purpose scorer in NCAA historical past with 221. His 269 profession factors rank second in Big Ten historical past.
 
On the ladies’s facet, a few of her favorites embrace former Syracuse star and present coach Nicole Levy, former Maryland All-American and longtime Loyola University Maryland assistant Dana Dobbie  and Loyola head coach Jen Adams, a 2001 graduate from Maryland and arguably the best offensive power ever within the girls’s recreation.
 
Chung takes pleasure in copying Adams’ “toe drag” transfer. Same with Casey Powell’s “finalizer move.” Or something to do with former Albany celebrity factors machine Lyle Thompson, or his brother, Myles.
 
“I will watch anybody, men or women, if I think their game is cool,” mentioned Chung, who has been recognized to view a spotlight reel on her cellphone, within the minutes earlier than the Mids exit the locker room to play a recreation. “I must say I’ve watched an egregious amount of Mac O’Keefe. I’ve tried to copy his shot form for the last five years. What an underarm stroke! I still can’t crack it.”
 
Prior to the season, Yovino requested her teammates to jot down a mantra to make use of throughout the season. Chung, who’s making an attempt to tamp down on the stress her demanding self can carry on, got here up with “Play Loose, Have Fun.”
 
That just about describes Navy’s high purpose producer (62) and factors chief (90) by far, in her second season. A 12 months in the past, she was the Patriot League’s runaway Rookie of the Year, having earned seven weekly rookie honors in 2025.
 
“Stress free is best,” mentioned Chung, who cherishes the additional capturing work she will get in, with Navy assistant coaches Brooke Shriver and Taylor Pinzone taking turns feeding her and watching her get away her newest tips, then hear their suggestions.
 
“In her first couple of practices as a freshman, A.C. was flashing accurate, behind-the-back shots on goal. Her game is already at such a high level, but she is determined to keep growing,” Pinzone mentioned. “Besides her amazing stick skills, her outsized personality and level of commitment stand out. She brings out her need to maintain her high standard.”
 
Chung is not one to bask within the nice performs she creates. After hanging a profession excessive 10 factors on Lafayette not too long ago, she watched the movie of that blowout and fixated on the turnovers she dedicated that day. And the necessity to clear up that a part of her recreation.
 
“[Chung] is a true student of the game. She will try all sorts of crazy shots she has seen on YouTube. It’s different than when we work with anyone else for extra shooting,” Shriver mentioned. “Her creativity has spread on the team. Other players are trying new things.”
 
“We were working on our ball movement in our zone offense in practice, and A.C. whips out a between-the-legs shot for a goal,” she added. “We’re like, ‘good job!’ Every now and then, we have to rein her in, but she has earned the right to push the envelope. I love watching her from a front row seat.”
 
If the Mids (16-1) are going to go on a deep postseason run, Chung possible may have rather a lot to do with it. Navy is tied for eighth in scoring protection nationally, having allowed simply 7.65 objectives per recreation. Its high-octane offense is ranked third in Division I with a median of 15.94 objectives per recreation. Chung’s 3.65 objectives per recreation common is ninth-best within the nation.
 
As a First Team All-Patriot League member for the second 12 months, Chung’s well-grounded recreation has flourished extra this 12 months. She has scooped 24 floor balls, partly resulting from her work within the draw circle (11 draw controls). Her 16 triggered turnovers are tied for second on the group.
 
Chung’s coaches say her shot choice has gotten smarter and her passes simpler. Her fearlessness stays extra intact than ever. The pleasure she derives from enjoying the sport is palpable.
 
Behind Chung’s blistering correct capturing lies the scoring depth that bodes effectively for the Mids. Attackers Taylor Miles and Emma Kennedy and midfielders Yovino and Mikayla Williams have posted a variety of 47 to 55 factors in 2026. Chung’s 28 assists are one shy of Yovino, the group chief.
 
Chung has scored on 46.3 % of her pictures, following laborious dodges to the purpose or bombs launched at excessive velocity from past 10 meters. And something in between. She is usually a nightmare working behind the opponents’ cage.
 
Yovino praised Chung’s fixed enchancment. This 12 months, for instance, Yovino mentioned she offers extra successfully with the frequent face-guarding technique opponents use to attempt to restrict her.
 
“A.C.’s growth has been exponential. A lot of her mentors in lacrosse are men. She plays that way – spin moves, one hand on the stick. I’m not impressed anymore with her BTB [behind the back] shot, because it’s already part of her arsenal,” Yovino mentioned. “Her game IQ is insane.”
 
At 5-feet-7, Chung emerged as a future power at Severna Park High School, the place she began by lacking her freshman season, resulting from a catastrophic knee harm she suffered on the lacrosse subject as an eighth-grader. Her restoration required 18 months.
 

Once she obtained wholesome, Chung shined on her highschool group and on her M&D Lacrosse membership group. Originally a defender all through her elementary and center faculty years, she moved to two-way midfielder for M&D and excelled on assault at Severna Park.
 

While being a part of an M&D group that was ranked tops within the nation for 5 straight years, Chung made her final three seasons rely in a serious approach. As a sophomore and junior, she earned All-America and First Team All-Metro honors. She set the single-season, faculty scoring file as a junior then broke Severna Park’s all-time scoring file as a senior.
 
Even although Chung suffered one other, much less critical knee harm that senior 12 months – it ended her season prematurely in April – she was nonetheless named to the First Team All-County group.
 
Chung acquired affords from, amongst different Division I stalwarts, Northwestern, Stanford and Harvard. Army additionally wished her badly. But Elaine Gore, Chung’s mom, mentioned that every one alongside, her daughter had her eye most on Navy.
 
“Alyssa was ready to go to Navy when they called on July 1 [prior to her junior high school year]. I just wanted her to look at other options,” Gore mentioned.
 
Deemer Class, the previous Duke star who performed professionally for seven years, whereas teaching female and male gamers at the highschool and school ranges – he was part of the Blue Devils nationwide title groups in 2013 and 2014 – mentioned he inherited an unforgettable participant to assist develop the day Chung began coaching with him.
 
Class, who runs First Class Lacrosse, which options one-on-one small teams talent coaching, helped Chung’s restoration from her first knee harm. Class mentioned he fed her pure curiosity and fearlessness by encouraging Chung to stretch her recreation any approach she may. They nonetheless communicate frequently.
 
“My favorite memory of A.C.’s first year with me was every time there was a water break, she was always picking up a lacrosse ball to take extra shots, or trying some crazy shot,” Class mentioned. “I’d have to tell her to get some water first. She wants to squeeze in every rep possible.”
 
“My approach to helping her was to promote and encourage. I could see the real potential she had. She continues to push the boundaries of her creativity and what she can do with a stick,” added Class, who thinks Chung is probably World Team materials.
 
“Her hands are fantastic. She can bring shots underhand, overhand, around defenders, snap it low-to-high, low-to-low, even right-handed,” he mentioned. “She’s exploding now, and still is only scratching the surface. She could be one of the best to ever to play this game.”
 
Gore, who calls her daughter “quirky,” marvels at her dedication.
 
“I can’t understand how anybody would enjoy spending three hours playing wall ball. Alyssa maintains that it’s therapeutic,” Gore mentioned. “Even as a senior at Severna Park, she wouldn’t come home during free periods. She’d be shooting or pounding that wall at school. It’s her craft. And it’s another way that Alyssa marches to the beat of her own drummer.”