Annapolis, Md. – Navy men's rugby (6-0, 4-0) faces its first Rugby East opponent away from Annapolis this Saturday, as the Mids travel to South Euclid, Ohio to take on Notre Dame College (2-2, 1-2). Kickoff from Mueller Field is scheduled for 11 a.m. Fans can watch the match on Notre Dame Falcons Athletics TV.
 
"Notre Dame College is a very tough place to get a win and we know we're up against a very physical, fully recruited rugby team," said director of rugby Gavin Hickie. "They have a very big forward pack and some dangerous backs who we need to keep an eye on. This will be the first time this season we will play on a turf field so we're hoping for a fast-paced game, which will allow us to move the ball around quickly."
 
Recap of Penn State Match
Penn State made things close early in the second half, but Navy's defense stood strong for the remainder of the match to earn a 39-22 victory over the Nittany Lions.
 
Navy's offense was the story early on, scoring three tries in the first 20 minutes to give Navy a 19-3 lead. Penn State scored its first try in the 28^th minute, but Roanin Krieger answered with a try four minutes later to put Navy back ahead by 16. Penn State managed to score another try in the 36^th minute and prevent Navy from scoring in the final moments of the first half despite Navy being only meters away from the try zone.
 
The Nittany Lions used the great first half end to start strong in the second, scoring a try just 3:39 into the second half to trail by just four. Lewis Gray gave Navy breathing room with a pair of penalty kicks in the 52^nd and 56^th minutes, and Ben Haugh's second try of the match in the 74^th minute halted any hopes Penn State had of a comeback. Navy outscored Penn State 13-0 in the final 36 minutes of the match.
 
Gray Surpasses 100 Points
Lewis Gray scored 14 points in Navy's win over Penn State, now giving him a team leading 101 total this season. Gray leads Navy with 11 tries and 20 conversion kicks and is tied with Roanin Krieger as the team leader in penalty kicks with two. Gray reached triple digits in just six matches and is the only Mid to surpass the 50-point mark.
 
The senior also holds a comfortable lead as the Rugby East's top scorer, leading the league with 71 points, seven tries and 15 conversion kicks. Gray has scored 37 more points than the second-best scorer in the conference to this point.
 
Haugh Does it All
Ben Haugh did a little bit of everything in the Penn State match. Haugh scored two tries while also leading the Mids with 18 carries and 106-meters gained. On defense, Haugh made the third-most tackles with 13 and only missed two of his attempts.
 
One Streak Continues, One Ends
Haugh's two tries extended his scoring streak to four games with at least one try. Haugh has scored a try in five of Navy's six matches and is second on the squad with nine total. His two scores give him five tries against Rugby East opponents, the second-most in the conference behind teammate Lewis Gray.
 
Gray's try scoring streak ended at five games against the Nittany Lions but was still Navy's top scorer in the match with 14 points. Gray has scored at least ten points in five matches this season.
 
Krieger Beats Defenders Left and Right
Roanin Krieger continues to show huge steps of development during his freshman campaign. Krieger led Navy in defenders beaten with eight and showcased how dangerous he can be in open space. Krieger managed to slip through two Penn State defenders and lowered his shoulder on another to score a try in the 32^nd minute. Krieger is tied with Haugh as Navy's second-best scorer with 45 points and is tenth in the Rugby East in scoring with 18 points.
 
Updated Standings
Saturday's win gave Navy five points to put Navy back within a point of Army for first place in the Rugby East. Navy was the only team in the north division to gain any points last weekend with every other team having a bye week or playing a non-conference opponent.
 
The only other Rugby East matchup a week ago featured Southern Virginia and Mount St. Mary's. Southern Virginia earned five points in a 32-17 upset win over the Mountaineers for its first conference win of the season. SVU trails Mount St. Mary's by just a point for the south division lead.
 
Scouting Notre Dame College
The Falcons enter the match 2-2 overall and 1-2 against Rugby East opponents. Notre Dame College dropped a close battle in its season opener to St. Bonaventure 13-10 and then dropped to 0-2 after a 43-15 loss to Army. The Falcons have managed to win back-to-back matches, defeating Virginia Tech 54-0 and non-conference foe Wheeling 15-8 last Friday.
 
Navy will look to try and limit Lachlan McDonald, who ranks as the second-best scorer in the Rugby East with 34 points. McDonald has scored two tries, nailed nine conversion kicks and two penalty kicks.
 
Up Next
Navy stays on the road next week and travels to Blacksburg, Va., to battle Virginia Tech on Saturday, Oct. 22. A kickoff time against the Hokies is TBA.