Annapolis, Md. – Navy men's rugby (7-0, 5-0) looks to stay perfect on the season in its road matchup this Saturday with the Virginia Tech Hokies (3-4, 0-4) in Blacksburg, Va. Kickoff against the Hokies is scheduled for 11 a.m.
 
"We are excited to travel to Blacksburg this weekend to face Virginia Tech for the first time in years," said director of rugby Gavin Hickie. "This game gives us the opportunity to have a look at some different players in our starting lineup and test out some alternate combinations as we continue to build depth within our squad. This week has allowed us to give some guys a rest, knowing that we have a very tough final few weeks to our fall season."
 
Recap of Notre Dame College Match
Navy faced its first road test in conference play and scored 26 unanswered points to defeat the Notre Dame College Falcons 36-21 in South Euclid, Ohio.
 
Lewis Gray put Navy on the board with a penalty kick in the third minute but Notre Dame College answered with two penalty kicks to put Navy behind 6-3. Freshman Reece Thacker gave Navy a much-needed score with a try in the 26^th minute to put Navy back in front. After another penalty kick by the Falcons, Ratu Osea Melibua scored a try in the 33^rd minute to give Navy a 15-9 halftime lead.
 
Navy dominated the start of the second half. William Webb gave the Mids a try just three minutes into the second half, and Ben Haugh scored a pair of tries in the 55^th and 63^rd minutes to give Navy a commanding 36-9 advantage. Notre Dame College did make a late push with tries in the 66^th and 73^rd minutes, but Navy's defense shut down the Falcons for the remainder of the contest for its seventh straight win.
 
Haugh Ties Gray in Tries
Ben Haugh has been a major contributor in Navy's past five matches. The Raleigh, N.C., native has scored eight tries in the past five contests to give him 11 total, tying him with Lewis Gray as the team leader in tries scored this season. The two are also tied as the leader in the Rugby East in tries scored with seven. A try on Saturday from Haugh would give him at least one in six straight matches, which would be the longest streak by a Navy player this season.
 
Webb Finding the Try Zone
William Webb only had one try through the first four matches but the sophomore has been on the offensive as of late, scoring four tries in the past three games. Webb has scored five tries this season and is only one of four Mids to score at least five.
 
Keeping the Ball
A stat line that Navy continues to dominate this season is possession percentage. The Mids have had a higher possession percentage than their opponents in six of their seven matches this year. Navy has had the ball for at least 55 percent of the match in five contests this season, including a season high 67 percent against Mount St. Mary's.
 
When Navy has the ball, it has mainly been on its opponent's side of the pitch. Navy has allowed only Mary Washington to win the territory percentage battle this season, which is Navy's only match not scoring at least 30 points. Navy's best possession percentage in enemy territory came against Air Force, where Navy spent 80 percent of the match on the Falcons' side of the halfway line.
 
Gray Still at Top of Conference Scoring
Although Lewis Gray hasn't scored a try in the past two matches, he's still scoring points for Navy with his leg to continue to add to his impressive scoring numbers. Gray made eight conversion kicks and three penalty kicks in the previous two games to bring his point total to 82 in Rugby East play. Gray's point total is currently 37 points higher than the next-best scorer in the Rugby East.
 
Updated Standings
Navy still trails Army by one point as the top team in the Rugby East and north division. Both teams earned five points in their wins last week, giving Army 25 and Navy 24 total. The rival clubs are the only teams in the conference to earn at least 20 points this season. St. Bonaventure earned a huge win over Kutztown to give them 14 points and put them in the playoff bracket as the third-best team in the league.
 
Mary Washington and Queens both earned five points with wins a week ago, tying them as the leader in the south division with 10 points each. Mount St. Mary's and Southern Virginia don't trail by much with both clubs currently claiming eight points this season.
 
The two division winners will earn automatic berths to the postseason, while the next two teams with the highest point totals, regardless of division, receive the other two playoff spots.
 
Scouting Virginia Tech
The Hokies enter Saturday's match 3-4 overall but are the only winless team in the Rugby East with a 0-4 conference record. Against non-conference opponents, Virginia Tech has outscored its foes 123-34 but has been outscored 15-202 against Rugby East opponents. Virginia Tech has scored the fewest points and allowed the most in the Rugby East this season.
 
Up Next
Navy wraps up its three-game road stretch with Kutztown on Saturday, Oct. 29. Kickoff against the Golden Bears is scheduled for 1 p.m.