ANNAPOLIS, Md. - A trip to the national championship will be on the line Saturday when the top-ranked Navy men's rugby team (16-0) plays host to second-ranked Lindenwood (15-1) in the Division I-A Elite Playoff Semifinals.
Kickoff is scheduled for noon at the Prusmack Rugby Center.
Fans can stream the match for free on the Rugby Network with the link provided on NavySports.com(.)
The winner of Saturday's match will advance to the national championship to face the winner of third-seeded California and fourth-seeded BYU from the west bracket. That match will be played May 6 at Avena Stadium in Houston, Texas.
"We could not be more excited to play in front of our home crowd for the final time this season. The team has worked incredibly hard since August and has earned this opportunity," said director of rugby
Gavin Hickie. "Our challenge this week will be against a varsity team of predominantly international rugby experience. We hope to see everyone at the Prusmack Rugby Center to support our Midshipmen in the DI-A semifinal. We are ready to go."
Notes For Traveling Fans
• There is no admission charge for rugby matches at Prusmack Rugby Center.
• Spectator parking is available in the lots on the north side of the Brigade Sports Complex (64 Greenbury Point Road, Annapolis, MD 21402). Overflow parking is available in the open space on the west side of the facility.
• Alcohol consumption is prohibited at the Prusmack Rugby Center and surrounding parking areas.
Playoff Quarterfinal Recap (vs. Army)
Navy defeated Army for the third time this season, 30-6, last Saturday in the playoff quarterfinals. The Mids outscored the Black Knights, 17-0, in the final 40 minutes of play.
Penalties allowed Navy to push inside Army's 22-meter line early in the contest.
Sean MacLaney quickly picked up the ball out of the won scrum and ran through two Army defenders to score the first try of the contest in the seventh minute.
Roanin Krieger missed the conversion kick to keep the score at 5-0.
The Black Knights scored their first points with a penalty kick in the 24th minute, but the Mids capitalized on a turnover for their second try less than two minutes later.
Army dropped the ensuing kickoff and
Tanner Russell corralled the ball to put Navy inside the 22-meter line.
Lewis Gray later found an uncovered
JD Bengston on the right sideline for a try to give the Mids a 10-3 lead.
Penalties against the Mids allowed the Black Knights to make their second penalty kick of the contest in the 31st minute to make the score, 10-6.
Navy's defense forced a crucial turnover near midfield and a penalty against the Black Knights allowed the Mids to attempt a penalty kick before the end of the half. Gray nailed the kick from Army's 10-meter line to make the score, 13-6, at intermission.
Navy charged into Army's 22-meter line just three minutes into the second half thanks to a big carry down the left sideline by
Dale Sturdifen. The Mids then switched their attacking direction to the right and
Jack McMahon fed a perfect pass to
Landon Opp, who split two Army defenders to score a try in the 44th minute. Krieger made his first conversion kick of the day following Opp's score to give Navy a 20-6 advantage.
The Mids drove into their offensive 22-meter zone again in the 53rd minute, but committed a knock-on penalty to award the Black Knights a scrum. Navy's forwards pushed Army's entire line backward to cause a turnover and
Ben Haugh picked up the loose ball to score a try in the 54th minute. Krieger made the conversion kick to put Navy ahead, 27-6.
Krieger scored the final points of the match with a penalty kick in the 61st minute.
Gray Voted Finalist For Rudy Scholz Award
Lewis Gray was voted as one of the five finalists for the 2023 Rudy Scholz Award. The finalists were selected by public vote.
The award is presented annually by the Washington Athletic Club to the top men's college rugby player in the country. A winner will be chosen by a panel of experts after the conclusion of the 15s season. The recipient will be presented the award at a gala event hosted by the Washington Athletic Club in Seattle, Wash., on June 10.
Gray is Navy's top scorer this season with 161 points. The senior leads the Mids with 16 tries and is tied for the team lead in made penalty kicks with seven. Additionally, he ranks second on the team in made conversion kicks with 30.
Navy's center has scored in 14 of his 15 appearances this season. He contributed a season-high 30 points on four tries and five conversion kicks against Mount St. Mary's (Sept. 17).
Joining Gray as finalists for the award are Orrin Bizer (Life), Joe Marchant (Saint Mary's), Wyatt Parry (BYU) and Max Schumacher (California).
Haugh Shares NAAA Honors
Ben Haugh was one of four Midshipmen who shared this week's Naval Academy Athletic Association (NAAA) Athlete-of-the-Week accolade, presented by Northrop Grumman.
Along with his key try in Saturday's contest, he led Navy with 55-meters gained on 16 carries. He also accounted for a team-leading six defenders beaten and zero turnovers.
On the defensive end, Haugh led the Mids with nine tackles and finished without a miss. He also contributed one of Navy's six tackle turnovers in the contest.
Navy Notes
• The Mids didn't surrender a try in their quarterfinal victory against the Black Knights. The match marked the first time in Army's nine years as a varsity program it didn't score a try against a U.S. school.
• Navy hasn't allowed a try in six of its 16 matches this season.
• Saturday's contest marked the ninth time the Mids have surrendered 10 points or less in a game this season.
• Navy crushed Army in the kicking game on Saturday. The Mids totaled 1,020 meters on 27 kicks, while the Black Knights finished with 482 meters on 17 kicks.
• Navy has posted over 1,000-meters kicked in three straight matches.
• The Mids dominated the Black Knights during scrums, forcing three turnovers and allowing just a 67-percent scrum success rate.
• Navy's offense stayed consistent by scoring at least 30 points for the fifth-consecutive game. Navy has surpassed 30 or more points in a contest 13 times this season.
• The Mids are 4-0 against their service academy rivals this season and have outscored them, 162-46. Navy has defeated Army three times (27-14, 34-26, 30-6) and Air Force once (71-0).
Scouting Lindenwood
The Lions compiled a 14-1 overall and 5-1 Mid-South Conference (MSC) record during the regular season. Lindenwood was ranked No. 2 in the country in the latest College Rugby Association of America (CRAA) power rankings (March 30).
Lindenwood's defense was the story of its quarterfinal victory against sixth-ranked Life. The Lions shut out the Running Eagles in the second half to win the match, 29-8.
The program was founded in 2012 and has been one of the top teams in the nation since its promotion to Division I-A in 2013. The Lions have made the semifinals in six of the past seven times the playoffs have been held, but have never played in the national championship game.
The Lions defeated the Mids, 12-7, the last time the two faced off on Nov. 2, 2019.
