ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Navy men's rugby team (2-0) returns to the pitch to face defending Big Ten Champion Indiana (1-0, 1-0) on Saturday at the Prusmack Rugby Center in Annapolis, Md.

The Mids and Hoosiers are scheduled to square off at 1:30 p.m. Fans can also watch the match for free on Navy Athletics YouTube with links provided on NavySports.com(.)

"We are grateful to Indiana for making the trip to Annapolis. While our focus is always on ourselves and the areas we need to develop, we have identified a number of threats within Indiana's team that we need to stop. This game should give us good insight into where we are on our journey this season," said director of rugby Gavin Hickie. 

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.

Recap of Trinity College Dublin Match
Navy last competed on Sept. 5 in an exhibition match against international powerhouse Trinity College Dublin. The Mids kept the match close for 60 minutes, but Trinity pulled away with a pair of late scores to win the contest, 36-14.

Navy had an opportunity to snag an early lead with a penalty kick in the sixth minute. Roanin Krieger attempted the kick from beyond the 10-meter line, but it was just off the mark to keep the game scoreless. 

The Mids kept the ball out of their defensive zone over the next four minutes, but a kicking penalty granted Trinity possession at Navy's 10-meter line. Trinity used a maul to move into scoring position and struck for a try in the 16th minute out of a won scrum to take a 5-0 lead.  

Trinity drove inside the five-meter line in its offensive zone two more times in the first half. Navy held strong defensively on both scoring chances to keep the deficit at 5-0. The Mids flipped the field and charged inside the 22-meter zone following their second stop. Navy missed out on a chance for a late score after dropping a pass and being issued a knock-on penalty to end the first half.

A high tackle against Trinity early in the second half awarded Navy a free kick and Landon Opp booted the ball into the 22-meter zone. After gaining a big chunk of ground from a maul, Sean MacLaney ran through three Trinity defenders to score Navy's first try in the 45th minute. Krieger made the conversion kick to give the Mids a 7-5 lead.

Navy's lead was short-lived after Trinity responded less than three minutes later with a try to retake a 12-7 advantage. 

The Mids regained control of the pitch at the 10-meter line in their offensive zone after pressure from Opp forced a short kick from Trinity. A turnover on the ensuing lineout and a high tackle penalty against Navy awarded Trinity a scrum at midfield. The ball carrier for Trinity performed a tap-and-go following an additional penalty and he ran over 40 meters to move possession inside the five-meter line. Trinity found the try zone again in the 56th minute to take a two-score lead.

Trinity took control of the match with another three tries over the next 15 minutes. 

The Mids still continued to battle and their efforts were rewarded with a late score. Krieger set up Navy inside the 22-meter zone for a lineout after earning a free kick from a penalty. After winning the lineout, Jacob D'Amico received an offload from Ben Haugh and he split two defenders to score a try in the 80th minute. Krieger concluded the match with his second successful conversion kick.

Navy Notes
• Navy's match against Trinity marked just the third time it trailed in the second half. Only Cal had held a lead against Navy after the first 40 minutes. 
• A positive stat line for coach Hickie was the Mids were far better in not committing penalties. Navy was penalized only six times in the match, while Trinity was flagged 12 times. 
• Another big win for the Mids were in breakdowns. Navy had two breakdown steals and didn't surrender any to Trinity. 
• Coach Hickie emphasized the importance of how good teams will make you pay for mistakes following the exhibition match. The Mids totaled 15 turnovers in the contest and lost possession on three lineouts. 
• A key difference in last Tuesday's match was the meters-gained statistic. Navy finished with only 194-meters gained, while Trinity totaled 650.
• Another stat that favored Trinity was line breaks. Trinity had 12 line breaks and the Mids posted only three in the contest. 
• The exhibition match marked the first time Navy had been outkicked in a match. Trinity ended with 587-meters kicked on 19 kicks and the Mids accumulated 541-meters kicked on 18 kicks. 
• MacLaney was a vital piece of Navy's kicking game, finishing with 141-meters kicked on five attempts.
• D'Amico had a big game off the bench. He played the entire second half and scored one of Navy's two tries. The Flemington, N.J., native also added a line break and four tackles.
• Trinity College Dublin also defeated Army (38-7) and Indiana (76-10) on its U.S. tour. Navy was the only team that held a lead against Trinity. 

Ben Haugh Student-Athlete Spotlight
Team captain Ben Haugh was featured on this week's student-athlete spotlight segment with Navy director of multimedia Luke Slabaugh. Fans can watch the interview HERE. 

All-American Selections
Lewis Gray, Ben Haugh, Roanin Krieger and Jack McMahon received Division I-A All-America accolades from the Collegiate Rugby Association of America (CRAA) for their efforts during the 2022-23 season.

Navy's four selections on the 23-person list are the most from a single program. Fans can read more about the All-American team HERE. 

Scouting Indiana
The Hoosiers enter Saturday's match with a 1-0 record after defeating conference-foe Michigan State, 48-8, last Sunday. 

Indiana enters another season of high expectations after winning the Big Ten 15s title last fall. The Hoosiers return three of their First-Team All-Big Ten players from last season, including MVP Peyton Wall. Defending Big Ten coach of the year Luke Gross also brings back hooker Russell Lemaster and flanker Wyatt Schrader. Scrum half Tommy Hannon is another player to watch out for after gaining experience playing for the U.S. U20 team over the summer. 

Up Next
Navy opens conference play with a home match against Queens University of Charlotte next Saturday at the Prusmack Rugby Center. Kickoff against the Royals is scheduled for noon.