ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Team captain Ben Haugh scored three tries for the Navy men's rugby team (3-0) in its, 69-21, victory against Indiana (1-1, 1-0) on Saturday at the Prusmack Rugby Center in Annapolis, Md.
 
The Mids jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first seven minutes and rode the momentum to win their 21st-consecutive match dating back to last season.
 
"It's good to defeat the defending Big Ten champs by the score we did, but we are pretty upset with the fact that we gifted Indiana 21 points. Very unhappy with some of our set piece and another few areas we didn't perform in," said director of rugby Gavin Hickie. "It's not about score lines or our opponents. It's about ourselves and as a result, we are a bit frustrated right now. That will hopefully give us fuel for our upcoming training because we have a tough week ahead of us.
 
"One thing that was very pleasing was finishing with a very young team. We had a younger lineup playing today so from that perspective it's exciting. However, as a result, we were a little disjointed in some areas and that's something we have to work on going forward."
 
Indiana dropped a pass at the 10-meter line in its defensive zone less than a minute into the match to give Navy possession. The Mids drove near the 22-meter line and tried a short kick to further advance the ball. The Hoosiers committed a knock-on penalty attempting to receive the kick, resulting in a scrum for Navy. JD Bengston received the first pass out of the scrum and took it over 20 meters by himself into the try zone for the first score just 2:27 into the match. Roanin Krieger made the conversion kick to put Navy in the lead, 7-0.
 
Landon Opp caught a kick at Navy's 22-meter line and launched a kick that landed right on Indiana's 22-meter line. The ball then continued to roll into the try zone and the Hoosiers were forced to down it for a goal line drop kick. The Mids charged inside the five-meter line after receiving the kick, but a knock-on penalty resulted in a turnover. Indiana won the ensuing scrum and attempted a clearing kick to flip the field. Jake Cornelius jumped in front of the kick for a block and Vaughn Schmitz pounced on the loose ball for a try in the seventh minute. Krieger put the Mids ahead, 14-0, after making the conversion kick.
 
Krieger was forced to run after the kickoff and he committed a knock-on penalty to award Indiana a scrum inside Navy's 22-meter zone. The Hoosiers went on the offensive out of the scrum and were less than a meter away from a try. The Mids somehow got a hand on the ball on a massive pile near the try line and ripped it away to retake possession. Navy moved the ball back to the 22-meter line in its defensive zone, but lost possession on a penalty. An additional penalty allowed Indiana to perform a tap-and-go and the ball carrier ran through the defense to score a try in the 11th minute. The Hoosiers cut their deficit to seven after nailing the conversion kick.
 
A line drive kick from Opp went off of an Indiana player and rolled out of bounds to award the Mids a lineout at the 10-meter line in their offensive zone. Navy overthrew the throw-in and Indiana cleared the ball back to the 22-meter line in its offensive zone. The Mids reset their attack and advanced the ball back to the 10-meter line in their offensive zone in less than a minute. Haugh made a cut to the left and sucked in two Indiana defenders toward him. He then made a perfect offload to Opp, who ran over 25 meters before touching the ball in the try zone right at the 18:00 mark. Krieger added an additional two points on the conversion kick to put Navy back ahead by two scores.
 
The Hoosiers formed a scrum at midfield following a penalty against the Mids in the 22nd minute. Navy pushed the scrum backward and came up with a steal. Haugh picked up the ball and ran over 30 meters to move the Mids inside the 22-meter zone. Schmitz plunged across the try line, but Indiana held up the ball to negate a score and form a goal line drop kick. Navy lost possession again on a dropped pass and the Hoosiers executed a grubber kick to send the ball back into their offensive zone. Indiana failed to score on a drop goal and Opp kicked the ball back to midfield. The Hoosiers lined a kick right back into the hands of Tanner Russell at the 22-meter line. Russell broke a tackle and ran over 30 meters before being taken down. Navy had a three-on-one advantage following the breakdown and an offload to Cornelius looked like another score for the Mids. However, the touch judge ruled Cornelius stepped out of bounds, taking away the try.
 
A penalty for not rolling away on Navy awarded Indiana a free kick at the 10-meter line just before the 34th minute. The Mids caught a break after the kick remained in the field of play, allowing Krieger to boot it down to the opposite end of the field. Jack Aleman recovered a short clear kick from the Hoosiers to establish possession at the 10-meter line. Navy charged near the five-meter line and an Indiana player was issued a yellow card for not wrapping on a tackle attempt. Haugh picked up the ball out of the won scrum and dove into the try zone in the 35th minute for his first score of the contest. Krieger sent another conversion kick through the uprights to give the Mids a 28-7 advantage.
 
The Hoosiers were granted a scrum between the 10-meter and halfway line in their offensive zone in the 38th minute. Indiana began to drive into Navy's defensive zone, but Cornelius came up with a huge breakdown steal. The Mids attacked right and Cornelius broke a defender's ankles to advance the ball inside the five-meter line. Cornelius then offloaded it to Russell and he dove into the try zone in the 39th minute. Krieger ended the first half with a made conversion kick to give the Mids a 28-point cushion.
 
Navy still held a one-man advantage entering the second half due to the yellow card, which led to another two scores in less than four minutes.
 
The Mids quickly took possession inside the 22-meter zone after a handling error by the Hoosiers. A high tackle penalty on Indiana allowed Navy to perform a tap-and-go. Haugh received an offload from Sean MacLaney and he burst through Indiana's defense for a try just 50 seconds into the second half. Krieger gave the Mids a 42-7 lead on his sixth conversion kick of the afternoon.
 
A knock-on penalty against Indiana awarded Navy a scrum at midfield. A big carry from Krieger out of the scrum pushed the Mids inside the 22-meter zone. MacLaney made a pass to Aidan Gerber out of the breakdown and Gerber sprinted over 20 meters for a try in the 43rd minute to extend Navy's lead to 47-7.
 
Indiana regained its player after the score and drove past the 22-meter line in its offensive zone following a big carry out of a scrum. A well-timed offload led to a 15-meter run for a try in the 47th minute for the Hoosiers. Indiana trimmed Navy's lead to, 47-14, after making the conversion kick.
 
The Mids caught the Hoosiers off guard with a short kickoff and the ball was caught by Andrew Baublitz near the 22-meter line. Krieger sent a grubber kick down to the five-meter line, but Indiana recovered the ball and kicked it back to midfield. Krieger received a pass from Opp after the clearing kick and gained 15 meters back on the return. A penalty against Hoosiers let MacLaney advance the ball inside the five-meter line on a tap-and-go. Opp was then fed a pass to the right and he split two defenders for a try in the 50th minute to make the score, 52-14.
 
The Mids kept the ball in their offensive zone over the next seven minutes and received a lineout near the 22-meter line because the Hoosiers sent a clearing kick out of bounds. Navy won the lineout and an offsides penalty against Indiana awarded a free kick to Krieger. He sent a short kick out of bounds at the five-meter line for a lineout. Navy was then given a scrum on a maul penalty against Indiana. Bengston then spun away from a tackle to put the Mids within a meter from a try. Haugh was shoved in by his teammates for a score in the 59th minute to give Navy's team captain the hat trick. Krieger was successful on the ensuing conversion kick to give the Mids a 59-14 lead.
 
The two squads battled between the 10-meter lines over the next eight minutes of play. Navy formed a scrum at the 10-meter line in its defensive zone after Indiana was issued a knock-on penalty. The Mids attacked left, but a dropped pass went right into the hands of a Hoosier. He ran over 40 meters with no defenders in front of him for Indiana's third try in the 68th minute. The Hoosiers hit the conversion kick to make the score, 59-21.
 
A penalty on Indiana gifted Navy a scrum at the 10-meter line in its offensive zone in the 72nd minute. The Mids advanced into the 22-meter zone, but stepped out of bounds to award a lineout to the Hoosiers. Navy came up with another lineout steal and charged inside the five-meter line. The Mids attacked wide to the left, which allowed Avion Ganse to run into the try zone untouched in the 74th minute to build the lead to 64-21.
 
The ensuing kickoff from the Hoosiers didn't travel 10 meters and the Mids formed a scrum at midfield. Matt Richardson pitched the ball to the left out of the scrum and another huge gain from Bengston pushed Navy inside the 22-meter zone. The Mids charged close to the try line and Schmitz found a gap in the defense to score the final try of the match in the 78th minute.
 
Haugh led Navy in scoring with 15 points on his three tries. He becomes the first Mid to post multiple hat tricks in his career.
 
Krieger contributed 14 points with seven made conversion kicks to bring his season total to 16 made kicks.
 
Schmitz and Opp both added 10 points with two tries each. Opp scored his first two tries of the season, while Schmitz increased his total to three tries.
 
Bengston, Ganse, Gerber and Russell all scored one try to finish with five points each. Ganse's try is his fourth this season. Bengston found the try zone for the second time, while Gerber and Russell crossed the try line for the first time this year.
 
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.
 
Box Score
First Half
2:27 - Try - Navy - JD Bengston (5-0)
Conversion Kick - Roanin Krieger (7-0)
 
7:07 - Try - Navy - Vaughn Schmitz (12-0)
Conversion Kick - Roanin Krieger (14-0)
 
11:02 - Try - Indiana (14-5)
Conversion Kick - Indiana (14-7)
 
18:00 - Try - Navy - Landon Opp (19-7)
Conversion Kick - Roanin Krieger (21-7)
 
35:49 - Try - Navy - Ben Haugh (26-7)
Conversion Kick - Roanin Krieger (28-7)
 
39:48 - Try - Navy - Tanner Russell (33-7)
Conversion Kick - Roanin Krieger (35-7)
 
Second Half
40:50 - Try - Navy - Ben Haugh (40-7)
Conversion Kick - Roanin Krieger (42-7)
 
43:19 - Try - Navy - Aidan Gerber (47-7)
 
47:10 - Try - Indiana (47-12)
Conversion Kick - Indiana (47-14)
 
50:30 - Try - Navy - Landon Opp (52-14)
 
59:10 - Try - Navy - Ben Haugh (57-14)
Conversion Kick - Roanin Krieger (59-14)
 
68:00 - Try - Indiana (59-19)
Conversion Kick - Indiana (59-21)
 
74:48 - Try - Navy - Avion Ganse (64-21)
 
78:30 - Try - Navy - Vaughn Schmitz (69-21)