ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Navy men's rugby team (2-0) scored a program record 117 points to defeat Delaware (0-1), 117-0, on Saturday at the Prusmack Rugby Center in Annapolis, Md.
 
Navy also set a new program record in tries scored (19) and made conversion kicks (11).
 
Navy's entire starting 15 made the first varsity appearance of their careers and 10 freshmen received their first opportunity to compete as a Mid.
 
"We can take the score off the table. Today's focus was getting a close look at our young players and see how quickly they could contribute to the overall group of Navy rugby," said director of rugby Gavin Hickie. "Overall we saw a lot of positive things.
 
"We are in a much different area with our new players because some of them were recruited. We had an idea how they were individually, but today we got to see them piece it together as members of Navy rugby."
 
The Mids committed three penalties to allow the Blue Hens to gain an early territory advantage. Delaware set up for a lineout in its offensive zone in the fourth minute, but threw it right into the hands of Navy's defense for a turnover. The Mids quickly attacked to the right and gained over 30 meters on a carry from Avion Ganse. He then handed it off to Andrew Baublitz, who ran the remaining distance into the try zone for a try.
 
Navy pinned Delaware deep in its defensive zone with a kick and gained possession inside the 22-meter line following a not-releasing penalty against the Blue Hens. The Mids charged up the middle of the pitch to move the ball inside the five-meter line. Navy attacked to the right again and set up Marek Enters for an easy try just before the eight-minute mark. Jake Cornelius made his first conversion kick of the match to give Navy a 12-0 lead.
 
Navy's kicking game continued to keep Delaware stuck inside its defensive 22-meter zone. The Blue Hens were penalized for an intentional knock-on and awarded the Mids a free kick. Kade Williams kicked the ball out of bounds 10 meters away from the try line to allow Navy to form a lineout. Delaware prevented Navy from scoring on its maul attack to force the offense to reset. The Mids attacked left and Ganse squeezed between two defenders for a try at the 12:55 mark. The second conversion kick from Cornelius extended Navy's lead to 19-0.
 
Delaware was gifted a scrum in its offensive zone after a penalty against Navy. The Blue Hens won the scrum, but coughed up the ball after a hard tackle. The Mids used a pair of big carries to quickly return to their offensive 22-meter zone. An offsides penalty forced Delaware to retreat back just in front of the try line. Ganse took advantage with a diving score for his second try of the contest in the 18th minute to give the Mids a 24-point advantage.
 
The Blue Hens had another opportunity to attack in their offensive zone following the kickoff, but the Mids forced another turnover to regain possession. Navy moved the ball into its offensive 22-meter zone with its kicking game and a high tackle against Delaware awarded a scrum for the Mids. The Blue Hens were penalized for collapsing the scrum, which granted a lineout for the Mids at the five-meter line. Navy gathered the lineout and mauled Ian Bullock across the try line in the 23rd minute to build the lead to 29-0.
 
The Mids were awarded a scrum at midfield after the kickoff from the Blue Hens didn't go at least ten meters. Baublitz received the pass out of the won scrum and took it 50 meters by himself for a try in the 27th minute. Cornelius put the ensuing conversion kick through the uprights to give Navy a 36-0 lead.
 
Delaware's defense kept Navy in its defensive zone over the next five minutes of play. The Blue Hens had their first opportunity to establish an attack deep in their offensive zone after intercepting a pass. A knock-on penalty against Delaware returned the ball to Navy. Williams then executed a beautiful drop kick that bounced over 30 meters into the try zone, where Baublitz jumped on the ball for his third try of the match in the 36th minute.
 
Ganse contributed his third try of the afternoon in the 39th minute and the conversion kick from Cornelius gave Navy a 48-point lead at halftime.
 
The Blue Hens attempted to clear the ball out of their defensive zone with a kick to begin the second half. The kick went just 20 meters and was received by Enters, who immediately advanced the ball to the five-meter line. Trevor Gayron then dove into the try zone out of a ruck to give the Mids a try just 1:08 into the second half.
 
Navy received a free kick after a scrum penalty against Delaware. The kick didn't travel out of bounds, but was corralled by a Mid to establish possession just outside the 22-meter line. Navy attacked to the right of the pitch and Enters sprinted past a Delaware defender down the right sideline to score a try in the 44th minute. Another successful conversion kick by Cornelius gave the Mids a 60-point advantage.
 
Navy used its kicking game to push the ball back into its offensive zone. Bullock lowered his shoulder on a Delaware defender and drove through him to move the ball near the 22-meter line. The Mids continued to gain ground with big blows to the defense and Baublitz scored his fourth try of the contest in the 48th minute. The made conversion kick from Cornelius put Navy ahead, 67-0.
 
A penalty against the Blue Hens allowed the Mids to send a free kick out of bounds in their offensive zone in the 51st minute. Navy formed a maul after controlling the lineout and mauled itself over 35 meters for a try. Aidan Bryan was credited with the score to give Navy a 72-0 lead.  
 
The Mids received the ensuing kickoff at the 10-meter line in their defensive zone and set up an attack to the left sideline. Ryan Flaherty caught a pass and ran over 50 meters untouched for a try in the 54th minute.
 
Navy formed a lineout at the 10-meter line in its offensive zone after Delaware was issued a penalty. The Mids won the lineout and mauled themselves forward just outside the 22-meter zone. Cornelius received a pass after the maul was halted and fooled two defenders with a fake pass to run into the try zone uncontested in the 59th minute. He then added two more points on a made conversion kick to give the Mids an 84-0 cushion.
 
Navy continued its dominance by stealing the ball on a Delaware scrum. The Mids used a free kick from a Blue Hen penalty to move the ball just outside the five-meter line in the 64th minute. Navy again formed a maul out of the successful lineout and Trevor Swier provided a try to establish a new program record in points scored in a match. Cornelius added two more points on the conversion kick to extend the lead to 91-0.
 
The Blue Hens briefly controlled the ball in its offensive zone, but another penalty stopped their attack. The Mids sent a free kick out of bounds at midfield to set up a lineout. Navy attacked the right half of the pitch out of the lineout and caught Delaware's defense out of position. Xavier Sturdifen touched the ball down in the try zone after a carry of over 30 meters in the 68th minute. Cornelius sent another kick through the uprights to give the Mids a 98-0 lead.
 
Aidan Gerber put Navy inside its offensive 22-meter zone after a 40-meter carry, but a penalty returned the ball to Delaware. The Blue Hens formed a lineout at their own 22-meter line and the throw-in attempt was intercepted. The Mids powered themselves a few meters away from the try line and Swier found a crease for a score to break the 100-point mark in the 72nd minute.
 
Swier scored his third try of the game in the 75th minute and the first made conversion kick from Williams made the score 110-0.
 
Edmund Soeder concluded the match with a try in the 81st minute along with another conversion kick from Williams.
 
Cornelius led the team in scoring with 23 points, which is tied for the second-most points scored by a Mid in a match. The Belmont, Mass., native made nine conversion kicks and scored one try. His nine-made conversion kicks tie Roanin Krieger's program record that he set last week against Notre Dame.
 
Baublitz found the try zone four times to account for 20 points. He joins Lewis Gray as the only two Mids to score four tries in a match.  
 
Ganse and Swier also had hat tricks with three tries each.
 
Enters found the try zone twice to finish the match with 10 points.
 
Bryan, Bullock, Flaherty, Gayron, Soeder and Sturdifen all scored one try to score five points each.

A pair of made conversion kicks from Williams earned him four points in the contest. 
 
Up Next
Navy's main lineup will be back in action Tuesday for an international contest against Trinity College Dublin. Tuesday's match is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m.
 
"Tuesday is going to be a very different kind of game. That will be one of the most physical and one of the toughest games of our season," added Hickie. "Trinity had a chance to look at us very closely last week when we were in Dublin and things will be very tough going forward. We have to attack Trinity and go after them. The last time they came to play us they scored 70 points, but this year I expect to be right there with them and win."
 
Box Score
First Half
4:28 - Try - Navy - Andrew Baublitz (5-0)
 
7:55 - Try - Navy - Marek Enters (10-0)
Conversion Kick - Jake Cornelius (12-0)
 
12:55 - Try - Navy - Avion Ganse (17-0)
Conversion Kick - Jake Cornelius (19-0)
 
18:22 - Try - Navy - Avion Ganse (24-0)
 
23:57 - Try - Navy - Ian Bullock (29-0)
 
27:03 - Try - Navy - Andrew Baublitz (34-0)
Conversion Kick - Jake Cornelius (36-0)
 
36:30 - Try - Navy - Andrew Baublitz (41-0)
 
39:23 - Try - Navy - Avion Ganse (46-0)
Conversion Kick - Jake Cornelius (48-0)
 
Second Half
41:08 - Try - Navy - Trevor Gayron (53-0)
 
44:38 - Try - Navy - Marek Enters (58-0)
Conversion Kick - Jake Cornelius (60-0)
 
48:36 - Try - Navy - Andrew Baublitz (65-0)
Conversion Kick - Jake Cornelius (67-0)
 
51:56 - Try - Navy - Aidan Bryan (72-0)
 
54:40 - Try - Navy - Ryan Flaherty (77-0)
 
59:50 - Try - Navy - Jake Cornelius (82-0)
Conversion Kick - Jake Cornelius (84-0)
 
64:18 - Try - Navy - Trevor Swier (89-0)
Conversion Kick - Jake Cornelius (91-0)
 
68:15 - Try - Navy - Xavier Sturdifen (96-0)
Conversion Kick - Jake Cornelius (98-0)
 
72:25 - Try - Navy - Trevor Swier (103-0)
 
75:41 - Try - Navy - Trevor Swier (108-0)
Conversion Kick - Kade Williams (110-0)
 
81:52 - Try - Navy - Edmund Soeder (115-0)
Conversion Kick - Kade Williams (117-0)