ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy men's rugby team (7-0, 4-0) plays hosts Rugby East-foe Life (4-0, 4-0) in a battle of undefeated teams on Saturday at the Prusmack Rugby Center in Annapolis. The match is slated for an 11 a.m. kickoff.
Fans can stream the match on The Rugby Network with the links provided on navysports.com.
"We are looking forward to this weekend. We cannot wait to welcome home all our alums for Friday's 'With You' dinner and of course for our game on Saturday. We are acutely aware of how good Life is. We will be challenged in all areas of our game and we will need to be at our best to come out on top," said director of rugby Gavin Hickie.
Navy vs. Life
Saturday's match marks the third meeting between the two schools. Navy has won both prior matches and has outscored the Running Eagles 47-31 all-time. The last time the two programs squared off was last spring in the D1A Men's National Championship semifinals where the Mids bounced Life, 27-17, and advanced to the National Championship.
All-Time Series Matchups
Oct. 7, 2023 (A): Navy 20 – Life 14
April 20, 2024 (H): Navy 27 – Life 17
Scouting Life
Life is off to a 4-0 start with all four wins coming against Rugby East foes to sit behind Navy in the league standings with 19 points. Bradley Crane enters the match as the team's leading scorer with 17 conversion kicks, two penalty kicks and a pair of tries for 50 total points. Life dominated in its most recent outing when it defeated Belmont Abbey, 67-17.
The Running Eagles leads the Rugby East in total points (184) and in point differential (120) by a wide margin.
Rugby East Dominance
· The Midshipmen have posted a 20-0 record in conference matches since joining Rugby East and are off to a 4-0 start this season to sit atop in the lead standings.
· Navy is the only team to score at least four tries in every Rugby East conference match this season, and has won each match by at least two possessions.
· Junior Roanin Krieger and sophomore Andrew Baublitz each rank in the top-10 in league scoring. Krieger leads all players with 64 points from 11 conversions and 14 penalty kicks. Baublitz is seventh in total scoring (30) and is tied for the most tries scored with six.
· Navy has controlled the Rugby East North division, as it defeated four of the five teams by at least 18 points and looks to capture its third-straight division title when it faces Kutztown on Nov. 2.
· Navy's offense is second in the league with 148 total points and has had a top-three offense each year since joining the Rugby East.
Navy Notes
· Navy has scored 40 or more points in three of its last five outings, two of which were against Rugby East opponents, Walsh (40-11) and St. Bonaventure (41-23).
· Krieger handles kicking duties as he leads the team in conversion kicks (17), penalty kicks (15) and total points (79).
· Baublitz enters the match with 24 career tries and is one shy from tying Ben Haugh for the most in a career. The Glen Burnie, Md., native is second on the team in total points with 55.
· Eighteen Mids have scored a try this season with nine reaching the try zone multiple times.
Up Next
Navy will enjoy the next week off before it hits the road when it takes on Kutztown on Saturday, Nov. 2. The match is set to begin at 1 p.m.
