ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy men's rugby team (5-0, 3-0) looks to continue its perfect season and retain the LtCol Kevin Shea trophy when it takes on Air Force (2-1) on Friday. Kickoff is scheduled for 9 pm ET / 7pm MT at Infinity Park in Glendale, Colo.
"Playing in the Colorado altitude, against a very physical Air Force team will pose a challenge to us," said director of rugby Gavin Hickie. "We are all focused on doing our jobs this week to ensure we retain the LtCol Kevin Shea trophy."
Star Secured
• In the most recent outing, the Midshipmen dominated Army in the Army-Navy Star Series presented by USAA, defeating the Black Knights, 32-5, to claim the star for the second season in a row.
• The 27-point victory was the largest margin of victory by either team in the series history. The Mids are now 5-0 all-time against Army and the 32 total points marked the second most in a match.
• Navy's offense scored a pair of tries in each half, while its defense held the Black Knights scoreless until the 78th minute.
• It was the Mids' 40th victory under Coach Hickie who boasts a career record of 40-2.
Navy Notes
• Following the victory over Army, the Mids improved to 5-0 on the season and 3-0 in the Rugby East North division and earned bonus points for scoring at least four tries in each match.
• With the victory, the Midshipmen are 19-0 all-time in conference play.
• Sophomore Andrew Baublitz has been a dynamic scorer at the wing position for the Midshipmen. He leads the team with five tries, including one in last week's victory over Army. The Glen Burnie, Md., native is 10 points away from 100-career points.
• Baublitz's four tries against Rugby East opponents are tied for most in conference play this season.
• Junior Roanin Krieger scored on a penalty kick against Army to become the first Mid to reach the 400 career point milestone.
• Krieger leads the team with 59 total points (13 conversion kicks and 11 penalty kicks) and is the Rugby East leading scorer with 44 total points against conference foes.
• Edmund Soeder and Aidan Gerber were tied for the most tackles in the Star Match victory with 11 each. The duo didn't lose grasp of any ball carriers with a 100% tackle rate.
• It was an all-around team effort in the victory against Army, as the team assisted on three of the four tries scored.
• Navy displayed strong defense against the Black Knights when backed up in its own territory. Army entered the 22-meter zone seven times and the Mids forced five turnovers, gave up one try and were called for one penalty for a 14% conversion rate.
Scouting Air Force
• Air Force enters the match with a 2-1 overall record with wins over Utah Valley (34-21) and most recently against Colorado (43-29). The lone loss came against Rugby East foe Mount St. Mary's (41-12).
Series History vs. Air Force
• Friday's match will mark the third meeting between the two programs. The Mids hold a 2-0 advantage with a combined score of 121-8.
• Last fall, the Midshipmen routed the Falcons, 50-8, in Annapolis
All-Time Series Matchups
Sept. 30, 2022 (A): Navy 71 – Air Force 0
Oct. 21, 2023 (H): Navy 50 – Air Force 8
Up Next
Navy will cap off its two-match road trip at Walsh for a noon kickoff on Saturday, Oct. 12.
