ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The top-ranked Navy men's rugby team (15-1) cruised to a 41-7 victory over No. 14 Mary Washington (7-7) in the first round of the Collegiate Rugby Association of America (CRAA) Division I-A Playoffs on Saturday at the Prusmack Rugby Center in Annapolis, Md.

The Mids jumped on the Eagles with a try just 2:50 into the match. Navy added another two tries in the 11th and 14 minutes to build a 17-0 lead. Mary Washington's lone try of the contest followed in the 16th minute. The Mids controlled the remainder of the first half, scoring a try and a penalty kick to take a 27-7 lead into the locker room. Navy's defense continued to keep Mary Washington at bay in the second half and the offense padded the lead with another two tries in the final nine minutes. 

The Mids will face the winner of fourth-seed Arkansas State and fifth-seed Davenport in the quarterfinals next Saturday at the Prusmack Rugby Center. The match will begin at noon. 

"The first 40 minutes into the wind was some of the best rugby this team has played over the last few years in terms of our decision-making and accuracy. We have to commend ourselves massively on that. We played smart rugby and that set us up for a great second half," said director of rugby Gavin Hickie. "We have to take a look at how we executed in the second half with the wind. I think we relied a little too much on that factor and we know the wind doesn't win or lose us games. It was really good to be able to use the whole bench today and get experience for our younger players. 

"I think our awareness of the importance of every moment, phase or play in terms of how it impacts momentum is good. We are very aware of momentum and if we can stop a team in their tracks, that shifts the advantage over to us. Our desire, accuracy and execution played a huge role today. We have to continue to tighten up defensively and limit our mistakes. We did allow seven points by our mistakes, but we're exactly where we want to be heading into the quarterfinals next week. We've earned the right to be together for another week and that's extremely important to this group. We'll take the lessons from this game into next week and make sure we're prepared."

Team captain Ben Haugh provided the first big play just 1:25 into the contest. He found space in the middle of the pitch and gained over 20 meters to advance the Mids into their offensive 22-meter zone. Mary Washington was issued a yellow card after committing an intentional knock on the next pass. The penalty gave Navy a one-man advantage for the next 10 minutes. The Mids also earned a free kick from the penalty. Landon Opp booted the ball out of bounds at the five-meter line for a lineout. Navy fooled the defense with a low lineout throw, allowing Jake Beitia to run into the try zone uncontested at the 2:50 mark to take a 5-0 lead. 

The Mids were issued a penalty in the fifth minute to gift the Eagles a free kick. Mary Washington's kicker booted the ball out of bounds at its offensive 22-meter line for a lineout. The Eagles overthrew the lineout right into the hands of Haugh, who quickly passed the ball to Andrew Baublitz on the right sideline. Baublitz sprinted past his initial defender and ran over 25 meters before being tackled at midfield. Navy was awarded another free kick from a penalty in the sixth minute. The Mids set up a lineout between the 10 and 22-meter lines after Opp's free kick. Navy won the lineout and slowly gained ground to charge down to the five-meter line. A bad pass dropped right in front of a Mary Washington defender, but he knocked the ball forward while trying to scoop it up. The Mids received a scrum from the penalty 15 meters away from the try zone. Navy immediately shifted its attack to the right after winning the scrum. JD Bengston caught a pass on the edge and juked out a defender to score a try in the 11th minute to put the Mids ahead, 10-0. 

Navy stripped the ball free at midfield to go back on the offensive in the 14th minute. Sean MacLaney fed a pass back to Opp out of the ruck and he launched a kick 20 meters downfield. Baublitz read the kick perfectly and caught it near the 10-meter line. The freshman had no defenders in front of him and he dashed 45 meters before touching the ball down in the try zone. Roanin Krieger extended the lead to 17-0 after making his first conversion kick of the match. 

Mary Washington's defense helped it answer with a try in the 16th minute. An Eagle defender blocked a clearing kick and the ball rolled down into the try zone. Mary Washington fell on the ball for its first score of the afternoon. The Eagles nailed the ensuing conversion kick to make the score, 17-7. 

The Mids failed to capitalize on two possessions inside the 22-meter zone over the next four minutes due to turnovers. Mary Washington cleared the ball back to midfield, but was later charged with a penalty in the 21st minute. Opp perfectly lined the free kick out of bounds inside the offensive 22-meter zone. Navy was granted another free kick from a penalty during the lineout. Opp sent a short kick out of bounds at the five-meter line. Jake Cornelius caught the first pass out of the lineout and he was immediately met by three Eagle defenders. After being tackled, Cornelius was able to lift himself out of the ruck and power his way into the try zone in the 23rd minute. Krieger then made his second conversion kick to give the Mids a 17-point cushion again. 

Navy made another big play defensively during a ruck to force a turnover at midfield in the 25th minute. Vaughn Schmitz was fed a pass on the left half of the pitch and he charged up the field to gain 15 meters. The official issued a penalty to Mary Washington during the next ruck. Coach Hickie chose to attempt a penalty kick from 24 meters out. Krieger nailed the kick just before the 27th minute to give the Mids a 27-7 advantage. 

The Eagles failed to put points on the board in the final 13 minutes of the half despite multiple scoring chances. Navy was penalized shortly after the kickoff and Mary Washington launched a free kick out of bounds at its offensive 22-meter line. The Eagles broke through a pair of tackles after controlling the lineout to advance to the five-meter line. Mary Washington bobbled the ball on the next ruck and the referee called a knock-on penalty.

The Mids were called for another penalty in the 33rd minute, which allowed the Eagles to attempt a penalty kick from just beyond the 22-meter line. Mary Washington's kicker missed the attempt wide left to keep the score, 27-7. 

The Eagles booted the ball down inside the five-meter line shortly after the missed penalty kick. Opp was only able to send his clearing kick to the 22-meter line. Navy then committed a penalty during the lineout to gift a free kick to Mary Washington. The Eagles booted the ball out of bounds at the five-meter line for a lineout. The Mids perfectly timed their lineout jump and stole the ball back. The strong wind forced Opp's clearing kick straight out of bounds just past the five-meter line. The Eagles turned the ball over again after overthrowing the lineout pass. Krieger then gave Navy some breathing room by clearing the ball out of the 22-meter zone. Mary Washington countered with another excellent grubber kick that rolled into the try zone. Krieger was forced to kick the ball out of the back of the try zone to prevent the Eagles from scoring. The play awarded Mary Washington a scrum at its offensive five-meter line. The Eagles were penalized during the scrum to return the ball to the Mids. Opp then booted the ball out of bounds to end the first half. 

The Mids had a difficult start to the second half after dropping the kickoff for a knock-on penalty. Navy's defense came up big again by forcing a turnover. William Webb stiff-armed a defender in his way and gained 20 meters on the carry to move the ball into the offensive 22-meter zone. The Mids tried to work quickly with the Eagles out of position, but dropped the ball forward on the next ruck for a knock-on. 

Mary Washington was charged with a penalty in the 51st minute and Opp crushed the ball out of bounds at the five-meter line to set up another scoring opportunity. The official issued the second yellow card of the match to the Eagles for committing a penalty during the lineout. Navy was gifted a scrum at the five-meter line from the penalty. The Mids lost possession due to a penalty during the scrum. Mary Washington later broke out of its defensive 22-meter zone with a 30-meter carry in the 56th minute. 

A dropped clearing kick in the 68th minute was scooped up by the Eagles inside their offensive 22-meter zone. Mary Washington began to march closer to the try zone, but was issued a penalty. Opp then launched a free kick out of bounds at Navy's defensive 10-meter line. After controlling the lineout, Krieger booted the ball into the offensive 22-meter zone to flip the field. The Mids quickly converged on the Eagles as they tried to send a kick back across the midfield line. The pressure only allowed Mary Washington's kicker to send the ball to the 10-meter line. Opp picked up the ball off the first bounce and he gained nearly 30 meters on the return. Ryan Hotaling ran through a pair of arm tackles and was tackled less than a meter away from the try zone. Michael Strehle threw a perfect pass to Krieger out of a ruck and he lowered his shoulder on a defender to score a try in the 71st minute. Krieger added to his scoring total by making the conversion kick to give Navy a 34-7 lead. 

Max Smith's first huge run of the match occurred in the 76th minute. He caught a short grubber kick at midfield and then put on the jets to advance the ball near the five-meter line. Hotaling dove across the try line moments later for the final score of the contest. Krieger accounted for the final points of the game by putting his fourth conversion kick through the uprights. 

Box Score
First Half
2:50 - Try - Navy - Jake Beitia (5-0)

11:38 - Try - Navy - JD Bengston (10-0)

14:42 - Try - Navy - Andrew Baublitz (15-0)
Conversion Kick - Roanin Krieger (17-0)

16:28 - Try - Mary Washington (17-5)
Conversion Kick - Mary Washington (17-7)

23:20 - Try - Navy - Jake Cornelius (22-7)
Conversion Kick - Roanin Krieger (24-7)

26:54 - Penalty Kick - Navy - Roanin Krieger (27-7)

Second Half
71:28 - Try - Navy - Roanin Krieger (32-7)
Conversion Kick - Roanin Krieger (34-7)

77:20 - Try - Navy - Ryan Hotaling (39-7)
Conversion Kick - Roanin Krieger (41-7)

Match Notes
• The Mids are 11-0 at home this season and have outscored opponents, 606-110
• Beitia scored the fifth-fastest try to begin a game in team history. The try is his second this season
• Krieger led Navy with 16 points in the win, which is the eighth-most points scored in a single game in program history
• Krieger's effort helped him pass 300-points scored in his career. The sophomore has compiled 310 points in less than two full seasons
• The Placerville, Calif., native leads the Mids with 197 points and is second on the team in tries scored with nine this season
• Baublitz tallied his team-leading 13th try and is second on the team in scoring with 65 points
• Bengston has scored a try in back-to-back contests after not scoring in the previous nine games. He has recorded six tries during his junior campaign
• Cornelius scored his fourth try of the season
• Hotaling found the try zone for the first time in his career