ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The top-ranked Navy men's rugby team (11-1) will have its first road test of the spring Saturday when it takes on No. 14 Penn State (4-5) at University Park, Pa. The match is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.
Live Video
Links to the Hudl stream of the match can be found at NavySports.com.
Last Time Out: vs. No. 4 California
The Mids opened their spring season last Saturday with a 27-3 victory over No. 4 California.
The Golden Bears opened the match with their offense making an early trip inside the Navy 22-meter zone. A knock-on penalty by the Mids allowed California to convert a penalty kick for a 3-0 lead at the nine-minute mark.
The Mids made their first trip inside the Cal 22-meter zone in the 13th-minute, but a non-release penalty called on Navy halted its first promising drive.
After 10 minutes of back-and-forth action, Cal reached the Navy 5-meter zone and looked to extend its lead. A maul formed from a lineout had the Golden Bears in scoring position, but Navy's strong defense forced a turnover to prevent the try.
Navy's stout defense continued when it intercepted a lineout attempt in California's own 22-meter zone.
Navy's offense drove into the 5-meter zone for the first time in the 39th-minute. The Mids mauled their way into the try zone but were penalized for being held up and not getting the spike down.
California ended the first half with a failed penalty kick in the 40th-minute.
Navy would tie the match at 3 in the 50th-minute with a penalty kick from
Roanin Krieger. The scoring opportunity was created from a pair of Cal penalties.
In the 55th-minute mark, the Golden Bears were penalized for a knock-on penalty near Navy 10-meter line for a scrum. Krieger secured a pass from the scrum and located an open
Max Smith, who scampered in for the first try of the day.
The Golden Bears forced a turnover on the resuming kick and were threatening inside the Navy 5-meter zone for the second time. The defense for the Mids held strong and kept California's offense out of the try zone.
Aidan Gerber found the try zone in the 66th-minute after a long run from
Edmund Soeder generated the scoring chance. Deep in the Cal 22-meter zone, Gerber kicked the ball through the defense to fall in for the score. Krieger added two more points on the conversion kick to make the score, 17-3.
After a second Krieger penalty kick in the 75th-minute, the Mids capped off the match with a second try from
Max Smith in the 83rd-minute.
Navy Notes
- Smith scored two tries in the victory over the Bears. He had scored only two through nine matches during the fall. He led the team in meters gained with 132.
- Navy's defense allowed four possessions inside its own 22-meter zone and forced turnovers on each, including two inside the five-meter zone.
- Junior Austin Taylor led the Mids in tackles last weekend with 15.
- Eight Midshipmen – Taylor, Aidan Gerber, Michael Strehle, Kade Williams, JD Bengston, Smith, Andrew Baublitz and Roanin Krieger – played in all 80 minutes Saturday.
- Navy was the first team to hold California without a try in 15s competition since British Columbia on March 5, 2017.
- Krieger went 5/5 on kick attempts last week making three conversion kicks and two penalty kicks for 12 points. He leads the team with 141 points this season.
Scouting Penn State
- The Nittany Lions enter the contest ranked 14th in the latest Goff Rugby Report (GRR) power rankings with a 4-5 record.
- Penn State opened the spring with a 41-34 victory over Mary Washington on Feb. 15.
- Lorenzo Zamel leads the team in scoring with 32 points from 10 conversion and four penalty kicks.
- Aidan King enters the weekend leading the team with six tries.
- The Nittany Lions are 2-3 against opponents ranked in the latest GRR power rankings.
Series History vs. Penn State
- The Mids will face Penn state for the sixth time as a varsity program. Navy has won all five previous meetings.
- The two programs met in Annapolis last fall. The Midshipmen posted a second half shutout to win the match, 35-10.
- Navy dominated the last outing at University Park, on Nov. 14, 2023, as it walked away with a 53-5 victory. It was the most points scored by a single team in the series history.
