ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The top-ranked Navy men's rugby team (7-0) scored eight tries by six different players to power past ninth-ranked Mount St. Mary's (4-5) 52-8 in its spring opener Saturday afternoon at the Prusmack Rugby Center in Annapolis.
 
Navy scored five first-half tries by five different players to take control early and the Mids never looked back. Roanin Krieger contributed with six successful conversion kicks to pace the team in overall points scored (12).
 
"As coaches and as a team, we always seek perfection, and the reality is after a three-month break, we're not going to be perfect right away," Navy director of rugby Gavin Hickie said. "There are a lot of positives to take away from this game and where we are in the season. To beat a good program like Mount St. Mary's 52-8 shows we're in a good place. Overall, we're really happy and want to keep building for the next game."
 
"We're very happy with our squad's depth and how we're constantly building," Hickie said. "It's never a finished product. That's the beauty of being at the Naval Academy, we're always developing everyone to be the next man up, and we're seeing that in how these guys are stepping up and performing."
 
After a physical and back-and-forth opening stretch that featured multiple stolen lineouts and defensive stands by the Midshipmen, Navy broke through in the 19th minute. Krieger split the defense and found Michael Strehle across the pitch for his first try of the season at 18:13 to give Navy a 7-0 lead.
 
Mount St. Mary's answered with a penalty kick by Logan Wild at 20:21 to cut the deficit to 7-3.
 
In the 25th minute, Andrew Baublitz raced down the sideline and dished to Adam Mertens for Navy's second try of the game. Max Smith extended the lead at 28:04, finding a seam and sprinting the length of the field for a try. Krieger's conversion pushed the advantage to 19-3.
 
Navy continued to dominate possession late in the half. Ian Bullock capped a powerful drive with a try at 35:26, finishing off a series that began with another stolen Mount lineout. Krieger converted for a 26-3 lead.
 
In the final minute of the half, the Midshipmen capitalized on a scrum advantage near the try line as Krieger distributed to Baublitz for the team's fifth try by a different scorer, sending Navy into halftime with a 31-3 cushion.
 
The Mids maintained pressure after the break. Smith recorded his second try of the match at 44:30 following sustained possession inside the Mountaineers' 22-meter area. Krieger's conversion made it 38-3.
 
Baublitz and Jake Cornelius fueled a decisive second-half surge midway through the period. Baublitz broke into open space and set up Cornelius for a try at 63:15. Less than two minutes later, Baublitz showcased his speed, slicing through the defense for a try at 65:08. Krieger added the conversion to extend the margin to 52-3.
 
Mount St. Mary's found the try zone at 73:59 on a score by Lochlan Garvey.
 
Navy returns to action March 7 against the reigning College Rugby Association of America (CRAA) national champion and fourth-ranked California in Berkeley, Calif. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET.
 
Box Score
18:13 – Try – Navy – Michael Strehle (5-0)
Conversion kick – Roanin Krieger (7-0)
 
20:21 – Penalty kick – Mount St. Mary's – Logan Wild (7-3)
 
25:00 – Try – Navy – Adam Mertens (12-3)
 
28:04 – Try – Navy – Max Smith (17-3)
Conversion kick – Roanin Krieger (19-3)
 
35:26 – Try – Navy – Ian Bullock (24-3)
Conversion kick – Roanin Krieger (26-3)
 
40:00 – Try – Navy – Andrew Baublitz (31-3)
 
44:30 – Try – Navy – Max Smith (36-3)
Conversion kick – Roanin Krieger (38-3)
 
63:15 – Try – Navy – Jake Cornelius (43-3)
Conversion kick – Roanin Krieger (45-3)
 
65:08 – Try – Navy – Andrew Baublitz (50-3)
Conversion kick – Roanin Krieger (52-3)
 
73:59 – Try – Mount St. Mary's – Lochlan Garvey (52-8)