Men's rugby displayed tough defense and solid set pieces, but it was not enough against the No. 1 team in the country as the Lions fell to Life University 22-11 Saturday afternoon at Lupo Family Field in Marietta, Georgia.
 
The forwards tackled well early in the match, but some inaccurate kicking and poor ball handling let some pressure off of the Running Eagles and allowed the game to be played in the Lindenwood end of the pitch, eventually leading to a Life try and a 5-0 lead. 
 
The Lions were able to pull within two points on aa penalty kick from freshman fullback Evan Williams moments later and the next 10 minutes of play featured several pressured lineouts and tough defense from both sides.  Lindenwood made some big hits through Emmanuel Albert and Marnus Spangenberg, but the team lost inside support and gave up some breaks.  The Running Eagles capitalized with two more converted tries, countered only by another Williams penalty kick, and Life took a 19-6 advantage to halftime.   
 
The Lions really tightened up their game plan in the second half, putting pressure on the Runnings Eagles forwards.  Lindenwood gained the upper hand in scrums and lineouts and was moving the ball around well.  Props Alec McDonnell and Joe Stewart set a good platform, but mistakes continued to thwart the Lions. 
 
Reserve hooker Kayleb O'Donoghue added some positive energy and picked up intensity, but the Running Eagles kicking game proved accurate, slotting a penalty with 10 minutes remaining to make it 22-5. 
 
Nearing the final whistle, the Lindenwood attack finally strung together some punishing runs and Albert was able to bull over the line to score the only Lions try of the day for the final margin.
 
With the loss, Lindenwood dropped to 13-3 overall on the season.  The Lions will host the St. Louis Ramblers at 7 p.m. March 1 and Army at 2 p.m. March 2 with both matches taking place at Hunter Stadium in St. Charles, Missouri.