It took 17 attempts, but the Lions finally earned a victory for the first time against Life University in fifteens rugby, stopping the reigning national champion Running Eagles 45-27 Saturday afternoon at Lupo Family Field in Marietta, Georgia.

Lindenwood was bolstered by a Man-of-the-Match performance from senior Cael Hodgson, who moved back to his normal left-wing position after playing center against Arkansas State earlier in the season. Hodgson was a workhorse on defense and created several scoring opportunities by busting through the Life defense.

"I'm proud of the performance we put in as a team," Hodgson said. "It's a monkey off our backs as we finally beat our biggest rivals. I'm looking forward to building on this performance going forward the rest of the season."

Scoring started with a surprising try from the Running Eagles in only the second minute of play when a Richard Felton pass was intercepted and scored from nearly the entire length of the field. The Lions quickly rallied around Felton, who played admirably the rest of the day.

Through the remainder of the first half, both teams traded penalty kicks and were careful not to play too much rugby in their own half of the field, preferring territory over possession. Life blinked first when a routine box kick was mishandled and scooped up by a chasing Morgan Purcell, who was happy to collect the gifted try to give the Lions a 13-10 advantage midway through the first half.  

The Running Eagles bounced back with a try of their own to take back the lead, but Purcell made himself known in the echos of the halftime whistle.  After earning a scrum in the attacking half through defensive pressure, Rhys Smith found Hodgson in space on a rehearsed set-piece move to break down the life defense. Hodgson raced through to the last defender and laid off a pass to Purcell who trotted to the zone from long distance for his second score.  The play lifted the Lindenwood spirits and sent them into break with a 21-17 lead.

In the second half, Lindenwood took control through the patience and powerful boot of Evan Williams. The junior fly-half kept the Lions in Life territory nearly all day long and scored 20 points through the posts.

"We played a mature game, we kicked effectively, and played in the right areas," Williams assessed. "Preparation gave us confidence and we perfectly executed the plan we had to strike."

The forwards made significant contributions.  Tries by flanker Cian Darling and substitute lock Jonah Dietenberger were products of a fantastic lineout and maul platform that kept the Running Eagles moving backwards at every opportunity. The physicality of the squad remained a major key to success, with starters and subs alike delivering crunching hits on both attack and defense.

Coach Macy was excited to bring the big victory back to campus. 

"It should be said that this was a team effort on campus preparing for this match," he started. "Our Director of Campus Recreation Ron Heator welcomed us into his facility when snow kept us inside. Head Wrestling Coach Jimmy Rollins donated a hand-me-down mat along with the necessary disinfectant so we could get contacts in while staying safe. Between our campus and the years of alumni messaging and congratulating us, the community around the team is stronger than ever."

With the win, Lindenwood improved to 3-0 overall and to 2-0 in the Mid-South Conference (MSC).  The Lions will welcome another MSC opponent when they host Davenport University February 27 at Hunter Stadium in St. Charles, Missouri.  The opening kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. with limited attendance allowed through player passes only. 

Another group of Lions played a second fifteens match on February 20 and won by a score of 22-17. It was a gritty affair with freshman Stefan Terblanche exhibited the reasons why his teammates chose him as Man-of-the-Match with his nose for the ball and broken tackles. These players will be chomping at the bit until they take the field against Marian University (Ind.) on March 13.