With field conditions the story after 20 plus inches of snow over the previous three days still falling, men's rugby handed the No. 6 ranked Panthers their first loss of the season in shutout fashion 32-0 Saturday afternoon in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Runako Brynard scored twice and the Lindenwood defense had numerous goal line stands to seal the victory. 
 
How it Happened: 
Conditions on the pitch definitely added a factor to the match that both teams had to overcome. Ball movement and speed were reduced drastically which put an emphasis on defense and the kicking game. As a result, it took 14-minutes before anyone scored and it happened when Brynard handled the ball off the back of a maul set up by a well-executed lineout five meters out. The try gave the Lions a 5-0 lead. 
 
Davenport was hampered further by a red card early in the half. Lindenwood continued to use its forwards to set the tone in the game. After 20 minutes of play, Matteo Peignon sent a cross kick to Nick Hardrict, II who snatched the ball out of the air and scored in the corner for a 10-0 advantage.  
 
Lautaro Soto Ansay added five more points when a kick skipped across the snow and settled in the try zone giving him a chance to pounce on the ball before the Panthers could.  
 
After helping on a play earlier, Peignon scored his own try when he sneakily took a ball 20 meters out from the back of a ruck and picked weakside. The defense was slow to react and he quickly covered ground to make it 20-0 with less than 10 minutes remaining before the break.  
 
With the first half all but over, the Lions earned another five-meter lineout and Brynard again patiently waited as the Lindenwood forward pack overpowered the Davenport pack to drive the maul into the try zone for a 25-0 lead.  
 
In the second half, the Lions opted to play for field position and use their defense to grind the game out. With Peignon and William Groves booting kicks all over the pitch, Lindenwood forced the Panthers to cover the entire field in the snowy conditions. 
 
Tyren Al-Jiboori crossed over for the final try of the game after he saw a mismatch in the 15-meter channel. He called for the ball five meters out and with help from Eduan van Heerden, he forced himself over the line. Peignon hit the conversion from the sideline for the final margin.  
 
Player Thought: 
Captain Neal Moylett (Pre-game): "The word for the day is attitude. I don't want to hear about how bad the conditions are or any negativity. Both teams are playing in the weather and we can only control our attitude and mindset for the match." 
 
What's Next: 
The match against Davenport wrapped up the fall schedule for men's rugby. The Lions will return to the pitch February 18 for a Mid-South Conference showdown against Life University at Lupo Family Field in Marietta, Georgia.  
 
Starting Lineup:  

1. Johannes Greyling – 55' Connor Devos 
2. Runako Brynard - 55' Kayleb O'Donoghue 
3. Hailama Anakalea – 55' Setu Vole   
4. Eduan van Heerden - 55' Le'Donn Mathis  
5. Alejandro Martinez Tapia  
6. Duncan Krige – 40' Calvin Ihrig  
7. Cian Darling – 62' Ryan Denvir 
8. Neal Moylett  
9. Matteo Peignon – 66' Delfino Salinas  
10. William Groves  
11. Tyren Al-Jiboori   
12. Rhys Smith – 58' John Rink 
13. Lautaro Soto Ansay  
14. Nick Hardrict, II 
15. Ike Wrigley   

  
Scoring Summary:  
14' Lindenwood Try Runako Brynard 5-0  
20' Lindenwood Try Nick Hardrict, II 10-0  
29' Lindenwood Try Lautaro Soto Ansay 15-0 
31' Lindenwood Try Matteo Peignon 20-0 
40' Lindenwood Try Runako Brynard 25-0  
49' Lindenwood Try Tyren Al-Jiboori 30-0  
50' Lindenwood Conversion Matteo Peignon 32-0