Playing the first match of the season under the home lights at Hunter Stadium, men's rugby topped McKendree 62-5 Friday night in St. Charles, Missouri. Lautaro Soto Ansay led the Lions in scoring with 15 points on three tries.
 
 
How it Happened:
Lindenwood took an early lead when Soto Ansay found a soft spot in the Bearcats backline and raced in for his first try of the match at the four-minute mark. Lochlan Charley converted to give the Lions a 7-0 advantage.
 
Strong defense was the key in the next 20 minutes of game action as McKendree had numerous attempts in Lions territory but came up empty. A few missed penalty kicks and a strong goal line stand by the Lindenwood kept the Bearcats off the scoreboard.
 
After a Carston Rice try, Preston Hammerschmidt found space on the edge at the 31-minute mark to extend the Lions lead to 17-0. With time out on the clock and both teams thinking the first half was over, the referee called for one last play and Lindenwood took full advantage by stealing a McKendree lineout and spinning the ball to Soto Ansay. The Lions center again found a lapse in the defending backline and took the ball 40-meters for the try. Charley booted the conversion to give Lindenwood a 24-0 lead at the break.
 
The Lions scored in the first two minutes of the second half on the third try from Soto Ansay. Another Charley conversion made it 31-0 Lindenwood.
 
With the Lions finding their stride, John Rink and Karston Rice added to the scoreboard to push the advantage to 43-0. Reserve prop Luke Schaefer dotted down in the 59^th minute and Pato Mas did the same in the 68^th minute. Lindenwood added one more try and the Bearcats broke the shutout in the final 10-minutes for the final margin.
 
Other Matches:
Lindenwood faced Washington University in a developmental match for both squads Saturday afternoon. The defense was big again for the Lions as they cruised to a 78-0 victory. Carl Kawodza and Delfino Salinas kept the attack firing on all cylinders, while Mark Barbour and Emmett Bock were lights out in the defensive launch.
 
What's Next:
Lindenwood welcomes the defending 2022 D1A National Champions, Army West Point to Hunter Stadium November 11. The opening kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Friday night in St. Charles, Missouri.
 
Starting Lineup:

1.      Christopher Wallace – 57' Patricio Mas
2.      Giovanni Agostini – 64' Mark Barbour
3.      Luke Schaefer – 64' Emmett Bock
4.      Neil Milczarek
5.      Vladislav Sotnikov – 61' Mathis Corbel
6.      Jack Johnson – 68' Duncan Krige
7.      Terrell Hopson
8.      Xavier Herbert – 62' Philip Tracey
9.      Abraham Boston – 61' Delfino Salinas
10.   Lochlan Charley
11.   Karsten Rice
12.   John Rink
13.   Lautaro Soto Ansay
14.   Preston Hammerschmidt
15.   Ike Wrigley – 62' Jonah Del Rosario