Men's rugby clinched their second straight Mid-South Conference (MSC) championship with a 41-24 win over Arkansas State Saturday evening at Hunter Stadium in St. Charles, Missouri. Duncan Krige scored twice in the contest and six Lions put points on the board overall.
   
How it Happened:     
Lindenwood struck first when Eduan van Heerden broke loose on the edge and carried the ball into Red Wolves territory. His great breakaway culminated in an offload to Krige who finished it off for a try. A Matteo Peignon conversion gave the Lions a 7-0 lead.
 
Lindenwood extended its lead 20 minutes later when Brendan Mason took an Arkansas State kick around midfield and made a shifty move to find some open space. He then passed to van Heerden for the final lunge across the try line. Another Peignon conversion made it 14-0 in favor of the Lions.  
 
Three minutes after an Arkansas State penalty kick in the 27^th minute made it a 14-3 contest, Peignon broke through the defense off a scrum and worked the ball to the goal line. Krige took possession of the ball off the ruck, saw some daylight, and slipped through several defenders to score his second try of the game. William Groves slotted the conversion to increase the Lindenwood advantage to 21-3, where it stayed until the end of the first half.
 
The Lions continued to put pressure on the Red Wolves in the second half, resulting in a drive deep into ASU territory in the 49^th minute. A perfectly executed tip pass hit captain Neal Moylett at the goal line and he crashed over to make it 26-3 Lindenwood.  
 
While it looked like the Lions had the match well in hand, the Red Wolves had other ideas and mounted a comeback. Back-to-back tries in the 53^rd and 62^nd minutes cut the Lindenwood lead down to 26-17, but like the Lions have done so many times this season when in need of a big play, they turned to 2023 Rudy Scholz nominee Nick Hardrict, II. With a scrum 30 meters away from the try line, Lindenwood quickly put the ball into his hands. He put a great move on the opposition, then used his speed to get around the defense and score in the corner to put the Lions back up by 14 points with 10 minutes remaining.
 
Arkansas State continued to battle. A great individual run by the Red Wolves center broke the Lindenwood defensive line and ultimately led to a score to cut the Lions advantage to a one-score margin at 31-24. With six minutes left, Lindenwood drove back into ASU territory and caused a penalty. An immediate kick for three-points pushed the margin up to 10.  
 
With time winding down, the Lions ended any hopes the Red Wolves might have had. With a scrum 30-meters out, Clayton Means crashed through the line and broke two tackles leaving him one-on-one with the ASU fullback. As the defender closed in, Means selflessly offloaded to Rhys Smith who carried the ball over the line. Groves booted the conversion for the final margin of victory.  
    
Coach's Thought:   
Head Coach Josh Macy: "Since our match in Jonesboro, we've known what a tenacious and skilled team Arkansas State is. They are one of the more underrated teams in the country. We have to believe in our direction without minding the speed at which we travel. There was a 20-minute span where that was really tested and I'm proud of the fellas for weathering the storm." 
   
What's Next:     
With the Mid-South Conference championship in hand, the Lions earned a spot in the Eastern playoff bracket and a first round bye. They will host the winner of the Life versus Texas A & M match on April 15 with a start time to be determined.  
    
    
Starting Lineup:      

1. Asher Webb  - William Scott 61' 
2. Kayleb O'Donoghue – 71' Christopher Wallace 
3. Connor Devos – 51' Setu Vole   
4. Eduan van Heerden – 61' Le'Donn Mathis 
5. Alejandro Martinez Tapia 
6. Duncan Krige – 51' Calvin Ihrig  
7. Runako Brynard    
8. Neal Moylett  - 57' Dylan Fortune 
9. Matteo Peignon  - 34' Jeremy Zwick 
10. William Groves      
11. Tyren Al-Jiboori   
12. Rhys Smith   
13. Kobe Millar  - 66' Clayton Means 
14. Nick Hardrict, II    
15. Brendan Mason   

 
Scoring Summary:      
6' Lindenwood Duncan Krige 5-0   
6' Lindenwood Conversion Matteo Peignon 7-0   
24' Lindenwood Try Eduan van Heerden 12-0  
24' Lindenwood Conversion Matteo Peignon 14-0 
27' Arkansas State Penalty Kick 14-3 
30' Lindenwood Try Duncan Krige 19-3 
31' Lindenwood Conversion William Groves 21-3 
49' Lindenwood Try Neal Moylett 26-3 
53' Arkansas State Try 26-8 
53' Arkansas State Conversion 26-10 
62' Arkansas State Try 26-15 
62' Arkansas State Conversion 26-17 
69' Lindenwood Try Nick Hardrict, II 31-17 
72' Arkansas State Try 31-22 
72' Arkansas State Conversion 31-24 
74' Lindenwood Penalty Kick William Groves 34-24 
76' Lindenwood Try Rhys Smith 39-24 
76' Lindenwood Conversion 41-24