It's a massive week for Lindenwood Men's Rugby as the Lions gear up for a thrilling double-header! The pride suits up two powerhouse squads, 1st team, and 2nd team ready to battle neighboring rivals McKendree under the lights on Wednesday night before turning around for a Friday morning clash against SNU. With back-to-back matchups on deck, the Lions are primed to showcase their depth, as they charged full speed into another action-packed week of rugby.
How it Happened:
Both sides showcased the payoff of the Lions' grind over the past few weeks. When Wednesday night rolled around, the first team came out firing on all cylinders, once they shook off a brief slow start, the momentum was unstoppable. It was
Riley Richardson-Mould who cracked open the scoreboard, diving in for the first try of the match and setting the tone. From there, the floodgates opened, Zack
McCartney crossed the line,
freshman Michael Daly impressed with a brace of tries, and
David Cathcart added his own to the tally. Captain
David Scanlon sealed the Lions' dominance, leading by example.
Byron Forward, taking charge of the kicking duties, delivered a standout performance striking cleanly off the tee and orchestrating the attack with poise and Composure. His command of the offense kept the tempo high and the Bearcats on their heels. Despite Lindenwood's dominance in possession and territory, McKendree's defense stood tall, bringing physicality and grit that forced the Lions to earn every inch and every point, lions held a 49-0 lead.
The second half kicked off with the Lions' confidence soaring, and they wasted no time turning momentum into points. Within just five minutes,
Mark Barbour powered over the line to extend the lead and set the tone for another relentless forty minutes. From there, the Lions were simply unstoppable, executing with precision and pace.
Zack McCartney completed his sensational hat-trick,
Karsten Rice added a brace of tries, and freshman
James Birley joined the scoring sheet before
Captain David Scanlon closed out the contest in style. Despite the Bearcats' determined resistance, Lindenwood's suffocating defense and high-tempo attack proved too much, storming to an emphatic
89–0 victory.
In Other Action:
Following the first team's dominant showing earlier in the week, Lindenwood's second side took the field Friday Morning determined to keep the winning streak alive. Southern Nazarene University (SNU) landed the first blow, crossing the line within the opening nine minutes to grab an early lead. But the Lions quickly answered back with a wave of attacking pressure. Freshman
Justin Spanghero opened the scoring surge, followed by powerful finishes from
Tyresse Prescod and
Pablo Romero. Despite SNU's grit and defensive resistance, Lindenwood's tempo and execution proved too much to handle, sending the Lions into halftime with a commanding
19–5 lead.
After halftime, the Lions returned to the field firing on all cylinders, showcasing pace, and control. Fly-half
Baptist Esperon took charge of the attack, dictating tempo and keeping the offense flowing. Just two minutes into the second half,
Nayan Sirwani crashed over to extend Lindenwood's lead and keep the momentum firmly in their favor. The pressure didn't stop there, as
Laurie Thomson added his name to the scoresheet before
Tyresse Prescod capped off the game with his second try of the match. Sealing a convincing win,
36–5.
What's next?
The Lions now turn their focus to next week's clash against
Davenport University in Michigan, their second Midwest Conference matchup of the season. After a dominant showing this past week, Lindenwood will aim to carry their confidence on the road. As the season officially gets underway, the Lions look poised to keep raising their standards.
Coach Quote:
- We don't often get an opportunity to play two games in a week, which was awesome for the boys to be able to see that hard work pays off. We still have work to do but overall, I was very impressed with the attitudes of the players wanting to improve and using the opportunity to raise their hand and up their standards.
- Assistant Coach Wayden Mosinkie
Scoring Summary:
13' Lindenwood University try Riley Richards-Mould
14' Lindenwood Conversion Byron Forward
17' Lindenwood University try David Scanlon
18' Lindenwood University Conversion Byron Forward
22' Lindenwood University try David Cathcart
23' Lindenwood University Conversion Byron Forward
26' Lindenwood University try Michael Daly
27' Lindenwood University Conversion Byron Forward
34' Lindenwood University Try David Scanlon
35' Lindenwood University Conversion Byron Forward
36' Lindenwood University try David Scanlon
37' Lindenwood University Conversion Byron Forward
41' Lindenwood University Try Michael Daly
42' Lindenwood University Conversion Byron Forward
47' Lindenwood University try Mark Barbour
48' Lindenwood University Conversion Byron Forward
55' Lindenwood University Try Zack McCartney
56' Lindenwood University Conversion Byron Forward
57' Lindenwood University Try Karsten Rice
66' Lindenwood University Try Karsten Rice
67' Lindenwood University Conversion Byron Forward
77' Lindenwood University Try James Birley
79' Lindenwood University Try David Scanlon
80' Lindenwood University Conversion Byron Forward
