The fall has been an incredibly exciting season, as teams that have aligned with the varsity and DI Elite leagues have the freedom to book competitive games every weekend. Lindenwood has explored the eastern half of the country, and traveled south to Life University last weekend. The Lady Lions got more than a little pushback from the host, as the Running Eagles won 25-14.

“We knew this was going to be a very physical match for a full 80 minutes, so we spent time leading up to the game really working on our defensive system, pattern of attack, and the minutiae of our set pieces,” Life coach Ros Chou explained. “We wanted to focus on all the things within our control and make sure we did our best to neutralize their known offensive threats.”

Despite the preparation, Life battled some nervous energy in the first 15 minutes, missing some defensive assignments, which allowed Lindenwood to take a 7-0 lead.

Life sprung to life, and freshman Ravyn Santiago scored the first of her two tries to snap the shutout. Whitney Wilson added the conversion and then gave her side the lead with a penalty before the break, 10-7.

“We were really proud that the women kept their composure and continued to stick to our systems,” Chou commented on the comeback. “We were knocking on the door several times near the try zone and would have a handling error or penalty prevent us from getting across the line. It was very close at the half, and I asked the team to continue to be disciplined and patient, and we'd eventually get more points on the board. They did exactly that, and showed they can handle these types of situations against high level opposition.”

Lindenwood coach Billy Nicholas indicated that Life’s scrum dominated the first half, but that the team adjusted in the second 40. Credit goes to Life’s forward coaches Andrew McNeil and Dylan Fawsitt for empowering those set pieces. Nicholas also acknowledged the Running Eagles’ aggression in the breakdown, but ultimately, it was missed opportunities that characterized phases of Lindenwood’s game.

“We had several opportunities inside Life’s 22, and we just didn’t execute,” Nicholas lamented.

Life extended its lead to 15-7 on another Santiago try, and then Lindenwood made it a one-point game with a converted score.

“We had an instance in which we thought McKenzie [Hawkins] grounded the ball but it ended up being a score for Life,” Nicholas said. “That was a bit of a game-changer for us.”

That try went to Life’s Nicole Strasko, and she put her side up 20-14. Christina Swift closed out the match with Life’s fourth try and 25-14 win.

“It’s definitely not the outcome we were hoping for,” Nicholas said. “I think it is a match we definitely had the ability to win if we were able to capitalize on the opportunities we had and executed better than we did.

“The majority of the team is young and growing, and we will be learning from this match and moving on,” Nicholas concluded.

The coach singled out AnnaKaren Pedraza for stepping up in her first season as scrumhalf and keeping the team’s fast-paced offense in motion. Freshman Lia Fetineiai-Ili has also proven that she deserves the starting spot at lock, and the pair continue to improve every game.

For Life, coach Chou singled out try-scorer Santiago for her phenomenal game and strong carrying skills. The halfback combo of Madison Ohmann and Kim Semiglia gets better every week, alongside the rest of the team.

Life hosts Notre Dame College, which lost 46-5 to Norwich on Saturday, this coming weekend, while Lindenwood takes on Iowa State. When the teams resume play in the spring, they’ll be building toward the new DI Elite competition, and if this game is any kind of preview of what to expect, then there’s plenty of drama ahead.