The Navy women's rugby team pulled off what has to be called an upset as the Midshipmen held off Lindenwood 18-15 Friday afternoon at the Prusmack Rugby Center in Annappolis.
The game came down to a play down the right sideline from Lindenwood, as the Lions broke through to potentially score in the corner. A desperate tackle push the Lindenwood ballcarriers into touch, and that ended the game.
"That's one of the better teams that we will play this season," Navy Head Coach Murph McCarthy after the match. "We just built on the lessons learned the last two weeks, and the team brought it all to the table today for 80 minutes. What an effort. I couldn't be prouder of the team."
Natalie Peugeot was outstanding for Navy, scored two tries and adding a penalty goal for 13 of the Mids' 18 points. Caroline Shegogue added a try.
"Nobody would believe that she's been playing rugby for about 14 months," McCarthy said of Peugeot. "She is a quick study and she brings a lot of energy at practice, in games and in the locker room. Today, everybody got to see the caliber of player Natalie is."
In the opening portion of the match Navy showed that they had a plan. They were going to tackle with intensity and they were going to challenge for possession Navy was able to kick for territory, and eventually took the lead about midway through the first half.
Peugeot was set up nicely by Mia Young to zip in for the 5-0 lead.
Lindenwood was able ti tie it up as halftime approached. Flanker He'Lena Dou'ble powered on and that's how the half ended, with the teams deadlocked 5-5.
Often in games like this, the more heavily-favored team might be tested into halftime, but can take over in the second half. This didn't happen in Annapolis. Navy was aggressive, and continued to put Lindenwood under pressure. Young countered on a kick before feeding Alexis Rohrbach. Navy surged on and Peugeot powered through to score her second.
Lindenwood were then shorthanded thanks to a yellow card for a high tackle, and the Midshipmen made the Lions pay. Navy kicked, Lindenwood struggled to retain the ball on a kick for territory by Navy. Arica Spencer raced in to nab the ball and sent a somewhat speculative offload that someone recovered.
Navy kept coming, got a penalty, tapped, and the ball was sent to Shegogue, who had a hole in front of her and she took it.
That made it 15-5 but Lindenwood put together a couple of good sequences, got close, and forward did the rest to drive LIlle Merlow over.
Now it was 15-10 with less than 20 minutes to go. Navy responded when Aleksandria Gabbard scampered through a gap. She was stopped, but with a tip tackle. The penalty was kickable and Peugeot put it over to make it a two-score lead at 18-10.
Lindenwood shook that off and worked their way brilliantly close to the line, and then sent it wide right for Ella Elordi to score.
That made it 18-15.
