GRR: Lindenwood
Twenty-five Lindenwood University rugby players are in California to get some tough competition before their conference season starts.
The Lions have been on the business end of a harsh lesson from St. Mary’s in previous years, so this time Head Coach JD Stephenson is looking to give the lesson at the beginning, rather than the end, of the season.
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.
Lindenwood went 2-0 during its second East Coast double-header, this time traveling farther south for matches against Virginia Women’s Rugby (UVA) and North Carolina. The Lady Lions dominated both matches to the tune of 118-5, and were able to exercise their depth during the Friday/Sunday schedule.
An absolutely fantastic weekend evolved in State College, Pa., as three of the top-ranked DI women’s colleges assembled for a round robin. This was no friendly series, however, as Penn State, Lindenwood, and Army all knew this competition would be the best competition they’d see before post-season.
Lindenwood’s first and second sides have played two games apiece, and they’ve combined for a 390-0 scoreline. But the Lady Lions aren’t padding their schedule with gimme games; those victories came against two traditionally strong DI teams, Northern Iowa and Indiana. And this weekend, the Missouri side travels to State College, Pa., to take on Army and Penn State.