Women's rugby defeated Life University 24-14 Saturday night at Hyland Arena in St. Charles, Missouri.  It was the first ever victory by the Lady Lions over the Running Eagles.

The first score of the game came at the six minute mark when multiple offloads moved the ball down the field, finally putting it in the hands of Natalie Kosko who dotted down for Lindenwood.  McKenzie Hawkins added the conversion for a 7-0 lead.  The Lady Lions defense was on point the entire first half, keeping Life off the board.  Hannah Gauthreaux and Laura Enk added unconverted tries and Lindenwood went to the break with a 17-0 advantage.

The second half was evenly played with the Running Eagles breaking the shutout, but the Lady Lions answered with another score from Hawkins.  Life crossed the line one more time, but it was too late to do any major damage.

Head Coach Billy Nicholas assessed the victory.  "The team played really well under the pressure of hosting such a high caliber match," he said.  "It's always great to play such strong opponents like the Running Eagles because they really push us to continue to grow as a team collectively. This is a big win for us at home and for the program, so we will enjoy it for 24 hours, then start prepping for our next match."
 
The Lindenwood and Life University second sides faced each other later Saturday night with the Lady Lions taking a solid 46-5 victory.  Seven different Lindenwood players earned points in the match in a balanced attack against the Running Eagles.
 
With the wins, the Lady Lions improved to 8-0 on the season and extended their multi-year home winning streak.  Lindenwood travels to Columbus, Ohio to face Penn State October 30.  The opening kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday afternoon.
 
Lindenwood vs. Life (First XV) Box Score
First Half
Natalie Kosko - 5 
McKenzie Hawkins - 2 
Hannah Gauthreaux - 5 
Laura Enk - 5 
Halftime Score 17-0 
 
Second Half
Life University Score with Conversion - 7
McKenzie Hawkins – 5
McKenzie Hawkins – 2
Life University Score with Conversion – 7
Final:  24-14
 
Lindenwood vs. Life (Second XV) Box Score
Emma Knapp - 5 
Sarah Swinbanks - 2
Renee Gonzalez - 5
Reina Anderson - 5 
Sarah Swinbanks - 2
Dana Olsen - 5 
Reina Anderson - 5 
Tui Roberts - 5 
Sarah Swinbanks - 2
Lexi Prusheik - 5
Sarah Swinbanks 5
Final score 46-5