Women's rugby traveled to northern Illinois for the second weekend in a row and earned a win against a Chicago area squad Saturday afternoon. In a Lions versus Lions matchup, Lindenwood came away with a 29-24 victory.
 
In a close first half battle, women's rugby built a slim 7-5 lead by the break. Both teams traded scores in the second half until the game was deadlocked at 24-24 with no time remaining on the clock. Lindenwood put together a few great phases its final drive and then Shea Smith found the try line with an inspirational run for the winning score. 
 
Despite the close contest, the Lions were still able to work their depth against Chicago by playing their whole bench in various combinations.
 
Senior captain Charity Tenney reflected on the victory.
 
"It was a tough match today and the Chicago Lions really pushed us, but I was proud of the team for showing their character and digging in for a full 80 and pulling out the win," she said. 
 
Head Coach Billy Nicholas was happy to have his squad tested early in the spring.
 
"We are really grateful for the opportunity to come out and have challenging matches with the two women's teams here in Chicago," he said. "We have another few tough ones coming up as well and want to take advantage of this invaluable experience leading up to our playoffs. A lot of people got the opportunity to put their hand up today, so we look forward to reviewing the match and making adjustments heading into next week."
 
Women's rugby heads back on the road for a third straight weekend to face Life West March 26. The opening kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. in Hayward, California.
 
 
Lions Scoring Summary: 
Minute 12:  Charity Tenney 
Conversion: Punipuao Skipps
Minute 43:  Annie Nauer 
Minute 61:  Lali Lafitaga
Minute 68: Punipuao Skipps 
Conversion: Bri Vasquez 
Minute 80: Shea Smith 
Final:  29-24