Men's rugby defeated Arkansas State 41-10 in the quarterfinals of the USA Rugby Men's D1A National Championship playoffs Saturday at Hunter Stadium in St. Charles, Missouri.
 
Lindenwood, the No. 2 ranked squad in the Eastern Conference, scored 34 unanswered points after falling behind 10-7 in the first half. Evan Williams led the offense with 16 points while Nick Hardrict, II scored two tries in the contest.
 
How it Happened:  
The Lions gave up a quick try in the opening eight minutes of the match to fall behind 7-0.
As a battle of for field position and territory unfolded, scoring was at a premium in the first half, but Stephen Alberts managed to get Lindenwood on the board at the 31-minute mark which tied the game at 7-7.
 
On the ensuing kickoff, the Lions attempted to clear the ball out of their own end, but were called for offsides. The Red Wolves capitalized by slotting the penalty kick to take a 10-7 lead. With the half winding down, Williams also connected on a penalty kick to even the score 10-10 just before the break.
 
Lindenwood went to work in the second half and took the lead for good when Gabriel Kettering received an offload from Clarence Ekoume-Bienes, who powered forward 20-meters and over two would-be tacklers to score. Another penalty kick by Williams extended the Lions advantage to 20-10 with 30 minutes left to play.
 
With Lindenwood knocking on the goal line to score once again, an errant wide ball was swung to hooker Runako Brynard who then threw a cut-out pass between his legs to Hardrict, II to finish off the try and increase the lead to 27-10 in the 68^th minute. Five minutes later, a lineout deep in Arkansas State territory gave the Lions an opportunity to drive a maul across the goal line with Eduan van Heerden ultimately scoring to add another seven points with the conversion.
 
With the clock running down, the Red Wolves attempted to swing the ball wide, but Hardrict, II intercepted it and galloped 60-meters for his second try of the day. Williams booted the conversion for the final 41-10 margin.  
  
Player/Coach Thoughts:  
Liam Smith:  "The first twenty minutes of the match was quite slow for us, especially with how we like to play. Arkansas State came out firing from the start of the game and used both their attack and defense to work against us. It took us awhile to get into second gear before we started to attack and defend how we typically like, but when we did, the flood gates opened. As this was my final home match at Lindenwood, it was an emotional, but great victory going into the semifinals next week. The boys are now ready for our next job in New York, which we all know will be a tough match."
 
Gabriel Kettering: "I think we did a great job using an expansive attack after a slow start against a much-improved Arkansas State squad. It took us awhile to get going, but our first try by Steph (Alberts) really helped bring some life into the team. It was a really fun match, and I am happy to end my time playing in Hunter Stadium with that win."
 
Assistant Coach Aaron Browne:  "In the first half we were like a kid that just fell out of a tree.  We just weren't in it. In the second half we pulled our heads out and got back into them. We stifled their attack and finished our attack."
  
What's Next:  
Lindenwood will travel to West Point, New York to face No. 1 seeded Army in the semifinals on April 22. The opening kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. EDT on Friday. The winner advances to the national championship match April 30 in Houston, Texas.  
  
Lindenwood vs. Arkansas State Box Score:   
8' Arkansas State Try 0-5
9' Arkansas State Conversion 0-7
31' Lindenwood Try Stephen Alberts 5-7
32' Lindenwood Conversion Evan Williams 7-7
33' Arkansas State Penalty Kick 7-10
38' Lindenwood Penalty Kick Evan Williams 10-10
48' Lindenwood Try Gabriel Kettering 15-10
48' Lindenwood Conversion Evan Williams 17-10
52' Lindenwood Penalty Kick Evan Williams 20-10
67' Lindenwood Try Nick Hardrict, II 25-10
68' Lindenwood Conversion Evan Williams 27-10
73' Lindenwood Try Eduan van Heerden 32-10
73' Lindenwood Conversion Evan Williams 34-10
75' Lindenwood Try Evan Williams 39-10
76' Lindenwood Conversion Evan Williams 41-10
  
Lineup:    
1. Gabriel Kettering– Beorn Graham 65'     
2. Runako Brynard - Juan Mota Sanchez 66'
3. Samuel Buckley – Liam Smith 23'     
4. Marnus Spangenberg 
5. Eduan van Heerden
6. Clarence Ekoume-Bienes  -  Kayleb O'Donoghue 62'
7. Cian Darling  - Duncan Krige 56'
8. Neal Moylett  - William Whiteside 69' 
9. Evan Conlon – Alejo Gallego Boniello 68' 
10. Evan Williams  
11. Tyren Al-Jiboori  - Jake Jacobson 68'    
12. Rhys Smith     
13. Stephen Alberts  
14. Nick Hardrict, II     
15. Shiven Dukhande