Men's Rugby fell to long-time rival Life University 24-19 in the championship match of the USA Rugby Collegiate Sevens National Championship Sunday evening at Fifth Third Bank Stadium in Kennesaw, Georgia. The Lions fell behind 19-0 in the first half, but staged a furious rally to tie the game and send it into extra time before giving up the game winning try to the Running Eagles.
 
How it Happened: 
Lindenwood faced a Life University team that was essentially playing a home game with many fans in the stands. The Lions showed signs of moving the ball, but several handling errors in their half of the pitch led to turnovers. The Running Eagles finally capitalized on one of them with a converted try three minutes into the contest to lead 7-0. Moments later, they doubled their advantage after a steal led to another try under the posts and the lead ballooned to 19-0 in the waning seconds of the first half after another Lindenwood mistake. The Lions had one more possession before the break, but lost the ball out of bounds, summing up a frustrating half.
 
Down by 19 points, Lindenwood had serious work to do to try to get back in the game. The tide started to turn after the Lions tackled a Life player behind the try line. After the ensuing scrum, the ball was passed out to Nick Hardrict, II on the left wing. He made some nifty cuts to dot down under the posts and put seven points on the board for Lindenwood after the conversion. Moments later, the Running Eagles turned the ball over and Stephen Alberts broke free off the back of ruck for a 50-meter run to score in the right corner. The conversion failed, but the Lions had cut the deficit to seven at 19-12.
 
The game clock was winding down to mere seconds when Lindenwood gained possession again, but a forward pass call appeared to dash any chances for the Lions. However, some extra time was added, so play continued, and then a yellow card left Life with only six players. Lindenwood played patient rugby, stringing together multiple phases to move the ball against the short-handed Running Eagles squad. As the Lions neared the try line, they probed the defense in an attempt to score in an area that would provide a makeable conversion. Rhys Smith finally broke the try line well after the clocked showed zero, and Evan Williams calmly slotted the conversion to send the match into extra time and a golden point situation. The first team that scored in any way would win the title.  
 
Lindenwood won the toss, received the ball in extra time, and executed a methodical march into Life territory, but the defense stiffened. The Lions attempted a chip and chase over the Running Eagles, but the kick was blocked and sent bouncing behind the Lindenwood line. The Life player had momentum forward after his block, so he was able to grab the ball on the run and sprint all the way for the score and a 24-19 victory for the Running Eagles.
 
Earlier in the day, the Lions defeated Mid-South Conference foe Davenport University 28-14 in the semifinals. Lindenwood opened up a 14-0 lead with two tries from Hardrict, II, but the Panthers took advantage of a Lions yellow card and evened the match at the half. Lindenwood showed great athleticism and conditioning in the second half to score two converted tries while containing the Davenport offense.
 
The knockout stage for the Lions began Sunday morning in the quarterfinals against Arizona, a team they had faced in pool play and handled 43-5, but the Wildcats played inspired rugby and gave Lindenwood fits in the rematch. With the score tied at 12, the Lions used their bench well and added some speed to the field to counter Arizona's physical side. Two quick tries in the second half led to a 24-12 win for Lindenwood. 
 
The championship began with three games of pool play on Saturday, and the Lions cruised to three victories, beginning with a 46-0 shutout of Clemson University. After defeating Arizona, Lindenwood controlled Penn State from the opening kickoff enroute to a 52-0 win to earn the number one seed on Sunday.
 
The Lions went 5-1 at the tournament and outscored their opponents 193 to 31 in their victories. 

What's Next: 
Lindenwood gets a weekend off before traveling to New Orleans, Louisiana for the College Rugby Championships May Madness (CRC Sevens) May 28-30.
 
USA Rugby Collegiate Sevens Championships Roster: 

1. Rhys Smith 
2. Duncan Krige 
3. Cian Darling 
4. Nick Hardrict II 
5. Neal Moylett 
6. Shiven Dukhande 
7. Kyle Liebenberg 
8. Marnus Spangenberg 
9. Ryan Denvir 
10. Tyren Al-Jiboori 
11. Evan Williams 
12. Evan Conlon 
13. Stephen Alberts 
14. Jake Jacobson 

 
Results Summary: 
Pool A Match: Lindenwood vs Clemson: 46-0 
Pool A Match: Lindenwood vs Arizona: 43-5 
Pool A Match: Lindenwood vs Penn State: 52-0 
Quarterfinals: Lindenwood vs Arizona: 24-12 
Semifinals: Lindenwood vs Davenport: 28-14 
Finals: Lindenwood vs Life: 19-24