Men's rugby defeated the Omaha Goats Rugby Football Club (RFC) 81-5 on Saturday in Omaha, Nebraska. William Groves led Lindenwood with 21 points. 
 
The Lions continued a trend where they struck within the first minute of the match when the defense forced a turnover and immediately found Luke Schaefer in space, who broke the line and scored to open the match. Groves added the conversion for a 7-0 lead.  
 
The second try came quickly when Neil Milczarek found a break in the Goats defense. Another Groves conversion put Lindenwood ahead 14-0. Groves added more points for the Lions when he saw the defense react slow to a penalty. He immediately took a quick tap and found the corner of the try zone to add another five points.  
 
After an injury to a Lindenwood player, head coach Josh Macy had to get creative with his lineup. One shuffle worked out quickly when Jeremy Zwick, who had been switched to wing, showed his athleticism to beat the Omaha line to extend the lead to 26 points. 
 
Three more backs found scoring opportunities in the first half with Leo Delannoy, John Rink, and David Cathcart all able to widen the scoring margin. With two more conversions from Groves, the Lions took a 45-0 lead into the half. 
 
During halftime, captain Asher Webb made it clear to his teammates that the score was not indicative of the way they were playing. Too many times Lindenwood tried to play the ball deep in Lion territory, and there were numerous unnecessary offloads that were leading to turnovers. 
 
In the second half, Lindenwood stuck to the game plan by pinning the Goats deep in their own territory and forcing errors from the opposition. Zwick pounced on the opportunity and crossed the try line for his second score of the afternoon. With the conversion, the lead stretched to 52-0. 
 
The Lions coaching staff quickly put some fresh subs on the pitch and it paid off quickly when Owen Peel battered his way into the zone for his first points as a Lion. Groves earned another two points from his boot for a 59-0 advantage.  
 
The Goats put their only points of the day on the board in the first 15-minutes of the second half. After taking advantage of an isolated Lion with slow support, Omaha quickly poached the ball. A few phases later, the Goats were knocking on the goal line. A penalty continued to push the Lions back. Omaha quickly tapped the ball and muscled over the line to make it 59-5 Lindenwood.  
 
After another Lions try, more fresh legs helped Cameron Meechan get isolated one-on-one with an Omaha defender. The solo tackler had no chance against Meechan in space. He bounced off the runner from ten meters and finished the run under the posts. Another conversion from Groves and Lindenwood held a 71-5 lead. Two more tries sealed the match for the Lions.  
 
Player Thoughts: 
Curtis Smith: "This match was a lot of fun to be able to apply what we have been practicing and to see it be applied during a match. The games are starting to slow down, and we are really starting to get a feel of how our attack and defense is wanting to be played." 
 
What's Next: 
Men's rugby heads back on the road for a non-conference match against Southern Illinois October 1.  
 
 
Starting Lineup: 

1. Asher Webb – 57 'Cameron Meechan  
2. Giovani Agostini – 52' Mark Barbour 
3. Luke Schaefer – 48' Chad Tinney  
4. Neil Milczarek 
5. Charles Palmer – 48' Owen Peel 
6. Jack Johnson – 48' Curtis Smith  
7. Terrell Hopson – 55' Caden Howe  
8. Dylan Fortune 
9. Jeremy Zwick 
10. William Groves 
11. David Cathcart – 60' Clayton Means  
12. John Rink 
13. Leo Delannoy 
14. Kai Nwangwa 
15. Kobe Millar – 22' Delfino Salinas  

 
Scoring Summary: 
 
Lindenwood Try Luke Schafer 5-0 
Lindenwood Conversion William Groves 7-0 
Lindenwood Try Neil Milczarek 12-0 
Lindenwood Conversion William Groves 14-0 
Lindenwood Try William Groves 19-0 
Lindenwood Try Jeremy Zwick 24-0 
Lindenwood Conversion William Groves 26-0 
Lindenwood Try Leo Delannoy 31-0 
Lindenwood Conversion William Groves 33-0 
Lindenwood Try John Rink 38-0 
Lindenwood Conversion William Groves 40-0 
Lindenwood Try David Cathcart 45-0 
Lindenwood Try Jeremy Zwick 50-0 
Lindenwood Conversion Will Groves 52-0 
Lindenwood Try Owen Peel 57-0 
Lindenwood Conversion William Groves 59-0 
Omaha Try 59-5 
Lindenwood Try Cameron Meechan -64-5 
Lindenwood Try Caden Howe 69-5 
Lindenwood Conversion William Groves 71-5 
Lindenwood Try John Rink 76-5 
Lindenwood Try Kai Nwangwa – 81-5