In a titanic battle between two reigning national champions and two great teams, women's rugby defeated Dartmouth 30-15 Saturday afternoon at Brophy Field in Hanover, New Hampshire.  
 
In the first-ever match-up between the storied programs, the Big Green struck first after a Lindenwood penalty to lead 5-0 in the opening 10-minutes. The Lions responded quickly when sophomore wing Tanaka Kanyepi dove in the corner to level the score at 5-5.  
 
The match turned into a stalemate for the next 15-minutes with both teams trading attacking blows. Dartmouth finally turned the tide by breaking the line from a scrum play 50-meters out to lead 10-5, but Lindenwood answered with back-to-back scores. Fullback Demi Allen drove through multiple defenders for a try to tie the game at 10, and then the Lions pressured the Big Green over the next several minutes before capitalizing on a scrum miscue. Samantha Ganoza picked up the ball and darted across the line to give Lindenwood a lead for the first time 15-10 and that's where the score remained until halftime.
 
Makenna Bailey gave the Lions a 20-10 advantage early in the second half and Dartmouth answered to get back within five points, but Lindenwood pulled away from there with scores from Amy Brice and Madison Jersey.  
 
Dartmouth came into the game as the reigning National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA) 15's champions and the Lions came in as the College Rugby Association of America (CRAA) 15's champions and the contest lived up to its billing, highlighting two of the top teams in across the women's rugby landscape.
 
Women's rugby returns to the pitch October 14 against the St. Louis Sabres at home. The opening kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Lindenwood Track Complex in St. Charles, Missouri.