After beginning the season with 19 straight victories, men's rugby saw its streak end with a 13-7 loss to Arkansas State University Saturday afternoon on the road at Curt Huckaby Field in Jonesboro, Arkansas. Eduan van Heerden scored the only try in the match for Lindenwood.
 
How it Happened:
At the 15-minute mark, the Red Wolves had possession deep in Lions territory and went wide with the ball. A short line runner from the ASU backline squeezed through a gap and touched down in the corner for a 5-0 lead.
 
That's where the score remained until the break. After halftime, each team tried to establish themselves in opposition territory. The Lions had the ball on the goal line twice but were held up both times.
 
As the match approached the 65^th minute, Lindenwood finally broke through. A line break by Eduan van Heerden took the Lions near the goal line. Two phases later, van Heerden took a pick from the ruck and overpowered the defense. Byron Forword slotted the conversion to give Lindenwood a 7-5 advantage, but it didn't last long.
 
Following the restart, the Red Wolves quickly went back to work and scored in the corner in just two minutes for a 10-7 lead.
 
Trailing with less than five minutes to play, the Lions were getting desperate for a turnover and committed a penalty in their half of the field. Arkansas State went for points and extended the lead to 13-7.
 
With no time remaining, Arkansas State attempted one more penalty kick to seal the victory, but it bounced off the post. That gave Lindenwood one final attempt to cover the entire distance of the field. After numerous phases that covered 50 meters, a forward pass on the edge ended the drive and the match.
 
Player Quote:
Captain Duncan Krige: "This match unfortunately didn't go our way. We have a lot to look over and correct before another great challenge next week. We will learn from this and get better."
 
What's Next?
The Lions will look for a bounce-back game in the Midwest Rugby Conference (MRC) when they host McKendree February 21 at 7 p.m. at Hunter Stadium in St. Charles, Missouri. Then, they will travel to Marietta, Georgia to face long-time rival Life University February 24. The opening kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. at Lupo Family Field.
 
Scoring Summary:
16' Arkansas State Try 0-5
65' Lindenwood Try Eduan van Heerden 5-5
66' Lindenwood Conversion Byron Forword 7-5
68' Arkansas State Try 7-10
76' Arkansas State Penalty Kick
 
Lineup:

1. Asher Webb
2. Christopher Wallace
3. Connor Devos
4. Eduan van Heerden
5. Le'Donn Mathis
6. Alejandro Martinez Tapia
7. Calvin Ihrig
8. Duncan Krige
9. Jeremy Zwick
10. Cole Scharffenorth
11. Kobe Millar
12. Declan Ries
13. Stephin Alberts
14. Nick Hardrict, II
15. Brendan Mason
16. Xavier Herbert
17. Johannes Greyling
18. Luke Schaefer
19. Neil Milczarek
20. David Scanlon
21. Byron Forword
22. Delfino Salinas
23. Jaryd de Jager