Lindenwood University Athletics

2017 - USA Rugby Collegiate Sevens Championship





























The Lady Lions won the 2017 USA Rugby Collegiate Sevens National Championship with a 31-12 victory over rival Life University at Infinity Park in Glendale, Colorado.  It was the first national title of any kind for the Lindenwood women's rugby program.

The match went back and forth in the first half, but the Lady Lions were able to pull away in the second.  AnnaKaren Pedraza put Lindenwood in front with a score in the second minute, but the Running Eagles answered with a try and conversion to take a 7-5 lead.  Hannah Gauthreaux dotted down just before the break to give the Lady Lions an advantage that they would not relinquish at 12-7.  A try from Natalie Kosko and two from McKenzie Hawkins stretched the lead to 31-7 in the first five minutes of the second half before Life crossed the line in the final minute. 

Hawkins also booted three conversions in relief of Richelle Stephens, who suffered an injury early in the contest, to lead Lindenwood with 21 points.

The Lady Lions raced through pool play with a perfect 3-0 record on Saturday, outscoring their opponents 110-10.  They followed that performance with a 17-0 shutout of Michigan in the Cup quarterfinals and 21-0 blanking of Central Washington in the Cup semifinals on Sunday. 

Over the course of six matches, 12 different players posted points for Lindenwood, led by 45 from Gauthreaux on nine tries, which earned her MVP honors.  Stephens had 24 on 12 conversions, Hawkins 23 on three tries and four conversions, and Kosko 20 on four conversions.  Pedraza, Jennese Bacon, Dana Olsen, Ariana Lewis, and Caring De Freitas each had two tries, and Kendal McCracken, Nika Paogofie-Buyten, and Morgan Courtney each dotted down once.

Coach Nicholas reflected on the first national title.

"This is an amazing accomplishment for the team in our journey," he said.  "We have had an amazing year, finishing second in the D1 Elite 15's and now winning the USA Rugby National Sevens.  This championship is for every one of our teammates, 15's and sevens.  It is for the players, coaches, families, and friends, and for our school.  All of their support has been instrumental."


2018 - USA Rugby D1 Elite 15's Championship





























Women's rugby defeated Life University 36-8 to claim the USA Rugby D1 Elite 15's National Championship May 5 at Titan Stadium in Fullerton, California.  

Despite having played a semifinal match less than 24 hours earlier, the Lady Lions started quickly in the final.  McKenzie Hawkins slotted a penalty kick and then Destiny Arenascored for an early 10-0 lead.  The Running Eagles booted their own penalty kick, but that proved to be the only points for Life in the first 40 minutes.  Most Valuable Player Veteronnica Tafito dotted down for Lindenwood as did Teresa Bueso Gomez later in the half, and Hawkins followed with both conversions for a 22-3 lead at the break.

The Lady Lions carried momentum into the second half, continuing with great ball possession, attack, and defense.  Isabel Manu built the Lindenwood lead further with a score and Hawkins converted three penalty kicks.  Life crossed the line for its only try off a turnover in the 65^thminute, but the outcome was already in view, allowing both coaches to get substitutes into the game.

Head Coach Billy Nicholas reflected on the semifinal and championship victories.

"We had some great depth the whole weekend, with one through 23 getting in time for both matches which was a great opportunity for all the athletes on the national stage," he said.  "We wanted to keep our composure and discipline heading into day two as we knew it would be a mental battle with the turn-around time. I'm proud of the way our team carried itself throughout the weekend, it's an outstanding feat, and we are very thankful for all the support from our family, friends, school, and alumni."

The title was the first 15's championship for Lindenwood, but second overall for the program after winning the USA Rugby D1 Collegiate Sevens crown in 2017.


2018 - USA Rugby Collegiate Sevens Championship


  


























After the Lady Lions won their first ever 15's title two weeks earlier, they accomplished a difficult feat by also claiming the USA Rugby Collegiate Sevens Championship with a 20-0 win over Penn State May 20 at Infinity Stadium in Glendale, Colorado.  Sophomore Caring De Freitas was named the Most Valuable Player for her standout performance during the tournament. 

Lindenwood controlled the championship match from the beginning.  Nika Paogofie-Buyten scored what would prove to be the game-winning try in the fourth minute to give the Lady Lions a 5-0 lead.  Kodi Barlow dotted down in the sixth minute and Lindenwood carried a 10-0 advantage into the second half.  Ariana Lewis added a try in the ninth minute and Sativa Tarau-Peehikuru finished off the match in the 12^th minute.

The Lady Lions advanced to the Cup finals with a come-from-behind 17-14 win over Life University in the semifinals.  The Running Eagles took an early 7-0 lead in the fourth minute, but Lindenwood answered with tries from McKenzie Hawkins in the sixth minute and De Freitas in the seventh minute for a 10-7 advantage at the break.  Life retook a 14-10 lead in the 11^th minute with a try and conversion and it appeared that the tournament might be over for the Lady Lions, but pinned in their

own 22-meter zone with just a minute left, a key penalty lead to some skillful ball movement.  Barlow ended up with possession and scored the game-winner.  McKenzie Hawkinsbooted the conversion for the final margin. 

Lindenwood faced some hurdles in pool play on Saturday, going 2-1 in three matches.  The Lady Lions started with a 17-7 victory over Central Washington, scoring the first three tries of the contest to open up a 17-0 lead before the Wildcats broke the shutout late.  Lindenwood suffered a 17-12 loss to the Nittany Lions in game two.  After falling behind 5-0, the Lady Lions responded with a try to conversion to go ahead 7-5, but Penn State scored the next 12 points for a 17-7 advantage.  Lindenwood added a try late, but it was not enough.  After the defeat, the Lady Lions spent quite a bit of time breaking down video footage and developing new motivation for the final pool play game against Dartmouth.  It paid off with a solid 34-7 win over the Big Green.  Lindenwood scored first and added a conversion in the second minute before Dartmouth tied the match 7-7, but the Lady Lions posted the next 27 points to pull away.

Despite the loss in pool play, Lindenwood still accumulated seven points, which was good enough to advance to the Cup semifinals.  The Lady Lions went the rest of the way unscathed.  

Head Coach Billy Nicholas assessed the challenges of the weekend.

"The first two matches of the tournament, we were finding our rhythm," he said.  "The last three matches, we did a much better job of working together as a team with support in attack and defense.  This team has the ability to continue to get better, yet we are still excited about the results this month with two national titles in two weeks and look forward to continued opportunities to grow and challenge ourselves."