Women's Rugby Comes Up Just Short Against Lindenwood, 31-26, in Regular Season Finale
Women's Rugby / 11.12.22
MARIETTA, Ga. --- In what played out as a back-and-forth contest, the Life University women's rugby team came up just short to end the regular season with a 31-26 loss to rival Lindenwood University Saturday evening at Lupo Family Field.
It did not take long for the first score of the game to be registered, Lindenwood scoring to take a 5-0 lead just 2:38 in. A penalty by the Lions in their own territory on the ensuing possession set Life U up with great field possession. Physical play by the Running Eagles had them knocking at the door of a score of their own, but an untimely turnover gave the ball away, ending the chance. In the 17th minute, Life U's second trip down near the try line found a better result, Matilda Kocaj racing to the far corner to tap down the first Life U try of the game. A very tough angle on the following conversion attempt saw Kocaj leave the ball just outside the uprights for the game to sit at a 5-5 tie.
Just a couple minutes later a penalty by the Running Eagle side set Lindenwood up with a great penalty kick chance, but the consistent wind at field level saw the ball again end up wide for the score to stay at 5-5. In the 28th minute, the Lions retook the lead with a try and conversion to see the game at 12-5.
The Running Eagles shut down a break away scoring attempt by Lindenwood with a perfectly timed poach as the half started to draw to a close, but after regaining possession the Lions sent the game into the break with another try after the clock hit 40. Lindenwood missed the conversion to see Life U go into the half, trailing 17-5.
The Running Eagles started the second half hot, Su Adegoke collecting a great Nina Wilson kick and dancing past Lindenwood players to tap down a try in the 43rd minute. Kocaj got a good look at the conversion, seeing it become a one possession game at 17-12. In the 57th minute, Lindenwood again created some breathing room, cutting through a lane to tap down another try and push the lead to 24-12.
As the clock started to come into play, less than 10 minutes to go in the contest, Saher Hamdan skipped a long pass over to Adegoke who raced down the near touch line to record her second try of the night, pulling the team back within five at 24-19 after the good conversion. With less than a minute to play, Linidenwood posted another score to ensure the victory.
After the clock had struck 80, the Running Eagles strung together a great possession, Eilidh MacGilvray powering through the final meter near the try line, dotting the ball down to give the final score of 31-26.
With the completion of the regular season, the Running Eagles will now compete in the USA Rugby D1 Elite Playoffs, the Semifinals contest to be played in Annapolis, Md. on November 19th against a to be announced opponent.
