Photo by Elizabeth Boaz

A Lindenwood rugby player breaks a tackle as she moves down the pitch with the ball.

The women’s rugby team kicked off its 2024 spring season with a 52-8 win over the Brigham Young University Cougars on Sunday, Feb. 11.

The Cougars led the game early after the Lions were charged with a penalty, forcing a turnover that BYU capitalized on, making it a 3-0 game.

Two minutes later the Lions got their first score of the game, coming from Amy Brice who ran a 40-meter strike to score. Minutes later, Freda Tafuna scored a strike of her own, and with a successful conversion from Jet Metz, the Lions had an early 12-3 lead.

In the 18th minute of the match, the Lions added another score, as Madison Jersey scored a 40-meter strike of her own, with Metz again successful on the conversion. Six minutes later, the Lions struck again, as Jadyn Collins scored to add five more points to the Lion’s lead.

Minutes before the first half expired, the Lions added another strike, as Demi Allen found the try zone. Lindenwood missed the conversion, and as the game went into its halfway point, the Lions had a 31-3 lead.

Early in the second half, the Lions struck again, as Brice found the try zone for the second time in the match in the 49th minute. Metz again was successful on the conversion, and Lindenwood had a 38-3 lead.

After a lull in scoring, Lindenwood once again scored in the 71st minute of the game, when Tafuna scored for the second time, and after another successful conversion, the score was 45-3. As the clock winded down, Metz added seven more points to her game total, scoring a try and successfully making the conversion attempt to make the score 52-3.

In the game’s final minute, BYU forced a turnover, subsequently scoring to wrap the game’s scoring up at 52-8.

The Lions now sit at a 7-1 record for the season. The team now heads to Iowa City, Iowa to compete in the Hawkeye Classic Tournament on March 2nd. They return home a week later on March 9th to face off against Central Washington University at Hunter Stadium, with the game set to begin at noon that day.

Gallery • 8 Photos

Photo by Elizabeth Boaz

The Lindenwood Lions celebrate in the try zone after a score against Brigham Young University.