Photos: Jackie Finlan
Until Sunday, Lindenwood University had finished runner-up in its previous three national-level events. The Lions finished second to Life 7s twice, and a couple of weeks ago the Lions dropped a three-point match to Penn State in the DI Elite final. But Lindenwood was the class of last weekend’s USA Rugby Women’s College 7s National Championship and won its first national title across 7s and 15s.
RELATED: Women’s Rugby Results: May 19-21, 2017 • DI Elite Final • 2016 7s Final: Life vs. Lindenwood
“The title for us was an exciting and emotional one,” Lindenwood coach Billy Nicholas confessed. “We have been on the brink [of a national championship] the last two years, so to execute the way they did this weekend is something we are all proud of.”
Like Life, Penn State, UC Davis and Davenport, the Lions had to transition quickly from 15s championship rugby to 7s. Two days after the DI Elite final in Marietta, Ga., the 7s squad was on a plane to California to train at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center, home to the Eagles.
“Transitioning from 15s to 7s is mentally and physically challenging, but exciting! It’s championship season,” Lindenwood 15s captain McKenzie Hawkins enthused. “We jumped right into playing 7s a couple days after 15s, which was evident in our first two games. However, we progressed really quickly and were starting to look more like our 7s structure by the end of the camp.”
Fifteen players then traveled to Colorado for the USA Rugby 7s championship, which had morphed into a 12-team “open” competition, meaning teams regardless of division could qualify. DI Elite, NIRA (varsity league), DI and DII converged on this one tournament.
“The competition this year was the strongest it has been with the 12-team bracket,” Nicholas explained. “Day two, each match was competitive across the board, which is what you are looking for. This was the first year I have seen quarters and semis all be competitive, which makes the weekend results for us even better given such great opponents.”
Lindenwood outscored its three pool play opponents 110-10, and then followed with two shutouts in the knockout rounds. Nicholas worked the team’s depth in its 17-0 quarterfinal win against Michigan, and then put away Central Washington 21-0 in the semifinals.
“From a defensive perspective, Richelle Stephens and Caring De Freitas did a great job in their conversation on the field and their ability to make great open-field tackles and compete quickly,” Nicholas praised. “[Natalie] Kosko and [Annakaren] Pedraza also made some great try-saving tackles as well. Overall we were happy with our team defense, but we still have lots to work on in that area. It will be a focus leading up to CRCs as well.”
The defense played a big role in the final against Life, a familiar opponent. In addition to the teams’ 7s history, the pair had faced each other a couple of weeks ago in the DI Elite 15s semifinals. Lindenwood won that match 19-3.
Lindenwood took the first lead as Pedraza took a quick pass from Nika Paogofie-Buyten through the defense for a try. Life responded with an Alex Sedrick dummy try that was converted for the 7-5 lead. Just before the half, Hannah Gauthreaux stepped around her opposite for her ninth try of the tournament, 12-7 into the break. She was one of 12 players to score for Lindenwood on the weekend.
“Hannah did a fantastic job all weekend for us. We have some great playmakers who set her up nicely to finish, as she does so well,” Nicholas commended the championship MVP. “She is a special player with the ball in hand and has the ability in open space to really beat anyone one-on-one.”
Hawkins dotted down back-to-back tries quickly in the second half, the latter coming from an interception. Kosko added a fifth try, and Hawkins took over kicking duties (she added three conversions) after captain Stephens came out with a shoulder injury.
“Hawkins and Kosko really put things away for us and stepped up under pressure. They played great all weekend,” Nicholas reflected on the final. “We have some young players as well in the likes of Nika Paogofie-Buyten and a few other freshmen and sophomores who are only going to continue to get better and better.”
Life put one more try on the board, as Kaitlyn Broughton hit Darian Lovelace on the under line through the defense, but the points came during the last play of the game. Lindenwood triumphed 31-12 for the title.
“The program has been rapidly progressing the past two years, and it is really exciting to be a part of that growth and sustaining it,” Nicholas concluded. “It is a reflection of all the hard work the student-athletes here at Lindenwood are putting in – from our 15s players, 7s players and staff, this is a win for the whole program.”
The season is still not over, as Lindenwood will join Life and Penn State, and 13 more collegiate teams at the USA Sevens CRC in Chester, Pa., the first weekend in June.