Lindenwood University played two games this past weekend, beating the New Orleans men’s club 26-25 and LSU 38-10.

For LSU, it was an important day as they are back on the field after their unfortunate and somewhat unlucky suspension in the fall. They were raring to play and gave the Lions a lot of guff. New Orleans, being one of the stronger DI clubs in the country, pushed Lindenwood to the edge, but the Lions won out.

“We were able to blood a few guys, especially in the front row, and get some game time for other guys,” said Lindenwood Head Coach JD Stephenson, who has had a separate group of players training for the CRC Qualifier 7s competition in Las Vegas.

“I think we were tested on set piece,” added Stephenson. “But we’ve learned that we have to get that part of the game right. LSU really came to play and they tackled really well. We had to work to deal with that.”

Up from Gabe Romero impressed in the front row. A hooker who is not particularly tall, Romero moved into prop and showed well. TJ Liua is a big scary runner who also had a good weekend.

Up ahead for Lindenwood now is the CRC Qualifier. They have been working with a separate 7s group and with Cameron Wyper serving as a player-coach. Stephenson said the goal is to qualify for the CRC in Chester, Pa. 

“We’ve been dedicating a lot of time and effort to it. It’s something we think we can accomplish.”