ELSAH, IL – The Principia College rugby team kicked off their 15s season in emphatic fashion at home on Wednesday, overwhelming the visitors from Lindenwood University 39-7 in a friendly. Fueled by a combination of precision play-making and electrifying speed, the Thunder Chickens put on a dominant display in front of a packed and energetic home crowd.
The scoring started early, with
Damilola Odunuga lighting up the scoreboard within the first five minutes.
Andy Naringo broke through the defense and sent a perfectly timed offload to Odunuga, who powered his way into the try zone and set the tone for what would be an action-packed evening. Principia kept the pressure on, with
Celino Petersen delivering one of the standout moments of the game midway through the first half. Sprinting down the sideline, Petersen executed a masterful kick pass to himself as he recovered the ball at the goal line and ran it into the center to score a brilliant try. Before the first half concluded,
Tobias Duque added to Principia's lead with a try of his own, capitalizing on a sustained build-up of pressure along the goal line. The late score gave the Thunder Chickens a comfortable 17-0 lead going into halftime.
The second half saw no let up in Principia's attack. Petersen and Odunuga continued to show off their clever play and dazzling speed when off of a Principia lineout, Odunuga sent a well-placed kick pass into the corner, and Petersen outran the Lindenwood defense to score his second try of the match. Duque followed suit later in the half, weaving his way through a scrambling Lions defense before diving into the corner to secure his second try of the game. Lindenwood eventually got on the scoreboard with a try late in the match, but the Thunder Chickens put a final exclamation point on their victory on the final play. After another long run from Duque,
Damir Conci received his offload and charged toward the try zone. Before getting tackled, he sent the ball to an on-rushing
Charles Luhanga, who ran it right underneath the goalposts for the score. Conci was just as effective with his kicking as he was with his play-making, making three try conversions and nailing a long-range penalty kick from midfield late in the match.
The 39-7 victory marks Principia's first ever victory over Lindenwood as they now look ahead to Big Rivers play with renewed confidence. Head coach and players alike were thrilled with the performance, using the match as a perfect tune-up for the conference schedule ahead. With this being Principia's first rugby game on campus in two years, having the stands full and the crowd buzzing the whole match made the occasion extra special for the Thunder Chickens. They look forward to continued support as the season heats up with two more big home matches to come.
The Thunder Chickens were scheduled begin conference play at home on Saturday, September 28th, but that match against Aquinas College has been rescheduled for October 19th at 11:00 am CT. Principia's first Big Rivers match will now be at Marian University in Indianapolis on Saturday, October 5th at 1:00 pm ET.
