ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy women's rugby team (1-2, 1-2 NIRA) secured a gritty 18-15 victory over Lindenwood (3-0, 1-1 NIRA) Friday afternoon during its home opener at the Prusmack Rugby Center. The Mids sealed the game with a dramatic defensive stand at the goal line in stoppage time.
 
"That's one of the better teams that we will play this season," said Navy head coach Murph McCarthy. "We just built on the lessons learned the last two weeks, and the team brought it all to the table today for 80 minutes. What an effort. I couldn't be prouder of the team."
 
Natalie Peugeot anchored the Mids' offense, scoring 13 of Navy's 18 points on two tries and a penalty kick. Caroline Shegogue accounted for Navy's other score, grounding a second-half try.
 
"Nobody would believe that she's been playing rugby for about 14 months," McCarthy said of Peugeot. "She is a quick study and she brings a lot of energy at practice, in games and in the locker room. Today, everybody got to see the caliber of player Natalie is."
 
The opening 15 minutes featured a physical, back-and-forth battle marked by stout defense and multiple turnovers from both sides inside the 22-meter zones. Navy eventually broke the scoreless tie in the 18th minute. Peugeot caught a perfectly placed kick pass from Mia Young and ran it in for the game's opening try, giving the Mids a 5-0 lead.
 
Lindenwood responded late in the half. After a long run put the Lions deep in Navy territory, He'Lena Dou'ble powered her way through the defensive line at the 34:16 mark to level the score at 5-5 heading into the break.
 
Navy came out aggressively in the second half, as Young sparked the offense by fielding a Lindenwood clear kick and finding Alexis Rohrbach, who charged into the Lions' 22-meter zone. Meagan Alvarez pushed the Mids inches from the goal line on the ensuing phase, allowing Peugeot to punch in her second try of the day at 50:46 for a 10-5 advantage.
 
Moments later, a Lindenwood yellow card for a high tackle gave Navy a player advantage. The Midshipmen immediately capitalized on the man-up opportunity. After Arica Spencer recovered a fumbled clear kick, Alvarez marched the offense down the field before Shegogue slammed in a try at 55:09 to extend Navy's lead to 15-5.

The Lions cut the deficit to a single possession at 62:50 when Lille Merlow crossed the try line, making it 15-10.
 
Shortly after the resuming kickoff, Aleksandria Gabbard caught the Lions' defense sleeping on a penalty return, scampering into the 22-meter zone to draw a foul. The Midshipmen elected for a penalty kick and Peugeot drilled it at 66:30, Navy's first of the season, to push the lead to 18-10.
 
Lindenwood refused to fold, as Ella Elordi found the edge and scored a try at 70:13, trimming the Navy lead to 18-15 and setting up a dramatic finish.
 
Navy looked to run out the clock with a late lineout, but a crucial turnover in the final seconds kept the play alive and gave the Lions one last hope. Lindenwood drove all the way to Navy's 5-meter line in stoppage time, but the Midshipmen defense stepped up when it mattered most, tackling the final Lions attacker out of bounds to clinch the hard-fought victory.
 
"We played so well defensively the whole game," McCarthy said. "That's as close as you can get. Lindenwood was maybe six inches from the try line, but our defense, like it had the whole game, held up strong."
 
Navy will go back on the road in two weeks when it travels to take on Harvard, which has won the National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA) conference championship the last three years, on Oct. 10.
 
Box Score
18:35 – Try – Navy – Natalie Peugeot (5-0)
 
34:16 – Try – Lindenwood – He'Lena Dou'ble (5-5)
 
50:46 – Try – Navy – Natalie Peugeot (10-5)
 
55:09 – Try – Navy – Caroline Shegogue (15-5)
 
62:50 – Try – Lindenwood – Lille Merlow (15-10)
 
66:30 – Penalty kick – Navy – Natalie Peugeot (18-10)
 
70:13 – Try – Lindenwood – Ella Elordi (18-15)