Lindenwood Magazine - Spring 2023

6 7 SPRING 2023 EDITION THE LINDENWOOD THE LINDENWOOD SPRING 2023 EDITION Greatness For nearly a decade, Lindenwood University flourished as an NCAA Division II institution. Last summer, it officially became a member of the Division I family after joining the Ohio Valley Conference. In its first year as one of the newest D-I universities, Lindenwood is paving a foundation of success for the future. From Harlen C. Hunter Stadium to Hyland Arena to the Lou Brock Sports Complex to Centene Community Ice Center and everywhere in between, Lindenwood continues to establish a winning culture. Below, we highlight Lindenwood athletics teams’ first D-I victories. FOOTBALL Lindenwood kicked off the 2022 season in wild fashion with a thrilling 21–20 road victory September 10 at Houston Baptist. The Lions trailed 17–6 at halftime before rallying in the fourth. Logan Seibert connected on all three of his field goal attempts from 40-plus yards, while Robert Giaimo topped the century mark in rushing yards. Andrew Martin ran for a touchdown and recorded another on special teams, while Tyrone Griffin posted nine tackles, one quarterback sack and broke up two passes on defense. “Our players put together a complete team performance and pulled off an unbelievable comeback that you’d have to see to believe,” Head Coach Jed Stugart said. “We made plays offensively and defensively, and capped it off on special teams, which goes to the heart of our program. We are a family above all, and our kids will go to war for each other. That first win set the tone in our locker room that we belong in Division I. We instilled the mindset in our kids all (Fall) camp long, but when we went down there and beat a storied FCS program, our kids took it and ran, which is what led to the season we had.” WOMEN’S SOCCER Mia Corrigan and Rachel Jackson scored second-half goals to lead Lindenwood to a 2–0 season-opening win August 18 at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois. Jackson gave the Lions the lead in the 54th minute and Corrigan doubled it in the 60th. Goalkeeper Sam Blazek made three saves en route to a shutout. “Our win against Southern Illinois was the very first in the entire department in this new D-I era,” Lions Head Coach Dave Musso said. “It meant a lot for the entire program, the history of all the previous successes, and the direction we are headed as an entire University. That night was bigger than our current soccer program. It felt like we were playing for the entire University.” MEN’S SOCCER Lindenwood rallied with two second-half goals in a 2–1 triumph September 16 at the University of Southern Indiana. The win snapped a four-match winless streak to open the 2022 season. Anis Smajlovic tied the match 1–1 on a penalty kick in the 56th minute and Roland Dearborn netted the game-winning tally in the 86th. Smajlovic assisted on the second goal, while Dearborn finished with two shots on goal. “As most would say, the first D-I win felt like a major achievement,” Lions junior defender Alex Imig said. “I believe it is rare to become a part of history, and we are now a part of Lindenwood’s. It is quite beautiful because nothing can ever change that. Becoming D-I has created many new obstacles and challenges for me and the guys. To me, that’s a blessing. I look forward to new challenges, and many of the guys are the same. Through adversity comes opportunity.” FIELD HOCKEY Isabella Shannon, Samantha Garden, and Mia Simpson scored goals as Lindenwood pulled off a 3–1 win over Queens University of Charlotte on October 9 at SportPort International. Simpson also recorded an assist, while Shannon and Izzy Folan finished with three shots on goal apiece. “Our first Division I win over Queens University was an incredible feeling,” Head Coach Sarah Baumann said. “It was a historic team win that sets the stage for what we can accomplish at the Division I level in the future. As a coach, I could not be more proud of our team’s resiliency as we approached our first D-I season; that first win is a culmination of the hard work, commitment, and preparation our coaches and players have shown as we drive forward into this new era for our program.” WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL Lindenwood dominated its first two matches as a Division I program, knocking off Canisus College 25–19, 25–17, 25–23 and Western Illinois University 23–25, 25–21, 25–23, 25–17 on August 26 at the Purdue Fort Wayne Invitational. Nyah Wilson slammed a combined 25 kills to go along with an ace serve and three blocks. Taylor Gentemann recorded 24 kills, four aces and three blocks on the day. “Going into the season, there was a lot of hesitancy just because of the unknowns about what to expect,” Lions Head Coach Will Condon said. “The team worked hard in preseason to get ready… I was proud of our team’s effort and competitiveness throughout the whole match. We did a good job of accepting this challenge, putting aside our fears and uncertainty and played the game. I was happy for our players because they got to feel the rewards of their hard work in their first match at this level. It paved the way for us to keep battling adversity through the whole season and finish on a high note in the semifinals of the OVC Tournament.” SEEDS OF FEATURE STORY FEATURE STORY AN INAUGURAL SEASON, A DISPLAY OF EXCELLENCE Photo Credit: Don Adams Jr. Photo Credit: Hannah Leahy