SPRINGFIELD, Mass. â€" In a game that featured 644 yards, a couple of big defensive stops on points after touchdown attempts proved to be the difference.

Senior quarterback Jon Tallerico (Port Chester, NY) completed 15-of-22 passes for 233 yards and tied a school record with four touchdown passes to lead Western New England College to a 28-26 football victory over visiting Maine Maritime Academy on Saturday (Sept. 16) in the first meeting between the schools since 1988.

The Golden Bears, who are off to a 2-0 start for the first time in 13 years, took a 7-0 lead when Tallerico fired a 53-yard scoring strike to senior wide receiver Justin Varga (Colonia, NJ) with 8:44 left in the opening quarter. The Mariners came right back and tied the contest on a two-yard run by senior fullback Ken Rackliff (Gardiner, ME) that capped a 12-play, 73-yard drive at the 1:39 mark of the quarter.

On the next possession, Tallerico hit junior split end Kevin Miculcy (Greenwich, CT) with a 12-yard score just six seconds into the second quarter that gave the Golden Bears a 14-7 lead at half-time.

The second half was a wild affair as each team took advantage of turnovers to score points.

Maine Maritime (1-1) capitalized on a fumbled punt return to tie the contest when junior running back Brandon Goodrich (Waterboro, ME) (11 carries, 90 yards) took a pitch from senior quarterback Brandon Hamilton (Skowhegan, ME) and went 28 yards for a touchdown at 8:51 of the third quarter.

And just when it appeared that the Mariners had re-gained the momentum, they fumbled a punt return that the Golden Bears turned into a touchdown when Tallerico hit junior wide receiver Bobby Carney (Clifton, NJ) with an eight-yard score for a 21-14 advantage with 6:24 left in the period.

WNEC senior free safety Jim Kantany (East Longmeadow, MA) then intercepted a pass on the next possession and Tallerico again delivered tossing a nine-yard pass to Miculcy for a 28-14 lead at the 2:04 mark. Miculcy had eight receptions for the second straight week along with 88 yards.

Maine Maritime didn’t fold and had good field position when freshman Duncan Markie (Mattawamkeag, ME) returned the kickoff 36 yards to the Mariners 48. Eight plays later freshman fullback Jim Bower (South Paris, ME) (17 carries, 62 yards) ran six yards for a score just 1:42 into the fourth quarter.

Western New England College junior rover Eli Gardner (Milford, NJ) then blocked the extra point attempt and made the tackle after freshman place-kicker Brian Matthews (Wells, ME) picked up the loose ball. "In this situation all I was trying to do was dig in and shoot the gap," said Garnder.

Tallerico then threw an interception on the ensuing possession and the Mariners drove 52 yards on seven plays that ended when Hamilton just barely crossed the goal line on a one-yard run with 8:54 left in the contest.

The Golden Bears came up with their second defensive stop when senior linebacker Matt Guaragna (Port Chester) (game high 13 tackles) stopped Hamilton on a two-point conversion run attempt. "This was another big win for us because we faced a new offense and I thought our defense played well," said Guaragna who is a first cousin of Tallerico.

Maine Maritime had one final attempt late in the game but senior defensive back Jay Rooney (El Segundo, CA) intercepted a pass at the WNEC 41 with 47 seconds remaining.

It was a tough loss for the Mariners, who out-gained the Golden Bears by a 347 to 297 margin and held the ball for 36 minutes, 42 seconds. Hamilton was 5-for-10 passing for 130 yards, but suffered three sacks.

Kantany finished with 11 tackles while Gardner added eight stops, including one-and-a-half sacks.

Jamie Scott (1981 vs. Boston State) and Jeff Armstrong (1992 vs. Fitchburg State) also had four touchdown passes in a game for the Golden Bears.