Box Score SPRINGFIELD, Mass.--Matt Berni returned an interception 70 yards for a touchdown with 21 seconds left to seal a 49-40 non-conference victory for visiting Springfield College over Western New England University in Saturday's season opener for both teams before a record crowd of 3,442 at Golden Bear Stadium.

The first-ever meeting on the gridiron between intra-city rivals separated by just two-and-a-half miles was a thrilling affair from wire to wire.

Senior co-captain John Krafick completed 26 of 37 passes for 284 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Golden Bears offensively. He rushed for another score that went for 28 yards that tied the game 6-6 at the time.

Western New England got within 43-40 with 1 minute and 59 seconds remaining after Krafick found Tucker Schumitz for a 32-yard TD pass to cap a 10-play, 86-yard drive. The Golden Bears set up for an onside kick to get another possession and recovered the football at their 35-yard line after a member of the SC receiving team touched it.

Krafick eventually led the Golden Bears' offense down to the Springfield 33 before the drive--and the game--ended suddenly when Berni stepped in front of a receiver and went the other way for the 70-yard TD interception.   

The Pride triple-option ground game was their No. 1 form of attack as Jonathan Marrero and Louis Fenaroli rushed for 149- and 120-yards, respectively, while Joel Alavesta ran for 97. They each scored a TD via the run.

Springfield outgained WNE on the ground, 469 to 208. The teams combined for 1,015 yards of total offense, 89 points (five failed PAT attempts, including three that were blocked) and 52 first downs.
 
Western New England's Brandon Ormsby, who last played for the Golden Bears in 2011, led all tacklers with 13 stops (8 solos) in a successful comeback, and Kyle Jones added 10 tackles.
 
Sam Weiss and Berni each came up with a team-leading 12 tackles for Springfield.

Western New England led 27-23 at halftime and opened the scoring in the third quarter on a 9-yard TD reception by Adam Dunne for a 33-23 advantage.

Late in the fourth quarter and with Springfield clinging to a 37-33 lead, WNE seemed ready to benefit from a Pride drive that was going to stall due to holding and unsportsmanlike penalties covering 25 yards on the same play. But facing a 1st and 35 at the WNE 36, James Poggio completed a 36-yard TD strike to Jason Wood to give SC some breathing room at 43-33, setting the stage for the exciting final 5:49.

(Editor's note: Student Assistant SID Steve Romano contributed to this report.)