CASTINE, Maine (October 17, 2015) - The Western New England University football team racked up a season-high 444 yards on the ground and scored 30 points in the third quarter on its way to a convincing 58-35 victory at Maine Maritime Academy this afternoon in New England Football Conference (NEFC) action at Ritchie Field.

With the win, Western New England (6-0, 3-0 NEFC) matches its best start in program history after opening the 2014 campaign with six straight wins. Maine Maritime drops to 1-4 overall and 0-3 in league play.

Graduate quarterback Tyler Ward (Wyckoff, N.J.) led the way for the Golden Bears this afternoon, rushing for 159 yards and one touchdown to go with 124 yards through the air on 7-of-14 passing and four scores.

Junior running back Nick Connell (East Marion, N.Y.) carried the ball 16 times for 142 yards and two touchdowns, while classmate Terrence N'Dabian (Stratford, Conn.) added 57 yards on five attempts. N'Dabian also hauled in a 60-yard touchdown reception from Ward as Western New England broke the game open in the third quarter.

Defensively, sophomores Sam Olsson (Milford, Conn.) and Kevin McLaughlin (Colorado Springs, Colo.) recorded 13 and ten tackles, respectively, while McLaughlin also forced a fumble.

Sophomore fullback James Ferrar (Cumberland, Maine) and senior quarterback Michael Fahey (Union, Conn.) combined for 217 of Maine Maritime's 361 rushing yards, and freshman wide receiver Derek Breunig (Westbrook, Maine) caught four balls for 110 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

The game started with promise for Maine Maritime, as the Golden Bears turned the ball over on their first play from scrimmage, and the Mariners capitalized on the error with a six-play, 54-yard drive capped by an 18-yard touchdown pass from Fahey to Breunig.

Western New England tied the game on its next possession, as Ward connected with junior Mohamed Camara (New York, N.Y.) for a 12-yard score to complete a quick, two-minute, 21-second drive, but Maine Maritime pulled ahead 14-7 early in the second quarter on a one-yard plunge by Fahey on fourth and goal.

After both teams failed to get anything going on their next drive, the Golden Bears tied the score at 14 on a two-yard run by Connell with six and a half minutes remaining before the half. The Western New England defense then forced the Mariners into their second straight three-and-out, and Connell found the end zone again with a 59-yard run on the second play of the Golden Bears' next drive.

Leading by just one touchdown at halftime, Western New England exploded for 30 points in the third quarter, scoring on all five of its possessions to open up a 51-14 lead. A Maine Maritime fumble on the opening kickoff of the second half turned into seven points for the Golden Bears, as Ward found sophomore wide receiver Mark Dietrich (Cheshire, Conn.) in the end zone for a three-yard touchdown.

Western New England stretched its lead to 21 (35-14) on a 42-yard run by Ward at the 9:53 mark of the third quarter, before going up 42-14 on N'Dabian's 60-yard reception. Junior kicker Kevin Patterson (Houston, Tex.) converted on a 23-yard field goal with just under three minutes left in the quarter, and the Golden Bears capped their 44-0 run with a 14-yard toss from Ward to sophomore Collin Cioffi (New Fairfield, Conn.) one minute and 20 seconds later.

The Mariners would put 21 points on the board in the fourth quarter, but the deficit was too much to overcome as Western New England cruised to a 23-point triumph.

The Golden Bears racked up 568 yards of total offense this afternoon, converting on 4-of-9 third down opportunities and scoring in all six of their trips to the red zone.

Western New England, ranked No. 1 in this week's New England Division III Poll, will be back on the road next Saturday for an NEFC matchup at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1-5, 1-2 NEFC). Maine Maritime (1-4, 0-3 NEFC) is also on the road next weekend at Endicott College.