CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (October 24, 2015) - The Western New England University football team utilized a stifling defensive effort and a balanced attack on offense to earn a 35-3 victory over the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) this evening in New England Football Conference (NEFC) action at Steinbrenner Stadium.
 
With the win, Western New England improves to 7-0 (4-0 NEFC) for the first time in program history. While the Golden Bears relied on an overpowering offensive performance last week, it was the defense that flexed its muscles tonight, holding MIT (1-6, 1-3 NEFC) to just 180 total yards, 81 of which came in the fourth quarter with the game out of reach. Western New England, which entered Saturday's action giving up an average of 261 yards per game, has now held opponents under 200 on three occasions.
 
The Golden Bears continued to roll on offense as well, piling up 463 total yards with a balanced attack (279 passing, 184 rushing). Graduate quarterback Tyler Ward (Wyckoff, N.J.) turned in another strong performance, completing 18-of-26 passes for 268 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions, to go with nine rushes for 24 yards. Junior running back Nick Connell (East Marion, N.Y.) surpassed 100 yards on the ground for the second consecutive game and third time this season, carrying the ball 21 times for 125 yards (6.0 avg.) and one touchdown.
 
Ward spread the wealth in the passing game, finding nine different receivers, including five that caught at least two balls. Junior tight end Trent Vasey (Cumberland, R.I.) was Ward's primary target, hauling in four passes for 60 yards and a touchdown, while junior wing Mohamed Camara (New York, N.Y.) made four catches for 83 yards and one score.
 
Senior linebacker Dean Soucie (North Easton, Mass.) spearheaded Western New England's stingy defensive performance, recording a team-high ten tackles (four solo), including 2.5 for a loss. Junior Michael Stasiewicz (Leicester, Mass.) made six solo tackles, broke up two passes and blocked a field goal attempt in the third quarter, while senior defensive linemen Connor DeVarney (South Burlington, Vt.) and Steve Melino (Mount Laurel, N.J.) registered 2.5 tackles for loss and one sack each.
 
MIT freshman quarterback Udgam Goyal (Frisco, Texas) completed 15-of-27 passes and was limited to 139 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. Classmate Miguel Wagner (El Segundo, Calif.) totaled 42 rushing yards on seven attempts, and senior Seve Esparrago (St. Louis, Mo.) collected a game-high eight receptions for 49 yards.
 
After failing to score on their first two possessions, the Golden Bears put the first points of the game on the board with 2:25 remaining in the first quarter. Senior running back Kevin Degnan (Irvington, N.Y.) punctuated the seven-play, 57-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown run, but Connell did most of the heavy lifting to get Western New England down the field, carrying the ball five times for 43 yards.
 
The MIT offense got the ball back and picked up one first down before being forced to punt for the fourth straight possession, setting the stage for Western New England's second touchdown drive of the game. Ward completed all three of his passes on the 11-play, 80-yard drive, and this time Connell found the endzone from nine yards out on first and goal to give the Golden Bears a 14-0 lead.
 
MIT's next drive was cut short when junior Isaiah Berrios (Wallkill, N.Y.) intercepted Goyal's pass on first and ten from the Western New England 35-yard line, and the Engineers missed a solid opportunity to break through later in the quarter when junior kicker Tucker Cheyne (Avon, Conn.) sent his 36-yard field goal attempt wide left.
 
Western New England would tack on one more touchdown before halftime, as Ward found Vasey for a 24-yard touchdown to cap a 10-play, 80-yard drive with 1:38 on the clock. The Golden Bears carried a 21-0 lead into the locker room, having held MIT to just 28 yards (1.7 per play) over the opening 30 minutes.
 
A fumble on Western New England's opening drive of the second half turned into three points for MIT, as Cheyne nailed a school-record 47-yard field goal, but the Golden Bears answered immediately with a 70-yard touchdown pass from Ward to Camara to give the visitors a 28-3 lead.
 
Western New England wrapped up the scoring later in the third quarter, as Ward tossed his third touchdown of the game, this time a 23-yard strike to sophomore Mark Dietrich (Cheshire, Conn.) with four and a half minutes remaining. The touchdown catch was Dietrich's only reception of the contest.
 
The Golden Bear defense forced MIT to punt eight times over the course of the game, while also only allowing the Engineers to convert on two of their 17 third down attempts. MIT was limited to just 36 rushing yards on 33 attempts, for an average of 1.1 yards per rush.
 
Western New England will look to keep its perfect record intact next Saturday, when the Golden Bears return home for the first time since October 3^rd to host Endicott College. Opening kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Golden Bear Stadium. MIT will be back at Steinbrenner Stadium next Saturday to host Salve Regina University at noon as part of Alumni Weekend.