SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (October 31, 2015) - Graduate quarterback Tyler Ward (Wyckoff, N.J.) threw a pair of second half touchdown passes as the Western New England University football team overcame its first halftime deficit of the season, defeating rival Endicott College 19-13 this afternoon in New England Football Conference (NEFC) action at Golden Bear Stadium.
 
Western New England, ranked No. 21 in this week's American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division III Poll, extends its program-best start to 8-0 and 5-0 in the NEFC with two games remaining in the regular season. Endicott falls to 3-5 overall and 3-2 in league play with the setback. The Golden Bears are now 6-7 in 13 all-time meetings with the Gulls, and have won two straight in the series that began in 2003. Today's contest also marked the seventh time that the annual rivalry game has been decided by single digits.
 
Ward finished with three passing touchdowns overall, completing 15 of his 31 attempts for 233 yards to go with 46 yards on the ground. Junior Nick Connell (East Marion, N.Y.) enjoyed another successful rushing performance, carrying the ball 26 times for 116 yards, his third consecutive 100+ yard effort and fourth overall this fall.
 
Sophomore Mark Dietrich (Cheshire, Conn.) and senior Andy St. Fleur (Norwalk, Conn.) were Ward's primary targets this afternoon, as Dietrich broke out for game-highs in both catches (six) and yards (146) to go with one touchdown, and St. Fleur was on the receiving end of three passes for 61 yards and a pair of scores.
 
Sophomore Kevin McLaughlin (Colorado Springs, Colo.) led the Western New England defense with several key plays, registering a team-leading nine tackles (6 solo, 2.0 for loss), an interception and a forced fumble. Senior captain Dean Soucie (North Easton, Mass.) also made nine tackles and broke up a pass, while classmate Blair Cook (New Brunswick, N.J.) picked off Endicott sophomore quarterback Sam Ouellette (Rochester, N.H.) in the second quarter and senior Connor Devarney (South Burlington, Vt.) added a sack.
 
Senior Michael Stasiewicz (Leicester, Mass.), who blocked a field goal last week in the Golden Bears' 35-3 victory at MIT, accomplished the feat again today with his third quarter block on an attempt by Endicott junior kicker Kyle Regan (Nashua, N.H.).  
 
Oullette completed 22-of-42 passes for 239 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions for the Gulls, while sophomore Lavante Wiggins (Dalton, Mass.) and freshman Johari Johnson (Rockville, Md.) led the rushing attack with 76 and 72 yards, respectively, on 14 combined carries. Sophomore tight end Jacob Simons (Barrington, R.I.) caught both of the touchdowns from Oullette, and junior Chris Lipscomb (West Springfield, Mass.) finished with 67 receiving yards on four receptions.
 
Endicott junior linebacker Thomas Johnson (Pembroke, Mass.) paced the Gulls defensively, totaling a game-high 11 tackles (7 solo) with a pair of sacks.
 
Western New England drove deep into Endicott territory on its first two possessions of the game, but was unable to put any points on the board. The Gulls opened the scoring with two minutes left in the first quarter when Ouellette connected with Simons for a nine-yard touchdown, after Johari Johnson had broken free on a 54-yard run on the previous play.
 
Western New England's next four drives ended without points as well, as the Gulls forced a pair of punts and recovered a fumble by Connell midway through the second quarter. The Golden Bears finally gained some momentum with four and a half minutes to go before halftime, when Cook intercepted Ouellette at the Endicott 48-yard line and returned the ball 26 yards.
 
Western New England took advantage of the great field position, as Ward orchestrated a seven-play, 22-yard drive that was capped by a three-yard touchdown toss to St. Fleur. Junior Kevin Patterson (Houston, Tex.) missed the extra point, however, before misfiring on a 31-yard field goal in the closing seconds of the quarter as the Golden Bears entered the locker room trailing for the first time this season.
 
That deficit would be short lived, as Western New England scored on its first possession of the second half to claim a 13-7 lead. After picking up one first down on a four-yard rush by Connell, Ward hooked up with Dietrich for an 80-yard touchdown that would put the Golden Bears ahead for good.
 
Endicott had an opportunity to pull back within three points on its next possession, as Regan attempted a 47-yard field goal, but Stasiewicz blocked the try to keep the Western New England lead at six. The Golden Bears then extended their advantage to 12 (19-7) early in the fourth quarter, when Ward found St. Fleur over the middle for a 23-yard score to cap a nine-play, 64-yard drive.
 
Endicott answered on its next possession, however, as Ouellette authored a nine-play, 79-yard drive that resulted in a six-yard touchdown catch by Simons, his second score of the day. After another missed field goal on Western New England's next possession, the Gulls got the ball back with 4:10 on the clock and an opportunity to drive for the go-ahead touchdown.
 
Ouellette kept Endicott's hopes alive with a 12-yard completion to junior Jake Pelletier (Trumbull, Conn.) on fourth and seven from the 24-yard line, and a 13-yard toss to Lipscomb two plays later brought the Gulls near midfield. After three straight incompletions and a holding penalty, a 15-yard pass to Simons set up a fourth and five for Endicott from the Western New England 46-yard line. Ouellette dumped off a screen pass to Johari Johnson, who raced up the sideline and dove towards the first down marker, but was forced out of bounds by Soucie two yards short as the Golden Bears took over on downs.
 
Needing just one first down to seal the game, Western New England turned to Ward, who picked up four yards on a run up the middle on third and one.
 
The Golden Bears continued to display a balanced offensive attack this afternoon, compiling 467 total yards with 199 coming on the ground and 268 through the air. Western New England converted on 40% of its third down opportunities (8-for-20) while also going 3-for-7 on fourth down tries.  
 
Both teams will be back in action next Saturday, as the Golden Bears hit the road for a 1 p.m. contest at Coast Guard in New London, Conn., and Endicott returns home to host Curry.