SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (September 16, 2023) – The Western New England football team took down the visiting Saints of St. Lawrence University from Golden Bear Stadium on Saturday afternoon after the blue and gold rattled off 28 second half points and did not allow the Saints to score in the second half, sending the Golden Bears to a 42-21 non-conference victory.

Records:

• Western New England: 2-1
• St. Lawrence University: 1-2

How it Happened:
Both teams needed the first quarter to find their offensive footing as the Golden Bears and Saints played a defensive game through the first 15 minutes of play. Western New England would get on the board first at the end of the first quarter after the WNE offensive needed one play to march down the field when Conrad Swanson took the ball to the house on a 79-yard rushing touchdown, slipping through the defensive line of the Saints and recorded the first six points of the afternoon for the blue and gold. Western New England's Andrew Havens would send the extra point through the uprights, giving the Golden Bears a 7-0 lead.

Saint Lawrence would use a 19-play 78-yard drive that ended in the beginning of the second quarter by scoring their first points on the afternoon grabbing a one-yard touchdown pass on a fourth and goal on the WNE one-yard line. SLU chewed 8:58 of game time to grab their first seven points of the game, evening the score at 7-7. Western New England would respond in their next offensive drive, marching down the field in less than two minutes to record their second touchdown of the game when Tyler Millerick found Tyler Borwhat for a 39-yard score, giving Western New England their second lead of the game.  The Golden Bears would take advantage of a ten-yard penalty by the Saints on the drive, leading to the Borwhat touchdown reception.

The Saints would quickly respond on their next drive, evening the score at 14 all. Cole Salyards reception from QB Daniel Lawther would set the tone for the Saints on a drive that would be finished off by a Will Lederman 11-yard touchdown run up the middle, as the Golden Bears and Saints would see the score tied with just 3:50 remaining in the quarter. The Saints defense would quickly force Western New England off the field, leaving just over two minutes for another Saints offensive attack. The Saints would take advantage of their offensive possession and take their first lead of the game when Cole Salyards grabbed a 23-yard touchdown pass to give SLU a 21-14 lead, the score that would hold heading into the halftime break.

Western New England's defense would hold strong after the Saints deferred the first half kickoff, and received the kick to open the second half. The WNE defense would force their first three-and-out of the game, giving the opportunity for a quick WNE score to open the third quarter. After a muffed punt by the Saints, Western New England would take advantage of good ball position, starting just 30 yards away from their scoring endzone. A seven play, 30-yard drive would be capped off by a six-yard touchdown pass from Conrad Swanson to Tyler Borwhat, who catches his second TD of the afternoon, evening the score at 21 all. Western New England's defense would force a SLU fumble on the very next drive when Luciano Brenvlille grabbed the ball and brought the ball to the SLU eight-yard line. Western New England needed just one play to grab their lead back when Conrad Swanson found Julien Bailey-Cottle for an eight-yard score, giving WNE a 28-21 lead.

The Saints 12 play drive nearly ended in a score, though a massive defense hold, led by Jake Chiasson, Joe Shea, and Kyle Holt would see the Golden Bears grab a key interception to turn the tables on St. Lawrence. The Golden Bears would grab an INT by Ben Caulfield at the goal line to hold the Saints off the scoreboard in the third quarter. In the fourth, Western New England would continue to hold strong on defense, while the WNE offense grabbed another score through the air when Ryan Larson grabbed a nine-yard score from Conrad Swanson to extend the Golden Bears lead. Dillon Kohl's leading 39-yard rush to open the drive set the Golden Bears up with their biggest lead of the game, sitting at 14 points.

Western New England would put ice on the game late in the fourth quarter when the second interception of the afternoon was tossed by SLU's Daniel Lawther, right into the hands of Malcolm Wilson-Toliver, who went 44 yards into the left side of the end zone, extending WNE's lead to 42-21. WNE held St. Lawrence to a fourth- and two-yard stand when Michael Canavatchel swarmed SLU's Will Lederman for no gain, holding the Saints off the board and sending the blue and gold to victory. Western New England would defeat St. Lawrence by a final score of 42-21.

Inside the Lines:

• Western New England totaled 415 yards of offense in the game, including 266 yards on the ground. Conrad Swanson led WNE with 113 rush yards on six attempts, including one touchdown. Dillon Kohl helped WNE with nine rushes for 75-yards in the win.
• Swanson was 12/19 through the air, tossing 100 yards and three touchdowns. Tyler Millerick tossed a touchdown and 49 yards to help the Golden Bears in the second half comeback victory.
• Tyler Borwhat caught six passes for 83 yards and two touchdowns to take the victory for the Golden Bears.  Pat Harrington was the only other Golden Bear with at least two catches.
• On defense, senior Jake Chiasson led WNE with seven solo tackles and eight assisted tackles, good for 15 total tackles on the afternoon.  Joe Shea, Kyle Holt, and Brandon Myers all tallied tackles for loss for WNE.
• Both Malcolm Wilson-Toliver and Ben Caulfield grabbed INTs for Western New England in the win. JJ Josefik led WNE with two breakup passes.
• WNE is now 2-0 against St. Lawrence overall.

Up Next on the Schedule:

• Western New England travels to Susquehanna University for a meeting with the River Hawks on Saturday, September 23 at 1:00 PM.