HENNIKER, N.H. (October 31, 2026) – The Western New England football team put together a dominant performance on Saturday afternoon, shutting out New England College 49-0 at Laurie Cox Memorial Field. The Golden Bears opened the game with a 79-yard kickoff return touchdown from Marcus Crawford and never looked back, scoring 14 points in each of the first three quarters before adding seven more in the fourth. Western New England's offense totaled 430 yards, including 328 on the ground, while the defense limited the Pilgrims to just four yards of total offense. WNE also received a 41-yard punt return touchdown from Jayden Melendez, helping the Golden Bears improve to 4-4 overall and 3-2 in Conference of New England (CNE) play.

Records:

• Western New England: 4-4, 3-2 CNE

• New England College: 2-6, 1-4 CNE

How it Happened:

First Quarter:

• The Golden Bears wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, opening the contest with a special teams touchdown. After New England College's opening kickoff went out of bounds and was replayed, Marcus Crawford returned the next kickoff 79 yards for a touchdown just 14 seconds into the game. Max LoGrasso converted the extra point to give Western New England an early 7-0 advantage.

• Western New England's defense quickly forced the Pilgrims off the field on their opening possession. Noah Albert and Ryan Clark combined to stop Gabe Murdough for no gain before Michael Canavatchel and Dimaggio Ferrara brought down quarterback Brody Sobotka for a 10-yard loss on third down, forcing an NEC punt.

• The Golden Bears responded with their first offensive scoring drive of the afternoon, marching 64 yards on 11 plays while taking 5:15 off the clock. Matthew McGuire helped move the ball with runs of eight and three yards, while Drew Caouette connected with John De Camps for completions of eight and 10 yards. Crawford finished the drive with an eight-yard rushing touchdown at the 7:40 mark, and LoGrasso added the extra point to extend the WNE lead to 14-0.

• The WNE defense continued making plays on the Pilgrims' next possession, forcing another punt after Canavatchel and Clark combined to sack Sobotka for a 14-yard loss on third down. The Golden Bears then moved 31 yards on nine plays during their next offensive possession, highlighted by a fourth-down conversion from Caouette and a 10-yard run from Cody Jackson. However, the drive ended on a turnover on downs at the NEC 36-yard line.

• Western New England carried its 14-0 lead into the second quarter after holding New England College scoreless through the opening 15 minutes of play.

Second Quarter:

• New England College continued its possession from the end of the first quarter, but Western New England's defense forced another punt after Alante Green broke up a third-down pass attempt. The Golden Bears began their next offensive possession at their own one-yard line, but an interception from Kaevryel Madison gave the Pilgrims possession at the WNE 28-yard line.

• The Golden Bears' defense stood strong despite the short field. Austin Pszczolkowski recorded tackles for loss on consecutive NEC rushing plays, while Colvin Levesque broke up a third-down pass attempt. New England College attempted a 26-yard field goal with 8:41 remaining, but Gavin Ford's attempt was unsuccessful, keeping the Pilgrims off the scoreboard.

• Western New England answered with an 80-yard scoring drive spanning seven plays and 3:37. McGuire picked up a key nine-yard run on third down, while Jackson followed with a 14-yard rush and a 19-yard completion to Jova'n Hill. Jackson finished the drive with an 11-yard rushing touchdown at the 5:04 mark, and LoGrasso converted the extra point to extend the Golden Bears' lead to 21-0.

• The WNE defense created another scoring opportunity late in the half when Sobotka fumbled during a rushing play, with Joe Malone recovering the ball at the NEC 29-yard line. Crawford needed just two carries to find the end zone, breaking off a 25-yard run before scoring from four yards out with 2:12 remaining. LoGrasso added his fourth successful extra point of the afternoon to give the Golden Bears a 28-0 advantage.

• Western New England's defense continued to pressure the Pilgrims during their final meaningful possession of the half, with Pszczolkowski recording a sack and Ryan Clark breaking up a pass attempt. The Golden Bears entered halftime with a commanding 28-0 lead.

Third Quarter:

• New England College opened the second half with possession, but the WNE defense forced another punt. Ferrara and Pszczolkowski combined with other defenders on tackles for loss during the possession, helping the Golden Bears regain the ball at their own 45-yard line following a 17-yard punt return from Crawford.

• Western New England moved 55 yards on eight plays during its opening offensive possession of the second half. Jackson opened the drive with a 12-yard run before connecting with Kevin Acosta for six yards and Christian Delgado for 11 yards. Jackson then found Delgado again for a 13-yard touchdown pass with 8:58 remaining. LoGrasso's extra point extended the Golden Bears' lead to 35-0.

• The Golden Bears' special teams unit immediately created another opportunity when Ferrara forced a fumble on Spencer Brien's kickoff return. CJ LaBonte recovered the ball at the NEC 23-yard line, giving WNE possession deep in Pilgrims territory. However, Jackson was intercepted by CJ Taylor on the ensuing play, ending the scoring opportunity.

• Western New England's defense forced another three-and-out before the offense put together an 11-play, 67-yard touchdown drive that consumed 5:44. Jackson picked up an important 11-yard run on third down, while Evelio Lugo connected with Davion Joe for a 16-yard completion. Jason Pratt carried the ball on the final four plays of the drive, eventually scoring from two yards out with 1:29 remaining. LoGrasso's extra point gave the Golden Bears a 42-0 lead.

• New England College began its next possession late in the quarter, but the Golden Bears continued holding the Pilgrims scoreless. Western New England entered the final 15 minutes with a 42-point advantage after adding 14 more points during the third quarter.

Fourth Quarter:

• The Golden Bears opened the fourth quarter with another defensive stop, as Mike Zaremba brought down Sobotka for a nine-yard sack on third down. On the ensuing punt, Jayden Melendez returned the ball 41 yards for a touchdown with 13:45 remaining. LoGrasso connected on his seventh extra point of the afternoon, extending Western New England's lead to 49-0.

• Western New England's defense continued limiting the Pilgrims' offensive opportunities on their next possession. Chase Royal broke up a second-down pass attempt before Joel Maggs stopped Spencer Brien following a seven-yard completion on third down, forcing another New England College punt.

• The Golden Bears followed with a 12-play, 45-yard drive that consumed 7:51. Devin Rowden helped move the ball with runs of 13, six, and seven yards, while Lugo completed a six-yard pass to Christian Anderson. WNE advanced to the NEC five-yard line, but Thomas Zullo's fourth-down pass was intercepted by Madison in the end zone, ending the possession.

• New England College took over at its own 18-yard line, but the WNE defense once again forced a punt. Will Brooks and Vincent Cito combined for a tackle for loss on the opening play, while Cito later forced a fumble on a Murdough rushing attempt that the Pilgrims recovered. NEC punted after three offensive plays.

• Western New England took over with two minutes remaining and picked up a first down on a six-yard run from Drew Canaday. The Golden Bears ran out the remaining clock to secure the 49-0 victory, holding New England College to just four total yards of offense while finishing with 430 yards of their own.

Inside the Lines:

• Western New England finished the game with 430 yards of total offense, including 328 rushing yards on 50 carries. The Golden Bears averaged 6.6 yards per rushing attempt and recorded 28 first downs compared with seven for New England College. WNE also held the advantage in time of possession, controlling the ball for 36:24.

• Cody Jackson led the Golden Bears' rushing attack with 81 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. Matthew McGuire followed with 71 yards on nine carries, while Marcus Crawford added 60 yards and two rushing touchdowns on seven attempts. Alex Silva contributed 35 rushing yards on six carries, while Jason Pratt finished with 19 yards and a touchdown on five attempts.

• Western New England completed 12 of its 21 passing attempts for 102 yards and one touchdown, with three interceptions. Jackson led the passing attack with six completions on 10 attempts for 52 yards and a touchdown. Drew Caouette completed four of eight passes for 28 yards, while Evelio Lugo went a perfect two-for-two for 22 yards.

• Christian Delgado led the Golden Bears' receiving corps with four receptions for 34 yards and a touchdown. Jova'n Hill added a 19-yard reception, while John De Camps recorded two catches for 18 yards. Davion Joe contributed a 16-yard reception as WNE spread its passing attack across eight different receivers.

• The Golden Bears' defense held New England College to just four total yards, including minus-49 rushing yards on 23 attempts. WNE recorded 11 tackles for loss totaling 55 yards and four sacks for 38 yards. Dimaggio Ferrara led the defense with nine tackles, including four solo stops, five assisted tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and half a sack. Austin Pszczolkowski added four tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and one sack, while Michael Canavatchel recorded four tackles and one sack.

• Western New England forced two fumbles and recovered both, with Joe Malone and CJ LaBonte credited with the recoveries. Ferrara and Vincent Cito each forced a fumble, while the defense held the Pilgrims to just two successful third-down conversions on 13 attempts. New England College also failed to score on its lone red-zone opportunity.

• The Golden Bears received two special teams touchdowns, with Crawford returning the opening kickoff 79 yards for a score and Melendez adding a 41-yard punt return touchdown in the fourth quarter. Max LoGrasso converted all seven extra-point attempts, finishing a perfect seven-for-seven. Western New England also held New England College scoreless for the entire contest, completing the 49-0 shutout victory.

Up Next on the Schedule:

• The Golden Bears will return to Springfield, Massachusetts next Saturday, November 7, 2026, at noon as they welcome the Maine Maritime Academy to campus.