SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (September 3, 2026) – Following a 6-4 2025 campaign, the Western New England football team is back in action in 2026, opening the season in the 13^th edition of the SAW Pynchon Game against Springfield College under the lights of Stagg Field. Western New England snapped a three-game losing streak against the Pride last season to bring home the trophy for the first time since 2021.

Last Season Overview:
Western New England opened the season in dramatic fashion in 2025, knocking down crosstown rival Springfield College in the SAW Trophy Game 23-22. A touchdown in the final moments of the game clinched the victory for the Blue and Gold, their first win since 2021 over the Pride. The contest also marked the first time in program history that the Golden Bears defeated a ranked opponent, with Springfield's 13^th-place ranking taking a hit following the loss. Despite the dramatic victory for the Golden Bears, Western New England was not able to string back-to-back victories over NEWMAC opponents, falling in week two in overtime to the Seahawks of Salve Regina University. WNE never had a lead in the game, but came back from 22 points down in the second half to force overtime before falling 34-28 in the first road game of the season. 

WNE had much success in 2025 on home field, securing another win at Golden Bear Stadium in front of the home crowd in a week three 48-13 trouncing of Worcester State University. The Golden Bears held the Lancers to just seven first-half points and six in the second half, while combining for 45 of their 48 points in the final three quarters to come away with the victory, improving to 2-1 on the season.  Week four saw the Golden Bears drop the Conference of New England (CNE) season opener on the road at the University of New England, falling 37-31. WNE bounced back on home field, yet again, picking up a 35-10 victory over Husson University in week five, improving to 3-2 on the season. The Golden Bears then dropped back-to-back home games after suffering road losses at Endicott College in Week 6 and Curry College in Week 7, respectively. The final three games of the season were triumphs for the Blue and Gold, picking up convincing wins over New England College (55-0) in week eight, Maine Maritime Academy (70-7) in week nine, and Nichols College (63-20) in week ten to round out the season. WNE finished a perfect 5-0 on home turf but fell short in four of five road games, looking to flip the script in 2026. 

Key Returners:
Western New England lost key offensive threats in 2025 but return many starters that will look to make an impact this coming season. Paul Gorry is set to lead the offense in the quarterback position for WNE, playing in nine of ten games last season. Gorry completed 111 passes on 170 attempts (.653), totaling 1,454 yards and 16 touchdown passes, averaging 161 passing yards per game. On the receiving end, the Golden Bears see John De Camps as a deep threat, having caught 19 passes for 305 yards and four touchdowns a season ago. Kevin Acosta played in all ten Western New England games a year ago, making 21 catches for 276 yards and scoring five touchdowns. Additional deep threats include Jova'n Hill, Christian Delgado, and James Burg for Western New England. The WNE run game sees the strong duo of Matt LaMontagne and Matthew McGuire set to lead the run game again this season. LaMontagne rushed 141 times for 840 yards last season, scoring 16 total touchdowns, picking up a touchdown in nine of ten games. McGuire ran 92 times for 549 yards, scoring up four touchdowns for WNE last season. 

On the defensive side of the football, three of Western New England's top four tacklers return for the season. Nick Kolifrath led the Blue and Gold with 74 total tackles last season, 28 solo tackles and 46 assisted tackles, including 4.5 tackles for loss and a full sack on the season. Austin Pszczolkowski collected 16 solo tackles and 35 assisted tackles last season, good for 51 on the season. Pszczolkowski picked up six tackles for loss and two and a half sacks overall. 2026 Team Captain Michael Canavatchel recorded 49 tackles for WNE last season, picking up four tackles for loss and a team-high three sacks. The WNE defense will be guided by former player and alum Jake Salera '20, who was named WNE's defensive coordinator this offseason. 

On special teams, Western New England will look for another impressive season from placekicker Max LoGrasso, who converted eight of nine field goal attempts last season, including a season-long 42-yarder. The Lynn, Massachusetts native converted on all but two extra points attempts last season. The punting unit was led by John Moss, who recorded 14 punts for 466 yards, averaging over 33 yards per kick. Moss forced four fair catches and put two inside the 20-yard line. Rhys Suprenant is also expected to be in the mix to help the WNE special teams unit. 

The Game:
Springfield College has gone cashless with ticket sales. The ticket link for the game can be found by clicking here. The game is slated to begin at 7:00 PM from Stagg Field on the campus of Springfield College. To watch the game from home ($), click here. To follow the live statistics, click here.