Seahawks improve to 3-0, top Falcons 34-7

FITCHBURG, Mass. - Junior tailback Richie Edwards (Trumbull, Conn.) rushed for 116 yards and two touchdowns as the Salve Regina University football team rolled to a 34-7 victory over Fitchburg State on Saturday afternoon. The win was the ninth straight for the Seahawks dating back to October 8 of last year, improving Salve Regina to a perfect 3-0 on the season.

Edwards added three catches for 12 yards in his fine performance. Quarterback Steven Wilken (Ringwood, N.J.) and Dan Buonocore (Mahwah, N.J.) also added scores on the ground, while sophomore Phil Terio (Trumbull, Conn.) collected a solid special teams effort with six returns for 123 yards and touchdown.

Fitchburg State opened the game strong, receiving a 58 yard blast from sophomore Steph'fon Teague (Fitchburg, Mass.), but a missed 35 yard field goal kept the Falcons off the board and swung the momentum in the Seahawks favor.

After a scoreless first quarter, Salve Regina opened the scoring with a pair of touchdowns in the second frame to take a 14-0 lead at the break. Edwards put the Seahawks on the board with a 14 yard touchdown run at the 11:27 mark, while Terio capped the first half scoring with a 45 yard punt return.

In the second half, Salve Regina immediately capitalized on a Fitchburg State turnover, setting up first and 20 after a Falcon fumble on the opening kickoff. Four plays later, the Seahawks found the pay dirt again as Edwards rushed for his second score of the day, a ten yard rush up the middle.

The Falcons tried to claw back for much of the second half, scoring a defensive touchdown midway through the third quarter. A block punt by junior Alex Acala (Leominster, Mass.) led to a Tyler Robar (Fitchburg, Mass.) fumble recovery in the end zone and put Fitchburg State on the board with a 21-7 deficit.

Salve Regina answered the Fitchburg State score however, scoring a pair of late touchdowns in both the third and fourth quarters to seal the victory. Buonocore pounded a three yard touchdown rush up the middle at 1:22 of the third, while Wilken added a two-yard TD dash with 2:30 remaining in regulation.

Fitchburg State (1-2, 0-0 NEFC Bogan) will be back in action next Saturday as it hosts Maine Maritime at 12:00 p.m. Salve Regina (3-0, 0-0 NEFC Boyd) will host Endicott College next Saturday at 1 p.m.

Release Courtesy of FSU Sports Information