Seahawks fall to Golden Bears

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - The Salve Regina University football team falls on the road to Western New England 34-31.

Senior quarterback Tyler Ward scored the go-ahead touchdown with 94 seconds left, to lift the Golden Bears to a thrilling 34-31 New England Football Conference victory over visiting Salve Regina at Golden Bear Stadium on Saturday. The Golden Bears improve to 5-0 on the season and 3-0 in the NEFC. The Seahawks, now fall to 2-4 overall and 1-2 in the conference.

Kevin Cook of Western New England rushed for 119 yards on 18 carries to give him 3,444 for his career, setting new all-time mark for Western New England. 

Ward passed for 167 yards on 10 completions, including a 64-yard scoring throw to senior Andrew Walz to help put the Golden Bears on top 13-9 with 11 minutes and 41 seconds left in the first half. The signal caller also ran the ball 11 times for 53 yards, but none more important than his game-winning touchdown on a designed pass play that he turned into a 16-yard scramble into the end zone.

Dan Buonocore (Mahwah, N.J.) carried 36 times for 231 yards and he also caught seven passes for 74 yards to pace the Seahawks, who outgained Western New England 535 to 404 and had a 35:01 to 24:59 advantage in time of possession. Quarterback Steven Wilken (Ringwood, N.J.) passed for 241 yards on 24 completions in 48 attempts and three touchdowns; he was intercepted twice.

Salve Regina head football coach Kevin Gilmartin felt that his team was right there, but a few key plays and mistakes were the difference in the game.

"We controlled the game with over 500 yards and only 400 for them, but we turned the ball over," said Gilmartin.  "It's sometimes four or five plays that make a major determination on the outcome of the game and today it was the turnovers that were those plays."

The Seahawks we will regroup and return home to face the Colonels of Curry College on Saturday October 18 at 12 p.m.