Preview: Salve Regina welcomes Western Connecticut to Toppa Field

SEPTEMBER 22 | 4 p.m. TOPPA FIELD • NEWPORT, R.I.
WESTCONN COLONIALS (2-0-0)	SALVE REGINA SEAHAWKS (2-1-0)
SERIES Colonials lead, 6-0 LIVE STATS http://www.salveathletics.com/ LIVE VIDEO http://bit.ly/2M4BOsm AUDIO ONLY http://bit.ly/14B30Gy DIRECTIONS http://bit.ly/2PGwnBX

NEWPORT, R.I. - The Salve Regina University football team welcomes Western Connecticut State University to Toppa Field on Saturday, September 22, at 4 p.m.

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LAST TIME OUT
NEWPORT, R.I. - Salve Regina University freshman running back Joey Mauriello (Colts Neck, N.J.) netted 160 yards rushing and two touchdowns to help the Seahawks defeat the visiting Bulldogs of Dean College, 27-18, at Toppa Field. Sophomore quarterback Jake Kelleher (Hopkinton, Mass.) threw for 146 yards and one touchdown, that TD pass coming on the opening series to Brendan Nunes (Attleboro, Mass.). After jumping to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, the Seahawk offense was limited to a pair of Andrew Verre (Wethersfield, Conn.) field goals (23, 28) in the second and third quarters. Dean (0-3) closed within two points, 20-18, before Salve Regina (2-1) finished the scoring in a non-league game with Mauriello's one-yard plunge and four minutes left in the fourth.

MORE READING: Seahawks post 27 points on Bulldogs to win by nine

SEAHAWKS NOTES FROM THE NEST

• OUT OF THIS LEAGUE: Currently 2-1 in non-league games in 2018, the Seahawks enter their final non-conference contest of the regular season having gone 10-3 in their last 13 such games.
• CLASS MAKE-UP: Salve Regina class breakdown is - seniors (13), juniors (21), sophomores (27), and freshmen (34).
• DE-FENSE: Salve Regina senior Brandon O'Neill (Madison, Conn.) led the Seahawk defense with seven tackles (five solo) including a sack for minus-six yards and another tackle for a loss of five yards against Dean.
• CCC HONORS: Mauriello and Verre earned Commonwealth Coast Football honors. Mauriello nabbed Offensive Player and Rookie of the Week honors; Verre was selected as Special Teams Player of the Week.
• STATE YOUR CASE: The state-by-state breakdown for the Seahawk roster is - Connecticut (15), Maine (1), Massachusetts (33), North Carolina (1), New Jersey (25), New York (10), Pennsylvania (1), and Rhode Island (9).
• CAPTAINS: A trio of Seahawk defenders will serve as captains in 2018. Tyler D'Errico, Brandon O'Neill, and John Salute will lead the 2018 squad.

COLONIAL QUICKIES

• LAST TIME OUT FOR WESTERN CONNECTICUT: Senior quarterback David James completed 23 of 29 passes for 283 yards and tossed a pair of touchdowns as the Western Connecticut State University football team came from behind to defeat Plymouth State University, 32-28, in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) opener for both schools Saturday afternoon at Currier Field. James threw TDs of 21 yards to Will Daniels (Bethel, Conn.) and one yard to Austin Calamita (North Branford, Conn.) in his first start of the season. WestConn scored 19 unanswered points in the down the stretch after the Panthers took a 28-13 advantage.
• MASCAC HONORS: James received his league's top weekly honor after leading the Colonials to their come-from-behind victory. Senior running back Khalil Patterson rushed for 124 yards on 22 carries and two touchdowns in the Colonials' season-opening 33-22 win over Dean College.
• COMMON OPPS: Dean College. The Bulldogs have played their last two games against the Colonials and Seahawks, respectively, and lost both by a combined 20 points. After trailing 14-13, Western Connecticut scored 20 consecutive points keyed by a pair of defensive scores - Jeret DeVellis 43 yard interception return and Troy Thomas 60 yard interception return. Duane Gary put the Colonials up 33-14 with a nine yard run. Salve Regina led from start to finish against Dean, and stopped the Bulldogs on a potential game-tying two-point conversion attempt with John Salute pinning Ki'sean Bullard's rush attempt behind the line.

INSIDE THE SERIES
The Colonials lead the all-time series, 6-0-0, and defeated the Seahawks last season, 37-23, at the Westside Athletic Complex. The Seahawks led by as many as nine points, 16-7, following a 35 yard field goal by Andrew Verre with 1:10 remaining in the first half. James Dawson carried the load for Salve Regina, rushing for 101 yards on 20 carries. Connor Russo and Nathan Gonzalez registered eight tackles each for Salve Regina.

WHAT'S NEXT?
Salve Regina opens its Commonwealth Coast Football (CCC) schedule at Toppa Field when Western New England University visits for a noon kickoff. The Colonials have their first home game the season, at the Westside Athletic Complex, when MASCAC member UMass Dartmouth visits for a 5 p.m. kickoff.