SAINTS FALL TO ALFRED 17-14

Sept. 16: The look on Chris Phelps face revealed it all. After the Saints 17-14 loss to the Alfred Saxons on Saturday, the St. Lawrence head coach looked as if his team had let one slip away.

 

The Saints held the Saxons to just three points in the final three quarters but a 14 point first half by the Saxons combined with numerous missed scoring opportunities by the Saints were the keys to their loss.

 

Phelps said the slow start hurt the Saints because they were unable to muster any momentum in the first half.

 

“We came out slow on both sides of the ball and we let them get a good lead early,” Phelps said. “We came back in the second half and held them to just three points, which is a pretty good accomplishment, but we just missed so many opportunities.”

 

Two missed field goals kept the Saints scoreless in the first two quarters and they fell to a 14-0 halftime deficit. The Saints however, emerged from the halftime locker room energetic and the second half momentum shifted in their favor.

 

It started early when senior linebacker Hank Anderson intercepted quarterback Paul Keeley’s first pass of the second half and returned it 18 yards to the Alfred 20 yard line setting up an 8 play drive that ended just one yard shy of the end zone. On fourth down and 19 Saints quarterback Matt Bezio hit wide receiver Mike O’Donnell for an 18 yard pass, but O’Donnell was tackled on the Alfred one yard line.

 

The Saints did not get discouraged. The defense forced Alfred to a three and out on the ensuing drive, and got the ball back in the hands of the offense. The Saints tightened Alfred’s margin to 14-7 with five and a half minutes left in the third quarter when freshman running back Connor Hackett ran for a 16 yard touchdown.

 

Anderson, a senior captain and also the team leader in tackles on Saturday, gave the team a motivational speech on the sideline before the unit went back on the field.

 

“I know how good we are and I knew that we weren’t playing our best, so I told them to play like we are capable of,” Anderson. “We held them to three points in the final three quarters.”

 

The Saints defense contained the Saxons on four straight drives after the touchdown before surrendering a 22 yard field goal with three minutes left in the game.

 

The Saints responded on their next drive when a 39 yard pass play to O’Donnell set up Bezio’s five yard touchdown pass to Carl Festa making the score 17-14 with two minutes and 25 seconds left in the game. The Saints’ six play, 57 yard scoring drive took just 54 seconds and breathed the life back into the St. Lawrence sideline.

 

The Saints tried an onsides kick on the ensuing kick-off but were unable to recover, putting the ball back in Alfred’s hands. The Saints never got the ball back as the Saxons ran out the clock and sealed their 17-14 win.

 

Phelps said he was proud of the way his team rallied in the second half, but disappointed in the missed opportunities.

 

“It was a tough one to lose because we had so many chances,” Phelps said. “But we have some tough, resilient kids and this means something to them. That is why we will respond.”