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2003 Archives BUCHANAN TRAVELS TO SOUTH AFRICA FOR IRB WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS July 12: Junior fullback James Buchanan (Calgary, Alberta) traveled to Durban, South Africa with the Canadian Under-22 Rugby Team this past spring. Team Canada was participating in the International Rugby Board Junior World Championships. Twenty-four teams from around the world were in attendance and Canada finished 3-3. Buchanan played scrumhalf for Canada. Buchanan was one of 26 chosen from across the country after a weeklong training camp in February and from the national tournament which 10 provincial all-star teams competed at in August 2003. The Calgary, Alberta native was first selected to Team Alberta and after performing well at the nationals, the selectors named Buchanan for the training camp. After a successful training camp, he was selected for the Canadian Junior Team as one of only two Albertans who made the team. 2003 FOOTBALL AWARDS ANNOUNCED Mar. 27: The St.Lawrence football team held its annual awards banquet on Sunday afternoon. Sophomore Terrell Foster was named the 2003 St.Lawrence University Most Valuable Player. Junior co-captain Randy Pifer was named the Defensive Player of the Year while junior tailback Brett Hughes was named the Offensive Player of the Year. Senior Pat Sullivan was awareded the prestigious John Burger Memorial Award as Lineman of the Year. The Coaches' Award was given to senior co-captain Tim Gavin. Offensive lineman Chris Fee was named the 2003 Rookie of the Year. Rounding out the awards was wide receiver Gabe Sataloff who was given the Iron Man/Trainer's Award. FOURTEEN NAMED TO UCAA ALL- ACADEMIC TEAM Jan. 16: Fourteen Saints were named to the UCAA All-Academic Team. To be eligible for the all-academic team, student-athletes must be atleast a sophomore in standing and have a cumulative gpa of 3.2 or higher. Those honored are listed with their class, hometown and major: Alex Allport - sophomore Pulaski, NY Economics and Speech & Theater major. James Buchanan - sophomore Calgary, Alberta History major. Jeff Cohen - sophomore Chester, Conn. Government major. Brendan Hayes - senior Tupper Lake, NY History and Biology major. John Hetsko - senior Lake Peekskill, NY Math major, Economics minor. Chris Kimball - sophomore Lexington, Mass. Fine Arts major. Adam Leggett - sophomore Ransomville, NY Biology major. Eric McMahon - senior Burlington, VT Biology and Exercise Science major. Randy Pifer - junior North Bay, NY Neuroscience major. Patrick Reagan - junior Glenfield, NY Neuroscience major. Gabe Sataloff - junior Baltimore, Md. Biology and Environmental Studies major. Mitch Singsheim - junior Scotia, NY Environmental Studies and Economics major. Herb Yancey - junior Lowville, NY Environmental Studies and Economics major. Dan Yanulavich - sophomore Albany, NY Government major Seniors Brendan Hayes, John Hetsko and Eric McMahon, and juniors Patrick Reagan, Gabe Sataloff, Mitch Singsheim and Herb Yancey were all named to the all-academic team in 2002. REAGAN NAMED TO COSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT TEAM Dec. 5 - Junior tight end Patrick Reagan was named to the Academic All-District I Team this week. Reagan played in eight games this season catching two passes for 30 yards. The Glenfield, NY native missed the final two games of the season after sustaining a broken foot in practice. NINE SAINTS MAKE SECOND TEAM ALL-UCAA Nov. 20 - Nine St. Lawrence football players were named to the All-UCAA Second Team this afternoon. Junior tailback Brett Hughes, junior wide receiver Gary Gaines, freshman left tackle Chris Fee and senior left guard Pat Sullivan were all named to the offensive team. Gaines was an honorable mention selection in 2002. Making the defensive team were senior defensive end Gio Guzman, sophomore defensive tackle Bo McDougall, sophomore outside linebacker Terrell Foster, sophomore outside linebacker Mike Reed, and junior co-captain corner Randy Pifer. HALEY NAMED UCAA DEFENSIVE PERFORMER OF THE WEEK Nov. 19 - Haley had seven tackles, one pass deflection and an interception in the Saints 38-27 win over Hartwick. Haley's interception at the end of the third quarter stopped the Hawks drive in the Saints red zone. SENIORS CLOSE OUT CAREERS WITH 38-27 WIN OVER HARTWICK Nov. 15 - On senior day, with the shadows growing long on the grass at Leckonby Stadium, the Saints (2-8) came from behind to win one more for the seniors. Senior running back Derek Buckingham scored two fourth quarter touchdowns to give the Saints the win. St. Lawrence got on the board first with a 40-yard field goal by sophomore Nick Little with 9:41 to go in the first. Hartwick (2-7) then scored off a 60-yard pass from Matt Nazarian to Matt Willis to put the Hawks up 7-3 with time winding down in the first. Nazarian ran in on the quarterback sneak with 9:06 left in the second to push the Hawks up 13-3. Cory Nebel's point after try bounced out off the left upright and the score stood at 13-3. Rich Minckler put the Saints back up on the board with his fifth touchdown of the season at the start of the third quarter. Minckler caught a 44-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Tom Anderson and bolted into the end zone for the score. With the Little point after try good, the Saints had cut the lead to 13-10. On the ensuing drive by the Hawks, Lindy Crea broke free for a 65-yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage. Hartwick was on top 20-10. Minckler cut the lead to 3 again off a 34-yard pass from Anderson with 6:28 to go in the third. The Saints took the lead with 8:38 remaining in the game on a 6-yard run by Buckingham. With the extra point, the Saints were up 24-20. Willis and the Hawks would answer. Nazarian would march the Hawks 84 yards in three minutes. Willis pulled in a 16-yard toss from Nazarian to push the Hawks back on top. Nebel barely cleared the cross bar to put the score at 27-24 Hartwick. The Saints then turned it on, determined to pull out the win. With 5:34 to go in the game and down by 3, the Saints took over on their own 32 yard line. Anderson drove the Saints down to the 10-yard line. Time was winding down on the Saints season. With 2:06 left, Anderson rolled out and threw the ball to Gary Gaines and the end zone. Gaines pulled in his 10th catch of the game for the game-winning touchdown. Little converted on the extra point and St. Lawrence was up 31-27. The Saint defense took over, focused on holding onto the lead. Hartwick took over on its own 16-yard line with 2:25 to play. Two Saints senior came up huge. Gio Guzman and Will Horn sacked Nazarian for an 8-yard loss. The Saint defense held and forced the Hawks to go for it on 4th-and-11 from their own 26-yard line. Nazarian completed a pass to Willis who was stopped in his tracks by Terrell Foster and Matt Gulley, two yards short of the first down. St. Lawrence took over on downs at the Hartwick 35. A 15-yard unsportmanslike penalty on the Hawks after the play was over pushed the Saints to the Hawk 20-yard line. Buckingham ran in for his second touchdown of the game to push the game out of reach of the Hawks. Little converted the extra point and the Saints were up 38-27. The Hawks took the field with 41 seconds left. The Saint defense buckled down and kept the Hawks out of the end zone. As time expired, the St. Lawrence bench poured onto the field as the seniors relished in their second victory of the season. Ten seniors began their final season with a 15-12 come from behind victory over Utica, finally able to ring the victory bell. And as they ended their careers as Saints, they once again rang the victory bell. Notes: Gaines pulled in 10 catches for 130 yards, setting a new school record for pass receptions in a season with 53. The previous record of 51 was set in 1978 by Bill Simunek. The Saints piled up 410 yards of total offense, the most this season. St. Lawrence's 38 points is the most scored by the Saints this season. SAINTS PREP FOR FINAL HOME GAME VS. HARTWICK HAWKS Nov. 13- Saturday’s game against the Hartwick Hawks (2-6, 1-3 Empire 8) marks the end of the 2003 Saints football season. It also marks the end of the careers of 10 seniors. Derek Buckingham, Tim Gavin, Gio Guzman, Bren Hayes, John Hetsko, Will Horn, Eric McMahon, Matt Sexton, Alex Shuman and Pat Sullivan will suit up for their final game in a Saints uniform today. These 10 seniors are looking to close out their careers with a win. ENGINEERS DOWN SAINTS, REMAIN UNBEATEN Nov. 8 - The RPI Engineers downed the Saints 55-0 to remain unbeaten at 8-0 on the season and clinch the UCAA title. The Saints were shutout for the first time this season. St. Lawrence falls to 1-8 overall and 0-4 in the UCAA. The Engineers scored on all five of their first half drives to make the score 35-0 at the half. Sophomore quarterback Tom Anderson, making his first start of the season, had a rough go in the first half. Anderson threw two interceptions and was sacked twice as the Saints managed just 119 yards of total offense in the first half. Junior tailback Otis Williams scored the first touchdown of the game on a two-yard run at 11:21 in the first quarter. Wide receiver Dan Stephens added another score six minutes later with a 32-yard pass reception from senior quarterback Dan Cole. Matt Verenini's point after try was wide right. Senior Flynn Cochran added the third touchdown of the first quarter as time expired. Cole completed the two-point conversion to make the score 21-0. Senior wide receiver Pat Hughes added two scores in the second quarter on 8-yard and 5-yard passes from Cole. The Saint defense was finally able to stop the potent Engineer offense in the second half, forcing RPI to punt twice and forced two field goals. Anthony Martuscello tacked on a 2-yd touchdown run early in the fourth quarter to put RPI up 48-0. Jay Bernardo added the final score with just three minutes to play in the game. Bernardo rumbled in from 20 yards out. The Engineers piled up 572 yards of offense, the most allowed by the Saints this season. The RPI defense held the Saints scoreless and kept them under 200 yards of offense for the first time in 2003. The Saints return to action next Saturday for the Senior game as 10 seniors prepare for their final game in a Saints' uniform. St. Lawrence will tangle with the Hartwick Hawks with game time set for 1:00 p.m. CADETS STORM BACK FOR 24-20 WIN Oct. 25: The Saints fell to 1-7 on the season after a second half comeback by the Norwich Cadets. Norwich improved to 5-3 on the season. The Saints were leading 14-10 at the half, but were unable to stop the Cadets in the second half as Norwich was able to pull the momentum back in its direction. The Cadets got on the scoreboard first early in the first quarter. Norwich took over on its on 35 yard line after Nick Little's punt rolled out of bounds. The Cadets marched down the field but stalled around the Saints 20-yard line. Two incomplete passes and the Cadets were forced to try for a field goal. Junior Rhett Soltas connected on the 37-yard field goal to put the Cadets on the board. The Saints ensuing drive started off positive with a 35-yard kick return by freshman quarterback Matt Bezio. St. Lawrence drove down the field but was stopped when Norwich's Roy Rose intercepted a Jon Blumhagen pass at the seven-yard line. The Saints got great field position on their next drive. Rich Minckler caught the punt around the 50-yard line and was immediately hit by a Cadet, fumbling the ball. Sophomore Jon Shaw bounced on the ball retaining position for the Saints. St. Lawrence had a great drive on the feet of junior tailback Brett Hughes. But once again the Cadet defense came up big. Sophomore Chris Cadorette tipped Blumhagen's pass and Michael Lober caught the ball for the Cadets at the The Cadets got back on the scoreboard early in the second quarter. The Saint defense held, forcing third-and-12 from the Cadet 41-yard line. The Cadets had been unsuccessful on the long pass but then came up big on third down. Senior quarterback Ben Clark completed a 59-yard pass to his brother Josh Clark. Clark pulled the ball in and bolted into the end zone for the score. With the Soltas kick good, the Cadets were up 10-0. St. Lawrence finally got onto the board with three minutes to play in the half. Minckler started the drive with a fair catch at the Saint 33-yard line. Blumhagen and the Saints took over with six minutes to play. With some good runs by Hughes and thanks to the solid hands of senior wide receiver Tim Gavin, the Saints were able to march down the field. With just under three minutes to play, Blumhagen threw up a pass intended for Minckler. Corner Jamar Rawles got his hands on the ball at the goal line but was unable to hold on. An alert Minckler reached out and pulled the ball in for his third touchdown of the season. On the ensuing drive, the Saint defense held and forced the Cadets to punt again. The Saint offense came back onto the field with under two minutes to go. This time the Saints needed just three plays and 49 seconds to get into the end zone. On third down-and-seven, Blumhagen stepped back and threw the ball towards the end zone and Minckler. Minckler and Rose both went up for the ball at the goal line and Minckler was able to pull the ball in for his second score of the game. Little converted on the extra point and the Saints were up 14-10 with under a minute to go. For the second straight week, the The teams traded punts early in the second half with Norwich senior Tom On the subsequent drive, the Saints took the field but were stopped early when Jason Henika stepped in front of Blumhagen's pass and returned it 25-yards for the score. With a 14-point swing in two minutes, the Cadets stole the momentum from the Saints. The Saints cut the lead to 24-20 with a 55-yard Blumhagen pass to Hughes with under 10 minutes to play. Little's extra point attempt was blocked by Rose and the score stood at 24-20. The Saints caught a break with five and a half minutes to play when the Cadets missed a 37-yard field goal attempt. St. Lawrence took over on its own 20-yard line down by four points, but went three and out. The Saints took over at their 38-yard line with 3:27 to play. Norwich got its fourth interception of the day when Drew DeRenzis went up with Gary Gaines and came down with the ball for the Cadets. The Cadets took over at their own 36-yard line with 2:33 to play and a four-point lead. Norwich would hold on to win its fifth straight. The Saints head into their off weekend as they prepare for their final two games of the season. St. Lawrence will return home to take on the Rensselaer Red Hawks in a 1:00 p.m. match-up at Leckonby on Saturday, November 8. SAINTS SET TO TACKLE CADETS Oct. 24 - The Saints (1-7) hit the road to take on the Norwich Cadets (4-3) this weekend in their final road game of the season. The Saints are looking to snap the Cadets four-game win streak. Last weekend the Saints fell 21-7 to Kings Point in the first annual Hoffman Cup. Blumhagen surpassed his yardage total of 2002 in the second quarter last week. The North Tonawanda, NY native now has 1,136 yards on 212-112-10 passing and four touchdowns. Junior tailback Brett Hughes has been having an impressive year so far. The Clinton, NY native has racked up 547 yards rushing on 134 carries with two scores. He also has been a favorite target of Blumhagen. Hughes has 175 yards receiving on 25 catches and a touchdown. On the defensive side of the ball for the Saints, Mike Reed leads the team with 59 tackles. The Angola, NY native has 5.0 tackles for a loss of 12 yards, one blocked kick and two pass break ups. Sophomore Terrell Foster has made a name for himself this year. The Pomona, NY native has 58 tackles, including 12.0 tackles for a loss of 68 yards. He also has 4.5 sacks for a loss of 45 yards and three pass break ups. Foster was named the Saints MVP for the Hoffman Cup last week for his play against the Mariners. Leading the secondary for the Saints is junior co-captain Randy Pifer. Pifer has 22 tackles, two interceptions returned for 22 yards, six pass break ups and four fumbles returned for 70 yards and a touchdown. As a team, the Saints are averaging 11.7 points per game and 316.9 total yards of offense. The Saints pass defense has stood out this year and currently leads the UCAA. In 2002, St. Lawrence opponents averaged 208.3 yards passing per game and scored 26 touchdowns in the air. So far in 2003, opponents have been held to 129.7 yards per game and only 6 touchdowns. In 2002, opponents averaged 461.6 yards of total offense per game, this season they are averaging 327.0 yards of total offense. Scouting the Cadets: Josh Clark has been one of Ben Clark's favorite targets. The junior wide receiver and the quarterback's brother, has 393 yards on 26 catches and three scores. Junior Matt Tucker is next in line with 214 yards on 11 catches. Sophomore running back Ced Carvalho has piled up 663 yards rushing on 133 carries and three touchdowns. He has also returned seven kicks for 143 yards. Junior tailback Nate Long has 557 yards on 79 carries and three touchdowns. Defensively, the Cadets are led by Drew DeRenzis and Greg Abell. DeRenzis has 45 tackles, including two tackles for a loss of five yards, three interceptions returned for 54 yards, six pass break ups and one fumble recovery. Abell has 43 tackles, including three tackles for a loss of six yards and one interception. Sophomore corner Jamar Rawles has four picks returned for 101 yards and Taylor Brown has four picks returned for 117 yards. The Cadets are averaging 25.9 points per game and 384.7 yards of total offense, while holding opponents to 18.6 points per game and 303.1 yards of total offense. The defense has picked off 18 passes and recovered 12 fumbles. Fans can listen to the game on 1470 am WPDM, kick-off is set for 1:30 p.m. at Sabine Field. The pre-game show starts at 1:15 p.m. Or they can listen to the broadcast on the web through WSYL-1040 AM Radio. MARINERS STEAL HOFFMAN CUP Oct. 18 – The Mariners of Kings Point (6-1) prevailed in a defensive battle at Tomb Field in Brooks Stadium this afternoon in the inaugural Hoffman Cup. The cup is the result of a St. Lawrence-Kings Point family connection. Tom Hoffman, a 1975 graduate of St. Lawrence gave the cup in honor of his father, Capt. Richard A. Hoffman, a 1944 graduate of Kings Point. The cup will be given annually to the winner of the St. Lawrence-Kings Point game. The Saints (1-6, 0-3) started off the game well, holding the Mariners to three and out on their first drive. The Saints took over on their own 42 yard-line driving deep into Mariner territory. The Kings Point defense buckled down, holding the Saints and forcing a field goal. Sophomore Nick Little lined up for a 26-yard field goal. Junior cornerback Brian Lipski came around the corner getting his hands on the ball, blocking the kick. On defense again, the Saints held big, forcing a Mariner punt. On their second possession, the Saints needed just two plays to get into the end zone. On first down and ten, senior Derek Buckingham bulled his way through the line for three yards. On second and seven, junior quarterback, Jon Blumhagen stepped back and threw up a pass to sophomore wide receiver Rich Minckler around the Mariner 35-yard line. Minckler eluded a tackled and bolted into the end zone for the score. With 2:30 minutes remaining in the game, the Mariners took over and were driving. Junior co-captain Randy Pifer stepped in front of a Matt Wilkenson pass, snagging his second interception of the season. The Saints took over at the Mariner 27-yard line. The Kings Point defense held the St. Lawrence offense, forcing a Little field goal. Junior cornerback Cole Patterson slipped around the left corner and blocked the kick. As time expired the score stood at St. Lawrence 7, Kings Point 0. The Mariners finally got on the scoreboard with 3:16 left in the third Kings Point took the lead for good with 9:43 left to play in the game. Senior running back David McNeal dashed nine yards for the score, capping a five-play, 25-yard drive. The drive was marred by penalties and a missed fumble recovery opportunity by the Saints. The Saints had an opportunity to tie the game with just over two minutes left in the game, but fumbled the ball after a complete pass by Blumhagen to Bren Hayes. The Mariners took over possession at the Saint 23-yard line. Kings Point needed just three plays and 26 seconds to tack on an insurance score. McNeal added his second touchdown of the game on an eight-yard scamper. The MVPs of today’s game are sophomore linebacker Terrell Foster for the Saints and McNeal for the Mariners. The Hoffman family will donate $1,000 to each school in honor of each team’s MVP. Foster finished the game with 12 tackles, five tackles for a loss of 30 yards, including three sacks for a loss of 27 yards and a quarterback hurry. McNeal rushed for 141 yards and two touchdowns. Today’s contest marks the final non-conference match-up between St. Lawrence and Kings Points. Starting in 2004, the match-up will be a conference tilt, as the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association will expand to include Kings Point, Coast Guard and WPI. Notes: Blumhagen’s 80-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter is the longest of his career and 14-yards shy of the school record… Blumhagen surpassed his total from 2002 (1099) in the first half; he finished with 141 yards, and 1136 on the season… Sophomore free safety Dan Haley registered a career and game high 18 tackles, one pass break-up and one tackle for loss. SAINTS VIE FOR HOFFMAN CUP, BRAGGING RIGHTS Oct. 17 - The Saints (1-5, 0-3) travel to Kings Point (5-1) this weekend to take on the Mariners in the Inaugural Hoffman Cup. Saturday's contest will be the fifth-ever meeting between St. Lawrence and Kings Point, and the schools will be in the same conference starting next year - the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association. The series is tied 2-2, with Kings Point winning the last meeting in 2002, 34-7 in Canton. The Mariners are on a two-game win streak, after falling to Springfield 49-28 in their only loss of the season. This weekend's contest will take on a new meaning as the winning team will be awarded the Hoffman Cup. Capt. Richard A. Hoffman is a 1944 graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, and his son, Tom, played football for a year and was a 1975 graduate of St. Lawrence. The latter came up with the idea of the Hoffman Cup as a present for his father's recent (Oct. 4) 80th birthday. In addition to the Cup, a Most Valuable Player award will be given to the top player of each team, and the Hoffman family will donate $1,000 to each school every year. Fans can listen to the game on 1470 am WPDM, kick-off is set for 1:00 p.m. at Merrill Field. The pre-game show starts at 12:45 p.m. Or they can listen to the broadcast on the web through WSYL-1040 AM Radio. BOMBERS ATTACK SAINTS 55-13 Oct. 11 - The Ithaca Bombers (4-1, 3-0) dominated the Saints (1-5, 0-3) in the final game of the Ithaca-St. Lawrence series. The Bombers blew open the game with a 28-point first quarter and never looked back. The Saints managed to put 13 points on the board to make the final score 55-13. The Bombers scored on their first seven drives (six touchdowns and a field goal), before being forced to punt in the third quarter. The Saints were able to upset the Bombers slightly. Ithaca averages 53.2 yards a game in penalties, today they had 10 penalties for 88 yards. The Saints' defense was able to hold the potent Bomber pass offense in check, allowing just 145 yards passing. The Bombers had been averaging over 225 yards a game in the air. Ithaca did its damage on the ground, piling up 234 yards rushing on 41 carries and scoring four touchdowns. Junior tailback Brett Hughes scored his third touchdown of the season with 10 minutes to play in the second quarter to end the shutout. Hughes pushed through a hole in the Bomber defense for a seven-yard touchdown run, making the score 35-7. The score capped a 10-play, 73-yard drive that took 3:46 off the clock. Sophomore Nick Little would add two field goals in the fourth quarter to push St. Lawrence's score to 13. The Saints showed more discipline this afternoon, picking up only four penalties for 22 yards. The Saints had been averaging over 60 yards a game in penalties. The Saints will travel to Kings Point next week to take on the Mariners in the inaugural Hoffman Cup game. The winner of the game will take home the Hoffman Cup and bragging rights. In addition, each school will honor a game MVP and $1,000 will be donated by the Hoffman family to each school. Game time is set for 1:00 at Captain Tomb Field. Notes: Little punted six times for a total of 243 yards, averaging 40.5 per punt, including a long of 59… Sophomore Tom Gipson returned seven kicks for a total of 95 yards, a career best… Sophomore Dan Haley led the Saints with 10 tackles… Sophomore Terrell Foster totaled seven tackles and one for a loss of six yards… Sophomore Bo McDougall tallied three tackles and a 14-yard sack… 55 points is the most allowed by the Saints since giving up 68 at Hartwick in the final game of the 2002 season. HOBART TACKLES SAINTS 28-10 Oct. 4 - The Hobart Statesmen (2-1, 2-0) won a tough battle in the rain this afternoon, downing the Saints 28-10 at Leckonby Stadium. Hobart dented the scoreboard first on a two-play, 51-yard drive that took just 48 seconds. The Statesmen scored on a 49-yard pass to wide receiver Dan Suozzi from quarterback Craig Swanson. The Statesmen gained possession off an interception by defensive back Dyshawn Washington. Hobart took over on its own 49-yard line. A defensive battle ensued with neither team able to put points on the scoreboard. The Saints finally got on the board with a 48-yard field goal by sophomore Nick Little. The kick is a career long for Little and the longest by a Saint kicker since 1999. Both defenses took the spotlight again. A bad snap on a Hobart punt forced a squib kick by Statesmen punter Suozzi. The punt went just 15 yards to the Hobart 35-yard line. The Saint offense took the field looking to give the defense a rest and put some more points on the board. St. Lawrence 35 yards on just four plays. The drive was capped by a 15-yard touchdown run by junior tailback Brett Hughes. Little converted the point after try and the Saints were up 10-7. With 3:25 left to go in the half, Hobart took over at its own 32-yard line after a 35-yard Little punt. The Statesmen drove 68 yards in 10 plays, crowing the drive with a one-yard touchdown run by junior running back Ty Godinho as time expired. The Statesmen went to into the locker room with the 14-10 lead and the momentum. Hobart received the ball to start the second half. Starting at their own 27-yard line, the Statesmen barreled down the field, picking up 75 yards and a touchdown. Godinho added his second touchdown of the game on a one-yard run. With a 14 point swing in their favor, the Statesmen stole the momentum away from an upset-minded St. Lawrence squad. St. Lawrence was unable to overcome the momentum swing. The Statesmen added a final touchdown with 2:24 to go in the game, putting the game out of reach for the Saints. Both teams were troubled by penalties in the game. Hobart racked up 66 yards on seven penalties, while the Saints had 42 yards on six penalties. The difference in the game though was the two interceptions and one fumble by the Saints. The Statesmen were able to capitalize on the Saints' mistakes. The Saints (1-4, 0-3) will face off against nationally ranked Ithaca next Saturday at 1:00 p.m. Ithaca hit the road this weekend to take on a tough Springfield team. Notes: Senior Tim Gavin had 94 yards on six catches... Blumhagen was 17-of-32 for 185 yards... Hughes piled up 60 yards on 18 rushes... Junior Matthew Gully racked up 11 tackles... Sophomore Joe Bertino also had 11 tackles, including two tackles for a loss of 10 yards and 1.5 sacks...Senior Will Horn had nine tackles and two quarterback hurries. YELLOWJACKETS STING SAINTS 21-12 Sept. 27 - The Rochester Yellowjackets (1-2, 1-0) won the defensive battle at Edwin Fauver Stadium this afternoon, defeating the Saints 21-12. The win is the first for Rochester this season, snapping a two-game skid. The Saints fall to 1-3 on the season and 0-2 in the UCAA. Rochester kicked off the scoring three minutes into the first quarter, with a five-yard touchdown run by senior running back Gerald Hopkins. The score capped a five-play, 32-yard drive taking just 1:51 off the clock. Rochester gained possession of the ball off a fumble by junior Brett Hughes at the Saint 32-yard line. A defensive battled ensued, with neither team able to capitalize on the other's mistakes. St. Lawrence was plagued by two turnovers early, a fumble and an interception. The Yellowjackets were troubled by penalties. The Saints put a dent in the scoreboard late in the second quarter. Junior Jon Blumhagen scored on a one-yard quarterback sneak. Blumhagen's touchdown, his first rushing touchdown of the season, crowned an 11-play, 73-yard drive that took just over four minutes off the clock. Sophomore kicker Nick Little missed the extra-point attempt, making the score 7-6 in favor of the Yellowjackets. The Saints held the Yellowjackets to just 76 yards of total offense in the first half. Rochester managed just 17 yards in the air on three completions. The Saints racked up 176 of offense, with 114 coming on the ground. The score would stand at 7-6 until 13:39 in the fourth quarter when Rochester broke the stalemate. Back-up quarterback Aaron Molisani snuck into the end zone on a three-yard scamper. The score capped an eight-play, 47-yard drive that ate up 3:55 off the clock. The extra point was good and the score stood at 14-6. On the previous Rochester drive, junior co-captain Randy Pifer intercepted a Patrick Manuel pass at the Saint 27-yard line and returned it to the 40-yard line before being brought down. The ball was brought back to the Saint 14-yard line due to a block in the back penalty. The Saints were unable to move the ball and punted after just four plays. On the ensuing drive, senior tailback Derek Buckingham scored his first touchdown of the season on a 17-yard run at 10:41 in the fourth quarter. Buckingham's run crowned a nine-play, 78-yard drive that took nearly three minutes. The drive was kept alive by a Rochester penalty. Rochester had held the Saints in the own territory and forced a punt. On the punt, Rochester was called for an illegal block, giving St. Lawrence a first down in Rochester territory. The Saints went for the two-point conversion, put failed to connect. The score stood at 14-12, with the Yellowjackets still holding the lead. With less than eight minutes to play, the Saints took over and the rain started coming down. St. Lawrence drove to the Rochester 27-yard line on the back of Hughes. But the Saints were unable to hold onto the ball, giving up a fumble at the 28-yard line and giving the Yellowjackets possession with four and a half minute to play. The Saint defense held strong and forced the Yellowjackets to punt. St. Lawrence took over with 2:22 to play in the fourth, down by two. This time the Yellowjacket defense stood tall, holding the Saints in their end, forcing St. Lawrence to go for it on fourth-and-six. The pass was incomplete, knocked down by outside linebacker Jeff Leslie. The Yellowjackets took over on the Saint 19-yard line with a minute and a half to play. Rochester took just two plays to get into the end zone. The Yellowjackets got a penalty for unsportmanslike conduct after the touchdown, forcing a 40-yard extra point attempt. The kick was good and with just over a minute, the Saints were down 21-12. Notes: Sophomore Rich Minckler left the game in the second quarter with an elbow injury… Hughes rushed for 117 yards, the second best total of his career, giving him 390 yards for the season, surpassing his total last season (200 yards)… Blumhagen has 757 yards passing so far this season, 342 short of his total from last season… Sophomore Mike Reed led the Saints with eight tackles, a pass break-up and 1.5 tackles for a loss of three yards… Fellow sophomores Dan Haley, Terrell Foster, Jon Shaw and Bo McDougall each had seven tackles… Foster had two pass-break-ups and a fumble recovery… Little continued to impress with his punts, averaging 41.0 a punt with seven punts, including a long of 49 yards. SAINTS TRAVEL TO ROCHESTER TO FACE THE YELLOWJACKETS Sept. 25 - The Saints (1-2, 0-1) travel to Rochester this weekend for a 1:00 p.m. match-up with UCAA rival Rochester. The Saints are seeking their first road win, while the Yellowjackets (0-2, 0-0) are still looking for their first win of the 2003 season. Last season, St. Lawrence fell 51-7 to Rochester at Leckonby Stadium. The last time the Saints beat the Yellowjackets was in 1998, a 35-14 victory. The Yellowjackets lead the series, 34-24-3. Rochester finished 2002 with a 2-8 overall record and 1-3 in the UCAA. The Saints are averaging 13.3 points and 361 yards of total offense per game in 2003. In the air, the Saints are averaging 253 yards, with 108 yards coming on the ground. St. Lawrence leads the UCAA in pass offense and first downs, but is third in total offense. On the defensive side of the ball, the Saints lead the UCAA in pass defense, allowing only 135 yards passing per game. They also rank second in pass defense efficiency (85.8) and opponents third-down conversion (30.9%). Junior Brett Hughes ranks third in the UCAA in rushing with 89.3 yards per game, third in receptions with 5 per game and third in all-purpose yards with 128.0 per game. Hughes ranks in the top ten in all three categories in Upstate New York DIII. Junior quarterback Jon Blumhagen ranks second in the UCAA in passing with 193.0 yards per game, third in total offense with 192.0 yards per game and third in pass efficiency at 100.5. Junior Gary Gaines leads the UCAA in receptions with 8 per game and ranks second in receiving yards with 86.7 per game. The Saint defense is led by a handful of sophomores. Outside linebacker Mike Reed ranks third in the UCAA and eighth in Upstate New York DIII in tackles with 10.3 per game. Tackle Bo McDougall is fifth with 9.3 tackles per game. Right behind him are Joe Bertino and Chris Young, who each average 9 tackles per game, and Terrell Foster, who averages 8.7 tackles. Foster leads the UCAA in tackles for loss with a total of 6.5 in three games. Junior co-captain Randy Pifer, named the UCAA Defensive Performer of the Week last week, leads the UCAA and Upstate New York DIII in fumble recoveries with four in three games and passes defended with five pass break-ups in three games. However, the Saints have been troubled by turnovers and penalties this season. The Saints have lost five fumbles and had six passes picked off. In addition, the Saints are averaging nearly 77 yards in penalties per game. Saints opponents have lost six fumbles and are averaging just 43.0 yards in penalties so far this season. SCOUTING THE YELLOWJACKETS The Yellowjackets are averaging just 13.0 points per game and 279.0 yards of total offense. Rochester is gaining 172.5 yards in the air and only 106.5 on the ground. The Yellowjackets have lost just one fumble but have had three passes picked off, while recovering four opponents' fumbles. Rochester opponents are averaging 75.0 yards in penalties in 2003. Rochester dropped its first game of the season, 27-9 to Johns Hopkins. The Yellowjackets then hit the road to St. John Fisher, falling 27-17. Fisher, down 10-6 at the half, scored twice in the first nine minutes of the third quarter to take the lead. Rochester cut the score to 20-17 with over two and a half minutes to play. But on the ensuing drive, Fisher drove 67 yards on four plays to go up 27-17, for the final score. The Yellowjackets leads the UCAA in fourth down conversions at 50.0% and red zone offense at 100%. In Upstate New York DIII, Rochester ranks third in fourth down conversions and first in red zone offense. Quarterback Pat Manuel, the 2002 UCAA Rookie of the Year, threw for over 1900 yards and 15 touchdowns as a freshman. In 2003, Manuel has thrown for 345 yards on 27 completions and just one touchdown. Manuel has also thrown three interceptions and been sacked nine times. The sophomore ranks second in the UCAA and sixth in Upstate New York DIII in total offense with 195.0 yards per game. Junior Dave Sanok, Manuel's favorite target, has caught nine passes for 138 yards, averaging 69 yards per game. Sanok ranks sixth in the UCAA in receptions per game with 4.5 and fourth in receiving yards with 69.0. Senior running back Gerald Hopkins has scrambled for 82 yards on 20 carries. Sophomore running back Jeff Ardnt has 68 yards on 26 carries and one touchdown. On the defensive side of the ball, senior Craig Pipal and sophomore Michael Dermody lead the Yellowjackets with 21 total tackles. Pipal has two fumble recoveries, while Dermody has 2.5 tackles for a loss of 14 yards, one sack for a loss of nine yards, three pass break-ups and two forced fumbles. Pipal and Dermody lead the UCAA in tackles per game with 10.5 and are ranked tied for third in Upstate New York DIII. Senior Sam Snowden ranks second in the UCAA in tackles for loss with five in two games. Fans can listen to the game on 1470 am WPDM, kick-off is set for 1:00 p.m. at Merrill Field. The pre-game show starts at 12:45 p.m. Or they can listen to the broadcast on the web through WSYL-1040 AM Radio. ALFRED HOLDS OFF SAINTS IN 24-14 VICTORY Sept. 20 - The Saints (1-2, 0-1) closed to within three of Alfred in the second half, but the Saxons converted an interception into a touchdown and went on to a 24-14 win. The Saints opened up the scoring in the first quarter when junior co-captain Randy Pifer recovered a fumble at the Saint 30-yard line and returned it 70 yards for his first career touchdown. Sophomore kicker Nick Little converted the extra point to the put the Saints up 7-0 with 8:37 to play in the first quarter. On the ensuing drive, the Saxons drove to the Saint 49-yard line. On third-and-fourteen, senior tailback Jesse Raynor carried to the Saint 41, before being tackled by Pifer. Pifer forced the ball loose, falling on the fumble, recovering the ball for the Saints. St. Lawrence was unable to convert off the turnover, going three and out. The Saxons took over after the Little punt at their own 26-yard line. On third-and-one, Raynor broke through the Saint defense for a 65-yard touchdown run. St. Lawrence took over on the Saint 19-yard line. The Saint offense was unable to move the ball, and they were forced to punt after going three and out. Little was barely able to get the punt off due to a bad snap. The ball took a Saints bounce, but was then batted forward by a Saint, an illegal move. The 15-yard penalty from the spot of the ball plus loss of down, gave the Saxons the ball on the Saint 12-yard line. Raynor pushed his way into the end zone for his second touchdown of the afternoon. In the second quarter the Saxons started at their own 36-yard line. Dropped for a loss of three yards on first down, and an incomplete pass on second down, left the Saxons with third-and-thirteen at their own 42-yard line. Quarterback Ron Duliba completed a short pass to wide receiver Jake Sprague who scrambled down the sideline. Sophomore linebacker Terrell Foster saved a touchdown, dragging Sprague down at the 19. The Saint defense held, forcing the Saxons to punt from the 22-yard line. Raynor, who also doubles as the kicker, converted the 39-yard field goal, pushing the score to 17-7 in favor of Alfred. The Saint offense stalled on the ensuing drive, managing just 20 yards in 6 plays. Nick Coleman fielded the Little punt and pushed through the Saint coverage past midfield. Little, who last week forced a fumble on a punt return that led to a Saint touchdown, prevented a Saxon touchdown by bringing Coleman down at the Saint 41-yard line. Alfred drove into the St. Lawrence red zone where the Saint defense stood strong, stalling the Saxons. On third-and-four at the Saint six-yard line, Duliba fumbled the ball. Linebacker Joe Bertino fell on the loose ball, recovering for the Saints. With just two minutes to go in the half, the Saints would take over on their own seven-yard line. The Saxon defense held and the Saints were forced to punt. Little drove the ball down to the 50-yard line. Eluding Saint tacklers, Coleman scrambled down the sideline aiming for the end zone. Little came up big again, dragging Coleman down and preventing the touchdown. The Saint defense held and the Saxons were unable to add to the score before half-time. The Saints found themselves in a familiar position, down 17-7 at the half. St. Lawrence kicked off to start the second half. The Saxons fumbled on the return but were able to pounce on the ball to retain possession. The Saxons drove down the field, but stalled near midfield. On third-and-ten, junior Matt Gulley broke through the Saxon offensive line and sacked Duliba at the Saxon 35-yard line for a loss of nine yards. On the ensuing drive, sophomore Tom Anderson checked in at quarterback, replacing junior Jon Blumhagen. The Saints went three-and-out and were forced to punt. The Saint defense buckled down and held the Saxons in their own red zone, forcing them to punt after three downs. A bad punt on fourth down, gave the St. Lawrence great field position at the Alfred 42-yard line. The Saint offense was hampered by a holding penalty and a fumble by Anderson on the subsequent drive. The Saxons recovered the ball at their own 30-yard line. The Saint defense held, but on third-and-eight from the Alfred 32-yard line, Duliba completed a 34-yard pass that wide receiver Chris Sargent managed to pull in by his fingertips at the Saint 34-yard line. The Saxons were held to a 45-yard field goal attempt by the Saint defense. Raynor's kick fell short of the goal post. The Saints took over on their own 28-yard line with under seven minutes to go in the third quarter, down by 10. On second down, Anderson rolled out to the right and threw up a 30-yard pass towards the sideline. Junior wide receiver Gary Gaines leaped up between two Saxon defenders and pulled the ball down. A five-yard rush by junior Brett Hughes and a short pass to sophomore Rich Minckler put the Saints on the Saxon 20-yard line. Senior Derek Buckingham fought for five yards to push the Saints to the 15-yard line, another short pass to Gaines and the Saints were at first-and-goal. Hughes pushed through for six yards to put the Saints within reach of the end zone. On third-and-one, Anderson kept the ball on the quarterback sneak, squeezing into the end zone behind his offensive line. Little converted on the extra point and the Saints were down by just 3, 17-14. Buoyed by the touchdown, the Saint defense took the field and held strong, pinning the Saxons in their own end. Alfred was forced to punt having picked up just two yards on three downs. Raynor punted the ball into Saint territory where the ball bounced out of bounds at the Saint 29-yard line. An 18-yard catch by Gaines and a five-yard run by Hughes put the Saints in Saxon territory as the third quarter expired. The teams switched ends and the Saints picked up where they left off, driving to the Saxon 31-yard line. The Saxon defense stymied the Saint offense, forcing a 41-yard field goal to tie the game. Little's kick was just wide to the left, leaving the score at 17-14. On the ensuing drive, once again the Saint defense came up big, forcing a Saxon punt. The Saints took over on their own 20-yard line, and drove to the 41-yard line on second down off a 16-yard pass to Gaines. Ray Sawner picked off an Anderson pass at the Alfred 49-yard line, regaining possession for the Saxons. The Saxons drove into Saint territory and on third-and-two from the Saint 27-yard line, Duliba found a wide-open Paul Torrey in the end zone. The extra point was good and Alfred pushed its lead to 24-14 with just under eight and a half minutes to go. The Saxons held off a late drive by the Saints. Little missed a 32-yard field goal with 30 seconds to play that would have brought the Saints within seven. The score would stand at 24-14. A duo of sophomores led the Saints on defense this afternoon. Mike Reed finished with eight tackles for the Saints, while Terrell Foster finished with 7.5 tackles, including six solo stops and two tackles for a loss of eight yards. Gulley came up with 7.5 stops and two for a loss of 10 yards and a sack. On offense for the Saints, Anderson, seeing his first snaps of the season, completed 17 -of-29 passes for 180 yards. The sophomore also ran for an additional 17 yards and a touchdown. Gaines caught 10 passes for 117 yards, his most productive game of the season. Senior co-captain Tim Gavin had 39 yards on just four catches. Hughes ran for 69 yards on 22 carries. The Saints take to the field again next Saturday as they travel to Rochester to take on the Rochester Yellowjackets in a 1:00 p.m. kickoff at Edwin Fauver Stadium. SAINTS HIT THE ROAD TO TAKE ON THE ALFRED SAXONS Sept. 18 - The Saints (1-1, 0-1) hit the road this weekend for a 1:00 p.m. match-up with the Alfred Saxons (0-2, 0-2). St. Lawrence looks to rebound from a disappointing loss to Union last weekend. The Saints kicked off the season with a 15-12 win over Utica, snapping a 22-game losing streak and earning the first win for head coach Chris Phelps and the first in Leckonby Stadium. The Saints found themselves down 12-0 midway through the fourth quarter, but went on to score 15-unanswered points to pull-out the win. In their second game of the season, the Saints squared off against UCAA opponent Union. They battled hard in a tough game, again finding themselves down late in the fourth. But this time, they were unable to pull-off the same magic, falling to the Dutchmen 22-11. St. Lawrence fell to Alfred 16-13 last season, at Leckonby Stadium. This year, the Saints are looking to exact some revenge. The Saints last defeated the Saxons in 1990, a 30-28 win. St. Lawrence sits near the top in many statistical categories in the UCAA and the Upstate New York DIII. The Saints lead the UCAA in pass offense (262.0 yds/game) first downs (33), sacks by (2-24 yards), and opponent third-down conversion (25.0%). St. Lawrence ranks second in pass defense (123.0 yds/game), punting (31.6 net/punt), total offense (372.5 yds/game) and pass defense efficiency (74.8). In the Upstate New York DIII, the Saints rank second in pass offense, fifth in total offense and pass defense efficiency. Junior quarterback Jon Blumhagen leads the UCAA in passing average (262.0 avg/game) and total offense (260.5 yds/game). Blumhagen ranks second in the Upstate NY DIII in passing average and third in total offense. Juniors Gary Gaines and Brett Hughes and sophomore Rich Minckler lead the UCAA in receptions per game. Hughes ranks third in rushing yards (99.5 yds/game), second in all-purpose yards (152.5 yds/game) and sixth in receiving yards (53.0 yds/game). Gaines is third in the conference in receiving yards (71.5 yds/game) and ninth in all-purpose yards (71.5 yds/game). Minckler is second in receiving yards (91.5 yds/game), third in all-purpose yards (129.5 yds/game), second in punt return average (7.6 yds/punt) and tied for eighth in scoring (4.0 pts/game). Sophomore kicker Nick Little leads the UCAA in punting with a 38.1 per punt average. On the defensive side of the ball, the Saints are led by a group of sophomores. Bo McDougall is tied for third in the UCAA in tackles with 10.0 per game, Mike Reed ranks sixth in tackles with 9.5 per game. While Terrell Foster, Joe Bertino and Chris Young are tied for ninth at 8.5 tackles per game. Foster ranks second in tackles for loss with 4.5. McDougall ranks tied for ninth in the Upstate New York DIII in tackles. Scouting the Saxons Alfred traveled to Ithaca for their second road game of the season, falling to the Bombers 30-0. The Bombers scored twice in the first 6:28 to take a 14-0 lead, getting the second touchdown off an interception deep in Alfred territory. Ithaca led 23-0 at the half, adding the final score three minutes into the third quarter. Ithaca held the Saxons to just 106 yards in total offense. Alfred completed just 6-of-23 passes and had three passes picked off. Freshman free safety Aaron Meyers ranks fourth in the Empire 8 and fourth in the Upstate New York DIII in tackles with 12.0 per game. The Delevan, NY native earned Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Week honors for his play against St. John Fisher. He totaled a game high 19 tackles, including nine solo stops, forced a fumble and intercepted a pass. Senior Erich Ely ranks sixth in the Upstate New York DIII in tackles with 10.5 per game while junior Adam Battaglia ranks tied for eighth with 9.0 tackles per game. Junior quarterback Ron Duliba threw for over 1500 yards and nine touchdowns as a sophomore. He rushed for another 465 yards and three touchdowns. In 2003, the Forestville, NY native has completed 14-of-35 passes for 140 yards and rushed for an additional 25 yards and one touchdown in two games. Fans can listen to the game on 1470 am WPDM, kick-off is set for 1:00 p.m. at Merrill Field. The pre-game show starts at 12:45 p.m. LITTLE NAMED UCAA SPECIAL TEAMS PERFORMER OF THE WEEK Sept. 16 - Sophomore kicker Nick Little was named the UCAA Special Teams Performer of the Week for his play against Union on Saturday. Little had eight punts, averaging 45.5 yards per punt, including a long of 55 yards. He also had a 33-yard field goal and forced a fumble that led to a St. Lawrence touchdown at the end of the first half. Little ranks first in the UCAA in punting average with 38.1 and second in the Upstate NY DIII. SAINTS FALL TO UNION 22-11 Sept. 13 - The Saints (1-1, 0-1) fell to the visiting Union Dutchmen 22-11 Saturday afternoon. Costly penalties and turnovers made the difference in the game. On the ensuing drive, the Saints could only manage 18 yards and had to punt the ball away from the Saint 38. With 3:07 to play in the first quarter, the Dutchmen took over on their 31 yard line. Union fumbled on the first play, but recovered for a loss of six yards. On second-and-sixteen from the Union 25, quarterback Ryan Perry completed a 30-yard pass to senior running back Sean Washington to the Saint 45. On the next play, Nappi broke free for a 45-yard touchdown run to push Union's lead to 13. A bad snap on the point after try, forced the snapper Mike Lentz to throw up a pass, which was nearly picked off by the Saints. As time ran down at the end of the first quarter, the Saints stalled deep in their own territory and were forced to punt with seven seconds remaining. After a 39-yard Nick Little punt and a 3-yard Nappi return, the Dutchmen took over on the Saint 49-yard line. Perry completed a 25-yard pass to wide receiver Skip Leo to the Saint 24-yard line as the clock ran down. To start the second quarter, the Dutchmen continued their drive in Saint territory. The Saint defense held strong, stalling the Dutchmen and forcing a 26-yard field goal. Senior Cliff Eisenhut connected on the field goal, putting Union up 16-0. St. Lawrence managed only four plays and five yards on the ensuing drive. Little punted the ball 51 yards to the Union 15, but a 15-yard return by Nappi set the Dutchmen up at their own 30. On second-and-two, fullback Paul Deguire ran for eight yards but then fumbled the ball. Junior co-captain Randy Pifer pounced on the ball for the Saints regaining possession at the Saint 34-yard line. It seemed the Saints would head into the locker room down 16-0, but a fumble recovery of a Union punt return would give the Saints one more chance at cracking the scoreboard. The Saints took over at the Dutchmen 47-yard line with 33 seconds left in the half. Blumhagen completed a pass to senior fullback Bren Hayes. As he was being tackled, Hayes handed off to junior wide receiver Gary Gaines at the Union 40-yard line. Gaines galloped to the Union 10-yard line where he pitched the ball back to Blumhagen as he went down. Blumhagen scooted into the end zone for the score. Blumhagen connected with senior co-captain Tim Gavin for the two-point conversion. The teams headed into the half with Union up by just eight points. Union drove 55 yards to the Saint 20-yard line to open the second half. Once again, the Saint defense came up big, stalling the Dutchmen and forcing a field goal attempt. Eisenhut lined up for a 36-yard field goal, but the kick was low and short. Union got back on the scoreboard with just over three minutes remaining in the third quarter. The Dutchmen drove 56 yards in 13 plays chewing up 6:25 off the clock, capping the drive with a 40-yard Eisenhut field goal. The Saints cut the score to 19-11 with just over four minutes left in the fourth. St. Lawrence drove 35 yards in seven plays using up just 40 seconds off the clock. The drive was capped off by a 33-yard Little field goal. Union sealed the victory with a 43-yard field goal with a 1:29 to go in the game to push the score to 22-11. A trio of sophomores led the Saint defense. Tackle Bo McDougall racked up 8.5 stops, nose guard Chris Young tallied six tackles on the day and linebacker Mike Reed also had six stops. The Saints take to the road next Saturday as they travel to Alfred to take on the Saxons. Alfred fell to 13th ranked Ithaca today 30-0 in the Bombers homecoming game. HUGHES NAMED UCAA OFFENSIVE PERFORMER OF THE WEEK Sept. 9 - Tailback Brett Hughes was named the UCAA Offensive Performer of the Week for his play in the Saints 15-12 win over Utica. The junior from Clinton, NY had a career day in his first start in a Saint uniform. Hughes rushed for 139 yards on 23 carries. He also caught seven passes for 81 yards, including a 57-yard toss for the game-winning touchdown. SAINTS SNAP 22-GAME LOSING STREAK, EARN FIRST WIN FOR COACH PHELPS Sept. 6 - The Saint football team opened its 2003 season with a victory, snapping a 22-game losing streak that dates back to the 2000 season, defeating the visiting Utica Pioneers 15-12. The last time the Saints won was at Gettysburg College, a 14-6 win, on Oct. 28, 2000. This marks the first-ever win for head coach Chris Phelps, in his third season at his alma mater. Today's victory also marks the first win for the Saints in Leckonby Stadium, which was completed in 2000.
Utica kicked off the scoring with 5:02 left in the second quarter on an eight-play drive, going 35 yards and eating up 3:04 off the clock. The Pioneers capped of the drive with a 15 yard touchdown run by tailback Dave Hogan. The Pioneers got a bad snap on the ensuing point after try, and Chris Sargis gathered the ball and scrambled towards the end zone for the two-point conversion. But he was stopped short by a sea of red Saint jerseys. The Saints went into the half down by just six points. The Pioneers received the kick-off to start the second half and proceeded to drive 81 yards on 14 plays, chewing up over six minutes off the clock. Fullback Paul Hart ran in from four yards out to cap the drive. Once again, Utica had a bad snap and had to scurry to try for a two-point conversion. But once again, the Saint special teams came up big and stopped Hart from getting the two points. Utica failed to convert on its next drive, punting the ball away from its 30-yard line, driving it into the Saint end zone for a touchback. The Saints started to drive back down to even the score, but turned the ball over at their 42-yard line. The Pioneers took over with the lead and just over two minutes to play. The Saint defense stalled the Pioneers at the 42-yard line. On third and ten, Hogan rushed for two yards and then fumbled the ball. Junior co-captain Randy Pifer recovered the ball for the Saints at their own 35. St. Lawrence took over with 2:01 left on the game clock. The Saints drove to the 43-yard line on complete passes from Blumhagen to Hughes and Gaines. On fourth-and-two with just over 90 seconds left, the Saints went for the first down. Blumhagen threw up a 57-yard pass to Hughes, who bolted into the end zone for the touchdown. The Saints took a time-out to set-up the two-point conversion. St. Lawrence took the lead 15-12 on the two-point conversion from Blumhagen to Minckler. Sargis ran Little's kick-off back 19 yards to the Utica 33 where he was brought down by Austin Weakfall and Dan Bobbett. The defense held the Pioneers on the first down. On second-and-ten, junior Dan Haley intercepted the Utica pass at the Saint 33-yard line and returned it 21 yards into Pioneer territory. On the next drive, the Saints fumbled twice but both times were able to recover the ball. With two seconds left to play and the lead, the Saints were forced to punt from their 45-yard line. Utica started the drive on its 47-yard line with time enough for one play. Quarterback Adam Luciano heaved the ball towards the end zone and wide receiver Henri Edwards. Sophomore linebacker Mike Reed leaped over Edwards to knock the ball down and seal the victory for the Saints. Hughes shone for the Saints in his first-ever start, tallying 220 all-purpose yards and scoring the game-winning touchdown. Sophomore linebacker Terrell Foster led the Saint defense with 8.5 tackles, including 3 tackles for a loss of 17 yards, and one sack for a loss of 13 yards. Blumhagen threw for 248 yards on 26 completions and two touchdowns. The junior quarterback also threw three interceptions. Minckler proved to be Blumhagen's best target, catching seven passes for 117 yards and one touchdown.
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