Senior Clark Leger (8) led a strong defensive effort for the Skyhawks with eight tackles, a forced fumble and two QB hurries. (PHOTO BY Jennifer Stanwick)

Skyhawks defense silences Greyhounds offensive attack for second-straight win

The Stonehill defense shined in posting its second shutout of the season (at Pace, Oct. 16), marking the first time the Skyhawks have logged two shutouts in a season since 1992 when they kept three opponents scoreless during a 6-2-1 campaign under coach David Swanton.

Stonehill kept Assumption, who entered the game averaging 415 yards of total offense (2^nd NE-10) and 28.7 points (5^th) per game, to just 249 yard of offense, with 100 rushing and 149 passing, while forcing three turnovers, as the Greyhounds converted on just 5-of-17 third downs and 2-for-9 on fourth down. Stonehill finished with 272 yards of offense, with 170 passing and 102 on the ground, and forced two of Assumption's three turnovers in the Skyhawks red zone, while turning the ball over just once.

Senior defensive end Clark Leger (Waltham, Mass./Trinity Catholic) dominated the line of scrimmage for Stonehill and finished with eight tackles (three solo), including 1.0 for a loss of two yards, a forced fumble and two quarterback hurries. Sophomore Jonathan Poth (Nahant, Mass./Swampscott) posted his fifth double-figure tackle outing of the season with a team-high ten stops (five solo), including 0.5 for a loss of a yard, while junior Stephan Neville (Foxborough, Mass./Foxborough) contributed seven tackles (six solo) and two pass breakups. Junior Cameron Marston (Gloucester, Mass./Gloucester) chipped in with seven tackles (three solo), including 1.0 for a loss of a yard, and two hurries.

Junior Tim Morrison posted 196 yards of total offense for the Skyhawks, completing 13-of-25 passes for 170 yards and a touchdown through the air. (PHOTO BY Jennifer Stanwick)

Junior quarterback Tim Morrison (Billerica, Mass./Billerica Memorial) engineered the victory on offense as he completed 13-of-25 passes for 170 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions, while adding 13 carries for 26 yards to finish with 196 yards of total offense on the afternoon. Sophomore John Gomes (Hyannis, Mass./Barnstable) caught five passes for 53 yards and a score, while junior Danny Carducci (Rocky Hill, Conn./Rocky Hill) had three receptions for 52 yards.

Senior running back Eddie Vachon (Newton, Mass./Blair Academy) posted 102 all-purpose yards on the afternoon, running the ball 24 times for 74 yards and a touchdown to become just the third player in Stonehill history to rush for 1,000-yards in a single season. He finished the game with 1,006 yards rushing for the season, 261 shy of the single-season record of 1,267 set by Tyrone Jefferson in 2000, while his 13 touchdowns this fall have matched the program's single-season mark set by Mike Plichta in 2005. Vachon also caught two passes for 28 yards today.

Senior running back Herb Woodard (Salem, N.J.) led the way for Assumption with 171 all-purpose yards as he carried the ball 27 times for 125 yards to go with two catches for 21 yards and three combined kick returns (1 punt/2 kickoffs) for 26 yards. Senior quarterback Andrew Kupec (Wyckoff, N.J.) completed just 19-of-47 passes for 149 yards with an interception. Sophomore Paul Perez (Brooklyn, N.Y.) chipped in with six receptions for 35 yards, while senior Mark Gately (Waltham, Mass.) caught four passes for 43 yards.

Senior Ethan Maxfield (Newport, N.H.) led the Greyhounds defense with a game-high 12 tackles (five solo), including 1.0 for a loss of a yard and one QB hurry. Sophomore Matt Martino (Lincroft, N.J.) posted 11 stops (four solo), 0.5 for a loss of a yard and a hurry, while junior Sonny Dillinger (Naples, Fla.) contributed ten tackles (eight solo), two pass breakups and a blocked kick.

Sophomore Jonathan Poth notched his fifth double-digit tackle outing of the year with ten today. (PHOTO BY Robert Klein)

After a scoreless first half that took just over an hour to play, Stonehill broke through on its first drive of the second half after it got a break when an Assumption punt by junior Brian Nowak (Wayland, Mass.) found the end zone for a touchback. The Skyhawks put together a nine-play, 80-yard scoring drive, capped by a 13-yard pass from Morrison to Gomes in the left side of the end zone with 7:15 left in the third.

Dillinger blocked the extra point attempt, but Stonehill got those points right back after forcing Assumption to a quick three and out, when the snap on fourth and ten at the Greyhounds 30 sailed over Nowak's head and into the end zone for a safety. Stonehill extended its lead to 15-0 on its ensuing possession after the safety as Vachon capped a nine-play 59-yard drive with a one-yard run with 2:58 left in the quarter. He finished with 32 rushing yards on the drive.

After forcing Assumption to turn the ball over on downs for three-straight drives into the fourth quarter, Stonehill sealed the win when freshman Michael Kielbasa (Ludlow, Mass./Loomis Chaffee) kicked a 27 yard field goal with 3:20 left in regulation. Kielbasa's first career field goal came seven plays after junior Matthew Iannucci (Oakland, N.J./Indian Hills) recovered a fumble at the Assumption 37 yard line.

Assumption drove to the Stonehill 15 on 11 plays on its next drive, but Kupec was picked off by sophomore Michael Miela (Foothill Ranch, Calif./Trabuco Hills) at the three yard line to seal the victory.

Stonehill (5-4, 3-4 NE-10) closes out the regular season next Saturday when it visits rival Bentley University for an NE-10 contest at noon. The Skyhawks will be seeking their first winning season since posting an 8-2 clip in 1996. Assumption (6-4, 3-4 NE-10) hosts American International College next Saturday at 1 p.m.