Felder posts first 300-yard rushing game in program history, racking up school-record 314 yards, with two touchdowns

Felder had a school-record 314 yards and two touchdowns, going over 1,000-yards for the season (PHOTO BY Mike Tureski/SportsPix)

EASTON, Mass. (November 2, 2019) – Sophomore running back Justin Felder posted the first 300-yard rushing performance in program history to lead Stonehill College to a 41-20 triumph over Southern Connecticut State University in Northeast-10 Conference football action on Go Hill Day at Timothy J. Coughlin, '80 Memorial Field at W.B. Mason Stadium this afternoon.

Felder carried the ball 24 times for a program-record 314 yards and two touchdowns, all but the final touchdown plunge coming over the first three quarters of play. He shatters the previous single-game record of 250 yards by 2018 Stonehill Hall of Famer Michael McLucas, '95 against Nichols College in 1994, while also setting a program mark by averaging 13.1 yards per carry. He ripped off runs of 44, 52 (first two carries of the game), 57, 18, and 65 yards – the latter of which marked his first touchdown of the afternoon one play after Southern Connecticut State had turned the Skyhawks lone turnover of the game into its first touchdown of the day. Felder also set a new rushing record for W.B. Mason Stadium – besting the previous mark of 288 yards by American International College's Marlon Beckles in 2005.

Felder posted 98 yards on six carries in the first quarter, had 190 yards in the first half on 12 attempts and then added 123 on nine carries in the third quarter, before finishing his day with his second touchdown from a yard out on the first play of the fourth quarter to give Stonehill a 41-13 lead. His output this afternoon gives him an NE10-leading 1,038 yards rushing this season, marking just the fourth 1,000-yard season in program history and first since Eddie Vachon, '11 posted 1,117 yards in 2010. Felder has also moved into ninth place on the program's career rushing chart with his 1,467 yards in just 16 games played. Felder's 12 touchdowns scored this season are two shy of Vachon's single-season program record, while his 11 rushing touchdowns are one shy of the program's single-season mark by Vachon in 2010 and matched by senior teammate Brian Kearns, Jr. last year.

Bresson had 1.5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble (PHOTO BY Mike Tureski/SportsPix)

Sophomore Anton Stoneking engineered another balanced offensive effort for Stonehill, which produced 533 total yards, by completing 17-of-22 passes for 206 yards and two touchdowns, while adding another on the ground. Senior Andrew Jamiel caught eight passes for 96 yards, while classmate Zac Pungitore had 59 yards and a touchdown on four receptions. Senior Casey Gervais also chipped in with a touchdown catch for the Skyhawks.

Sophomore Dominick Spano led another solid outing from the Stonehill defensive line with five tackles (four solo), two quarterback hurries and a pass breakup. Junior Sam Athy also posted five stops (three solo), while classmate Nate Bresson notched a sack and forced fumble, with 1.5 tackles for loss. Senior Maurice Greene chipped in with a sack and fumble recovery.

Freshman quarterback Justin Ostrowsky finished 18-for-43 passing for 369 yards and three touchdowns, but was limited to 4-for-20 for 56 yards and no scores in the first half. Postgrad Brandon Swain-Price and sophomore Izaiah Sanders combined for 284 receiving yards on 11 catches for the Owls. Sanders had 170 yards on five receptions, with a touchdown, while Swain-Price added 114 yards on six catches and a score. Freshman John Amodeo chipped in with a 35-yard touchdown catch.

Senior Kyle Armour led the Southern defense with seven tackles (all solo), while sophomore Rich Souffrant  totaled seven stops (five solo), including 1.0 for a loss of four yards, a fumble recovery and pass breakup. Freshman Anton Juncaj finished with five tackles (four solo), including 2.5 sacks for a loss of 15 and a forced fumble.

Stonehill started fast again, scoring ten points in the first quarter on its way to a 27-0 halftime lead. The Skyhawks have scored first quarter points in all but one game this season, keeping that in check when Stoneking connected with Gervais for the tight end's third touchdown catch of the year with 4:10 remaining in the first quarter to cap their second possession of the game. After a quick three and out for Southern, Stonehill tacked on a 26-yard field goal from senior Matt Haite with 43-seconds left in the frame.

Stoneking passed for over 200 yards and two touchdowns, while adding another score on the ground (PHOTO BY Mike Tureski/SportsPix)

Stonehill extended its lead to 17-0, 3:07 into the second quarter, as Stoneking ran the ball in from nine yards out to close out a possession in which Felder rolled to a 57-yard gain. The Skyhawks broke the game open with ten points in the closing 1:14. Stoneking hit Pungitore with a 39-yard touchdown strike, and then after the Owls failed to get a first down and the Skyhawks made wise use of its timeouts, Stonehill retained possession with 31-seconds to go until the end of the half. Stonehill was able to get within field goal range for Haite, who delivered a 32-yard field goal as time expired to send the Skyhawks into the lockerroom with a 27-0 lead.

Southern threatened to get back in the game, turning a Stonehill turnover three plays deep into the opening possession of the second half, into a 35-yard Ostrowsky to Swain-Price touchdown one play later 1:31 into the third. The Skyhawks had an immediate answer as Felder took the ball on first down and raced 65-yards for his longest career rush and the team's first 60-plus yard carry since Kearns, Jr. had a 61-yard carry against rival Bentley University in 2017.

Felder capped his afternoon one play into the fourth quarter when he finished off a third quarter drive that went 72-yards on seven plays with a one-yard plunge. He has posted 25 yards over the first four carries on the drive. The Skyhawks final touchdown of the day countered a 35-yard touchdown pass from Ostrowsky to Amodeo with 8:52 remaining in the third. Southern capped the scoring on the afternoon with a 90-yard pass and run by Ostrowsky to Sanders with 8:50 to play.

Stonehill (5-3, 4-2 NE10) is right back in action here at W.B. Mason Stadium next Saturday, when it hosts Pace University for a key Senior Day clash at 1 p.m. Please note the time change to next week's game from an earlier scheduled time of 3 p.m. Southern Connecticut (2-7, 2-5 NE10) will host Pace to cap its season after a bye week on Saturday, November 16, at noon.

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