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19
Saint Anselm STA 0-1
43
Winner Sacred Heart SHU 1-0
Saint Anselm STA
0-1
19
Final
43
Sacred Heart SHU
1-0
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
STA Saint Anselm 0 6 13 0 19
SHU Sacred Heart 10 8 11 14 43

Game Recap: Football |

Sacred Heart Pulls Away From Football Late In 2015 Opener, 43-19

FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Senior RB Elad Covaliu (Rockville, Md.) and junior WR Ryan Monette (Hampton, N.H.) each scored touchdowns as the Saint Anselm College football team was within 10 with the ball early in the fourth quarter, but Division I FCS foe Sacred Heart University closed with 14 unanswered points in the final stanza to cement a 43-19 victory in both teams' 2015 season opener at Campus Field on Saturday evening.

STANDOUT PERFORMERS

  • Junior QB Yianni Gavalas (Manhasset, N.Y.) finished the game 24 of 42 for 206 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
  • Covaliu rushed eight times for 37 yards (4.6 avg) and the score, in addition to catching four balls for 22 yards.
  • Monette caught a team-high seven passes – including the touchdown – for 58 yards. All three are career bests for the Hawks' top return man.
  • Freshman WR Kyle Hill (Upper Marlboro, Md.) recorded five receptions for a team-best 74 yards in his first collegiate game.
  • Junior LB Jeremy Betts (Cape Coral, Fla.) tallied a team-high 10 tackles and corralled his second career interception. Senior DB Carroll Bailey (Clinton, Mass.) and sophomore LB Troy Kay (New City, N.Y.) registered nine and eight tackles, respectively.

For the foes…

  • Tyler Dube caught eight passes for 155 yards and a touchdown.
  • RJ Noel was 19 of 34 for 249 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
  • Kellen Sperduto amassed 13 tackles.

HOW IT HAPPENED

  • After Sacred Heart scored the game's first 10 points, senior K/P Shane Grayson (Ormond Beach, Fla.) booted a 27-yard field goal to put the Hawks on the board at 9:53 of the second quarter.
  • Another 27-yard field goal from Grayson, 12 seconds before the end of the half, sent Saint Anselm into the locker room, trailing 18-6.
  • On the opening drive of the second half, the Hawks converted a huge 4th-and-3 at the Sacred Heart 29-yard line, as Gavalas found Hill for 28 yards, which eventually set up a three-yard touchdown run for Covaliu that trimmed the deficit to 18-13 with 10:24 on the clock.
  • Following Sacred Heart's second safety of the game on Saint Anselm, Dube hauled in a 46-yard touchdown pass to open the lead to 27-13 at 8:16 of the third quarter.
  • After Betts' interception set the Hawks up at Sacred Heart's 27-yard line a little more than midway through the third, Gavalas found Monette, who made a fantastic diving catch down the right sideline for 20 yards. A penalty on the ensuing play would back Saint Anselm up, but on 3rd-and-goal just three plays later, Gavalas again found Monette for a 20-yard touchdown with a fade to the right pylon. Grayson's extra point was blocked by Connor Caveney and returned for two points by Khaamal Whitaker to put the Pioneers up 29-19 with 3:40 to go in the third.
  • Sacred Heart added a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to seal the game.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

  • Sacred Heart outgained Saint Anselm in total yardage, 402-289, on the strength of a 153-45 advantage in rushing yards. The Pioneers narrowly edged the Hawks in passing yardage, 249-244.
  • Saint Anselm won the turnover battle as it only gave the ball away one time and forced a pair of Sacred Heart mistakes.
  • The Pioneers sacked Gavalas three times, while the Hawks' defense was able to get to Noel twice.
  • Sacred Heart converted third downs at a better clip (56%-32%), but Saint Anselm was 2-for-3 on fourth-down conversions and stopped the Pioneers on their only attempt.
  • The Hawks were 4-for-5 in red zone opportunities, while Sacred Heart went a perfect 4-for-4.

NOTES

  • Grayson's second field goal was set up by a 38-yard catch down the right sideline from sophomore WR Connor Schoske (Springfield, Va.) following a perfect throw from junior WR Zach Bartak (Greenfield, Mass.). Schoske made two catches for 50 yards, while Bartak reeled in four passes for 30 yards.
  • Sacred Heart is the two-time defending champion of the Northeast Conference.

UP NEXT

  • The Hawks are back in action Saturday, Sept. 12 at noon when they travel to take on Pace University.
  • Saint Anselm will open its 2015 home slate Saturday, Sept. 19 at noon when it plays host to defending NE-10 Champion Long Island University-LIU Post at Grappone Stadium.

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