Oct. 15, 2005
BEVERLY, MA - The Endicott College football team celebrated Homecoming Day by recording the program's second-ever shutout, 35-0, over Salve Regina Saturday afternoon in an NEFC Boyd Division contest at a rain-soaked Endicott Stadium.
The Gulls, ranked seventh in the New England Division III Football Poll, won their fifth straight game to improve to 5-2 overall (3-0 Boyd Division, NEFC) while the Seahawks fell to 1-4 overall and 1-3 in the NEFC Boyd.
"We could have fallen into a big trap," said Endicott head coach J. B. Wells. We had a huge win over Fitchburg and it would have been easy to have a big emotional letdown especially since we play Curry next Saturday. But we didn't even mention that game and now you couldn't have written a better script. We play Curry, the defending conference champs, during their Homecoming Weekend in a big conference game."
A swarming Endicott defense, which hasn't surrendered a point since the UMass-Dartmouth game on October 1 versus Fitchburg who scored their lone touchdown on a blocked punt in a 21-7 EC win, limited Salve to 178 total yards (62 on the ground) and forced six turnovers in the game. The Gulls' defense, which has intercepted nine passes and recovered three fumbles in the last two weeks, got picks from Pego Jean-Paul (Stamford, CT/Stamford), Chris Kane (Swampscott, MA/Swampscott) and Orlando Johnson (Newport, RI/Rogers) while Matt Talis (Lynnfield, MA/Lynnfield) forced a fumble and Jay Munroe (Bevelry, MA/Beverly) and Matt Quinn (Mansfield, MA/Mansfield) each recovered fumbles.
"We really have a no-name defense," said Wells. "We don't know who's going to make the big plays and we're deep. The coaching staff is doing a great job with the coaching the scheme. They teach the guys what needs to be done and the players understand the concepts."
Ryan Paquette (West Cornwall, VT/Middlebury) led the Gulls with five solo tackles, while Nick Bauer (Boylston, MA/West Boylston), Jared Giblin (Mansfield, MA/Mansfield) and Joe Leaver (Stoughton, MA/Stoughton) each added four stops.
James McQuinn (Quincy, MA/Archbishop Williams) led all tacklers with 7.5 stops, while James Pace (Walcott, CT/Walcott) and John Sgagliardich (Coventry, RI/Coventry) added seven tackles each for the Seahawks.
Endicott's offense rolled up 392 yards total yards, including 276 on the ground and put four different ball carriers in the endzone. More importantly, the team did not turn the ball over.
Junior tailback Gerard Festa (Revere, MA/St. Mary's) led all rushers with 99 yards on 17 carries and one touchdown. He averaged 5.8 yards per touch and was complimented nicely by junior back Matt Thompson (Clinton, MA/Clinton), who averaged 9.7 yards per touch - six carries for 58 yards and a touchdown.
Adam Maher (Athol, MA/Athol) booted a 32-yard field goal to begin the Endicott scoring with 9:20 remaining in the first quarter and the running backs took over from there. Tim Boyd (Rockland, MA/South Shore Voke) increased the lead to 9-0 at the 11:07 mark of the second quarter on an eight-yard rush and Thompson found an opening to the outside and raced 32 yards on the following possession to help Endicott take a 15-0 halftime advantage.
The Gulls cashed in on a Seahawks' fumble at their own 28. Festa plunged in from one-yard out for a 21-0 lead. Angelo Ortiz (Mashantucket, CT/St. Thomas More) and Andrew LeClair (South Burlington, VT/South Burlington) finished the scoring on runs of four and 32, respectively.
Endicott punter Adam Labbe (Litchfield, ME/Oak Hill) and Maher, who kicks off, were essential to keeping Salve pinned deep in its own territory. The Seahawks average starting field position was at their own 35-yard line.
Endicott travels to Curry for an NEFC Boyd Division showdown for first place Saturday during Curry's Homecoming Weekend.
