Westminster Shuts Out Thiel in First-Ever Home Night Game
NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. - In the first home night game in the
119-year history of Westminster College football, the Titans
blanked visiting Thiel, 35-0, Saturday night for Westminster's
first shutout since the 2003 season.
Westminster snaps a five-game losing streak, its longest since
1999, to improve to 2-5 on the season and 1-4 in the PAC. Thiel
falls to 0-7 overall and 0-5 in the league.
After a scoreless first quarter, Westminster junior quarterback
Shawn Lehocky found sophomore receiver
Geno Pasquinelli for a 10-yard touchdown pass to
put the Titans up 7-0 in the second quarter. Three plays earlier,
Lehocky threw a short pass to sophomore receiver Connor
Kobis that was taken 47 yards for the team's longest pass
play of the season to the Thiel 8-yard line.
Lehocky threw for 160 yards on 14-of-23 passing and two touchdowns
and an interception. His other touchdown was a 32-yarder to Kobis
that put the Titans up 28-0 late in the third quarter.
Pasquinelli led the Titans with seven receptions for 49 yards and a
score, while Kobis snared four balls for a career-high 98 yards and
a touchdown.
Westminster's ground game was led by sophomore tailback
John Proano who carried the ball nine times for 43
yards and a touchdown, while freshman tailback Tyler
Banks toted 10 times for 38 yards and a career-high
two touchdowns.
Overall, the Titans outgained Thiel, 271-191, in total yards,
including a 111-42 rushing advantage.
Banks scored on a 2-yard, second-quarter touchdown run to give the
Titans a 14-0 lead at halftime. Westminster then scored on
consecutive possessions in the third quarter that included Proano
setting up his own 2-yard touchdown run with a career-long and team
season-long run of 32 yards to the Thiel 2-yard line. Kobis scored
his second career touchdown on the next drive.
Westminster's final touchdown was set up by freshman defensive back
Shane Peterson (East Palestine, Ohio/East
Palestine), who returned his first career interception 41
yards to the Thiel 11-yard line with 6:28 left in the game. Banks
scored on the very next play from 11 yards out to complete the
Westminster scoring.
Two quarterbacks accounted for Thiel's 149 passing yards, led by
starter Andrew Smith with 77 yards on 8-of-14 passing. Jared Soell
completed 7 of 20 for 72 yards and two interceptions.
Eric Petrovich was Thiel's leading rusher with 15 totes for 25
yards.
Thiel entered the game as the nation's lowest scoring team with 4.3
points per game as the Tomcats were shutout for the second time
this season.
Several Westminster defenders posted big statistical games.
Senior linebacker Tom Geraghty, who ranks 20th in
the nation with a PAC-best 11.3 tackles per game, led the Titans
with 10 stops (0.5 for loss). His fellow senior linebackers
Cory Meeker and Jake Brown each
posted nine tackles with Meeker adding a pass defense.
Sophomore linebacker Aaron Nauer broke up three
passes by batting down balls near the line of scrimmage to go with
his five tackles.
The Titans also accounted for four sacks, led by junior defensive
tackle Ryan Budziszewski and freshman defensive
end Sean Christofferson and with 1.5 sacks each
for a loss of 12 and 10 yards, respectively.
In addition to Peterson's interception, junior cornerback
Jordon Rooney posted his first interception of the
season and the second of his career.
Westminster's 35-0 shutout of Thiel is the Titans' first shutout
since it blanked Bethany, 33-0, in the fifth game of the 2003
season. This was also the team's most decisive win since it beat
Saint Vincent, 48-7, in 2007, and its most decisive shutout win
since it beat Gannon, 52-0, in 1999, which was also Westminster's
second win of that season after it endured a seven-game losing
streak.
Westminster travels to No. 9-ranked Thomas More Saturday for a 1:30
p.m. kickoff.
