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SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - Sophomore quarterback Steven Wilken (Ringwood, N.J.) threw three touchdowns while the Salve Regina defense shutout the top scoring offense in the conference, lifting the Seahawks to a 43-0 victory over defending conference champion Western New England during NEFC Boyd Division action on Saturday. The Seahawks extend the longest winning streak in Division III football to 11 games, and are now a perfect 5-0 overall and 2-0 in Boyd Division play this season.
Wilken led the way for the Seahawks, completing 16-of-26 attempts for 242 yards and three scores, while senior Connor Kelly (Milford, Conn.) led all players with 101 yards rushing, while scoring one of Salve Regina's two touchdowns on the ground. Sophomore Matthew Traynor(Secaucus, N.J.) reeled in five passes for 111 yards and a touchdown, while Alex Hennessy(West Babylon, N.Y.) and senior Patrick Keenan (North Smithfield, R.I.) each added touchdown receptions in the win.
The Seahawks defense was particularly impressive, shutting out the top scoring offense in the league, holding the Golden Bears to just 1-of-12 on third down attempts, while forcing five turnovers. Sophomore Phil Terio (Trumbull, Conn.) made nine tackles, forced a fumble, and returned an interception 88 yards for a touchdown. It marked his third interception returned for a score this season. Joshua Burnett (Whitman, Mass.) had a team-high 15 tackles, whileHayden Stanton (Wallingford, Conn.) and Maxwell Shubert (West Chester, Pa.) each added interceptions.
Kevin Cook led the Golden Bears with 70 yards on the ground, John Krafick completed 20 passes for 150 yards, and Kareem Hines contributed six receptions for 49 yards.
Salve Regina struck quickly with a 64-yard scoring pass from Steven Wilken to Matthew Traynor just 59 seconds after the opening kickoff.
The Seahawks added a 31-yard field goal by freshman Christian Clark (Williamsport, Pa.) and a 15-yard touchdown pass from Wilken to Hennessy to take a 17-0 lead into halftime.
After a scoreless third quarter, the Seahawks exploded for 26 points in the fourth quarter, including a six-yard TD reception by Keenan, an 88-yard interception return by Terio, a three-yard touchdown rush by Kelly, and a 32-yard scamper by Khari Halliburton (Manchester, N.H.) to seal the 43-0 victory.
The Seahawks return to action next weekend, putting their 11-game winning streak on the line when they travel to face UMass Dartmouth at noon.