Springfield, Mass. - October 22, 2022 - The Springfield College football team jumped out to a 24-0 lead in the first quarter and cruised past visiting WPI, 45-7, on Saturday in a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) clash on Stagg Field.
The Pride has now won its last four outings and stands at 5-2, 3-0 in conference play, while the Engineers dropped to 2-5, 0-3.
Springfield totaled 445 yards of total offense in a balanced attack that featured 265 rushing yards and 180 through the air. The Pride's defense limited WPI to just 3-of-12 on third down and forced three turnovers while allowing 194 yards of offense.
David Wells (Huntington, Conn.) completed 4-of-6 passess for 180 yards and two scores, while the Pride had six student-athletes wit at least 20 rushing yards. Joseph Cannizzarro (Lincoln Park, N.J.) totaled 56 yards on the ground and scored twice, while Dante Vasquez (Rockland, Mass.) ran for 57 yards and had 93 receiving yards and Blane Hart (East Lyme, Conn.) scored a receiving and rushing touchdown. Billy Carr (Southington, Conn.) had a team-best nine solo stops, including two for loss with a sack, and also forced a fumble.
Springfield delivered an interception on the game's opening offensive play when Tyler Pohlman (St. James, N.Y.) came up with his first career pick just six seconds into the contest. Springfield was able to convert the turnover into points as Christian Hutra (Holmes, N.Y.) would cash in a 34-yard field goal at the 12:12 mark of the opening quarter. After forcing WPI to punt on their next drive, Springfield would score its first touchdown of the game as Wells connected with Vasquez for a 64 yard catch and run which put the hosts on top, 10-0, at the 7:49 mark. The Pride would get off the field in three downs and Cannizzarro would later explode up the middle for a 36-yard score up the middle to push Springfield's advantage to 17-0 at 2:22. Carr would pop out a fumble on the Engineers next offensive play, and four plays later, Jacob Silvester (Lancaster, Mass.) broke free around the left edge to make it a 24-0 lead heading into the second quarter.
The teams would trade puts to begin the quarter before Springfield was able to manufacture a nine-play, 70-yard drive that was capped off by Cannizzarro crossing the goal line for the second time of the day from a yard out with 6:52 left in the half. WPI answered with their longest drive of the half which lasted 10 plays and chewed up nearly six minutes off the clock, however their 30-yard field goal attempt was blown up at the line and the kick sailed wide left as Springfield went into the half with a 31-0 edge.
Springfield took the opening drive of the second half 75 yards in seven plays and Wells found a wide open Hart for a 45-yard touchdown strike at the 11:33 mark for what would be the lone score of the third quarter.
The visitors got on the scoreboard early in the fourth when Dante Coccagnia lofted a pass into the back corner of the end zone that Jay Mezzo was able to haul in to make it 38-7 with under 13 minutes to play in regulation. Springfield tacked on its final score of the day with 3:46 remaining in regulation as Hart powered his way in from five yards out on third and goal. Springfield snuffed out the Engineers final drive as James McGaughan (Bronx, N.Y.) elevated for a tremendous interception on the five-yard line to conclude the contest.
Springfield will hit the road for just the second time this season as it travels to face Merchant Marine in a 1 pm clash next Saturday.
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