WORCESTER -- A 90-yard Ryan Hannigan (Needham, MA) kickoff return touchdown sparked the WPI football team to a 20-15 win at home over visiting Norwich on Saturday afternoon. The Engineers improve to 3-5 overall and 1-3 in the NEWMAC, while the Navigators dip to 3-6, 2-3 in conference play.
Trailing 15-14 with just over five minutes remaining in the game, Hannigan's legs gave the Engineers the lead in a back-and-forth game that came down to the last seconds. Both teams had final possessions late in the game, but on Norwich's last gasp, Jack O'Connell (Scituate, MA) forced a fumble that was recovered by Joey LeClerc (Raynham, MA) sealing the win for WPI.
WPI QB Dante Coccagnia (E. Syracuse, NY) finished the game 11-for-20 for 109 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Hunter Carey (South Hadley, MA) carried the ball 15 times for 112 yards and a score, while also catching two passes for 51 yards and a touchdown. Hannigan finished with 153 return yards and the game-winning touchdown.
On defense for WPI, Harrison Kyriacou (Plainview, NY) and Frankie Polito (Shrewsbury, MA) led the unit with 14 tackles each, two of Polito's going for a loss. Evan Wertz (Franklin, MA) finished with 10 tackles, while Zach Newberg (Barrington, RI) had three sacks and Cam Smith (Abington, MA) added one.
For Norwich, Mitchell Theal (Elma, NY) went 23-for-34 for 231 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. Tykell Stewart (Locust Grove, GA) was his favorite target, catching eight passes for 93 yards and a score. Nate Parady (Saint Albans, VT) finished with 21 carries for 86 yards, while Jehric Hackney (Jehrico, VT) had 20 carries for 77 yards.
After fruitless drives for both teams to start the game, Norwich broke the 0-0 score late in the first quarter. A nine-play, 38-yard drive was capped by a four-yard pass from Theal to Stewart for a 6-0 Norwich advantage.
WPI's Matt Guarneri (Washingtonville, NY) blocked the Navigators' extra point attempt, but the Engineers were forced to punt on their next possession, ending the first half with the 6-0 deficit still standing.
The teams traded punts to open the second quarter, but on Norwich's next play from scrimmage, Carey intercepted a Theal pass, setting up the Engineers with 1st and 10 from their own 36. A five-play, 64-yard WPI drive followed, with a 40-yard pass from Coggagnia to Carey, and a Brock Dubey (Dudley, MA) extra point putting the Engineers up 7-6.
Norwich answered on its next possession, parlaying a 66-yard kick-off return from Stewart into an eight-play drive ending in a Zach Buchy (Suffolk, VA) field goal to make it 9-7 Navigators.
After a scoreless third quarter, a 28-yard Carey run put the Engineers up 14-9. WPI started the drive on the two yard-line and marched 98 yards down the field for the score.
Norwich again answered, putting together a 13-yard, 80-yard drive that took up over seven minutes. Trevor Chase (Eliot, ME) finished off the possession, catching an 18-yard pass from Theal to put the Navigators up 15-14 with 5:24 to play in the game.
Hannigan's first career return touchdown followed putting the Engineers up 15-14 and the WPI defense held on for the win.
Both teams continue NEWMAC play on Saturday at noon. WPI plays at Coast Guard, while Norwich closes out its 2022 slate hosting Catholic.