The Springfield College football team won its second-straight New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Championship on Saturday afternoon as it pulled away for a 35-21 triumph over Catholic.
With the victory, the Pride earned the NEWMAC's automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament, marking the eighth appearance in the national tournament in program history. Springfield has won three NEWMAC Championships, previously in 2021 and 2017 during the conference's inaugural year of sponsoring football. The Pride will enter the national tournament with an 8-2 record and winners of its last seven contests and has gone undefeated in conference play the last two seasons.
Springfield will now await its postseason opponent when it tunes into the NCAA Division III Championship Selection Show, which will air on NCAA.com at 5:00 on Sunday.
The Pride established the fullback early and often as the duo of Arsen Shtefan (West Hartford, Conn.) and Joseph Cannizzaro (Lincoln Park, N.J.) combined for 226 rushing yards on 44 carries and two scores. Armando Torres (San Juan, Puerto Rico) directed the offense to 403 yards of offense, including 363 on the ground, as Springfield held the ball of 37:30 and was 10-of-14 on third-down conversions. Aiden Lewin (Orlando, Fla.) and Tyler Pohlman (St. James, N.Y.) each had seven tackles in the win.
After Springfield turned Catholic over on downs to start the game, the Pride marched 57 yards in 10 plays in just under six minutes as Cannizzaro crossed the end line from a yard out to give the visitors a 7-0 edge. The drive was extended on a key fourth-down conversion when David Wells (Huntington, Conn.) connected with Noah Wagnblas (Ansonia, Conn.) for a 14-yard pickup. Catholic answered back just over a minute later on a seven-yard rushing touchdown by Jared Colletti with 4:13 remaining in the first quarter. The score was setup by a 65-yard hookup by Nico Casares to Malachias Hansen.
The Pride responded with a 13-play drive that spanned 78 yards and lasted 6:31 as Jared Durocher (Agawam, Mass.) snagged a 17-yard score from Torres with 12:35 remaining in the opening half of play. Springfield forced a three-and-out and needed just seven plays to go 80 yards to push its lead to 21-7. Fueled by a 40-yard run up the middle by Shtefan, the drive would end with Cannizzaro's second touchdown of the day as he plunged in from two yards out with 3:42 on the clock. Catholic would answer right back to make it a one-score game heading into the half as Casares delivered a strike to Derrick Aikens from 16 yards out at 1:16 as the Cardinals were able to cover 80 yards in just five passing plays.
Torres would make it a two-score game on the opening drive of the third quarter as he weaved through the Cardinals defense for a 43 yard touchdown run with 9:57 on the clock. The hosts would then put together a 13-play drive that took nearly eight minutes off the clock and culminated by Casares lobbing a 16-yard score to Sam Cornacchione with 2:14 remaining in the third.
Catholic turned Springfield over on downs in their next possession, but for the second-straight week, Joe Maurer (Wilbraham, Mass.) came up with a touchdown-saving interception as he elevated on the goal line for turnover with 8:57 left in regulation. Springfield would punt on its next possession, only to have its secondary seal the victory as Pohlman jumped a route and raced 42 yards for the defensive score to seal the championship victory for the Pride.