Football Stymies UNE In Clash Of Conference Unbeatens, 53-14

BEVERLY, Mass. – The Endicott football team put together a dominant effort and handed the previously unbeaten University of New England (UNE) Nor'easters their first loss of the season with a 53-14 victory on Homecoming & Reunion Weekend in front of 5,462 fans at Hempstead Stadium.

Endicott forced five turnovers and ran for a season-high 348 yards en route to the decisive victory.

As part of the effort on the ground, junior running back Markys Bridgewater (Lawrence, Mass.) and freshman Bryan Ferreira (Woburn, Mass.) each ran for 100-plus yards and scored two touchdowns.

UNE was 4-0 entering Saturday's contest and off to its best start in program history.

The first of the five turnovers on the day came when Will Shannon (Topsfield, Mass.) forced a fumble deep in UNE territory and set up the Gulls with a first down at the Nor'easters 26 26-yard line. Five plays later, Ferreira opened the scoring with a one-yard touchdown plunge at the 3:38 mark of the first quarter.

In the early stages of the second quarter, junior Caleb Luz (Hudson, Mass.) strip-sacked UNE quarterback Chris Lang and returned the fumble 10 yards for a touchdown.

On the ensuing UNE possession, Lang's pass was picked off by Shannon, who returned it 30 yards to the Nor'easters 22 22-yard line. Shea Lynch (Peabody, Mass.) then found Jayson Little (Natick, Mass.) from eight yards out to extend the Endicott lead to 21-0.

Following Bridgewater's first of two touchdowns on the day, the Gulls took a 27-0 lead into halftime. The Lawrence, Mass., native then found paydirt from 23 yards out in the early stages of the third quarter.

Ferreira and Michael O'Brien (Guilford, Conn.) each added a rushing score in the second half, while Ryan Boyce (Northbridge, Mass.) found Nick Stinson (South Portland, Maine) for a 57-yard catch and run to complete the scoring with a tick over 13 minutes to play in the dominant win.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• Endicott improved to a perfect 7-0 all-time against UNE.
• Both Bridgewater and Ferreira registered the second multi-touchdown game of their respective career. The former previously scored twice in a win over Hilbert on Sept. 30, 2023, while Ferreira accomplished the feat earlier this season on Sept. 13 versus Muhlenberg.
• The duo also rushed for a career-high 130 and 109 yards, respectively. 
• Lynch went 9-of-15 for 87 yards with one touchdown.
• The 342 net rushing yards represent the 10th-best total in program history.
• Boyce's passing touchdown marked the first of his career.
• Defensively, TJ Lett (Martha's Vineyard, Mass.) notched the first multi-interception game of his career, and Luz's fumble return was his first career touchdown as well.
• The Gulls registered three sacks on the afternoon and nine tackles for a loss.
• Luz notched four tackles (2 solo), one sack, one tackle for a loss, one fumble recovery, and two quarterback hurries. 
• Senior Joe Tirrell (Franklin, Mass.) filled the stat sheet with seven tackles (four solo), one sack, three tackles for loss, a fumble recovery, one pass breakup, and a quarterback hurry.
• Shannon finished the contest with six tackles (5 solo), one interception, a forced fumble, and two pass breakups.
• Sophomore defensive lineman Cody Howard (Franklin, Mass.) logged five tackles (4 solo), including a career-high 2.5 tackles for a loss.
• Endicott's dominant defense held the Nor'easters to a season-low 315 total yards and under 100 yards on the ground for the first time this season.
• During halftime, the College celebrated the 10th anniversary of Melissa Hempstead '69 Stadium – honoring the alumna, Chair of the Board of Trustees, and devoted supporter of Endicott.

WHAT'S NEXT

Endicott (4-1, 2-0 CNE) hosts Western New England on Saturday, Oct. 18 at 5 p.m. UNE (4-1, 1-1) visits Maine Maritime on Friday, Oct. 17 at 6 p.m. 

For the latest on Endicott Athletics, follow the Gulls on social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

(Photo Credit - Bradley Griffin '28)