Lancers Comeback Bid Falls Shy in FOurth Quarter to Owls

Worcester, MA- The Lancer football team (2-1, 2-0) aims to remain undefeated in conference play today as they welcome Westfield State to the John Coughlin field in this year's annual homecoming showdown. Worcester most recently took down Fitchburg State last Saturday in a rainy and soggy battle and will look to the brighter skies today to use all their facets of their team to come away with the victory.

Final

Worcester State: 27

Westfield State: 35

How it Happened:

The game burst to life with a stunning opening play as just minutes in, the Lancers were on the board. Junior quarterback Cam Ayotte (Millbury, MA) would pass it to wide open wide receiver graduate student Deion Osei-Sarpong (Holden, MA) for 21 yards to the end zone, following a successful extra point taking the lead 7-0 for Worcester State.

The Owls would gain the possession and shortly thereafter  the Lancers senior Damian Mitchell (Lancaster, PA) would intercept the Owls Gabriel Fernandez it at the Lancers three yard line robbing the Owls of their first scoring chance.

The Owls would find their way onto the board in their next possession as Dylan Disabella would rush for eight yards into the endzone, and the ensuing extra point would be good to tie the game up at 7-7.

In a fast burst to the next quarter with another stunning pass from Ayotte sending it into the end zone again to Osei-Sarpong Worcester would grab the 14-7 lead after a successful PAT attempt. Westfield would answer right back on the next possession  with another rushing touchdown, this time be Dion from three yards out which would quickly find the game tied 14-14. Westfield would make quick work of their next score, forcing a fumble on the ensuing kickoff on the 18 yard line where Disabella would rush form 18 yards out for the six points with an extra point to follow up to set the score at 21-14. After a Lancer punt on their next possession, Westfield would put some major distance between themselves in Worcester before the half as Dion would rush from two yards out leading to a 28-14 score into halftime.

Opening up the second half though would see Worcester again fast on the score as Mitchell would again come up big, snagging an interception and returning it down the field for 58 yard return and with the ensuing extra point, cut the Owls lead to just seven. Following a punt by the Owls Worcester would make quick work of making it down the field, with just five plays and two and half minutes off the clock, sophomore Jermaine Norfleet, Jr. (Agawam, MA) would bust it a yard for six. The following extra point would go wide right though and Worcester would remain down a single point. Westfield would capitlize on this disadvantage running the clock down in their remaining possessions before grabbing their last touchdown with just under two minutes to go as Sean Willis would rush it a yard after a hard fought battle by the Lancer defense to keep them out of the endzone. Worcester would nearly answer the call as they worked their way to the 10 yard line of Westfield, but a late penalty would call back their score and a final interception by the Owls would seal their victory.

Westfield would accumulate 415 yards of total offense to Worcester's 197. Osei-Sarpong would end the day with two touchdowns on on two completions for 34 yards while on the defensive end of the ball seniors Jamison Metcalf (Leicester, MA), John McMasters III (Raynham, MA) and Matt O'Connor (Selkirk, NY) would each end the game with nine tackles with McMasters and O'Connor combining for a yard loss in action.

What's Next:

Worcester State (2-2, 2-1) will return to action next Saturday as they travel to Bridgewater State to take on the Bears in a crucial conference matchup.