Box Score Final Stats

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – A fourth quarter comeback by the Southern Connecticut State University football team set the stage for overtime, but it was a nine-yard touchdown run by Saint Anselm's Elad Covaliu in the extra frame that gave the Hawks a 23-20 win over the Owls on Saturday.
 
SCSU is now 0-2, 0-1 in Northeast-10 play. Saint Anselm improved to 2-0 and 1-0.
 
Freshman quarterback Raymond Catapano (Franklin Square, N.Y.) entered the game on the third series and put together an impressive performance in his collegiate debut. He completed 17-of-24 passes for 192 yards and also rushed 20 times for 55 yards with a touchdown. Running back Julian Hayes (Middletown, Conn.) had 88 yards on 24 carries with a touchdown. Donald Thomas (Bronx, N.Y.) finished with 13 rushes for 65 yards.
 
The defense was led by 11 tackles from captain Carlif Taylor (New York, N.Y.). Brian Wilcox (Jericho, Vt.), Brandon Martin (Hamden, Conn.) and Kayjuan Bynum (Springfield, Mass.) each tallied an interception for the Owls.
 
Trailing 17-10 midway through the fourth quarter, the Owls assembled an 11-play, 68-yard drive to tie the game at 17-17. Catapano capped the drive with a three-yard run, a play in which he scrambled and took flight at the goal line for the score just before the ball was knocked free. Jeff Groth's (Shelton, Conn.) PAT was partially blocked, but it had just enough to get over to tie the game.


 
The Owls had the ball first in overtime and drove down to the Hawks' 1 before having to settle for a 19-yard field goal from Groth.
 
Southern was one play away from the win in the extra frame. St. Anselm faced a 4th and 15 from the 30-yard line and completed a 21-yard pass. On the next play, Covaliu found the end zone for the winning score.
 
SCSU opened the scoring with a 12-play, 66-yard drive late in the first quarter that was capped by a five-yard run from Hayes. Groth added the PAT for a 7-0 lead.


 
The Hawks tied the score on the first play of the second quarter on a halfback option pass from Justin Bernard to Ahkeen Williams.
 
SCSU went back in front on a 23-yard field goal from Groth late in the first half, and the score stayed that way into the intermission.
 
Saint Anselm scored all 10 points of the third quarter to build a 17-10 lead. The Hawks went ahead on a six-yard pass from Yianni Gavalas to Bernard, which was followed by a successful PAT. Shane Grayson added a 33-yard field goal later in the quarter to make it 17-10.
 
The Owls are back in action next Saturday for a road game at Pace.'