NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Southern Connecticut won a back-and-forth battle against Saint Anselm, 34-31, on a game-winning field goal by Syzmon Gawlick (Newton, Mass.). With the win, the Owls improve to 2-1 overall and open the Northeast 10 Conference schedule at 1-0 while Saint Anselm drops to 0-2 overall and 0-1 in conference play.
Gawlick, a transfer from Johnson & Wales where he played soccer, booted the game-winner with no time on the clock. After a mishandled snap teased overtime, Saint Anselm was whistled for a penalty, given Gawlick another shot. Gawlick split the uprights from 27 yards to give the Owls the win in their home opener.
Izaiah Sanders (Stamford, Con.) pulled in eight catches for 85 yards including a pair of touchdowns while
Tye Hodge (Alexandria, Va.) had five catches for 89 yards and a touchdown.
Tylon Papallo (Meriden, Conn.) also scored for the Owls while
T.J. Gardner turned in an 11-carry, 102-yard performance.
Defensively,
Hasan Dominick (Jersey City, N.J.) and
Aaron Kelly (Washington, D.C.) – making his SCSU debut after transferring from UMass – both picked off passes while Dominick had four tackles and one quarterback hurry.
Elijah Alexandre (Stratford, Conn.) led all Owls with eight tackles while Kwadir Delgado-McIntyre (Hamden, Conn.) and
Ja'Kai Young (Stamford, Conn.) both finished with six.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Saint Anselm scored on the second play of the game when Drew Willoughboy tossed a jump ball into the end zone that Bobby Long was able to grab for a 31-yard score.
- Southern answered with a three-play, 83-yard drive that saw Jackson Ostrowsky hook up with Hodge for a 57-yard touchdown.
- The Owls took the lead after Ostrowsky led the team downfield on a 12-play, 55-yard drive that ended with a Papallo nine-yard touchdown.
- Southern responded following a Saint Anselm field goal to make it 14-10 with a 13-play drive that was capped off by Sanders' first touchdown of the day to give the Owls a 21-10 lead.
- Three minutes later, Willoughby fed Anthony Brown for a 10-yard touchdown to pull the Hawks within four points, 21-17.
- The third quarter was mired with penalties, as was most of the second half, with Gawlick's first field goal attempt of the evening from 26 yards out gave the Owls a 24-17 lead.
- Joe Bernard (Nashua, N.H.), who started the second half, capped of a 73-yard drive with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Sanders to push Southern's lead to 31-17.
- Saint Anselm scored twice in the final 5:07 of the game – first on a three-yard run by Willoughby followed by a 51-yard pass to Brown for the touchdown to tie the game.
- After the Owls got the ball back with 1:41 to play, the Owls drove into Saint Anselm territory, three incomplete passes gave the Owls a 4th-and-10 situation and set up the play of the game. Anthony Ligi (Wolcott, Conn.) took a screen from Bernard two yards short of the first down and was converged on by three defenders. Ligi maneuvered his way around and his second effort gave him an 11-yard gain and an Owls' first down.
- After a three-yard rush by Ligi, Saint Anselm called a timeout. Gawlick, lined up, was denied the initial opportunity to win it on a botched snap, but a penalty on Saint Anselm gave him another opportunity from the Hawks' 10-yard line. With no time remaining, the first-year Owl nailed the field goal to give Southern the win.
NOTES
- Ostrowsky finished the day 17-for-23 for 203 yards and three touchdown passes. Bernard was 9-for-16 for 75 yards and a touchdown.
- Ostrowsky's three touchdown passes match his season high that he matched in the Owls' win at Central Connecticut. He now has three touchdown passes in five of his last six games played.
- Gardner's 100-yard day was his first for the Owls. On just 11 carries, Gardner averaged 9.3 yards per carry with a 56-yard run for the Owls' longest of the season.
- Southern has now won five of the last six games against Saint Anselm's including three-straight at home.
- Sanders' eight catches were the most in a game this season for the Owls, while Hodge's 57-yard touchdown reception was the longest score of the season for Southern.
- Shawn Martin (Scotch Plains, N.J.) returned five kicks for 129 yards including a season-best 31-yard return.
- In addition to his two field goals, Gawlick was also 4-for-4 on point-after attempts.
UP NEXT
Southern returns to action when they travel across town to take on the University of New Haven on Saturday, Sept. 25 at 1 p.m.
