HENNIKER, N.H. - The New England College Pilgrims blanked Husson in the first quarter on Saturday but gave up 42 unanswered points the rest of the way in a 42-0 defeat to the Eagles in Conference of New England (CNE) action.
The Pilgrims defense held Husson scoreless through their first two drives, forcing a punt on their first possession before junior Ethan Cenesca (Manchester, N.H.) came up with a key tackle to turn the Eagles over on downs on their second drive.
NEC's offense struggled to get going as the Husson defensive line caused immense pressure on freshman Brody Sobotka (Hastings, N.Y.) who was sacked six times in the game.
Husson scored 28 points in the second quarter and added 14 more in the third to establish the 42-0 lead. The Eagles looked to tack on three more with a 30-yard field goal late in the third, but the attempt was blocked by sophomore Gavin Philibrook (Goffstown, N.H.). The 'Grims held the visitors scoreless in the fourth, but the damage had already been done.
Sobotka managed just 51 passing yards against a stout Husson defense. Senior Isaiah Turner (Concord, N.H.) accounted for 30 of those yards on a pair of catches including an excellent 26-yard grab in the fourth quarter.
The NEC defense had a busy day as the unit was on the field for 37:00 minutes of game time and faced 70 plays from scrimmage. Once again, Cenesca led the defense with 17 total tackles (11 solo) as has already surpassed his tackle total from last season. Freshman DaShawn Fairfax (Jersey City, N.J.) totaled nine stops while senior Kaevryel Madison (Concord, N.H.) had eight.
The Pilgrims will play their next game on Saturday, October 24th, as they travel to Castine, Maine to face Maine Maritime. The 'Grims defeated the Mariners last October to earn their first win in over 70 years, with this year's rematch beginning at 11:00 AM.
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