HENNIKER, N.H. - The Pilgrims fell to Nichols College on a rainy Saturday afternoon, 31-7, in the team's Conference of New England (CNE) league opener.
The Nichols rushing attack was hot out of the gates, running for 56 yards on their way to a 13-play, six-minute scoring drive to begin the game. NEC failed to capitalize following a 52-yard kickoff return by sophomore Spencer Brien (Plaistow, N.H.), turning the ball over on downs. The Bison took advantage of the short field, leading to another touchdown on the ground and a 14-0 lead.
After the Pilgrims punted the ball back to the Bison, the NEC defense came up with their first stop of the day, but the ensuing punt was muffed returning possession to the visitors. Equipped with another short field, Nichols jumped ahead, 21-0.
NEC responded with their best offensive possession of the day as the passing attack was firing on all cylinders. Freshman Brody Sobotka (Hastings, N.Y.) was a perfect 4-of-4 on the drive, connecting on passes with both senior Isaiah Turner (Concord, N.H.) and junior Conrado Lago (Methuen, Mass.). Sobotka hit Lago down the sideline for a 37-yard touchdown to put the 'Grims on the board.
The Bison added a field goal with just over a minute left in the first half, sending the ball back to the Pilgrims with 57 seconds to play. Sobotka hit freshman Liam King (Manchester, N.H.) for a pair of chunk gains of 29- and 40-yards. Inside the five-yard line, the team ran out of time and attempted a field goal as time expired that missed left.
Nichols scored their fourth touchdown of the day on their first possession of the second half but were otherwise held scoreless for the remainder of the game. The Bison managed just two first downs the rest of the way, however the Pilgrims would be equally held in check as the 31-7 score turned final.
Sobotka had a strong game in his second career start, completing 20-of-27 passes for a program-high 204 yards and a score. Lago caught seven balls for 92 yards, the highest over the program's first two seasons. Turner had four receptions for 26 yards.
On defense, junior Ethan Cenesca (Manchester, N.H.) continued his blistering play so far this season, covering sideline-to-sideline with 18 total stops with five solo tackles and 1.5 tackles-for-loss. Junior Jayman Jones (Manchester, N.H.) added eight tackles and one tackle-for-loss, while senior Hollis Jones (Bow, N.H.) had seven stops and 1.5 tackles-for-loss. In the secondary, junior Levi Madison (Concord, N.H.) had two pass break-ups.
The 'Grims return to the field next Saturday, October 3rd, as they head to Milton, Massachusetts to face Curry College in another conference matchup beginning at 12:00 PM.
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