DANBURY, Conn. – Junior running back Duane Gary (New Haven, Conn.) and senior quarterback Quinn Fleeting (Windsor, Conn.) led the Western Connecticut State University football team to a convincing 49-23 victory over Worcester State University at the Westside Athletic Complex on Saturday night, before a Homecoming crowd over 2,302.
THE BASICS
October 6, 2017
Westside Athletic Complex
Score: Western Connecticut 49, Worcester State 23
Records: Western Connecticut (4-1, 2-1 MASCAC) | Worcester State (3-3, 2-2 MASCAC)
1ST QUARTER
Fleeting's first score of the game was to Austin Calamita (North Branford, Conn.) at the 9:56 mark of the first stanza. Worcester State reached the scoreboard on the next drive when Noah Hwang (Brooklyn, N.Y.) recorded a 31-yard field goal to put the score at 7-3. Western Connecticut scored once again late in the first quarter, when Khalil Patterson (Hartford, Conn.) registered a 3-yard rushing touchdown to put the Colonials up 14-3.
2ND QUARTER
Fleeting scored again on a three-yard run to cap off an 11-play, 91-yard drive and give Western Connecticut a 21-3 lead with 8:40 remaining in the second quarter.
Western Connecticut led, 35-3, with 1:47 remaining before intermission following another rushing touchdown from Patterson and a 39-yard strike to Zatrell Lyons (New Haven, Conn.).
However, Worcester State's Jacob Maher (Marshfield, Mass.) was on the end of a 34-yard pass from Noah Brum (Honolulu, Hawaii) with 59 seconds remaining in the second quarter to cut the visitor's deficit to 35-10 at the break.
3RD QUARTER
Maher and Brum connected again with just 1:23 elapsed in the third quarter and Western Connecticut realized the Lancers were not folding up their tents as they closed to within 19 points, 35-16.
Fleeting would convert just 3-of-5 pass attempts for 38 yards in the third quarter before yielding to junior back-up signal caller Tom Balacki (Huntington, N.Y.) for the final 15 minutes.
4TH QUARTER
In the final stanza, Maher would score his third touchdown of the evening on an 11-yard pass from Brum. With a good kick from Hwang, the Lancers cut the deficit to 19 (42-23). Western Connecticut wrapped up the game with a 2-yard run from Stevie Swinson (New Haven, Conn.) to put the final score at 49-23.
DOWN FOR A COUNT
- Fleeting, a three-time Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week already, completed 13-of-17 passes for 218 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
- Western Connecticut's Lyons finished with a team-high 72 receiving yards on three grabs.
- For the Lancers, Brum completed 22-of-36 passes for 172 yards and three TDs, all to Maher. His scores came from 34 yards, 13 and 11 as Maher amassed 93 yards on a team-high six catches.
- Patterson added stability in the Colonials' running game as he carried the ball 19 times for 94 yards.
- Swinson got the bulk of the carries down the stretch and finished with 36 yards on seven carries for the winners.
- Frank Catanoso (Marshfield, Mass.) registered a team-high 66 yards on just three carries for Worcester State, including a 59-yarder late in the contest.
- Dexter Andrews (Boston, Mass.) had 12 carries for 56 yards for the Lancers.
- Defensively, Doug Katz (Monroe, Conn.) led the Colonials with six tackles.
- Stanley Udor (Marietta, Ga.) had a game-high nine tackles, including one for a loss, for Worcester State.
- The Colonials held a significant advantage in offensive yards on the night, amassing 505 yards to the Lancers' 370.
UP NEXT
The Lancers are off next week and return to MASCAC play on Saturday, Oct. 21 for the Worcester State's homecoming game at Coughlin Field.
GET SOCIAL
Follow Worcester State Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube
Portions of this Release Courtesy of Western Connecticut Sports Information