WORCESTER, MA – The Worcester State Lancers travelled across town to rivals hometown Rivals WPI in a Friday Night Lights showdown to jump start their season. While the story did not go exactly as Worcester State would have preferred, dropping the game 44-13 at H. Carr Field at Alumni Stadium, the first game of the new season showed promise for both young and old alike on the team as each settles into new positions and roles.
Worcester quarterback senior Mike Loveless (Nashua, NH) ended his night 15-21 with 166 yards passing, while carrying the ball nine times for 24 yards and a touchdown. Junior Nico Holmes (Mansfield, MA) accounted for the other Lancers' score play, rushing 11 times for 22 yards and a touchdown. First year Lance Williams (Westerly, RI) caught a pair of passes for a team-high 40 yards receiving in his collegiate debut, while Holmes collected two passes of his own for 38 yards. On the other side of the ball, graduate student Mason Broyles (Millbury, MA) and junior Matt O'Connor (Selkirk, NY) each tallied seven tackles on the night.
After a scoreless first half for the Lancers as the team worked to find their rhythm in this new season, they were able to get on the board on their first possession of the third quarter, as a five-yard Loveless rush made it 21-6. Loveless also threw 21 and 24-yard passes on the drive, which covered 78 yards in 5:13. Worcester State hoped to continue this momentum but a quick response by the Engineers are on the following play extended the game to 28-6. Worcester State did capitalize on their final possession of the night as Holmes ran it six yards into the end zone to close the gap to 44-13.
Worcester State plays next Saturday, September 9th, hosting Union at 1pm while WPI heads to Bridgewater State next Friday for a 7pm kick-off against fellow the MASCAC team.