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Hobart upends Saints 37-7 to win Conference Title

Posted 11/11/13

The St. Lawrence University football team fell to nationally-ranked No. 6 Hobart College on Saturday afternoon in Geneva, NY by the score of 37-7. The victory, coupled with a WPI win, clinched the …

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Hobart upends Saints 37-7 to win Conference Title

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The St. Lawrence University football team fell to nationally-ranked No. 6 Hobart College on Saturday afternoon in Geneva, NY by the score of 37-7. The victory, coupled with a WPI win, clinched the 2013 Liberty League title for the Statesmen, who will compete in the upcoming NCAA Tournament.

St. Lawrence, which was held to a season-low 155 yards of offense in the loss, falls to 6-3 and will finish the season at home next weekend against the United States Merchant Marine Academy. Hobart (8-0) will take on Rochester.

Hobart running back Steven Webb broke three career records on Saturday, as he ran for 90 yards and a pair of touchdowns for the Statesmen, becoming the all-time leader in rushing touchdowns (48), touchdowns (52) and points (312). St. Lawrence quarterback Zane Fish struggled to get on track, completing only 10-of-34 passes for 96 yards and a touchdown. Max Johnson was his primary target, making four grabs for 56 yards, while Hobart's John Fasano was the leading receiver in the game with 74 yards on three catches. Quarterback Patrick Conlan was 8-for-20 passing for 140 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions for the Statesmen.

Defensively, Alec Dietsch led St. Lawrence with eight tackles including one for a loss, while James Holley-Grisham added seven stops and a pick. Senior Obi Nwaigwe, who was second in the nation in tackles for a loss entering Saturday's game, made seven tackles including one for a loss. Hobart's Mark Guarmo-Hyde had a game-high nine tackles.

St. Lawrence's troubles began on its opening possession, as Fish fumbled on the Saints' 20 yard line and the ball was recovered by Hobart. The turnover led to a 24-yard field goal by Sean Kirshe. Those problems continued throughout the first half, as a fumble by punter Brodie Corless gave the Statesmen the ball at the Saints' 28, leading to a 17-yard touchdown by Webb, and a blocked punt by Hobart's Trayvon Toney was scooped up and ran back for a touchdown by Connor Garrett. The two mistakes allowed Hobart to take a 17-0 leadr early in the second quart despite having only two first downs.

After taking the 17-0 lead, Hobart would force a punt and take over at its own 21-yard line. Conlan orchestrated his best drive of the half, going 3-for-3 on the drive including back-to-back completions for 43 and 16 yards for another score. The touchdown pass went for 16 yards to Elvin Souffrant, and Kirshe added his third extra point for a 24-0 lead.

The Saints would show their resiliency before the end of a half, as Dietsch's tackle for a loss forced a Hobart punt that finished at the Statesmen 36-yard line. Despite being in the final minute, Fish found Johnson for a 30-yard completion to the 6-yard line, and two plays later, he found Mitch Gallagher for a 6-yard score. Andrew Carvalho added the extra point to send the game to intermission with Hobart's lead at 24-7.

Unfortunately for St. Lawrence, that was all of the offense they would muster against the Statesmen defense, owning the football for just four offensive drives and 8 minutes and 57 seconds in the second half. Hobart would tack on touchdowns from Webb (6 yard rush) and Troy Robinson (10-yard reception) in the half to cap the game's scoring at 37-7.

The Saints will look to rebound and finish the year at 5-0 at Leckonby Stadium when they host the USMMA Mariners next Saturday, November 16 in the annual Hoffman Cup game. Kick-off is scheduled for 1:00pm.