WESTFIELD STATE COLLEGE vs UMASS DARTMOUTH
NEW ENGLAND FOOTBALL CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME at Worcester, MA

Nov. 16, 2002

Scoring Summary

• UMass- 2 nd 11:36 John Falcone 1 yd run (Brian West kick)
• UMass- 2 nd 2:54 Brian West 32 yd field goal
• UMass- 4 th 1:16 Philp Rashkovetsky recovered fumble in enzone (kick blocked)

Corsairs advance to NCAA tourney with NEFC title win

UMass Dartmouth captured its first New England Football Conference championship with a 16-0 victory over Westfield State College in the NEFC Championship game played Nov. 16 at Worcester State College.

The victory improved the Corsairs' overall record to 11-0 and earned UMass Dartmouth its first invitation to the 24-team NCAA Division III national championship tournament. Coach Bill Kavanaugh's Corsairs, ranked #1 in the final New England Division III football poll, will travel to Allentown, PA for a first round NCAA tournament game at Muhlenberg College (9-1). The winner of the Corsairs' game takes on the winner of the Hobart (8-1) vs. John Carroll (9-1) on Nov. 23.

The Corsairs' defense rose to the challenge against Westfield State in the NEFC Championship game at cold and snowy Coughlin Field in Worcester. UMass Dartmouth held the Owls to 130 yards of total offense, including only nine yards rushing. While the defense held Westfield in check, the Corsair special teams set up a pair of first half scores and the defense came up with a score of its own in the fourth quarter.

With the game scoreless after the first quarter, Paul O'Donnell (Reading, MA) came up wit the game's first big play when he blocked an Owl punt and the Corsairs recovered at the Westfield State 40. Twelve plays later, John Falcone (Norwood, MA) recovered his own fumbled snap at the one-yard line and dove into the end zone. Brian West's (Raynham, MA) conversion made it 7-0. With less than three minutes before halftime, Joe Sabina (Taunton, MA) set up another score by returning a punt 44 yards to the Owl 18. West kicked a 32-yard field goal for a 10-0 lead at the break.

UMass Dartmouth held Westfield State's offense out of the end zone the rest of the way and the Corsair defense put the game away late in the fourth quarter. After Tom Akillian (Easton, MA) sacked the Owls' quarterback, causing a fumble into the end zone, Phil Rashkovetsky (Newton, MA) recovered for the TD and the 16-0 final score.

The Corsairs offense controlled the line of scrimmage for most of the game, giving Shawn Theriault� (Wakefield, MA) enough room to pick up 100 yards on 29 carries. Falcone connected on seven of 15 passes for 75 yards. On defense, the Corsairs picked off a pair of passes in the second half with Matt Lavallee (Milbury, MA) and Tom Koska (New Bedford, MA) halting Owl drives with interceptions deep in Corsair territory.