BEVERLY, Mass. — The Husson University football team dropped its Conference of New England opener on Saturday afternoon, falling 35-6 to Endicott College at Hempstead Stadium.
The Eagles (0-4, 0-1 CNE) forced a pair of turnovers and held the Gulls (4-0, 1-0 CNE) scoreless in the second and fourth quarters, but a 21-point opening period helped Endicott build an early advantage.
Husson's defense came up with an early takeaway on Endicott's opening possession. After the Gulls drove inside the Eagles' red zone, senior Drew Crouse forced a Markys Bridgewater fumble and recovered it at the Husson 18-yard line to end the threat.
Endicott responded on its next possession, taking advantage of a short field to score on a five-yard Shea Lynch touchdown run for a 7-0 lead.
Husson answered with a nine-play drive that moved from its own 35-yard line to the Endicott 27 before the Gulls stopped the Eagles on downs. Endicott needed just three plays on the ensuing possession to double its lead, as Bryan Ferreira broke free for a 54-yard touchdown run with 4:27 remaining in the opening quarter.
The Gulls added another big play late in the period when Lynch connected with Mat Leone for a 70-yard touchdown, giving Endicott a 21-0 advantage.
Husson put together one of its best drives of the first half late in the opening quarter behind sophomore running back Anthony Santacroce. Santacroce ripped off consecutive runs of 12 and 15 yards before adding seven more yards to move the Eagles to the Endicott 23.
The Eagles continued to move the ball into Endicott territory but came away empty after a turnover later in the second quarter. The Husson defense kept the Gulls off the scoreboard throughout the period, while Endicott missed a 36-yard field-goal attempt late in the half, sending the game into halftime with the Gulls leading 21-0.
Endicott added two touchdowns in the third quarter, both from Ferreira. The sophomore scored on a 54-yard run early in the period before adding a three-yard touchdown with 8:44 remaining to extend the Gulls' lead to 35-0. Ferreira finished the afternoon with 217 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries.
Husson continued to battle in the fourth quarter, with its defense creating another takeaway to set up the Eagles' lone touchdown.
Junior linebacker JT Wright forced a Sam Hubbard fumble at the Endicott 38-yard line, which sophomore linebacker Cooper McNamara recovered with 42 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
The Eagles turned the takeaway into points with an eight-play, 38-yard drive. Santacroce capped the possession with a six-yard touchdown run with 11:09 remaining in the game. Endicott blocked the ensuing extra-point attempt, leaving the score at 35-6.
Santacroce led Husson offensively, rushing 15 times for 85 yards and the touchdown, while sophomore Daniel Ruiz Cantu added 34 yards on 15 attempts. Sophomore DK Koutsouflakis contributed 23 yards on seven carries as the Eagles finished with 155 rushing yards. Senior quarterback Brody Gibson completed 8 of 18 passes for 78 yards, with junior tight end Dominic Trott recording two catches for a team-high 23 yards.
Defensively, junior Brayden Trombly and Wright tied for the team lead with 10 tackles apiece, while Trombly added two tackles for loss. McNamara recorded eight tackles and a fumble recovery, freshman Calvin Casavant finished with six tackles and Crouse totaled five tackles, two tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
Husson finished with 233 yards of total offense, including 155 on the ground, while recording 14 first downs.Â
The Eagles return to action next Saturday for homecoming when they host Western New England University at 1 p.m.
