NORTHFIELD, Vt. - A nine-point swing in the second quarter and a critical insurance touchdown midway through the fourth provided St. Lawrence University with enough room to upend Norwich, 30-19, in the Cadets' home opener on Saturday at Sabine Field at Haynes Family Stadium. Despite several strong performances, the Cadets were shut out in the fourth quarter of this season's Hoffman Cup game.
Junior quarterback Mitchell Theal (Elma, N.Y.) completed 17-of-30 passes for 207 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Senior wide receiver Trevor Chase (Eliot, Maine) caught 12 of those passes, falling one reception shy of his career-high, and closed the bout with 163 yards and two touchdowns. Junior running back Justin Bryant (Eliot, Maine) rumbled for 49 yards and a touchdown on eight carries.
Defensively, senior defensive back Matthew Christe (Brookfield, Conn.) led the charge with six tackles, a tackle for loss, a forced and recovered fumble while junior defensive back Stefan Romero II (New York, N.Y.) snagged an interception.
Norwich (0-2) opened the game with a six-play, 58-yard drive that was capped by a 36-yard strike from Theal to Chase to spot the Cadets an early 7-0, following the extra point from junior kicker Zach Buchy (Suffolk, Va.). The Saints tied the contest with a quick scoring drive of their own, then took the lead following a blocked punt on Norwich's ensuing drive.
Following a stalled drive, St. Lawrence seemed poised for a two-possession lead, taking the ball from the Saints' 22-yard line down to the Cadets' eight-yard line as the quarter changed. Christe ripped the ball from the Saints on the first play of the second quarter, recovering the loose ball to re-energize the Norwich sideline and spark a potential game-tying drive.
Norwich marched down the field on an 11-play, 75-yard drive that included a conversion by Nate Parady (Saint Albans, Vt.) on a fourth-and-one before Bryant plunged in for a two-yard touchdown run with 9:54 remaining. However, St. Lawrence maintained momentum by intercepting a Buchy two-point conversion attempt and returning it for a two-point PAT return. Norwich forced a punt on St. Lawrence's next drive but went three-and-out on its next possession, opening the door for St. Lawrence to take a 10-point lead following a six-play, 74-yard drive.
Romero picked off St. Lawrence quarterback Daniel Lawther at the Saints' 30-yard line with 51 seconds remaining in the first half. Facing third and goal with 30 seconds left in the half, Theal was intercepted to send the Cadets into the halftime break trailing by 10 points.
Norwich's first drive of the third quarter matched its first drive of the contest, a determined march down the field that took 5:15 and spanned 12 plays and 52 yards. Theal delivered a strike to Chase for a 16-yard touchdown, slicing the Saints' lead down to four points after a failed point after attempt. Neither team scored in the third after the Cadets' quarter opening drive, and Norwich's first drive of the fourth quarter stalled inside of Cadets' territory with 12:01 remaining in the quarter.
St. Lawrence scored a key insurance touchdown on an 11-play, 41-yard drive that spotted the Saints an 11-point lead with 7:27 remaining. Norwich punted the ball away on its next drive, giving St. Lawrence the ball back with 5:42 remaining, looking to its defense to return possession. However, the Saints responded with an 11-play, 45-yard drive that eliminated the final 5:42 of the game, methodically winding down the clock and eliminating the opportunity for a Norwich comeback.
Norwich will return to Sabine Field for the annual Battle for the Maple Sap Bucket showdown against Castleton University on Sept. 17 at 2 p.m. The contest will also serve as this year's Homecoming game. Last season, the Cadets picked up a 28-12 win on the road against Castleton, and will battle the Spartans on their home field for the first time since 2018.
