The St. Lawrence University football team held a 14-6 lead at halftime, but Endicott rallied for 21 points in the second half to top the Saints 27-14 in their season opener on Saturday afternoon in Beverly, Massachusetts.
The Gulls got on the board first as Geoffrey Ingrando caught an 18-yard pass from Joe Leonard, but the kick for the extra point from Ryan Smith was no good, leaving Endicott with six points on the play and a 6-0 lead with 7:13 to play in the first quarter.
In the second quarter, the Saints drove for a 70-yard touchdown on a one-yard run by Saints' quarterback
Tyler Grochot, with seven seconds remaining in the period. A successful extra-point kick from
James Bocock put the Saints up 7-6. Grochot then competed a 28-yard pass to
TJ Cornacchia and Bocock connected on his second kick of the day for a 14-7 lead.
In the third quarter, Leonard connected with Shane Aylward on a two-point conversion for Endicott tying the game 14-14. Smith hit a 32-yard field goal giving the Gulls a 17-14 advantage with 4:21 to play in the third quarter.
Early in the fourth quarter, Leonard ran the ball in himself for a touchdown, extending Endicott's lead 23-14 and Smith's kick was good for the extra point (24-14).
The Gulls secured their last three points of the game on a 24-yard field goal from Smith.
Grochot finished the day 14-for-42 passing for 118 yards. Cornacchia caught three passes for 49 yards, while
Andrew Murphy made five catches for 29 yards.
For the Gulls, Leonard was 24-for-37 passing for 256 yards and two touchdowns, while Everett Knowlton III made three catches for 65 yards.
The Saints had an advantage in first downs (17-16), but the Gulls held an advantage in time of possession (34:38-25:15) and third down conversions were a key factor in the game, as Endicott was 9-for-21, while the Saints were 3-for-12.
St. Lawrence falls to 0-1, while Endicott opens the season 1-0.
The Saints will look to reclaim the Hoffman Cup title, as they host Norwich on Saturday, September 11. Kick off is scheduled for 1 p.m.
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