DUDLEY, Mass. (Oct. 10) – The Nichols College football team defeated Salve Regina University, 31-24, Saturday afternoon in a New England Football Conference Boyd Division game at Vendetti Field. Nichols was led by sophomore quarterback Sean Smith-Vaughan (Cumberland, Maine), who completed 21 of 33 passes for 213 yards and a career-high three touchdowns. The Bison draw even at 3-3 on the year and move to 2-1 in Boyd Division games, while the Seahawks dip to 2-4 overall and 1-2 on conference action.

Smith-Vaughn, a transfer from Salve-Regina, hit multiple targets on the day, but found first year Jonathon Turner (Boston, Mass.) twice for scores in the second half, including a 26-yarder to cap the scoring late in the third.

Senior Jeff St. Onge was equally effective for the Seahawks, passing for one touchdown and carrying in another two himself. St. Onge completed 23 of 37 passes for 232 yards with a pair of picks, and rushed for a team-high 52 yards on the day. He connected with Nick Piscitelli for eight catches and 92 yards, including a 16-yard toss to give the Seahawks the lead in the second quarter.

A Brendan Deasy field goal from 25 yards out gave the Seahawks the lead on their first possession. Salve Regina recovered the live ball on the ensuing kickoff, but on the very next play, fumbled the ball, which Patrick Gregory (Webster, N.Y.) recovered at the Nichols 44. The Bison's drive ate up almost eight minutes on the clock at got as close as the seven yard line before Dave Wyrick (Avon, Conn.) knotted it up with a 24-yard field goal with 1:54 remaining in the opening quarter.

After Nichols was forced out on downs, St. Onge's 16-yard scoring pass to Piscitelli capped an eight-play 48-yard drive to put the Seahawks up, 10-3 (Deasy kick good) just before the midpoint of the second quarter, but the Bison were again forced out on downs on their next possession.

Two plays later, Evan Greathead (Pepperell, Mass.) picked off St. Onge and returned it 24 yards back to the Seahawks' four to set up Smith-Vaughn's pass to first year fullback Paul Feeley (Lowell, Mass.), a four-yard pitch. Wyrick's kick missed, leaving the Bison trailing, 10-9, midway through the second quarter.

The scoring continued as Salve Regina made it to the Bison's eight yard line on just three plays after St. Onge passes of 29 and 19 yards to Matt Shubert and a St. Onge five-yard rush. After Gregory sacked St. Onge for a loss of eight, the Seahawks went for a field goal from the 16, which was blocked by Nichols' Jonathan Merjuste (Norwich, Conn.) and then recovered at the one-yard line by Salve's Brian Kirkland. St. Onge carried the ball in on separate one-yard plays for a 17-9 lead (Deasy kick good) late in the frame.

Nichols was not to be outdone as passes from Smith-Vaughn to Andrew Nemes (Norwood, Mass.) and Anthony Pillari (Lumberton, N.J.) set up the Bison on the Seahawks' five yard line. Smith-Vaughn then found Turner for his first score of the day. Nichols went for the two-point conversion as Smith-Vaughn found Pillari through a screen in the far left corner of the endzone to knot the game, 17-17, headed into halftime.

Senior Robert Morris (Melbourne, Fla.) sprinted for a 35-yard carry on the Bison's first possession of the second half to bring Nichols to the Seahawks' four and on the next play, powered his way into the endzone to give the Bison a 24-17 lead (Wyrick kick good).

Salve responded on its next drive, clocking just 2:10 as St. Onge found Shubert for a 28-yard catch before connecting with Ben Hall for eight and Piscitelli for 10 to bring the Seahawks to the Nichols 22. St. Onge ran the ball in the rest of the way, sprinting 22 yards up the middle for the 24-24 score (Deasy kick good).

Nichols worked out of a first and 25 situation from their own eight-yard line late in the third quarter, ending the drive with the game-winning touchdown by Turner. A pair of penalties forced the Bison back after a long kickoff by the Seahawks, which Smith-Vaughn countered with a 19-yard pass to R.J. Gagne (Seekonk, Mass.). After a short pass and a quarterback keeper for eight yards, Smith-Vaughn found Turner for a 31-yard pass to put the Bison on the Salve 25. The pair then connected with Turner looking back over his head in the endzone while under heavy coverage for the scoring catch. Wyrick's kick was good to put the Bison up, 31-24.

The Seahawks started the fourth quarter at the Nichols 25, and a Bison penalty afforded them first and goal from the Nichols 10. A Gregory sack on third down set up fourth and goal from the 12 and the Seahawks went for it, but Brandon Wallace (Windsor, Conn.) was there to break up the pass.

The Bison held the Seahawks to midfield over their next two possessions, thanks in part to an interception by Marcel Powell (Lakeworth, Fla.) as Salve Regina looked to pass from the Nichols 48 midway through the final quarter. Powell picked it off at the Bison 22 to end the threat.

On the Bison's final drive, Nichols got as close as first and goal from the one, but after a penalty forced the Bison back to the six with seconds left, Nichols took a knee to close out the game.

Gregory had an all-around day for the Nichols defense, which held its opponent to under 300 yards for the first time in three games. He posted six tackles, 2.5 sacks for a loss of 14 yards, and had a fumble recovery. Elwin McCarthy (Duxbury, Mass.) had 10 tackles (five solo), while Greathead had nine (four solo) with a sack and a 24-yard interception return.

For the Seahawks, Nolan McGarrity posted a game-high 11 tackles, while Carlos Santos and Nick Jentz joined in with eight apiece.

Nichols travels to Plymouth State on October 17th for a 1 p.m. NEFC Boyd Division game, while Salve Regina hosts UMass-Dartmouth for a divisional game at noon the same day. 

Box Score