DANBURY, Conn. – The WestConn football team, which finished the 2023 regular season with a 7-2 overall record and earned a share of the Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference (MASCAC) title with a 7-1 conference record, received the MASCAC's automatic qualifying bid to the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament and will play on the road against the Johns Hopkins University Blue Jays (10-0) in the opening round on Saturday.  WestConn, coached by Joe Loth, will participate in its first NCAA Tournament since 2001.  Saturday's game will be the first-ever between the Wolves and the No. 7-ranked Blue Jays. The winner of this weekend's game will play either Delaware Valley or Union (N.Y.) in the NCAA Second Round on Saturday, November 25.  Tickets will be $8 for adulta and $4 for seniors, students, and children age 3 to 12, and will only be available at the door.

WestConn finished tied with Bridgewater State and UMass-Dartmouth at the top of the MASCAC standings and earned the automatic qualifier due to its higher strength of schedule among the three schools that each posted a 1-1 record against each other.  The Wolves had a bye on the last weekend of the regular season and UMass-Dartmouth's win at Plymouth State resulted in a three-way tie for the conference title.  WestConn's lone out-of-conference game against the United States Merchant Marine Academy, which is ranked among the top eight teams in its region, gave the Wolves the SOS edge against the Corsairs and the Bridgewater State Bears.  WestConn, is ranked No. 7 in this week's New England Football Division III Coaches Poll: 1. Endicott (9-1), 2. Springfield (9-1), 3. Middlebury (7-1), 4. Trinity (Conn.) (7-1), 5. Salve Regina (8-2), 6. Mass.-Dartmouth (9-1), 7. WestConn (7-2), 8. Western New England (7-3), 9. Bridgewater State (7-3, T10. Tufts (6-2), T10. Husson (7-3).   

WestConn will be making its fourth trip to the NCAA Tourney, having qualified previously in 1985, 1999, and 2001.  The Wolves defeated Westfield State on the road in the 2001 NCAA First Round for its lone NCAA Tournament win, before falling, 43-13, at Rowan in the NCAA Second Round.  WestConn's other two previous NCAA appearances ended in first round setbacks against Montclair State, 28-0, on the road in 1985, and, 32-24, at home in 1999.  WestConn opened the 2023 season with a 52-35 defeat against Merchant Marine and split its next two games with a 42-0 shutout of Westfield State and a 35-28 loss at Bridgewater State.  The Wolves handed UMass-Dartmouth its only loss, 52-21, on September 30 and proceeded to rattle off five more wins to close out the regular campaign.  WestConn has scored over 50 points in five of its last six games, won each of its last six games by 22 points or more, and recorded three shutouts this fall.  

The Wolves top the MASCAC in scoring offense (45.3 ppg, 14th in nation), total offense (470.0 ypg, 17th in nation), passing offense (286.6 ypg), pass efficiency (184.91 rating, 15th in nation), first downs (23.9 per game, 24th in nation), and third down conversions (54%, 9th in nation).  WestConn also ranks ninth nationally with just seven turnovers.  Junior QB Keion Jones (Mount Vernon, N.Y.) leads the MASCAC with 226.6 passing yards per game, and has thrown 15 touchdowns while running for four more.  Graduate student Chad Blaszky (Selden, N.Y.) is second in the conference with 120.3 rushing yards per game and leads the league with 16 touchdowns.  Senior WR Julian Ferguson (Enfield, Conn.) tops the MASCAC and freshman WR Dae'Shawn Allen (White Plains, N.Y.) is third in the league with 90.3 and 64.9 yards per game, respectively, and the pair have combined with senior WR Zach Soriano (Middle Island, N.Y.) for 103 catches and 21 receiving TD's among all of them.  

On defense, WestConn has given up less than four yards per carry on the ground and held its opponents to 139.1 passing yards per game (11th in nation).  Senior LB Nosa Uzamere (Hempstead, N.Y) is tied for ninth in the MASCAC with 7.1 tackles per game (47 solo tackles) and 10th in tackles for loss with eight.  In the secondary, junior  Milleeq Green (Bridgeport, Conn.) and sophomore Mike DeFelice (New Windsor, N.Y.) are tied for third in the conference with three interceptions, while Green also has a team-high seven pass breakups.  Graduate student Raquell Davis (Mastic Beach, N.Y.) is tied for ninth in sacks with 3.5 anchoring the middle of the WestConn defensive line.  Senior S DeShaun Hardy-Walker (Newark, N.J.) adds 46 tackles, while senior LC Corey Tehe (Staten Island, N.Y.) has 37 hits.  Allen and fellow rookie Serge Lagardere (Stamford, Conn.) are among the national leaders in kickoff returns and punt returns, respectively.