DARTMOUTH, Mass. - After falling behind 21-0 early, the Western Connecticut State University football team mounted a furious rally to seize a 30-27 second half lead. However, the Wolves ran out of steam and couldn't close out the dramatic comeback as they ultimately fell at UMass Dartmouth, 41-30, on Saturday afternoon at Cressy Field. It marked a battle of two unbeaten MASCAC squads. The Wolves dropped to 6-2 overall and 6-1 in league play, while the Corsairs improved to 8-0 and 7-0.

Senior wide receiver Julian Ferguson (Enfield, Conn.) hauled in team-highs of five catches and 92 yards for the Wolves while classmate quarterback John Giller (Massapequa Park, N.Y.) threw for 299 yards and pair of touchdowns. 

The Corsairs got things going quickly in the opening quarter as graduate quarterback and captain Dante Aviles-Santos found junior wide receiver Jael Cabrera for a 73-yard pass and the touchdown in the first minute of the game.
 
Aviles-Santos then found senior wide receiver Thomas Zednik at 12:42 of the frame, putting the home team up 14-0 following a 21-yard score. The Corsairs pushed the margin to 21-0 with 6:31 to play as Aviles-Santos found senior wide receiver Angel Sanchez for a 65-yard score.
 
The Wolves battled back with 2:05 on the clock as senior rusher Kamryn Holmes found the endzone on a three-yard run to put the visitors on the scoreboard.
 
Second quarter action saw the Wolves draw closer as senior quarterback John Giller took the ball in on the quarterback keeper down the middle, pulling the gap to 21-14. On their next possession, the Wolves saw senior kicker Anthony Weidtman nail a 24-yard field goal with 4:58 on the clock, making it a 21-17 contest.
 
The Corsairs answered at 3:09 as senior rusher Jalyn Aponte carried it in from a yard out, but the Wolves saw sophomore wide receiver Markus Faucett haul in a one-yard pass from Giller with six seconds remaining in the second quarter. The two teams headed into halftime with UMass Dartmouth holding the 27-23 lead.
 
Out of the break, the Wolves came out firing with Giller hitting senior wide receiver Julian Ferguson with a 40-yard pass to put the visitors up by a 30-27 margin. The Corsairs countered with 4:39 to play in the third quarter as junior rusher Kevin Brown took it up the middle on a four-yard run into the end zone.
 
The Corsairs closed out the scoring in the fourth quarter as Aponte rushed in from 21-yards out at 3:03. Holding the 41-30 advantage, the UMass Dartmouth defense proved outstanding as with the Wolves threatening, senior defensive back Jonathan Brightman intercepted Giller in the end zone with 1:47 to play, giving the Corsairs the ball back and sealing the victory.

WestConn returns to the field when they host Framingham State on Saturday at Noon in yet another MASCAC matchup. They wrap up the regular season at the Westside Athletic Complex against Vermont State University Castleton on November 16.