Box Score FAIRFIELD, CONN. – Only Mother Nature could slow down the Sacred Heart University football team on Saturday. The Pioneers defeated Wagner, 27-0, in a game that was halted because of lightning, to claim at least a share of the Northeast Conference championship. 

Records:
Sacred Heart: 7-3, 5-1 NEC
Wagner 0-9, 0-5 NEC

Top Performers:
Julius Chestnut (SHU) 106 yards, 14 rushes, 1 TD
Malik Grant (SHU): 51 rushing yards, 35 receiving yards, 1 TD
Kevin Peprah (SHU): 9 tackles, 1.5 sack, 2.5 TFL

Up Next:
Sacred Heart wraps up the regular season Saturday at LIU in a 1 p.m. contest.

Of Note:
The game was halted with 9:35 remaining in the fourth quarter because of lightning in the area. Both teams mutually agreed to discontinue the contest.
 
With the victory, Sacred Heart is guaranteed at least a share of the NEC championship. It's the Pioneers' second in a row and third in the last four years.
 
As it's done the last five games, the Pioneers' defense was nearly flawless as they posted their second shutout of the season. Wagner was limited to just 119 yards of total offense and didn't get past the SHU 39-yard line all game.
 
Leading 3-0 going into the second quarter, the Pioneers found the endzone in just four plays. Quarterback Marquez McCray found running back Malik Grant out of the backfield for a 35-yard touchdown pass.
 
SHU tacked on another touchdown thanks to a 12-play, 78-yard drive. Running back Julius Chestnut had a season-long 36-yard run during the drive then took it in from one yard out to give Sacred Heart a 17-0 halftime advantage.
 
After the break, the Pioneers added 10 more points to put the game out of reach. McCray completed three-straight passes then called his own number on a six-yard touchdown run. Noah Gettman added his second field goal on the next drive.
 
Sacred Heart produced 435 yards of total offense, its highest total since the season opener against Bucknell, including 221 on the ground. Chestnut topped the 100-yard mark with 106 while Grant had 86 yards of total offense.
 
Led by NEC Defensive Player of the Year candidate Kevin Peprah, the Pioneers had six sacks and eight tackles for a loss. Peprah notched a game-high nine stop, 1.5 sacks and 2.5 TFL.