FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Campus Field has been home, sweet home for the Sacred Heart University football team all season long. Following back-to-back road losses, today's matchup against Mercyhurst demonstrated just how vital a return to Fairfield was for the Pioneers. Both the offense and defense delivered strong performances, with the offense scoring 21 points in the first half and the defense stifling Mercyhurst in the first and third quarters, respectively, leading to a decisive 31-14 home victory on Saturday afternoon.
With the impressive win, the Pioneers improve to 4-1 on Campus Field and 4-5 on the season heading into the bye week. The loss for the Lakers drops them to 2-6.
The Pioneers racked up four touchdowns on the afternoon spread between four different scorers - Kevin McGuire, Jalen Madison, Xavier Leigh, and John Michalski. Madison's tally marked his third consecutive game finding the endzone, tying the longest stretch for a Pioneer this season along with Leigh, who started off the season with three straight touchdowns over a three game span.
The defensive unit finished with a pair of forced fumbles from Nick Verbitsky and Tyreke Brown, while Isaiah Bishop recovered a fumble in the fourth quarter and recorded a 38-yard return. Bishop and Brown also recorded a pair of sacks for the Pioneers.
Records:
Sacred Heart (4-5)
Mercyhurst (2-6)
Top Performers:
Offense-
(QB) John Michalski – Passing (10-14, 141 yards, 1 touchdown) | Rushing (12 attempts, 53 yards, 1 touchdown)
(RB) Jalen Madison – 16 attempts | 140 yards | 1 touchdown
(RB) Xavier Leigh – 6 attempts | 40 yards | 1 touchdown
(WR) Kevin McGuire – 1 reception | 7 yards | 1 touchdown
Defense-
(DB) Ryan Palmieri – 7 tackles (7 solo)
(LB) Nick Verbitsky – 7 tackles (4 solo, 3 assists)
(DE) Isaiah Bishop – 4 tackles (2 solo, 2 assists) | 1 fumble recovery
How it Happened:
The Pioneers wasted no time asserting themselves, scoring in the early stages of the first quarter. After forcing Mercyhurst into a three-and-out, SHU efficiently marched down the field during their opening possession, showcasing their strategic game play and quickly found themselves in the red zone.
Opting for the air attack, Michalski's pass to Ethan Hilliman seemed to fall incomplete, but McGuire swooped in with a highlight-reel-worthy diving snag for a seven-yard touchdown, putting the Pioneers up 7-0 less than four minutes into action.
After Michalski connected with Mason Stahl along the Mercyhurst sideline for a 48-yard completion, his longest of the contest, the Pioneers found themselves in the red zone for a second time. Following in the footsteps of their first trip, they made sure not to leave empty-handed. Madison took the hand-off from Michalski and punched it in for an 11-yard touchdown at 14:08, of the second quarter, giving the Pioneers a 14-0 advantage.
The offensive onslaught from the Pioneers didn't stop there, as they had one final act before the half. Faced with a third and one on the Mercyhurst 22-yard line, Leigh bounced to the outside and found space down the right sideline, making Mercyhurst pay and cashing in on a dominant seven-play, 82-yard drive for the home team, putting the Pioneers up 21-0.
In the dying seconds of the first half, Mercyhurst capped off an 11-play, 64-yard drive with their first score of the day. Adam Urena rolled to his left and connected with Ayron Rodriguez for a nine-yard touchdown, converting on fourth down with 25 seconds remaining, cutting their deficit to 21-7 heading back to the locker room.
The Pioneers quickly capitalized on Mercyhurst's missed opportunity. Facing a second and four on the Mercyhurst four-yard line, Michalski — the fourth different touchdown scorer for the Pioneers—took the snap and dashed into the end zone untouched, extending their lead to 28-7 with 1:56 left in the third quarter.
With 7:55 left in the fourth quarter, Mercyhurst trimmed the deficit to 28-14 after a 13-play drive culminating in their second touchdown. Urena connected with his brother, Austin Urena, over the middle of the field, and he made his way into the end zone for a 10-yard completion and a score.
Unfortunately for Mercyhurst, their comeback efforts came to a halt when Matt Kling split the uprights for a 36-yard field goal. This extended the Pioneers' lead to 31-14, which was all they needed to solidify their fourth home win of the season.
Up Next:
The Pioneers cap off their 2024 home slate at Campus Field with an afternoon game against LIU next Saturday, Nov. 9, for Senior Day. Kick-off is scheduled for noon.
