Wagner College Athletics

 Picture Above: Junior running back Matthias McKinnon had a game-high 62 yards rushing on 11 carries.

Box Score (PDF)

New York, NY – Wagner was unable to overcome a 17-0 deficit 12 minutes into the game as Columbia went on to record a 26-3 victory at Wien Stadium this evening.

The Seahawks' early hole led to a 26-3 deficit at halftime, which wound up being the game's final score as the teams played to a 0-0 standstill in the second half.
 
With quarterback Skyler Mornhinweg, a transfer from the University of Florida at the controls, the Lions marched 66 yards in 5 plays on the game's first possession with running back Cameron Molina capping the drive with a six-yard touchdown run.
 
On the Seahawks' first offensive snap from their own 20 following the Columbia kick off, sophomore quarterback Alex Thomson (Keyport, NJ/Keyport) bobbled the shotgun snap. Columbia linebacker, Max Keefe, the reigning Ivy League Special Teams Player of the Week, scooped up the fumble at the Wagner two and ran into the end zone for a quick-strike touchdown.
 
Keefe's TD gave the Lions a 14-0 lead just 5:29 into the game. After picking up one first down on its second possession, the Seahawks were forced to punt. After Colinn Early fair caught a 46-yard punt from Seahawk junior Bryan Rafano (South River, NJ/St. Joseph's-Metuchen), Mornhinweg led the Lions on a 10-play, 53-yard drive, culminating in a 20-yard field goal by Cameron Nizialek which gave Columbia  17-0 lead with 3:59 left in the opening quarter.
 
Wagner moved the ball 41 yards on seven plays on its next possession, keyed by a 26-yard run from junior running back Matthias McKinnon (Albany, NY/Bishop Maginn/Jireh Prep). However, the drive ended when Thomas was unable to connect with fifth-year senior wide receiver Anthony Carrington (Toms River, NJ/Toms River North) on 4^th-and-10 from the Lions' 37-yard line as Columbia took over on downs.
 
Mornhinweg then led Columbia on a five-play 63-yard touchdown drive, bursting free for a 32-yard run scoring run on a read-option play, that widened the Columbia lead to 24-0 with 13:05 remaining in the first half. This touchdown run was set up a 15-yard completion from Mornhinweg, who is the son of former New York Jets offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg, to wide receiver Scooter Hills.
 
Wagner senior kickoff returner Deangleo James (Miami. FL/American Senior) then mishandled the ensuing kickoff in the end zone for a safety that made it a 26-0 game.
 
After forcing a Columbia punt, the Seahawks put together their longest drive of the game. A 33-yard run by Thomson up the right sideline early in the drive, and an 11-yard strike to junior wide receiver Isaiah Gills (Bel Air, MD/Harford Technical) late in the drive, helped set up a 23-yard field goal by fifth-year senior kicker Bryan Maley (Eagle River, Alaska/Chugiak) with 6:03 left in the opening stanza that made it a 26-3 game at halftime.

Statistically, McKinnon led the Seahawks on the ground with 62 yards on 11 carries. Thomson was 4-of-12 passing for 38 yards while senior QB Chris Andrews (Queens, NY/St. Joseph's/Valley Forge Military Academy) came on in the second half to complete 5-of-13 passes for 32 yards. Junior wide receivers Andre Yevchinecz (Binghamton, NY/Binghamton) and Lloyd Smith (Willingboro, NJ/Valley Forge Military Academy) had three receptions apiece.
 
Defensively, fifth-year senior linebacker Jarrid Wiliams (Poughkeepsie, NY/Poughkeepsie) and sophomore defensive back Kemani Howard (Rochester, NY/Wilson Magnet) paced the Seahawks with seven tackles apiece.
 
For Columbia, Mornhinweg was the game's leading rusher (74 yards on 11 carries), and passer (12-of-24 for124 yards). Linebacker Christian Conway led the Lions defensively with seven tackles.

With the victory, Columbia, led by first-year head coach Al Bagnoli, the former longtime University of Pennsylvania head coach and the, snaps a 24-game losing streak dating back to 2012 in improving to 1-3 on the season. With the loss, Wagner falls to 0-5.
 
The Seahawks return to Northeast Conference (NEC) play on Saturday, October 17 when Wagner travels to Saint Francis U for a 3:30 p.m. contest vs. the Red Flash that will be carried on ESPN3.com.
 
NOTES
Earlier today, the NEC announced its 20-Year Anniversary Team and Wagner was represented by former running back and 2014 Hall of Fame inductee Rick Sarille (1996-99), and cornerback Al Phillips (2004-07). Sarille ranks No. 1 in Seahawk history in seven major statistical categories: Rushing yards (5,290), All-Purpose Yardage (7,338), Scoring (334), Carries (965), Touchdowns (55), Kickoff Returns (64), Kickoff Return Yards (1,682).  Phillips ranks third all-time in Seahawk history with 17 career interceptions and was a 2008 NFL free agent signee of the New York Jets before going on to a four-year in the Arena Football League.

























First-Ever Meeting Between Wagner and Columbia
Tonight's game was the first-ever meeting between the schools. According to mapquest.com, Staten Island-based Wagner College and Wien Stadium, located in upper Manhattan, are separated by just 29 miles and travel time between the schools is estimated at 47 minutes. Columbia has been playing football since 1870 while Wagner took up the sport in 1927. In that time, the Lions and Seahawks have competed in a combined 1,813 games on the grid iron.

Seahawks Have played Only One Other Ivy League Opponent
Columbia is one of seven Ivy League institutions that Wagner had never faced on the grid iron until tonight. In fact, the only other Ivy foe that the Seahawks have ever played is Cornell, and the Seahawks and Big Red have met just three times. On October 30, 1999, the Seahawks traveled to Ithaca, NY and dropped a 31-14 decision to Cornell in the first-ever meeting between Wagner and an Ivy League opponent. These two programs met again on two occasions in more recent times. On September 11, 2010, the Green & White earned a 41-7 home win over Cornell. The teams met again at Cornell on October 1, 2011 and the Big Red recorded a 31-7 win.

Two Seahawks Assistant Coaches Once Roamed Sidelines at Columbia
For two current Wagner assistant coaches, Saturday night's matchup at Columbia marked a homecoming of sorts. Tony Brinson, the Seahawks' Linebackers/Special Teams/Recruiting Coordinator, arrived on Grymes Hill in 2011 after serving three years (2008-2010) as an assistant at Columbia under head coach Norries Wilson. Alvin Smith is in his first as Wagner defensive line coach after serving the previous four years (2011-2014) in this same role at Columbia under head coach Pete Mangurian.

Follow Wagner Athletics on Twitter (@WagnerAthletics) for all the latest news and updates on the athletic department and @Wagner_Football for all the latest news pertaining to Wagner Football and first-year head coach Jason Houghtaling @HossWagner #CHAOSonthehill. Seahawk athletics can also be followed on Instagram (@wagnerathletics)