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Fairfield, CT – After battling defending Northeast Conference (NEC) champion Sacred Heart to a 17-17 tie at halftime, the Wagner football wound up on the short end of a 45-17 decision in the season finale at Campus Field.
 
Buoyed by a 50-yard touchdown run by senior running back Otis Wright (Fort Lauderdale, FL/Dillard) and a 16-yard scoring pass from sophomore quarterback Alex Thomson (Keyport, NJ/Keyport) to junior wide receiver Andre Yevchinecz (Binghamton, NY/Binghamton), Wagner overcame an early 14-3 deficit to draw even at 17-17 at the half.
 
In the second half, Sacred Heart scored 21 third-quarter points and added another score in the fourth quarter en route to the victory.

Wright finished with 92 rushing yards on seven carries in the final game of his Seahawk career, while junior running back Matthias McKinnon (Albany, NY/Bishop Maginn/Jireh Prep-NC) added 34 yards rushing on 11 carries.

In the passing department, Thomson wound up 13-of-23 through the air for 153 yards. His favorite target was senior tight end Ryan Owens (Gainesville, NY/Letchworth) as the Preseason All-NEC selection finished with five receptions for 57 yards. Fifth-year senior wide receiver Anthony Carrington (Toms River, NJ/Toms River North) had three receptions for 28 yards while Yevchinecz wound up with two catches for 39 yards, highlighted by his 16-yard, second-quarter TD grab.

In addition to the touchdowns by Wright and Yevchinecz, the other Wagner points came via a 27-yard, first-quarter field goal by fifth-year senior kicker Bryan Maley (Eagle River, Alaska/Chugiak).

Defensively, fifth-year senior inside linebacker Jarrid Williams (Poughkeepsie, NY/Poughkeepsie) was active all afternoon in registering a career-high 14 tackles, including eight of the solo variety. Senior linebacker Najee Harris (Norristown, PA/Norristown) and senior defensive end Mike Mentor (North Bergen. NJ/North Bergen/Fork Union Military Academy) recorded 10 and seven tackles, respectively.

For Sacred Heart, the Pioneers were led by running back Nate Chavious who carried 21 times for 130 yards and one touchdown. Quarterback R.J. Noel completed 16-of-23 passes for 162 yards and three touchdowns, with six of those completions going to wide receiver Tyler Dube which covered 96 yards.

Defensively for the Pioneers, Kellen Sperduto led the way with 10 tackles.

With the win, the Pioneers conclude the 2015 season with a 6-5 overall record and a 3-3 mark n the NEC. The Seahawks, who were coming off of last Saturday's convincing 28-7 victory over Central Connecticut on Senior Day, finish the season at 1-10 overall and 1-5 in league.

NOTES
It was on this same field two years ago when Maley drilled a last-second 45-yard field goal as Wagner earned a 23-20 win on October 5, 2013, which gave the Pioneers their only NEC loss of the season en route to their first of two consecutive NEC championships. This was the 19th meeting between the schools and the all-time series is now tied 9-9. In last season's matchup, on October 11, 2014, Sacred Heart came away with a 23-7 victory on Staten Island in a game that was carried live to a national audience on ESPN 3. This contest ultimately decided the NEC race as Wagner and SHU wound up as Co-NEC regular season champions, finishing with identical 5-1 league marks. But, it was the Pioneers who represent the conference in the FCS Playoffs by virtue of this head-to-head win.

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).