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Staten Island, NY – Wagner sophomore quarterback Alex Thomson (Keyport, NJ/Keyport) completed 15-of-23 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns, both to junior wide receiver Andre Yevchinecz (Binghamton, NY/Binghamton), who had career highs with eight catches for 148 yards, but it was not enough as Lafayette overcame an early 14-point deficit to post a 35-24 comeback win over the Seahawks on Saturday evening. 

The 6-4, 220-pound Thomson, who was making the first start of his collegiate career after coming off the bench in Wagner's first two games, was also credited with 78 yards rushing on 14 attempts, with a long run of 23 yards.
 
Defensively, senior strong safety Bruce Brittingham (Trenton, NJ/Perkiomen School) paced the Seahawks with a team-high eight tackles, including six solo stops and one pass breakup. Junior cornerback Tim Hayes (Los Angeles, CA/Crespi Carmelite/Wyoming) and senior nose tackle Fidel Okoye (Williamstown, NJ/Williamstown), added six tackles apiece.
 
The Seahawks (0-3) did a brilliant job all evening against the run, limiting the Leopards to just 58 yards on the ground on 33 carries while churning out 137 yards themselves on 35 attempts. Lafayette (1-3) did most of its damage through the air as quarterback Drew Reed completed 23-of-34 passes for 308 yards and four TDs with his favorite target being wide receiver Joey Chenoweth, who snared nine balls for 105 yards.
 
On Wagner's first possession of the game, Thomson led the Seahawks on a crisp 11-play, 75-yard drive, that consumed 5:49 and was capped by a 13-yard Thomson touchdown run. After the Seahawk defense forced Lafayette into a three-and-out, Yevchinecz returned a Lafayette punt 13 yards, giving Wagner excellent field position at its own 49-yard line.
 
On the ensuing drive for the Green & White, Thomson hit Yevchinecz in stride on a pretty pass and catch that went for 51 yards and a touchdown, extending the Seahawks lead to 14-0 with 6:54 left in the opening quarter. The Leopards responded with an efficient nine-play, 72-yard march, culminating in a 15-yard touchdown pass from Reed to his tight end, Dylan Wadsworth, which cut the lead in half at 14-7.
 
Following an exchange of punts, Thomson led the Seahawks on their third touchdown drive in four possessions. On the first play of the drive from the Seahawk 44, the rangy Thomson, who was also a standout high school basketball player, connected with junior wide receiver Keith Foster (Newark, NJ/Weequahic/Milford Academy) on a 29-yard strike down to the Lafayette 15. On third-and-11, Thomson found fifth-year senior wide receiver Ralph Greene (Tigard, OR/Tigard) in the back of the end zone for a 16-yard TD which put the Seahawks ahead by two scores at 21-7 with 12:53 to go in the half.
 
That's the way the score remained until Reed led the Leopards on a key seven-play, 64-yard touchdown drive with the final 22 yards coming on a connection between Reed and Chenoweth, that made it a 21-14 game at halftime.
 
A pivotal play in the game occurred six minutes into the second half when Lafayette defensive back Matt Smalley jarred the ball loose from Seahawk senior running back Otis Wright (Fort Lauderdale, FL/Dillard) as linebacker Mark Dodd pounced on it at the Wagner 43. After the Seahawks' senior defensive line combination of Okoye and John Aubel (Islip, NY/Islip/Buffalo) stuffed Lafayette running back Kyle Mayfield for a one-yard loss on first down, Reed went up top to wide receiver C.J. Amill for a 44-yard score that tied the game at 21-21 with 7:04 left in the third quarter.
 
Backed up to their own 15-yard line on their ensuing possession, the Seahawks were in business when Thomson and Yevchinecz combined on a 28-yard hook-up to the Wagner 43. Following a six-yard completion to Yevchinecz, junior running back Matthias McKinnon (Albany, NY/Bishop Maginn/Jireh Prep) got the call on the next three plays, netting a combined 23 yards which moved the ball to the Lafayette 28.

A Thomson 14-yard scamper made it 1st-and-10 at the Lafayette 14. Two runs then combined for seven yards, making it 3^rd-and-3 from the seven-yard line, before an incompletion stalled the drive. Senior kicker Bryan Maley (Eagle River, AK/Chugiak) then came on to drill a 24-yard field goal, putting Wagner back into the lead at 24-21 with 2:06 remaining in the third quarter.
 
The Leopards took the lead for good on their ensuing drive, which bridged the third and fourth quarters, as Reed led Lafayette on a nine-play, 64-yard march that took 3:54 and culminated in a two-yard TD pass from Reed to wide receiver Matt Mrazek. This score gave the visitors a 28-24 lead with 13:04 to go.
 
That's the way things remained until Lafayette defensive back Jared Roberts intercepted a Thomson pass and returned it 26 yards to the Seahawk 14. On the third play of the drive, Reed rushed it in for a 10-yard score with 2:23 left, fashioning the final score at 35-24.
 
The Green & White are next in action on Saturday, October 3 when they host Robert Morris at noon in the Northeast Conference (NEC) opener for both teams. 

ROBB AND LIA TROPHIES
Annually at Homecoming, two Seahawks are selected to receive special awards for outstanding play with the James Robb Memorial Trophy presented to the outstanding offensive player, while the Nick Lia Memorial Trophy is awarded to the Seahawks' outstanding defensive player. This year's Robb Trophy recipient was Yevchinecz, based on his 8-catch, 148-yard receiving night and 15.0-yard average on four punt returns. The former high school quarterback also got into the act in the passing department when he completed a 29-yard pass to Foster in the second quarter, which led to Thomson's 16-yard TD pass to Greene. The Lia Trophy was awarded to senior defensive lineman Mike Mentor (North Bergen. NJ/North Bergen), who was credited with five tackles (three solo), highlighted by a team-high two sacks for minus 11 yards. Established in 1949, the Robb Trophy was named in memory of James Robb, a Seahawk gridiron star who was killed in action during World War II. It was presented to Wagner's sole outstanding individual player in the annual homecoming game until 1969. In 1969 season, the Lia Trophy was introduced in honor of another Wagner football player, Nick Lia. The 1965 recipient of the Robb Trophy himself, Lia was killed in the Vietnam War. Lia helped lead the 1964 football team to an undefeated season and captained the '65 team. An outstanding defensive player and team captain, the Staten Island native was a graduate of Curtis High School. In 2000, Lt. Lia was honored for his athletic achievements by being inducted into the Wagner College Athletics Hall of Fame. 

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