NEW LONDON, Conn.
In the first Friday night game at home in Coast Guard history, the Bears fell to the WPI Engineers by a score of 24-17. The Engineer win improves them to 3-1, they will host Norwich next week at noon.
It was a day in which both teams were battling the elements, with wind gusts up to 34 miles per hour and steady rain throughout.
WPI got the scoring started with a touchdown on a five minute drive to start the game. The Bears answered on their first drive, chipping away at the deficit with a 27 yard
Caleb McClure (Canton, Ga.) field goal. After a long drive on their first possession, the Engineers marched right down the field on their second drive to score their second TD in as many times touching the ball, ending the first quarter with a commanding lead of 14-3.
At the beginning of the 2nd quarter, in his long awaited return,
Harrison Hensley (Riverview, Fla.) trucked his way into the endzone to cut the score to 14-10. Again on their next drive, WPI found their way to six points with a six minute touchdown drive, again taking a two-score lead with the Bears again riding the hot hand of
Harrison Hensley to a score of their own. The defenses finally got some stops on the final possessions of half with back to back turnovers on downs to send the game into half with WPI leading 21-17.
Out of the half, with the weather worsening, Coast Guard and WPI were both unable to score with strong defensive play on both sides. The Bears had two turnovers on downs while WPI punted twice to leave the 3rd quarter scoreless.
On the opening drive of the fourth, The Bears were forced to punt for the first time in the game, kicking the ball to WPI who took a long, methodical drive down the field but the bend don't break defense of the Bears held the Engineers to a field goal to keep the game at one score but a three and out gave WPI the ball right back.
Needing a stop in the biggest way, the Bears allowed the Engineers to march down the field but stopped them on third down to force a field goal into the intense Nor'Easter wind. The kick missed wide right to give the Bears a chance with just over three minutes to go.
The Bears marched down the field on the back of
Harrison Hensley and got into the red zone on a 29 yard reception by
Dylan Truxon (Front Royal, Va.). The Bears thought they scored but a penalty pulled them back. That was a preview of what was to come with two more penalties sending the Bears all the way back to the 30 yard line with goal to go. On 4th and goal from the 22, CGA was unable to convert and turned the ball over to WPI to kneel out the clock.
Coast Guard falls back to .500 with the loss. The Bears will have their homecoming football game next Saturday October 3rd at 1:30 pm vs SUNY Maritime.
