The Wilfrid Laurier University men’s football team was unable stay with the Western Mustangs for four quarters on Saturday afternoon. They saw the last seconds of their season tick away, as the seventh-ranked Mustangs came away with the 25-10 victory on their home turf.
Laurier finished this season with a record of 4-4 just one year after finishing 1-7 and failing to make the playoffs.
The Hawks jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter, largely due to exceptional field position. Dillon Campbell punched in an eight-yard run and Ronnie Pfeffer knocked a 35 yard field goal through.
That would be all the Hawks offence would be able to muster for the rest of the contest, as Western scored 25 unanswered points.
A combination of a strong Western run defence and Fracas’ inability to get a solid air attack going proved to be the defining factors in Laurier’s offensive struggles.
Fracas has been battling a broken finger on his non-throwing hand for the last three games, all of which were losses. He finished with 36 passing yards on the day.
However, the Hawks defence left the field with their heads held high, as they did not allow the Mustangs to score a touchdown until there was just over two minutes left in the game.
Head coach Michael Faulds was thrilled with the energy that his defence brought forth on Saturday.
“Defensively, it was an unbelievable effort. Holding Western’s offence to just one touchdown is phenomenal,” he said.
The entirety of Western’s points came from three safetys and four field goals throughout the game. Western’s kicker Zach Medeiros was 4-5 on the day.
Defensive lineman Kwaku Boateng contributed heavily, pouring three sacks and seven and a half tackles. Boateng believed that despite the loss, it was important for the defence to get a little bit of redemption in London.
“I remember three weeks ago we were very conservative, and this time we just came out swinging. We knew it was going to go twelve rounds … it just goes to show that our defence can be one of the best in the country,” he said.
The club will now watch the rest of the playoff scenario unfold from the sidelines, as they begin to prepare for the 2015 season.
