TORONTO (CIS) – Receiver Dante Luciani scored three touchdowns as the defending Vanier Cup champion Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks (2-1) crushed the York Lions (0-3) 24-0.
The shutout is the first for the Golden Hawk defence since the 2005 opener where the Hawks blanked Queen’s 45-0.
With 37 seconds remaining in the first half of the game, Luciani caught a nine-yard pass from Jamie Partington for the first major of the game. The third year receiver from Oakville finished the game picking up two more touchdowns – one on a 16-yard rush and the other on a short-yardage quarterback sneak.
“It felt good to get the ball into the end zone today,” said the 6-foot-0 receiver. “We’ve left too many points on the field so far this season. This game shows that our offence can put points on the board.”
The last Golden Hawk to score three touchdowns in a game was Bryon Hickey in the 2005 National Semi-Final where the Hawks defeated Acadia to advance to the Vanier Cup.
Sophomore kicker Chris Mamo (London) put a 34-yard field goal through the pipes for the final three points of the match after having an earlier attempt blocked.
Manager of football operations and head coach Gary Jeffries had an opportunity later in the game to give some of his veterans a rest – for next Saturday’s homecoming game with Western – allowing some of the younger faces to see time on the field.
“It’s always nice to get our younger kids in. Having lots of players on the field allows us to build experience and in the end the strength of our program.”
The Golden Hawk offence netted 402 yards compared to York’s 231.
Quarterback Jamie Partington completed 14 of 32 for 188 yards, while later in the game freshman Vince Luciani relieved him completing 1 of 2 for four yards and three rushes for 23 yards in his first OUA appearance. Running back Ryan Lynch led all rushers with 113 yards over 19 carries while rookie Josh Bishop grabbed five passes for 21 yards in his debut.
Freshman Taurean Allen and veteran Jesse Alexander each intercepted quarterback Bart Zemanek. The York quarterback connected on only 15 of his 35 attempts for 185 yards and was sacked four times – by Yannick Carter, Jesse Alexander, Andrew Flatt and James Cranston. Jahmeeks Beckford led all defenders with six tackles, while Alexander continues to lead the league adding four more for a total of 24 this season.
The Golden Hawks now look to the Western Mustangs who they face on Saturday, September 23rd as part of the Homecoming Weekend festivities. Kickoff is set for 2:07 p.m. and will be carried live on The Score television network as well as the voice of the Golden Hawks – 570 News.
Scoring Summary
WLU 0-7-14-3 = 24
YORK 0-0-0-0 = 0
Attendance: 563 @ York Stadium
First Quarter
No Scoring
Second Quarter
WLU – 0:37 TD Dante Luciani from Jamie Partington, 9-yard pass (Convert – C. Mamo)
Third Quarter
WLU – 9:08 TD Dante Luciani, 16-yard run (Convert – C. Mamo)
WLU – 3:23 TD Dante Luciani, 2-yard run (Convert – C. Mamo)
Fourth Quarter
WLU – 11:51 FG Chris Mamo, 34-yards
