Box Score

WAYNE, N.J. – A 21-yard Ricky Krautman (Franklin Lakes, N.J./Ramapo) field goal as time expired lifted William Paterson (4-4, 2-3 NJAC) to a 30-27 victory against visiting Kean (3-5, 1-4 NJAC) in a conference clash Oct. 27 at Wightman Stadium.

The kick capped a wild second half that saw the two teams combine for 37 points, including 24 in the fourth quarter alone. Junior Shaun Puluse (Haledon, N.J./Passaic Tech) had two rushing touchdowns after halftime, the pair of scores accounting for 24 of his game-high 146 yards on the ground. WP sophomore John Woodson (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield) completed 10 of 19 passes for 129 yards, while senior Mike Vicci (Clark, N.J./Arthur L. Johnson) caught four passes for 58 yards for the Pioneers.

Sophomore Jared Burke (Egg Harbor Twp., N.J./ Egg Harbor Twp.) led the Pioneer defense with nine tackles (four solo) and a fumble recovery. Harold Green (Boonton, N.J./Boonton), Angelo Silletti (Belleville, N.J./Hudson Catholic), Leer Biddle (Sicklerville, N.J./Lenape) and Frank Musolino (Sewell, N.J./Washington Twp.) each had five stops for William Paterson.

The Pioneers took the opening drive and marched 63 yards to the end zone, a series that ended with an Ira Guilford (Jersey City, N.J./Hoboken) one-yard touchdown plunge, for a 7-0 WP lead just 3:13 into the contest. The two sides traded punts until the 8:44 mark of the second quarter, when Chris DiMicco punched across the goal line from one yard out. Following a poor snap and a missed extra-point kick, the Pioneers were still out in front, 7-6.

Kean's Ryan Staton came up with an interception in the end zone to thwart the following William Paterson drive, but the Pioneers' Mike Lamego (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) got the ball right back on the very next play, intercepting Cougar quarterback A.J. Roque at the Kean 28-yard line. During the ensuing drive, WP went for it on fourth-and-nine from the 27, but an incomplete pass ended the possession for the Pioneers.

The Cougars answered with an eight-play, 73-yard drive that ended with a 28-yard TD pass from Roque to James Felton as the clock struck 00:00, giving Kean a 13-7 lead at the intermission.

William Paterson's first drive of the second half resulted in a punt, but as the Pioneers chased down the ball to down it, an unaware Andre Dozier of Kean allowed the ball to hit his foot, and Silletti pounced on it to regain possession for the Pioneers. Six plays later, Puluse muscled his way into the end zone from two yards out, regaining the lead for WP at 14-13 with 9:02 to play in the third quarter.

Two minutes later, senior Kareen Moon (Staten Island, N.Y./Susan E. Wagner) weaved his way through the punt coverage, racing up the left sideline 38 yards for his third career punt return touchdown, making it a 20-13 score after a failed PAT.

Roque found Durell Dukes for a 25-yard touchdown 11 seconds into the fourth quarter, evening the score at 20-20. The next time the Cougars had the ball, WP's Brian Burd (Roxbury, N.J./Roxbury) jarred it loose from Kean's DiMicco, and Burke recovered at the Cougar-36. Puluse later ripped off a 22-yard burst between the tackles, scoring his second touchdown of the day and again giving his team a seven-point lead (27-20, 8:12).

Roque connected with Brian Williams for a three-yard score, deadlocking the two teams at 27-27 with 5:50 to play.

William Paterson began its final possession at its own 45-yard line, and after 13 plays (including a controversial pass interference penalty against Kean on third-and-20), Krautman drilled the 21-yard field goal as regulation ended, giving William Paterson its second straight win and first against Kean since 2004 (18-18-1 all-time record in series).

Roque was 17-of-25 for 257 yards and three touchdowns for Kean. Williams caught six of those passes for 99 yards and one TD. The Cougar offense netted just 41 yards on 27 carries against the Pioneer defense. Markal Ginyard and Jordan Cagle each had 11 tackles for Kean.

The Pioneers will make the short trip to Montclair to face local rival Montclair State Saturday, Nov. 3, at 1:00 p.m.