WHITE RIVER JUNCTION, Vt. — In a game that featured seven fumbles, two of the top Division II football teams met to close out the regular season as the first-place Hartford Hurricanes (7-0) hosted the visiting Colchester Lakers (5-2) Friday at Memorial Field.
Ultimately, it was Hartford that did a better job limiting errors to finish the regular season unbeaten with a 28-21 win. After giving up a 14-point lead in the second half, the Hurricanes needed a late touchdown to claim the victory.
“We knew it was going to be a battle coming into it,” Hartford head coach Matt Trombly said. “It was going to come down to who wanted it the most. Whoever made the fewest mistakes was probably going to come out on top.”
On Hartford’s second drive, senior running back Noah Danieli powered the offense downfield with tough, hard-nosed running, including a 19-yard gain that broke multiple tackles. That set up a third-and-11 where senior quarterback Owen Mock found an open Rex Baning for a 29-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead.
After forcing another Lakers punt, Mock again connected with Baning, a junior who made a catch in double coverage and sprinted to the end zone for a 59-yard touchdown, extending Hartford’s lead to 14-0 early in the second quarter.
Colchester began to build momentum on its next drive, but after converting a fourth down, a Lakers running back fumbled the ball into the end zone before crossing the goal line, and Baning recovered for a touchback.
Later in the second period, the Lakers responded with a strong drive that culminated in a 9-yard touchdown pass that cut the Hurricanes lead to 14-7 at halftime.
Hartford opened the second half with an eight-play scoring drive fueled by Danieli and senior running back Matt Nubin. Nubin capped it with a 4-yard touchdown to make it 21-7.
After forcing a Lakers punt, a Hartford fumble gave Colchester possession at Hurricane’s 40-yard line. Six plays later, on fourth down, a 19-yard touchdown made it 21-13. The extra point failed.
Colchester then recovered a well-placed onside kick by and capitalized four plays later. A Lakers running back found a hole on the left side and ran untouched for a 22-yard score. The two-point conversion to tied the game at 21.
On Hartford’s game-winning drive, the Hurricanes chewed up the clock, feeding Danieli five times before Mock scored on a designed 9-yard quarterback keeper to reclaim the lead.
The Hartford defense held firm, forcing three straight incompletions to seal the win, allowing Mock to kneel out the clock.
Mock finished 4-of-7 passing for 123 yards and two touchdowns, adding 27 yards and another score on the ground. Danieli led the rushing attack with 19 carries for 94 yards. Defensively, seniors Adam Wheatley, Graham Thompson, and Connor Peyton each recorded a sack.
Baning was the standout on both sides of the ball. He finished with five carries for 17 yards, two receptions for 88 yards and two touchdowns, along with an interception and a fumble recovery.
“We had something to play for tonight, and it really showed when it was a tight game,” Baning said. “We had to face adversity, and we just got it done for everybody on the squad.”
Hartford will enter the Division II playoffs as the No. 1 seed and will host its opening-round game next Friday night.
