CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. - The Holland College Hurricanes held off a feisty UNBSJ Seawolves squad and earned a 22-17 win in Saint John, N.B., to open the Atlantic Football League season.
UNBSJ (0-1) was down 22-3 on Saturday, then capitalized on two, fourth-quarter Holland College fumbles and cut the edge to 22-17. But the Hurricanes defence held off a last minute drive by the Seawolves and secured the win.
Overall, said Hurricanes head coach Ross Young, the team performed well but there’s a lot of work to do.
“Our team was tested by a very good and revitalized football team in Saint John. Our defence was strong and the players performed well. We were able to see many of our players in action on both sides of the ball, so the takeaways and teachable moments will be an important part of our preparation for our first game at home,” said Young. “Bad penalties and three turnovers almost cost us the game. We have to tighten up on our discipline and protect the ball better. We will take the win and improve on our execution each week.”
Quarterback Brady Crowe led the Hurricanes (1-0) offence with a five-yard rushing major and a 30-yard touchdown to receiver Allister Nicholson, while linebacker Javier Bolanos returned an interception on the Seawolves 25-yard line for a touchdown.
Hurricanes running back Rodrigo Montes de Oca rushed for 111 yards and caught five passes for 30 yards.
Linebacker Alex Rose led the ‘Canes defence with five solo tackles and two sacks, while Bassey Amba and Mitchell Logan each had two quarterback sacks.
Holland College opens at home against UNBSJ on Saturday. Kickoff is 1 p.m. at MacAdam Field in Charlottetown.