NORTH EASTON, Mass. (Interstat) — Stonehill defeated Mercyhurst 34-28 in an NCAA Football Championship Division game on Saturday at W.B. Mason Stadium. The Skyhawks improved to 4-5, while the Lakers fell to 1-8. Attendance was 550. Mercyhurst scored seven points in the first quarter and 21 in the third. Stonehill scored 13 in the first quarter, seven in the second and 14 in the third. Stonehill protected its home field with a balanced offensive effort and several timely defensive plays, while Mercyhurst’s comeback attempt fell short in the final quarter. The Skyhawks leaned on their passing game and a defense that produced sacks, hurries and interceptions at key moments.

Jack O’Connell led Stonehill by completing 20 of 30 passes for 204 yards and added a rushing touchdown. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound North Andover, Mass., native was the Skyhawks’ top star and helped Stonehill control possession and move the chains. In his previous recent performance, O’Connell completed 19 of 35 passes for 233 yards with two touchdowns and one tackle in an 18-14 win against Long Island. O’Connell’s ability to extend plays and manage the offense gave Stonehill a steady presence throughout the game, and his scoring run was one of the key moments in the Skyhawks’ victory. Stonehill’s offense also benefited from a receiving corps that distributed the ball across several targets.

Jordan Irvine recorded five tackles and an interception for Stonehill. Spencer Davila and Jahnez Williams each made two tackles. Tre Rankin had two tackles and a sack, while Julian Rampino posted three tackles, a sack and a quarterback hurry. Gene Townsel added three tackles. Tyler Bannon contributed three tackles, a sack and a quarterback hurry to go with a kickoff return. Ma’Hkai Wilson and Mo Seide each made four tackles. Adjatay Abegesah had four tackles and three quarterback hurries. Marquan Saddler Jr. added two tackles and a quarterback hurry, and Deandre Goodson led the Skyhawks with seven tackles.

Khalil Wilson caught one pass for 5 yards, An’Tiyan Neal had two catches for 10 yards, Shawn Corchado caught one pass for 12 yards, Alijah Turner had three catches for 29 yards and a kickoff return for 17 yards, and Cole Clarke caught seven passes for 70 yards. Jaylin Baker rushed once for 1 yard and caught three passes for 23 yards. Logan Chenette punted three times for 128 yards. Seedi Sheriff, Amir Butler, Presley Titus, Brian Benson, Damola Owode, Julian Amankwah and Aaziah Scott each recorded a quarterback hurry. Mohamed Toure and Dean Schmitt each intercepted a pass. Langdon Laws, Jayleel Stewart, Kendrick Williams, Josh Osuagwu, Phoenix Sward and Amare Smith each recorded a tackle.

For Mercyhurst, Jason Woods had one catch for 4 yards and three kickoff returns for 73 yards. Jayonn Saunders and Teddy McDuffie Jr. each made three tackles, Jeff Leavell had four, and Daylan Pringle, Jake Miller and Zacchaeus Dixon each made seven tackles. Dixon added a sack. Jean-Christophe Vital Cloutier made eight tackles and two quarterback hurries, while Braylon Beckwith had nine tackles. Dajaun Webb made three tackles. Malte Feil caught one pass for 12 yards and returned a kickoff 17 yards. Christian MacDonald caught four passes for 61 yards. Sha’lik Hampton had eight catches for 92 yards and two touchdowns.

Among the game’s key plays, Domenic Scalese made field goals of 40 and 34 yards for Stonehill. Aidan Garrett scored on a 3-yard run and a 43-yard run, and O’Connell added a 4-yard scoring run. Mercyhurst got a 1-yard touchdown run from E. Van Dyke and two scoring passes from A. Gevaudan to Hampton, covering 21 and 12 yards. Rocco Marcantonio converted extra points and missed a 26-yard field goal attempt. The Skyhawks’ defense made enough plays late to keep the Lakers from completing the rally, and Stonehill’s special teams helped maintain field position.

Mercyhurst entered the game after a loss at Robert Morris and has dropped eight of nine this season. The Lakers’ lone win came against Glenville State. Stonehill had won at Long Island in its previous game and improved to 4-5. The Skyhawks’ defense recorded multiple sacks and quarterback hurries, while Mercyhurst’s defense got production from Beckwith, Vital Cloutier, Dixon and others. Stonehill next hosts Central Connecticut, visits Robert Morris and hosts Wagner. Mercyhurst next hosts Wagner, visits Duquesne and hosts New Haven.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Stonehill 35, Mercyhurst 23. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Stonehill with a 75 percent probability to win.