WORCESTER, Mass.
— In a tightly contested matchup, Nick Garrido’s field goal in the third quarter propelled Lehigh to a narrow victory over Holy Cross, with a final score of 10-7 on Saturday. This win has resulted in a three-way tie at the top of the Patriot League standings, as both Lehigh and Holy Cross join Bucknell with identical 3-1 records as the regular season approaches its conclusion. The only shared matchup among these teams will occur next week, when Bucknell visits Holy Cross.
Garrido’s successful 25-yard field goal, coming with just eight minutes remaining in the third quarter, provided the crucial advantage for Lehigh. Earlier, quarterback Dante Perri connected with Mason Humphrey for a touchdown pass of 12 yards. Lehigh’s defense was again a dominant force, managing to limit their last three opponents to under 20 points. As a result, the Mountain Hawks improved to a record of 6-3 overall, alongside their 3-1 league standing.
On the other side, Holy Cross (4-6, 3-1) had its highlight in the form of quarterback Joe Pesansky, who threw a touchdown pass to Jacob Petersen from 10 yards out, tying the game at 7 before halftime. Despite a determined drive late in the fourth quarter that took them from their own 14-yard line to the Lehigh 35-yard line, the Crusaders were unable to convert as Daniel Porto missed a 52-yard field goal attempt with just 28 seconds left on the clock.
Neither team was particularly explosive offensively, with both failing to accumulate 300 total yards. For Lehigh, Perri and Hayden Johnson combined for 55 passing yards, completing 7-of-10 attempts. Luke Yoder was a key contributor on the ground, rushing for 66 yards out of Lehigh’s total of 168 rushing yards. On the other hand, Pesansky completed 17 of his 26 passes for 148 yards.
With all three teams tied for the top position in the league, Holy Cross is still in contention for a chance to claim or share the league title for the sixth consecutive year. This game held particular significance as it was played exactly 100 years and one day after these two teams first faced each other; however, they have met only 40 times in total, with Lehigh currently leading the series 20-19-1.
