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MASCAC honors PSU’s Engel

PLYMOUTH – Freshman Robbie Engel (Topsfield, Mass.) picked up a pair of weekly honors from the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC), while senior Willie Lombard (Bridgewater, Mass.) earned a spot on the Weekly Honor Roll for the second straight week following the Panthers come-from-behind win over Bridgewater State University on Saturday.

PSU STATISTICS

Engel doubled up as both MASCAC Defensive Player of the Week and Rookie of the Week after helping Plymouth State rally past the Bears, 17-14, thanks to a big defensive effort. Lombard repeated his Weekly Honor Roll recognition after rushing for more than 100 yards and scoring a pair of touchdowns.

Engel made a game-high 13 tackles, including six solo stops, and recovered a third quarter fumble that helped spark the Panthers’ rally. He was all over the field in the early going, making five tackles in the first quarter alone, but his key play came with PSU trailing 14-3 early in the third quarter. Engel jumped on a loose ball at the PSU 36-yard line to stop a Bridgewater State drive, and the Panthers found the end zone on the ensuing drive to start the comeback.

Lombard ran for 111 yards and scored both second half touchdowns to assist the Plymouth State rally. Following Engel’s fumble recovery, Lombard bounced to the outside for a 23-yard TD run to cut the Bears’ lead to 14-10, and he added a fourth quarter score to give the Panthers the lead. Lombard averaged 4.6 yards per carry and added an 11-yard reception and 69 kickoff return yards to his day.

Plymouth State fell behind 14-3 at the half, but the Panthers’ defense forced fumbles on back-to-back drives to start the second half. Lombard’s first score made it a 14-10 deficit with 5:14 left in the third. The PSU special teams pressured the Bridgewater State punter after a bad snap, resulting in a turnover on downs and the Panthers took advantage of a short field as Lombard gave the hosts the lead with 12:48 left to play. PSU’s special teams and defense continued to make big plays, forcing a missed field goal and turnover on downs on Bridgewater State’s final two possessions to secure the win.

Plymouth State heads to Massachusetts Maritime Academy on Saturday (Sept. 28). Kick off with the Buccaneers is set for 1 p.m.

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