NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – The Westminster football team concluded its successful season in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Asa S. Bushnell Bowl at home on Saturday. The Titans lost, 21-3, to the Hobart Statesmen.
 
Hobart (9-2) scored first, following a 7-play, 47-yard drive which was capped off with a 6-yard rushing touchdown by David Krewson with 5:19 on the clock.
 
The Statesmen forced a three-and-out on Westminster's ensuing drive and Blake Hansen blocked Jason Hall's punt and returned it 16 yards for a touchdown.
 
Westminster got on the scoreboard on its next drive with a 29-yard field goal by junior kicker Joshua Byers (Pittsburgh, PA / Canon McMillan). The scoring drive was highlighted by a 28-yard run by senior running back Vincent Giles (Lexington Park, MD / Great Mills).
 
The Titan defense provided opportunities for Westminster to score with two interceptions in the second quarter, courtesy of senior strong safety Bryce Thomas (Saint Marys, GA / Camden County) and first-year free safety Brice Butler (Farrell, PA / Farrell). Buter's pick set up a promising drive for the Titans in the final minutes of the first half. With less than a minute on the clock on third down, senior quarterback Cole Konieczka (Coraopolis, PA / Moon Area) connected with classmate Denny Dennison (Windson, PA / Red Lion Area), however, as Dennison was going towards the endzone, Hobart's CJ Calero forced a fumble at the one-yard line, halting the Titan drive.
 
Hobart led 14-3 at halftime and added a touchdown in the second half with a three-yard by Tim Denham Jr.
 
Konieczka went 22-of-33 with 170 yards. Giles led Westminster in rushing with 37 yards, while junior Kevin Brown (Pittsburgh PA / Plum) topped the Titan receivers with five catches for 56 yards – both career-highs. Senior defensive end Tyree Reeder (Youngstown, OH / Ursuline) led the Titan defense with a career-high 10 tackles, including 1.5 tackles for a loss.
 
Hobart outgained Westminster 257-245. The Titans had the advantage through the air, 170-70.
 
Hobart's Blake Hansen was named the ECAC Asa S. Bushnell Bowl MVP.
 
The ECAC Bowl was Westminster's fifth all-time. Westminster (8-3, 8-1 PAC), under eighth-year Head Coach Scott Benzel, won its second-straight Presidents' Athletic Conference Championship.