SCHENECTADY, NY – St. Lawrence University opened Liberty League football play with a 30-20 victory at Union College Saturday. The Saints improved to 3-1 overall while the Dutchmen fell to 0-3.

This was only the second win in the last 18 meetings between the schools, and the Saints' first win in Schenectady since 2010.

Tight end Nik Busharis tossed two touchdowns in the first quarter and running back Maurice Irby ran for another score. The Saints forced three Union fumbles and an interception and produced and also produced an 84 yard blocked field goal return for a touchdown by Connor O'Brien. QB Mike Lefflbine was 15 for 23 for 125 yards and Irby had 54 yards on the ground.

Union was led by running back Darnel Thomas, who had 122 yards on nine carries, including a 57 yard run for the day. Brian Havlicek had 45 yards on three catches and Connor Eck was 13 for 31 for 148 yards but was sacked five times by the Saints' defense. Union rolled up a season high 411 yards on 84 plays and held St. Lawrence to 266 total yards.

Jake LaRovera led all players with 10 tackles for Union, while Shane Hart and Andrew Cox had nine tackles each for the Saints. Rajiv Heron had a sack with another tackle for a loss and a forced fumble for the Saints.

St. Lawrence opened the scoring at 8:42 of the first quarter when Mike Tateosian caught a 25 yard pass from Busharis. It was a fourth-and-two at the Union 25 when Busharis took the snap and found Tateosian to cap the four play, 33 yard drive in 1:26. On a third-and-20 from the St. Lawrence 38, Rajiv Heron forced a Union fumble at it was recovered by St. Lawrence defensive lineman Chryon Brown-Wallace at the Saints-41 yard line. Six plays later, Colby Johnson caught a 30 yard strike from Busharis for a 13-0 lead and the kick was blocked by Union.

On the ensuing drive, the Dutchmen got on the board with 30 seconds left in the quarter when T.J. Franzese ran in from 12 yards out. It wrapped up a seven play, 55 yard drive in 3:25.

Just six seconds into the second quarter, Union's Jake Lebowitz recovered a fumble from St. Lawrence at the Saints' 17 and took it in for the score but the kick attempt was blocked and the game was tied at 13-13. Union took the lead for the first time when Thomas rank in from five yards out with 10:57 left in the half to cap a three play, 78 yard drive in 58 seconds. On the second play of the drive from the Union 38, Thomas broke free for a 57 yard run that was stopped five yards short of the endzone, then ran it in on the next play for a 20-13 home lead.

St. Lawrence tied the game at 20-20 4:59 into the third quarter, the only points of that quarter. On a fourth-and-23 from the Saints 26 yard line, Union's David Pope attempted a 43 yard field goal, but it was blocked by Brown-Wallace and picked up by O'Brien, who raced down the right sidelines with blockers for 84 yards and the touchdown, and the kick tied it at 20-20.

Irby rushed in from 25 yards out just 10 seconds into the fourth quarter and gave the Saints the 27-20 lead after a five play, 49 yard drive in 2:17. On Union's next drive, Eck was at the Dutchman-46 yard line when a pass was intercepted by Saint Alec Dietsch, and he returned it 32 yards to the Union 17. That set up a Collin Shapiro 27 yard fiel goal four plays later for the eventual 30-20 final.

Union is on the road next week for a 12 p.m. contest at Liberty League rival Springfield. St. Lawrence hosts league foe Rochester next Saturday at 1 p.m.