BY STEVEN SOUSA // Oct. 21, 2017 //

The Colonels rode quarterback Alex Corvese’s five-touchdown performance to a 46-16 win over conference foe Nichols College on Homecoming Weekend.

Saturday afternoon was the second game in a row where Curry put up at least 40 points amidst its recent three-game win streak.

Corvese tossed a pair of touchdowns in the first half, one to sophomore Nick Villanueva and another to junior Phil Lebel, giving the Colonels an 18-10 lead at the break. However, it was in the second half where Curry’s high-powered offense really took off.

The Colonels went on a 21-point run which started with an eight-yard touchdown run from Corvese with just over 11 minutes remaining in the 3rd. Lebel caught the next two on 12 and 10-yard throws to extend the Curry lead to 39-10 with almost all of the 4th left to play.

Corvese has been the key cog in the Colonels’ offense this year as he now has 17 total touchdowns on the year. The senior co-captain from Cranston, R.I. credited the offense’s big day to the coaching staff in getting the players prepared.

“We had a really good understanding of what they would be running defensively so we knew how to attack them,” said Corvese.

The defense also played exceptionally well, limiting the Bison to 16 points while forcing four turnovers.  After the game, Curry head coach Skip Bandini said that the key was stopping quarterback/receiver Tony Martignoli, who is an athlete that Nichols likes to move all over the field.

Junior Joe Patti and senior Dylan Gramuglia were able to do just that and get in Martignoli’s head by way of an intercepted pass, accounting for just half of the Colonels’ defensive turnovers.

Senior Stephen Grogan forced a fumble in the 3rd quarter and classmate Jack O’Rourke picked it up before freshman Aaron Brooks grabbed another interception from Cam Hamilton this time, to ice the game with under a minute left.

The win puts Curry in a three-way tie for first place atop the Commonwealth Coast Conference standings with Salve Regina and Western New England who also stand at 2-0 within the conference.  Their overall record climbs to 6-1, the Colonels’ best start to a season since 2009.

Coach Bandini recognized that this group of players is special but he speculated as to why there hasn’t been a remarkable start like this in eight years.

“One reason is the economy, we lost a lot of kids over the years that couldn’t afford the school anymore,” Bandini noted.  “But I think the merit money that they have at Curry College now sets kids up to be successful and stay here for four years.

“The administration addressed that issue because they want to win so I tip my hat to the athletic director, the president of the college, dean of admissions. When we win, it’s really a credit to all those folks that have worked behind the scenes,” Bandini explained.

Next Saturday, the Colonels will be traveling to Beverly, Mass. to take on Endicott College who is 1-6 on the season and 0-2 in conference play. The Gulls will be coming off a 41-14 defeat to the fellow first-place Salve Regina Seahawks.