Newport, R.I. — October 3, 2026 — The Springfield College football team earned a win over New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) opponent Salve Regina on Saturday afternoon, 36-23.
The Pride improve to 4-1 overall and 2-0 in the conference while the Seahawks drops to 4-1, 1-1. Springfield entered today's contest receiving votes in both the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division III national poll and the D3football.com national poll.
Springfield saw a program record three interceptions returned for touchdowns on the day and became one of very few programs across Division III to complete the feat. Mike Mendicino (Pound Ridge, N.Y.) became one of very few student-athletes to record a pick six twice in one game while Will Aviles (Bethlehem, Pa.) added the other for the Pride. The defense totaled four interceptions — the other pick coming from Brady Vale (Ellington, Conn.) — which include three that were returned for touchdowns for a total of 214-yards.
Mendicino led the Pride with his two return-interceptions for 114-yards to go along with seven tackles while Nick Peterson (Kingston, Mass.) led the defense with nine tackles, two pass breakups and a quarterback hurry. Aviles added a 100-yard pick six, forced a fumble and had a pass break up. Drew Heenan (Londonderry, N.H.) ran for 32 yards on the ground and threw for 70 yards, and Ian Wernik (Plymouth, Mass.) was 4-for-4 on extra points and 2-for-2 on field goals.
Salve Regina opened up the game with the ball but were quickly forced to punt. Springfield then put together an eight play, 37-yard drive to allow Wernik to come on to kick a 40-yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead. The Seahawks quickly responded as they went on a seven minute, 17-play drive to get down the field and score a touchdown to take the lead, 7-3.
Both teams went three-and-out to start the second quarter and in the first five drives of the quarter either punted or registered a turnover. Springfield started its next drive with 6:51 left in the second quarter and at the Springfield 44-yard line as Heenan connected with Caleb Hantho (Schoharie, N.Y.) down the field for a 56-yard passing touchdown as the Pride took the lead 10-7. Salve, again, had a quick response and went on a lengthy 11 play, 68-yard drive for Nathan DiRado to kick a field goal and tie it at 10. Springfield had more chances to score as an interception from Vale gave Springfield the ball back, but the Seahawks registered an interception of their own to stay even going into the halftime break.
With just over five minutes remaining in the third quarter and Salve Regina at the brink of scoring, Mendicino intercepted the pass from Padraig Brown at the goal-line and returned it for a 100-yard touchdown to give Springfield the lead 17-10. Brown bounced back during Salve's next drive and threw for a 59-yard touchdown to equalize.
At the start of the fourth quarter, Mendicino notched his second interception and ran it into the end zone just 14-yards to give Springfield the lead 24-17. The Pride then forced a three-and-out from Salve and a snap over the punter's head allowed for a safety, before Springfield put together a nine play, 39-yard drive for Wernik to kick a 30-yard field goal to extend the lead 29-17. Aviles then picked off Brown and returned it to add on to the Pride's lead before the Seahawks added one more touchdown with a failed two-point conversion attempt as Springfield got the win, 36-23.
Springfield will host WPI on Saturday, October 17 on Stagg Field at 12:00 pm.
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