WEST CHESTER, Pa. – The Lock Haven University football team (0-5, 0-4 PSAC East) fell on the road today at No. 9 West Chester (5-0, 4-0 PSAC East), 41-16 in a PSAC East matchup.
 
Lock Haven was unable to overcome an early, 17-0 West Chester lead, but The Haven battled toe-to-toe with the nationally ranked Golden Rams throughout the second half.
 
The Golden Rams opened the scoring with a five-play, 91-yard drive on its first possession, resulting in a 13-yard touchdown pass from Sean McCartney to Shannon Mayer.
 
Rich Bruno drove home a 43-yard field goal to put WCU up, 10-0 with 2:06 to play in the first quarter.
 
After another McCartney touchdown pass made it, 17-0 West Chester, LHU got on the scoreboard when quarterback Caleb Walton (Manheim, Pa./Manheim Central) capped off an eight-play 75-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run.
 
WCU added another score before the half and led 24-6 at the mid-game intermission.
 
The Bald Eagles fought hard in the second half, playing right with the nationally ranked Golden Rams.
 
Trailing, 31-6 midway through the third quarter, Haven kicker Alex Boumerhi (Philipsburg, Pa./Philipsburg-Osceola) connected on a 44-yard field goal to trim the West Chester lead to, 31-9.
 
The 44-yarder was Boumerhi's longest of the season.
 
West Chester added another passing score and a 45-yard field goal by Bruno to pull ahead, 41-9 midway through the fourth quarter.
 
Malyk Harris (Harrisburg, Pa./Albright College) capped off the scoring with a 43-yard touchdown run with 2:00 to play.  The run was the longest of the season through five games for LHU.
 
Walton threw for 193 yards on 16-of-36 passing and one interception.  The dual-threat quarterback added 57 yards rushing on the day.
 
Beau Swales (Clearfield, Pa./Clearfield) rushed for 68 yards on 22 carries to lead Lock Haven on the ground. 
 
David Cook (Boiling Springs, Pa./Boiling Springs) and Bernard Smack (State College, Pa./Shippensburg Univ.) each caught four passes for LHU for 61 and 58 yards, respectively.
 
Daniel Strawbridge (Harrisburg, Pa./Harrisburg) and Tony Ballon (Jersey City, N.J./Harrisburg) led the Bald Eagles defensively with nine tackles each.
 
DeRon Lee (Altoona, Pa./Slippery Rock Univ.) recorded his first career interception at LHU, when he picked off McCartney late in the third quarter.
 
McCartney threw for 403 yards and five touchdowns to lead the Golden Rams.  Brandon Monk added 133 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
 
Lock Haven returns home next week (Saturday, October 11) when the Bald Eagles host PSAC East foe Shippensburg at Hubert Jack Stadium.  The Bald Eagles and Lock Haven University are calling for a "Pink Out" at the game to raise awareness for breast cancer.  Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m.
 
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