Injured linebacker Preston Plevretes returned to La Salle for the first time as an honorary captain

The Explorers came out fired up and ready to go

QB Joe Procopio made his first start as an Explorer Thursday night

Bernie Cevis made his mark with 5 catches on the night totaling 96 yards

Senior Josh Brumfield was chosen to lead the team this year as one of the offensive captains

PHILADELPHIA, PA - Night football made its debut at McCarthy Stadium as the La Salle University Explorers opened the 2006 season with a 38-15 loss to Wagner College in front of one of the largest home crowds ever to witness an Explorer game at 20^th and Olney.

 

Wagner led 24-0 at the half and, despite the Explorers outscoring the Seahawks 15-14 in second half, handed the Explorers an opening day defeat for the fourth consecutive season. 

 

Chris Turner started the scoring with a 19-yard touchdown reception from Matt Abbey to cap a five-play 42-yard drive with 10:19 remaining in the first quarter.  Turner would finish with six catches for 93 yards and two touchdowns.

 

The Explorers managed just 49 yards of total offense in the first half but got back on track when they opened second-half scoring with a nine-play, 72-yard drive that ended with Joe Procopio (Calvert, MD/Calvert - Temple Univ.) hitting senior Lou Russo (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) for a 10-yard touchdown pass.  Procopio was making his Explorer debut after transferring from Temple University.

 

The Seahawks would find the end zone two more times including and 80-yard interception run back by Al Phillips with 7:25 to play.

 

When Procopio, who was under pressure from the Seahawk rush all night, left the game after taking a staggering hit on a completed pass to Bernie Cevis (Port Deposit, MD/Harford Tech), back up Chris Hanson (Southampton, PA/Archbishop Wood) entered the game and led the Explorers on a 16-play, 80 yard touchdown march that ended when Cevis caught a 12-yard fade in the end zone.  Cevis would lead all receivers with 96 yards on five grabs.  Russo caught the two-point conversion to end scoring.

 

Defensively the Explorers saw a stand-out night from senior linebacker Nick DePinto (Cream Ridge, NJ/New Egypt) who had seven tackles including two for a loss and a near pass interception. 

 

The game was the first played on the Explorers brand new Sprinturf playing surface and was the first of three weeknight games to be played at McCarthy Stadium.

 

The Explorers return to action for the second of those three night events when they host College of New Jersey at 7:30 PM on Friday, September 8^th.