WORCESTER, Mass. – Lafayette forced five turnovers on its way to a third-straight Patriot League win, 23-20, on Saturday afternoon at Holy Cross.
 
The victory keeps Lafayette (3-7, 3-1) in the Patriot League title hunt with games remaining against Colgate (3-8, 2-3) and Lehigh (4-5, 3-2) the next two weeks.
 
Freshman QB Keegan Shoemaker continued his stellar rookie season, completing 16-of-25 for 196 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. His 2,299 passing yards this season are a Lafayette freshman record.
 
Junior PK Jeffrey Kordenbrock accounted for nearly half of Lafayette's scoring, converting all three of his field-goal attempts (32, 32, 40) on a day when temperatures were barely above freezing.
 
Defensively, linebackers Major Jordan and Marco Olivas had eight tackles apiece, with Jordan registering three tackles for loss, including two sacks. The defense held Holy Cross to 280 yards of total offense and just 4-of-11 on third down. Malik Hamm and Ryan Barnett also claimed sacks in the win.
 
Lafayette spotted Holy Cross a field goal on the Crusaders' first possession of the game, but then reeled off two quick strikes. Shoemaker completed a 48-yard touchdown toss to Julian Spigner for the 7-3 lead. The Leopard defense took its turn. Holy Cross QB Connor Degenhardt completed a pass to Tenio Ayeni near midfield, but Leopard linebacker Ryan Dickens fended off a blocker and stripped Ayeni of the ball.
 
Starting just inside the Holy Cross half, the offense took advantage. Shoemaker picked up one first down on a 12-yard scramble. On the next play, Shoemaker found Julius Young for a 34-yard touchdown. Lafayette led 14-3 at the end of the first quarter.
 
Lafayette pushed its lead to 17-3 mid-way through the second quarter when Kordenbrock finished off an 11-play, 56-yard drive with a 32-yard field goal.
 
With three minutes left in the half, Holy Cross (5-5, 3-1) cut Lafayette's lead to 17-10 with a nine-play scoring drive. Ayir Asante got free on a pick play in the end zone for a four-yard touchdown.
 
Lafayette went three-and-out and was forced to punt from near its own end zone. The Crusaders took over at the Lafayette 39. Four plays later, Holy Cross appeared to score, but offsetting penalties wiped away the potential game-tying touchdown. Lafayette benefited from a personal foul call on the same play, and then Olivas wiped away the scoring opportunity by stripping Degenhart of the ball. Caleb Burr was on hand to make a sliding recovery and give Lafayette the ball. The Leopards' lead held through halftime.  
 
The special teams unit was ready to go to start the second half. Lafayette kicked off and Luke Ragone forced a fumble that Dylan Crossen recovered. A 31-yard field goal by Kordenbrock was the result as Lafayette led 20-10
 
The Maroon and White continued to force turnovers. Senior CB Eric Mitchell picked off his seventh career interception. That allowed the offense to run some time off the clock. Holy Cross eventually pulled within one score with at 6:23 in the third quarter on Derek Ng's 32-yard field goal. That drive took six and a half minutes.
 
As the fourth quarter opened, Dickens came up with another turnover, forcing a fumble that Billy Shaeffer recovered at the Holy Cross 38-yard line. Kordenbrock then made it a two-score game with a 40-yard field goal on Sean O'Malley's hold with 11 minutes left in regulation.
 
With four minutes left in the game, Holy Cross put together an eight-play, 72-yard drive that culminated with Degenhardt's 18-yard TD to Derek Mountain with 2:10 left in the game.
 
Without any timeouts left, Holy Cross went for the onside kick. Jake Liedtka took a shot on the front line of the hands team, but collected the ball to seal the game for the Leopards who are tied atop the Patriot League standings with Holy Cross.
 
Lafayette returns home to host Colgate on Senior Day on Nov. 16 at 12:30 p.m.