University of St. Thomas Athletics
7-3 , 5-2
Drake
6-3 , 5-1
Tommies down Drake 20-13
11/8/2025 3:57:00 PM | Football
DES MOINES, IOWA – The weather in Des Moines, Iowa was frightful, but the University of St. Thomas football team may have found that delightful. The Tommies traveled down I-35 and handed Drake University its first Pioneer Football League (PFL) loss of 2025. Fueled by old fashions defense and strong special teams, St. Thomas beat Drake 20-13, improving to 7-3 overall and 5-2 in PFL play.
QUICK HITS:
- St. Thomas scored first for the seventh consecutive game, taking a 7-0 lead in the first quarter thanks to a fake field goal turned touchdown by Stefano Giovannelli (St. Louis Park, Minn. / St. Louis Park).
- Ben Hoiland (North Oaks, Minn. / Mounds View) was 2-2 on field goal attempts., converting from 20 and 25 yards to secure the win for the Tommies. He was also 2-2 on PATs.
- As a team, St. Thomas rushed for 131 combined yards, led by Andy Peters (Boise, Idaho / Timberline) 66 net yards. Gabe Abel (Trenton, N.J. / Salisbury) tallied 37 yards with one touchdown.
- Defensively, St. Thomas was led by Nick Hand (Rogers, Minn. / Totino-Grace) and Ryan Sever (Edina, Minn. / Benilde-St. Margaret). Hand recorded a career-high 12 tackles with one pass break up, while Sever tied his career high of 10 tackles with two for loss and one sack.
SCORING SUMMARY:
First Quarter: It was a cold and snowy day in Drake, but the Tommies were able to strike first after a seven minute drive led by Peters. The grad senior quarterback led St. Thomas to the Bulldogs six yard line but the Tommies were unable to find the end zone. On fourth and six with the field goal unit on the field, Giovannelli took the snap and held on, running into the end zone to score the first six points for St. Thomas. Hoiland converted the PAT, making it 7-0 Tommies after one.
Second Quarter: Drake tied St. Thomas early in the second, making it 7-7 with just under 14 minutes to go. That score held until Hoiland's 25-yard field goal boosted the Tommies back ahead 10-7. The Bulldogs converted a 35-yard field goal in the waning seconds of the half, making it 10-10 all after two quarters of play.
Third Quarter: St. Thomas scored the lone touchdown of the third quarter, as Abel capped off a 45-yard drive with his first touchdown of the season. After Hoiland's PAT, the Tommies lead 17-10 entering the final quarter of play.
Fourth Quarter: Drake once again opened the fourth quarter by scoring, as a 41-yard field goal by the Bulldogs cut the St. Thomas lead to 17-13. However, that was the closest Drake would come to catching the Tommies. St. Thomas answered the Bulldogs field goal with one of its own, regaining a 20-13 advantage with 10 minutes left in the quarter. That lead would hold, as Peters and Co. would kneel down on the final possession to secure the 20-13 victory.
UP NEXT:
St. Thomas will return to O'Shaughnessy Stadium for its final PFL contest of 2025. The Tommies will host Presbyterian for Senior Day on Saturday, November 15, with kickoff scheduled for 1:00 p.m. CT.
Team Stats
UST 7, DRK 0
UST - Giovannelli,Stefano 6 yd run (Hoiland,Ben kick), 14 plays, 85 yards, TOP 07:04
UST 7, DRK 7
DRK - Inagawa,Logan 2 yd run (Balke,Harry kick), 5 plays, 77 yards, TOP 02:48
UST 10, DRK 7
UST - Hoiland,Ben 25 yd field goal 10 plays, 45 yards, TOP 05:05
UST 10, DRK 10
DRK - Balke,Harry 35 yd field goal 9 plays, 49 yards, TOP 03:48
UST 17, DRK 10
UST - Abel,Gabriel 2 yd run (Hoiland,Ben kick), 6 plays, 45 yards, TOP 03:30
UST 17, DRK 13
DRK - Balke,Harry 41 yd field goal 11 plays, 48 yards, TOP 05:20
UST 20, DRK 13
UST - Hoiland,Ben 20 yd field goal 13 plays, 64 yards, TOP 06:43
