NORTHFIELD, MINN.—All nine of the Hamline University football team's points came from the foot of senior kicker Durham Welch, who booted field goals from 25, 19, and a season-long 45 yards. It wasn't enough momentum for the Pipers to avenge their 24-14 loss to the Knights at Klas Field from September 28, as they ended 2024 with a 21-9 loss.

The Pipers conclude their 2024 season with a 3-7 record, while the Knights cap their campaign with a 5-5 mark.

Carleton 21, Hamline 9

Dawson Schaffer, whose nine grabs for 139 yards in the contest gave him a single-season school record 1239 yards, accumulated 59 yards on three catches throughout Hamline's opening drive. It ended with Welch's 25-yard field goal that gave the Pipers a 3-0 lead with 7:46 left in the first quarter, and took that score into the second quarter. 

Knights quarterback Jack Curtis took over in the second frame, where he completed 13-of-16 passes for 143 yards and two touchdowns. The scoring connections were to Tyler Dimond from 41 yards out that gave Carleton a 7-3 lead with 4:20 left in the second, and to Nathan Streiff in the final seconds of the half that pushed their advantage to 14-3.

The Pipers defense opened the third quarter by forcing back-to-back turn over on downs on the Knights. The offense didn't seize those opportunities as they threw an interception, and punted on those ensuing drives to keep the score at 14-3 with 5:27 left in the third. It was a matter of time before Carleton punched it into the end zone, as Max Jones capped a five-play drive with a seven-yard touchdown run that widened their lead to 21-3 with 3:42 on the clock. 

Despite a big 28 yard run from Malik Wynn, and quarterback Alejandro Villanueva's 24-yard connection to Dawson Schaffer on the ensuing drive, all they had to show for it was Welch's 19-yard field goal that narrowed Hamline's deficit to 21-6 with 11:34 left in the fourth. 

Hamline got the ball right back off Caleb Lueders interception that put them at Carleton's 34 yard line. Despite great field position, Hamline couldn't punch it into the end zone and settled for a 45-yard field goal from Welch that made the score 21-9 with 9:46 remaining.

The Pipers defense forced a turnover on downs, and a punt to keep the Knights off the scoreboard. Their offense didn't match that momentum as they threw an interception, and allowed a sack on the game's final play.

Villanueva completed 23-of-32 passes for 237 yards for the Pipers. Eric Pfenning-Wendt had a career game with 10 catches for 60 yards. 

The Hamline defense was led by Croix Zacharias' 12 tackles, including one for a loss of two yards. Elijah Gingras was next with eight tackles and a interception for five yards with 4:38 left in the first quarter that was followed by a three-and-out from the Pipers offense. Lueders, who finished with three tackles, returned a pick for 18 yards along with two pass breakups. 

The Knights were led by Curtis, who completed 30-of-40 passes for 316 yards and two touchdowns. Dimond, who caught 11 balls for 150 yards and one score, was Curtis's main target.