Box Score
SCHENECTADY, N.Y. Junior running back Tom Arcidiacono (Castleton, NY/Columbia) rushed for 205 yards and two touchdowns to lead Union College to a 49-42 victory over Rensselaer Saturday afternoon in front of 4,247 at Frank Bailey Field.
Union clinched the Liberty League Championship and the NCAA automatic bid with a perfect 10-0 record and a 7-0 mark in the league. The Engineers fall to 7-2 overall and 5-2 in the league. The NCAA Division III playoff field is announced Sunday at 1 p.m. on ESPNews. Union also won the 103rd meeting in this series, New York State's oldest collegiate football rivalry, and took home the "Dutchman's Shoes Trophy," awarded for the 56th time in the storied rivalry.
Arcidiacono, ranked fourth in NCAA Division III in rushing, had his fourth 200 yard game of the year, and also broke the single season record that includes playoff games, previously held by Vlad Telemaque (1,547 in 11 games in 1991). Arcidiacono now has 1,616 yards this season. Junior QB Anthony Marotti (River Edge, NJ/River Dell) was 21 for 33 for 300 yards and three touchdowns, while two receivers had big days for the Dutchmen. Junior WR Ryan Twitchell (Fayetteville, NY/Fayetteville-Manlius) caught seven passes for 160 yards and a touchdown while junior WR Steve Angiletta (Plantsville, CT/Southington) had 116 yards on 11 catches and two touchdowns.
Rensselaer was led by freshman quarterback Jimmy Robertson (Yonkers, NY/Iona Prep), who was 20 for 35 for 214 yards and two touchdowns. Junior RB Jay Bernardo (East Greenbush, NY/LaSalle Institute), the seventh-ranked rusher in Division III, had 94 yards and scored two touchdowns. Sophomore WR Brendan McGowan (Mesa, AZ/Mountain View) had 100 yards on eight catches for RPI.
The teams combined for 985 yards and the 91 points were the most combined points in the series' history. RPI opened the scoring at 8:53 of the first quarter on a 30-yard field goal by Drew Taranto (Baldwinsville, NY/C.W. Baker). Union took a 7-3 lead at 5:50 on a four-yard run by Marotti. Graham Boyd (Wappingers Falls, NY/John J.) caught a nine-yard pass from Robertson at 5:50 but Union regained the lead on a seven-yard pass from Marotti to Angiletta with 4:19 left for a 14-10 Dutchmen lead. Bernardo had a 15-yard scoring run with seven seconds left in the first quarter and the guests had a 17-14 lead after the first stanza.
Taranto hit a 22-yard field goal at 12:23 of the second to extend the RPI lead to 20-14. But Twitchell had an eight yard reception from Marotti at 8:41 for a 21-20 Union lead. RPI took a 28-21 advantage at 5:53 on a four-yard run by Bernardo, for what would turn out to be the Engineers' final lead of the day (28-21). Arcidiacono had a two-yard scoring run at 1:17 then just 1:16 later, Marotti hit Angiletta with a five-yard touchdown pass for a 35-28 lead by halftime.
A four-yard run by Marotti with 1:25 left in the third quarter was the only scoring and the Dutchmen had a 42-28 lead. Brett Perron (Windham, NH/Central Catholic) scored at 12:25 of the fourth on a one-yard run, and Arcidiacono went over the 200 yard mark for Union with a 45-yard rush with 3:01 left in the fourth. Eren Savalsi (Brooklyn, NY/Brooklyn Tech) caught a nine-yard pass from Robertson with 1:16 left and the Engineers trailed 49-42, but the ensuing on-side kick went out of bounds and Union ran out the clock.
RPI was led defensively by LB Tom Rayhill (Grand Island, NY/Grand Island), who had 11 tackles, including nine solos, and DB Tim Frame (Scotia, NY/Scotia-Glenville) and LB Jimmy Motzkin (Lynnfield, MA/Lynnfield),, who each had 10 tackles. Union LB Kevin Flike (Stillwater, NY/LaSalle) led the Dutchmen with seven tackles.
This will be Union's 10th NCAA Division III playoff appearance and first since 2000. It will be the fourth for Head Coach John Audino. Union's other 10 win team, the 1989 squad, finished 13-1 and lost in the Stagg Bowl (championship game). Union capped off the ninth undefeated regular season in history and first since 1993.
