SCHENECTADY, NY – The Union defense posted four sacks and held Worcester Polytechnic Institute to 227 total yards in a 16-3 victory over the Engineers in Liberty League action Saturday at Frank Bailey Field.
The Dutchmen, winners of three straight, improved to 3-0 in Liberty League play and 3-2 overall. The Engineers fell to 4-2 overall and 1-2 in the league.
Senior tailback
Zach Tillo (Lancaster, MA) rushed for 75 yards and a touchdown and sophomore quarterback
Jared Gourier (New Orleans, LA) rushed for a 30 yard scoring play to lead the Dutchmen to their 12
th straight victory over WPI. Tillo had a game high 75 yard srushing on 18 carries and sophomore quarterback
Ted Civetti (Wellesley, MA), who came in to relieve the injured
Andy Catellier (Voorheesville, NY), was 6 for 13 for 64 yards. Catellier was 3 for 6 for 44 yards.
Josh McKelligan (Canton, MA) had two catches for 41 yards for Union.
Junior linebacker
Joseph Catalano (Albany, NY) had a game high 14 tackles for the Dutchmen, while Andrew Sides (Acton, MA) led the Engineers with 11 tackles. Senior defensive back
Mike Daley (North Bridgeton, ME) had two interceptions for 26 yards in returns.
Rob Pantalone (Camp Hill, PA) was 12 for 31 for three interceptions and 135 yards for the Engineers, while George Chyoghly (Boylston, MA) was six for 36 on the ground. Matt Burger (Ballston Lake, NY) caught five passés for 54 yards for the guests.
Union posted 174 yards rushing and 305 yards in offense in the triumph. The defense kept WPI to 4 for 15 on third downs and stopped all five fourth down conversion attempts by WPI.
Freshman kicker
Zach Epley (Southampton, NY) put the Dutchmen on the board with a 28 yard field goal with 7:43 remaining in the first quarter. It capped a four play, eight yard drive that consumed 1:01. The drive started when Daley intercepted a pass by Pantalone and returned it nine yards to the WPI 17.
The Engineers tied it when Derek Pszbysz converted a 25 yard field goal with 6:19 left in the second quarter. It was a 14 play, 48 yard drive that took 6:54. That field goal was the first for WPI in 16 games. On the ensuing drive, the Dutchmen regained the lead on Tillo's five yard touchdown run with 3:13 left in the half. Union took over on its own 42 and Tillo rushed for 17 of the yards, including a seven yard run on a third-and-one from the WPI 49 that kept the drive alive.
Neither team scored in the third quarter, but the Engineers threatened with 11:09 left with a drive that made it to the Union 21. But the Dutchmen stopped a fourth-and-one when Aaron Champaign (Fairfield, ME) was hit for a one yard rushing loss by
Pat Sheridan (Short Hill, NJ) and
Vito Pellerito (Pompano Beach, FL).
The Dutchmen added insurance when Gourier rushed in from the WPI 30 with 8:06 left in the fourth quarter. It wrapped up a six play, 87 yard drive in 3:16. The kick failed and the score provided the eventual final, 16-3 Union.
Union hosts new Liberty League foe Susquehanna next Saturday, October 13 at 1 p.m. for Homecoming at Frank Bailey Field. WPI is idle next week and travels to league rival Rochester on October 20.
