SCHENECTADY, NY – Freshman running back Nick Costa (Yonkers, NY) rushed for 160 yards and a 59 yard touchdown and the RPI defense held Union to 91 passing yards in a 20-14 Liberty League victory over Union College Saturday at Frank Bailey Field. With the win, and the Hobart victory over Rochester, the Engineers (6-1 in the league) clinched the Liberty League automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, and the field will be announced Sunday. Union finishes the regular season 5-4 and 5-2 in the league. It was RPI's first win at Union since 1992 and returns to the NCAA tourney for the first time since 2003.
Junior quarterback Jimmy Robertson (Yonkers, NY) was 17 for 25 with two touchdowns for RPI, while freshman wide receiver Patrick McCarthy (Strafford, NH) caught six passes for 82 yards. Defensively, linebacker Anthony Casale (Troy, NY) posted 12 tackles, including nine solos, and linebacker Tom Rayhill (Grand Island, NY) had 10 tackles with three for losses, including two sacks. James McLaughlin (Foxboro, MA) had foru tackles for losses and a sack.
Union freshman running back Chris Coney (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) was 11 for 60 with a rushing touchdown. Quarterback Jared Gourrier (New Orleans, LA) was seven for 12 for 69 yards and Charles Kaliades (Ridgewood, NJ) caught three passes for 69 yards. Senior linebacker Vito Pellerito (Pompano Beach, FL) had a team high nine tackles for the Dutchmen, giving him 243 for his career. That ranks him tied for fifth all time with Thom McMahon (1986-89).
The teams played to a scoreless first quarter. On a first down from the Union 31, with 8:38 remaining in the quarter, Robertson had a pass intercepted in the endzone by Pat Sheridan (Short Hills, NJ) to end a threat. Union started a drive at the 50 with 2:29 left in the first, and eight plays later in 2:39, Coney had a one yard rush for a 7-0 lead with 10 seconds elapsed in the second quarter.
With RPI on its own 41 on a second down, Costa broke free up the middle for a 59 yard scoring run to make it 7-6, as the Engineers had a pass attempt fail after a bad snap. The drive took three plays and 70 yards in 44 seconds.
Later in the quarter Robertson had another pass intercepted in the endzone, this one by Chris Brolley (Miami Beach, FL). But the Engineers took their first lead of the day after stopping Union on the next drive in four plays. Robertson hit Eren Savasli (Brooklyn, NY) with a five yard pass to cap a seven play, 60 yard drive with 2:25 remaining in the first half. The drive that consumed 3:26 featured 38 rushing yards from Costa, and it was 13-7 RPI at halftime.
It remained 13-7 after three quarters, although Union had a 14 play, 67 yard drive that took 8:28, but was stopped at the RPI 18 yard line on a fourth down with 1:42 left in the stanza.
Robertson made it 20-7 with a 14 yard scoring strike to Chris Graef (Bethel, CT) with 7:12 remaining in the fourth quarter. Robertson through for 28 yards on the seven play, 43 yard drive that took 2:56.
Union pulled back to within six at 20-14 as Gourrier led the Dutchmen on a 14 play, 63 yard drive in 3:52. He scored on a two yard run with 3:13 left, and kept the drive alive on a 4th and 15 with a 17 yard pass completion to Andrew Reigle (Dania, FL) during the drive.
The home defense stopped the Engineers on four plays and took over on the Union 40 with 1:36 remaining. But on first down Gourrier was intercepted by John Tesiero (Amsterdam, NY) at the RPI 43 and returned it 19 yards.
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