KINGS POINT, NY – Freshman running back
Chris Coney (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) rushed for a career high 128 yards and three touchdowns and senior running back
Zach Tillo (Lancaster, MA) rushed for a career best 116 with a score as Union won 54-14 at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Tomb Field Saturday. The Dutchmen evened their season mark at 2-2 and improved to 2-0 in the Liberty League while the Mariners fell to 0-4 overall and 0-2 in the league.
The Dutchmen scored the most points for a team in the series, which now stands in their favor, 6-5-1. Union posted 498 yards in total offense while allowing 166, and forced three turnovers while posting 27 first downs.
Freshman running back
John Johnson (Smithtown, NY) also set a career high, with 95 yards on 16 carries and a touchdown. Sophomore quarterback
Andrew Catellier (Voorheesville, NY), making his second career start, completed 10 of 18 passes for 169 yards and two touchdowns. Senior wide receiver
Andrew Reigle (Dania, FL) caught three passes for 50 yards while Tillo had two catches for 55 yards. Defensively the Dutchmen were led by three players with four solo tackles each,
Vito Pellerito (Pompano Beach, FL), Charles Hovsepian (Hingham, MA) and
John DeLuca (Topsfield, MA). Union freshman punter
Blaise Ancona (Garden City, NY) had a 43.5 average on two punts, including a 60 yard boot.
John Watson had 138 yards rushing on 21 carries for the Mariners, while quarterback Derrick Ventre was 7 for 17 for 83 yards and two touchdowns.
Coney opened the scoring with a 14-yard touchdown run to end a five play, 80 yard drive with just 2:23 gone in the first quarter. It was the first drive of the game and the point after attempt missed. Tillo tallied a one yard running score with 4:02 left in the quarter and the Dutchmen had a 13-0 lead after one stanza. It was a 10 play, 83 yard drive that consumed 6:05.
The Dutchmen made it 20-0 when Coney scored from six yards out with 2:22 gone into the third quarter. It was a 10 play, 84 yard drive that took 4:19. Reigle caught a seven yard pass just under three minutes later and after the kick was missed it was 26-0. This ended a seven play, 26 yard drive in 2:33. The Mariners got on the board when Michael Stewart caught a 35 yard pass from Ventre for a 10 play, 61 yard drive in 4:31 to make it 26-6, the score at the half.
In the second half, tight end
Josh McKelligan (Canton, MA) caught an eight yard touchdown pass from Catellier with 8:25 left in the third quarter. This was a seven play, 60 yard drive in 3:40 for a 33-7 lead. Coney rushed in from 37 yards with 5:31 left in the third stanza to end a three play, 85 yard drive in 45 seconds. Johnson closed out the third period scoring with an 18 yard run to wrap up a five play, 55 yard drive in 2:42, and the Dutchmen led 47-7 after three quarters.
The Mariners' Garrett Washington scored on an 11 yard pass from Vetre with 2:59 consumed in the fourth quarter. This capped an eight play, 72 yard drive in 3:34, to make it 47-14. But the Dutchmen closed the books on the scoreboard with 9:21 left. DeLuca picked up a fumble at the Union 22 and ran 78 yards for the touchdown.
Union had been on the road for three straight weeks with games in Allentown, PA, Rochester, NY and Kings Point, NY. Four of the final five regular season games will be at Bailey Field, beginning next week when the Dutchmen host league rival WPI at 1 p.m. It will be "NCAA Take a Kid to the Game Day," as each child 12 and under is admitted free with a paid adult admission.
