Box Score
SCHENECTADY, NY -- Chris Coney ran for 155 yards and two touchdowns, including the eventual game-winner with 17 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, to lead Union College to a 24-21 victory over #8 Ithaca College at Frank Bailey Field Saturday afternoon. The Dutchmen opened their season with the win while the Bombers fell to 1-1.
With 22 seconds remaining on a second and goal from the Ithaca one yard line, Coney ran in off the right guard and capped a comeback that wiped out Ithaca's comeback down from 10 points. The Bombers had entered the third quarter trailing Union, 17-7 but had taken the lead with 6:19 remaining.
The Dutchmen Union quarterback Andrew Connolly completed 13 of 27 passes for 175 yards and a touchdown. Justin Gallo had five catches for 67 yards and a score and Jared Gourrier had 65 yards on four receptions. Coney ran for 155 of the team's 177 rushing yards.
Defensively, the Dutchmen were led by senior co-captain John Peters, who posted 10 solo hits and 11 total tackles with two tackles for losses. #Peter Haviland-Eduah, John DeLuca and #Richard Sixto, Jr.# each had nine tackles for the victors.
Ithaca's Dan Ruggiero (Pen Argyl, PA) had 121 yards on 14 carries, and quarterback Brian Grastorf (Rexford, NY), a local product, was 16 for 30 for 176 yards and three touchdowns. Thomas Vossler (Loon Lake, NY) led the Bombers with 57 yards and two touchdowns receiving and Dan Ruffrage (Whitesboro, NY) had four catches for 49 yards.
Eric Toporoff (Towaco, NJ), a linebacker and punter, had team highs of 14 tackles and 12 solo tackles for the Bombers.
Union had 352 yards in total offense while Ithaca finished with 320 yards.
Coney opened the scoring with the lone points of a fast first quarter of play. He capped a 14 play, 94 yard run that consumed 6:31 with a one yard scoring run with 3:51 left in the period. It was Union's first drive of the game, and Coney had 45 yards on the drive including a 26 yard scamper that brought the ball to the Ithaca 13.
It was 14-0 Union after Justin Gallo caught a 19 yard pass from Connelly with 4:04 gone in the second quarter. That score concluded a 10 play, 77 yard drive that took 5:01. But the Bombers got on the board when they took over on a David Ahonen (Farmington, NY) interception at the Ithaca 39. Nine plays and 61 yards later in 4:29, Grastorf found Vossler open on a 4th and 11 from the Union 32 to make it a 14-7 game, where it stood at the half.
The Dutchmen opened the third quarter and got a 28 yard field goal from Zach Epley (Southampton, NY) with 7:27 left in the period for a 17-7 lead. It was a 12 play, 47 yard drive, and provided the only scoring of the third. But a drive that began with 1:50 left in the period turned into points early in the fourth. Vossler caught a 14 yard pass from Grastorf 3:17 into the fourth period to pull the Bombers to within three at 17-14. The 11 play, 71 yard scoring drive took 4:07.
The Ithaca defense then forced a four and out to get the ball back with 9:58 left in the period. Seven plays and 80 yards later, Grastorf hit Lance Baumgartner (Hamburg, NJ) for a two yard touchdown pass and the Bombers had their first lead of the day, 21-17.
Union's defense then shut down the Ithaca offense on four downs to start a drive from its own 47 with 3:41 remaining in regulation. After a six yard loss on the first play, Connolly threw a strike to Gourrier on the right sidelines for a 29 yard gain to the Ithaca 30. Coney rushed for five, then after an incomplete pass and 2:09 remaining, Connolly hit Charles Kaliades with an eight yard pass on third and five for a first down from the 17. Coney then rushed for four and five yards to set up a third and one from the Ithaca-8. He then got three yards for a first and goal and the Dutchmen called timeout with 37 seconds left. After an incompletion, a third down Connolly pass for Justin Gallo was called for a defensive pass interference that brought the ball to the one yard line. Coney was held at the one for no gain with 22 seconds left, but then broke free on the right side and ran in with 17 seconds remaining for the winning score.
This was Union's third straight win in the series, and it was the first time the teams had met since November 19, 2005 when host Union won 55-41 in the NCAA First Round Playoffs. This was the first time that the teams had met in a regular season game after five previous playoff meetings.
Union plays another non-league game next week at Muhlenberg, while plays a third straight game out of league when it opens the home season against Widener.
