SCHENECTADY, NY – Zach Grasis ran for 168 yards and a touchdown to lead Worcester Polytechnic Institute to a 29-21 victory over Union College at Frank Bailey Field Saturday. The Engineers improved to 4-2 overall and 1-2 in the league while the Dutchmen fell to 0-6 and 0-3 in the Liberty League.
Dan Eckler was 17 for 34 for 155 yards and two touchdowns, and Brandon Eccher caught both scores with 76 yards on six catches. Dereck Pacheco, Kevin Lynch and Edward Giles each had seven tackles, while Pacheco had two tackles for losses of 10 yards including a sack and also a forced fumble and recovery.
Union quarterback
Nick Cascione was eight for 18 for 89 yards and a touchdown.
A.J. Baker had 36 yards on two receptions and
Enoch Penney-Laryea (69 yards rushing) and
Connor Kinzelmann (61) led the ground game.
Jake LaRovera and
Jake Lombardo had a game high 10 tackles each and
Jack Reilly had nine including a sack as well as two pass break ups, a fumble recovery and an interception.
Union scored on the first drive of the game.
Connor Kinzelmann had six straight carries on the 12 play drive, and his sixth straight was a one yarder for his fifth rushing touchdown of the day. The drive consumed 75 yards in 5:05.
WPI tied the contest on the next drive, as Eckler passed an 11 yard TD to Brandon Eccher with 1:54 remaining in the first quarter. This was also a 12 play drive, taking 6:03 in 75 yards. Union started the next drive at its on 35 and had 1:49 remaining in the quarter. Kinzelmann opened it with a 65 yard run but it was called back on a holding penalty. But six plays and 65 yards later Union regained the lead at 14-7 as Cascione found
Kyle Reynolds for eight yards for a 14-7 lead five seconds into the second quarter. It was Reynolds' 22nd career TD reception, tying Steve Angiletta '06 for second all-time at Union.
Union recovered a fumble with 8:55 left in the second at its own six yards line, forced by
Mike Fitzsimmons and recovered by
Jack Reilly. After a penalty brought it back to the three, Kinzelmann was tackled in the Dutchmen endzone by Jason Lamb for a safety, making it 14-9.
Union then had the free kick and WPI went 10 plays to the Union 33. On a fourth down, Reilly intercepted a pass at the Union 27 and ran it back 73 yards for a 21-9 lead. WPI started on the next drive with 3:16 to play in the half and on the fifth play Eckler hit Brandon Eccher for 39 yards for the touchdown to pull the Engineers closer at 21-16. The drive took just 1:22 and it was 21-16 at halftime.
WPI took the lead with a one yard run from Grasis with 7:03 left in the third quarter, but the Blaine Bursey point after failed. On the 12 play, 52 yard drive, Grasis carried eight times for 39 yards. It was the only scoring of the quarter.
In the fourth period, with 13:05 remaining, Eckler was intercepted by
Jason Nelson in the endzone to end a threat. The quarter featured 10 different drives. Union had a chance for the lead with 6:36 left but a 40 yard field goal attempt failed. Later, with 3:16 remaining at the Union 32, Sean Murphy intercepted a Union pass at the Union 36. Five plays later, Eckler ran in from 15 yards out to provide an eight point lead at 29-21. Union had one more chance with 53 seconds remaining but Jason Lamb's interception at the Dutchmen 48 sealed the victory for WPI.
Union is idle next week and returns to action October 24 for a Liberty League game at Rochester. The Engineers host Merchant Marine next Friday night at 7 p.m.
