SCHENECTADY, NY – Junior quarterback Wolfgang Shafer was 25 for 33 for 265 yards and two touchdowns to lead Ithaca College to a 38-23 non-league football victory over Union College at Frank Bailey Field Saturday afternoon. It was the season opener for both teams.

Shafer, making his first career start and appearance, did not throw an interception. Josh Oliver had eight catches for 80 yards and Kyle Hastings had 69 yards on five catches with a touchdown while Brian Balsamo was five for 65 with a score. Malik Morris made a game high 11 tackles and Dan Loizos made 10 stops. Ithaca had 381 yards in offense, and was 10 of 15 on third down conversions.

Union QB Dante Cioffi was 25 for 55 for 224 yards and a touchdown with one interception. A.J. Baker had a game high 81 yards receiving on eight receptions and Joe Vito had 61 yards on six catches. Conor Kinzelman rushed for a game best 42 yards with a touchdown. Jake LaRovera and Thomas Hayes had nine tackles each and Justin Waller had eight stops for Union, which had 286 total yards in offense.

Kyle Hastings opened the scoring for the Bombers with 6:07 left in the first with an 18 yard scoring reception from Shafer. It was a 16 play drive, the first drive of the game, that went 90 yards and it was 7-0 Ithaca after the first. Kinzelman had a 16 yard rushing TD with 6:57 remaining in the half to wrap up a 12 play, 71 yard drive that consumed 5:18 and it was 7-7. But with just 2:32 left in the first half, Brian Balsamo caught a 32 yard pass from Josh Oliver. It was a 70 yard drive in eight plays and in 4:18, and the teams went into the half with Ithaca leading, 10-7.

Union knotted the score again, as Joe Vito's 29 yard reception from Cioffi 3:42 into the third quarter made it 14-14. That was an eight play, 56 yard drive. Evan Skea regained the lead for the Bombers with a three yard run with 7:57 left in the quarter on the sixth play of a 47 yard drive. And with 5:08 left in the third period, Jack Yule caught an eight yard reception on a quick four play 21 yard drive in under 1:30 for a 28-14 lead through three quarters.

Max Rottenecker hit a 39 yard field goal 2:37 into the fourth for a 31-14 lead after an 11 play, 50 yard drive in 5:32. With 7:07 to play, Brad Tempel sacked Shafer in the Ithaca endzone for a safety (31-16), and Union converted on the ensuing drive. On a third-and-two from the Ithaca-8, Jermaine Carn rushed in with 3:35 left and it was an eight point game after an 11 play, 70 yard drive that took just 3:23. Union forced a punt and took over at the Dutchmen-20 with 1:31 left. But  on the sixth play of the drive, Josh Oliver recorded an interception at the Union 37 and ran it in with 42 seconds remaining for the eventual final score, 38-23.

Next week, Union has the second of three non-league games to open the season. The Dutchmen will play their only night game of the season, September 12 at Western Connecticut State University at 6 p.m. Ithaca is idle next week and then opens the home season vs. non-league Hobart at 1 p.m. in a rematch of an NCAA first round game (Hobart won last year, 22-15 last season).