This Weekend
The Union College Dutchmen will be traveling to Butterfield Stadium to take on the Ithaca Bombers on Saturday, Nov. 2. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. (ET).
Media Coverage
The game against Ithaca will be streamed live through ictv.org/live and an audio feed can be accessed for free through iHeartRadio.com. The game can alse be heard on WICB 91.7-FM in the Ithaca market. Live stats will also be provided through athletics.ithaca.edu.
Last Week vs Hobart
The Dutchmen earned a win over defending Liberty League champion Hobart College as Junior quarterback Nick Cascione threw for 272 yards and three touchdowns to lead Union College to 28-23. Senior running back and captain Connor Kinzelmann scored a key touchdown late in the fourth quarter that helped ice the game. Defensively, exceptional coverage and open-field tackling by Union cornerbacks Tucker Newman and Paul Chambers hindered the effectiveness of Hobart's offense. Hobart threw 59 times as Newman and Chambers led Union in tackles and pass break-ups
Coming Up
Next week, the Dutchmen return to the confines of Frank Bailey Field to play fellow Liberty League top-seed contender RPI. Kick-off is slated for 12 p.m.
The Series vs Ithaca
Ithaca leads the all-times series with an 8-5 record against Union. The Dutchmen have not defeated Ithaca since Sep. 9, 2009.
Last Season vs Ithaca
In last year's meeting, the Union College defense held Ithaca College to 179 yards and the fewest points in the series since 1999 in the season opening 14-9 loss at Ithaca Saturday at Butterfield Stadium. The game marked the first loss for Union's new head coach,
Jeff Behrman.
Cascione Named Performer of the Week
Throwing a season-high 272 yards in Saturday's 28-23 win over Hobart, quarterback Nick Cascione was named the Liberty League's Offensive Performer of the Week. In the against the Statesmen, the junior from New Canaan, CT, threw three touchdown passes to help keep the Dutchmen perfect in conference action and extend the team's winning streak to seven games. He completed 14-24 passes in the game without any interceptions, and had a game-high 64-yard pass to Chris Nicholas for a touchdown that put Union up 21-3 in the third quarter. Currently, Cascione is completing over 66 percent of his passes, has thrown for over 1,400 yards, and has completed 14 touchdown passes.
Cascione's achievement makes him the sixth Performer of the Week honor for the Dutchmen this season. Previous winners include Tucker Newman (Defensive Performer) for Oct. 14 Vincent DiCaterino (Defensive Performer) for Sept. 30, Evan Gilland (Defensive Performer) and Nick Cascione (Honor Roll) for Sept. 26, Tyler Barnes (Special Teams Performer), Jason Nelson and Cascione (Honor Roll) on Sept. 19, and Connor Kinzelmann and DiCaterino (Honor Roll) Sept. 11. DiCaterino also earned D3Football.com National Team of the Week honors on Sept. 12.
When Was The Last Time?
After the victory against Hobart, Union now sits atop the Liberty League standings with a 7-1 overall record and a 3-0 record within the Liberty League. The last time the Dutchmen had at least 7 victories in a season was 2009. Union had an overall record of 8-3 that year and a Liberty League record of 6-1.
Union's Oct. 14 win against Rochester was the first time Union had a shutout win since Oct. 22, 2005. Union defeated Coast Guard 7-0 in front of a homecoming crowd on Frank Bailey Field. The 2005 victory was the Dutchmen's seventh consecutive win of the season, which would become a 10-1 season. The only loss of the 2005 season would ultimately be season ending, in the second round of Division III NCAA playoffs.
Dicaterino Keeps Racking Up The Sacks
Against Hobart, Vincent DiCaterino added to his sack total which now stands at 8.0, a statistical category he leads the Liberty League in. In the home opener vs. Coast Guard, DiCaterino had three sacks for losses of 32 yards. For the season, he has 11.5 tackles for losses of 78 yards, and 8 sacks for 67 yards.
Beal Shines Again
Earlier this season Union receiver Griffin Beal had a 95-yard kickoff return touchdown at Morrisville State. It was the longest in the Liberty League in 2017 and is tied for the 8th longest in NCAA Div. III this season. It was the longest in the league since WPI's Alex Domond had a 99 yarder vs. Rochester on Nov. 17, 2015. Beal is one of only 65 players in all-four NCAA divisions (FBC, FCS, II, III) to have a kickoff return of 95 or more yards this season. He is one of 21 players in NCAA Div. III to return a kickoff for a touchdown this year.
Last week against Hobart, the former quarterback made a spectacular diving one-handed catch that brought about premonitions of Odell Beckham Jr. on his way to a three catch, 59 yard performance that included a touchdown as well. Beal now leads all Union receivers in touchdowns with four. After making the transition from quarterback to receiver earlier this season, Beal has used his exceptional speed and athleticism to emerge as a valuable compliment to captain and senior receiver Alex Kaplanovich. Known simply as "Kap" to much of the team, Kaplanovich is a skilled route runner who leads Union in receptions (37), receiving yards (491), and is second to Beal in receiving touchdowns with three.
Kinz Folk
Connor Kinzelmann has five career 100-yard rushing games. He led Union last year with 950 rushing yards and nine TDs with an average of 95.0 yards per game while splitting time with senior running back
Jermaine Carn, who in fact lead the Dutchmen in carries last season. This season Kinzelmann averages 52.13 yards per game and 34% of the team's carries.
NCAA Stat Check
Thus far into the season, turnovers created by the Union defense have been a significant factor. In NCAA Div. III stats, Union ranks 5th in fumbles recovered (12), and ranks 8th in turnover margin (+1.5). Union ranks 9th in average kickoff-return yardage, 27th in completion percentage (.642), 42nd in sacks allowed (1.25 per game), 60th in passing efficiency (145.54), 13th in turnovers gained (23), 34th in scoring defense (15.5) and 36th in net punting (35.72). Nick Cascione is 23rd in completion percentage (.656)., Vincent DiCaterino is 23rd in sacks (8) and Tyler Barnes is 59th in punting (38.4).
Liberty League Stat Check
In this week's Liberty League statistics, Union leads the league in kickoff returns (25.15), and sacks (20). The Dutchmen are also first in scoring defense (15.5). Union is third in offensive efficiency (145.2) as well as second in fourth-down conversions (50.0%), and punting (36.6). Vincent DiCaterino leads the league in sacks (1.0/gm.) and sack yards (67). Jack Reilly is second in tackles for losses (1.63/gm.). Tyler Barnes' average of 38.4 yards per punt is second in the league. Nick Cascione is first in pass efficiency (148.0). Jake Lombardo is third in tackles (9.6/gm).
