Game Leaders
Team Stats
Passing Yards
Rushing Yards
Turnovers
Time of Poss.
ITHACA, N.Y. – For the 19th consecutive season, the Ithaca College football team will start the year off with a 1-0 record after defeating Union College, 14-9, at Butterfield Stadium on Saturday. Ithaca also extends its winning streak over Union to seven.
The big play in the ballgame came on the opening snap of the fourth quarter, as sophomore Pat Minogue forced a fumble and junior Jordan Schemm scooped-and-scored on a 54-yard return to put the Bombers up, 14-3.
Union would answer back with a touchdown just under four minutes later with 10:57 on the clock. A failed two-point conversion left the score at 14-9.
After another four minutes burned off the clock, the Dutchmen brought the ball all the way down to the Ithaca 7-yard line, but back-to-back tackles for a loss by Minogue (one sack) set Union back to the 19-yard line. Union would attempt a 36-yard field goal, but missed wide right with 5:26 left in regulation.
Union would get the ball back, however, with just under a minute left in the game to set up a potential game-winning drive. After a pair of completions by Nick Cascione to Jermaine Carn and Alex Kaplanovich brought the ball out to the Union 39-yard line, Minogue ended the contest with an interception at the Ithaca 48.
Ithaca was outgained in the game, 266-179, but the Bombers made four huge plays to pull out the win. Other than the 54-yard fumble return by Schemm, he also recorded a 53-yard kick-off return and a 32-yard punt return.
That return set up a 40-yard pass from Wolfgang Shafer to JR Zazzara, which spotted the ball at the 1-yard line. After a false start placed the ball back at the six, Shafer found Myles LaFrance for the game's opening score with 4:54 remaining in the first quarter.
The teams would go scoreless up until Union connected on a 19-yard field goal with 4:10 left in the third quarter.
Schemm finished the game with four tackles, two pass breakups and 116 return yards. Minogue, who also serves as the team's punter, attempted nine punts for 300 yards (33.3 average) with nine tackles (three for loss).
Shafer was 10-for-23 passing for 124 yards and a touchdown. Tristan Brown rushed for 35 yards on 12 carries, whileEvan Skea carried the ball 12 times for 34 yards.
Zazzara led the Ithaca receivers with 40 yards, while Skea had 37. LaFrance caught four passes for 27 yards.
Defensively, Kenny Bradley picked up 13 total tackles to lead all players. Dan Loizos was close behind with 11 tackles, while Jovonte Long and Anthony Skretny IV each tallied eight tackles. Skyler Kauf (seven tackles) and Gaetano Repicky (six tackles) rounded out the top defensive performances.
Union's Carn rushed for 71 yards and a touchdown, while Cascione threw for 170 yards on 13-for-27 passing. Brian Alebiosu and Justin Waller recorded interceptions on the defensive end.
Ithaca is off next week and will be back in action on September 17 at Hobart for a 7 p.m. kick-off.