Worcester, MA --- Running back Chris Coney (Ft.
Lauderdale, FL) rushed for 197 yards and combined with quarterback
Drew Connolly (Foxboro, MA) for four second half
touchdowns to help Union rally from a 14-0 deficit to defeat host
WPI 25-17 in a key Liberty League football matchup on Saturday
afternoon. Union is 2-1 overall and tied atop the conference
standings with St. Lawrence at 2-0 while WPI slides to 3-2 on the
season and 1-1 in Liberty League play.
The Engineers, playing in front of announced crowd of 3,110 on
homecoming, jumped out to a 14-0 advantage on a pair of defensive
touchdowns. Christopher
O'Connor (Bellerose, NY) returned an interception 12
yards for a score early in the second quarter after Brendan
Gove (Rutland, MA) hit the quarterback as he was
throwing the ball. The Crimson and Gray doubled its advantage
in the opening minutes of the third quarter when Kevin White
(Worcester, MA) stripped the Union runner of the ball and returned
it 30 yards to extend the lead to 14-0.
Union answered right back after getting good field position on
the ensuing kickoff, Coney ran 48 yards on the next play for
Union's first points of the day. The score was 14-6 after a
missed PAT. After the teams traded punts, the Dutchman took
advantage of a WPI fumble in its own territory and went 31 yards in
8 plays capped by a Coney 2-yard touchdown plunge to cut the
deficit to 14-12.
WPI extended its lead to 17-12 when Cody Beckel
(Jupiter, FL) drilled a 22-yard field goal early in the fourth
quarter. Union quickly countered, using a 39-yard kickoff return to
set up shop at the WPI 36. Seven plays later Connolly snuck
in from 2-yards out to give the Dutchman its first lead of the day
at 18-17 with 10:14 left. After its defense held the
Engineers to a three-and-out, the visitors chewed up 4:17 of the
clock, culminating in a Connolly 6-yard touchdown scamper with 4:26
remaining to make it 25-17.
The Engineers would have one last crack and used a 36-yard
diving reception by Nick Bean to get deep
in Union territory. Later in the drive with just a minute
remaining, the Engineers were faced with a 4th-and-goal from the
Union 15. Quarterback Pat McAuley
(Hingham, MA) was forced to scramble and got to the 1 yard line
before he was stopped by Anthony Cassese
(Wickliffe, OH) and a host of Dutchmen before the goal line. Union
would take over on downs and run out the clock to secure the
win.
Red zone conversions keyed Union as they produced touchdown all
three trips inside the 20 and limited WPI to just a field during
its three attempts inside the 20.
Cassese paced the Dutchmen on defense with eight solo tackles
while AJ Rocchio (Glen Rock, NJ) added seven
tackles, including a sack. O'Connor and Jack
Mulhern (Worcester, MA) paced WPI with 10 stops apiece
while Peter Gill
(Franklin, MA) chipped in with a pair of tackles-for-loss,
including a sack.
Coney earned his 197 yards on 32 carries. It marked the
15th time in his standout career the senior has rushed for 100 or
more yards.
O'Connor took home the Robert Pritchard Award as the Most
Outstanding Lineman while White won as the Most
Outstanding Back.
Both teams continue Liberty League play next Saturday with road
contests. WPI heads to Kings Point, NY to take on the United
States Merchant Marine Academy at 4pm while Union makes the trek to
Geneva, NY to play Hobart at noon.
Story by Mark Therrien - WPI Athletics
