Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WORCESTER -- WPI carried a three-point lead into the final five minutes, but MIT quarterback Ryan Treptow (Dunkerton, IA) connected with Michael Dennison (Beaufort, SC) for the go-ahead touchdown with 4:26 remaining as the visiting Engineers rallied for a 28-24 NEWMAC victory over the Crimson and Gray on Senior Day Saturday at H. Carr Field at Alumni Stadium. WPI slips to 5-4 (3-3 NEWMAC) on the season, while MIT improves to 6-2 (4-2 NEWMAC).

Prior to the game, WPI honored its 26 seniors, including Pat Andrews (Marlboro, MA), Sidharth Atluri (South Windsor, CT), Dante Atwood (Newton, MA), John Auchter (Ware, MA), Brendan Burke (Warren, MA), Johnny Cacace (Watertown, MA), James Compito (Washingtonville, NY), Kevin Connolly (Lynnfield, MA), Ryan Darby (Pembroke, MA), Tyler Deal (Collegeville, PA), Michael Doherty (Woburn, MA), Matthew Ford (McDonald, PA), Douglas George (Dorchester, MA), Zach Hirshon (Boxford, MA), Andrew Knight (Glen Rock, NJ), Calvin Lambert (Somersworth, NH), John Lavinio (Upper Saddle River, NJ), Carter Learned (Reading, MA), Justin Mather (Middleboro, MA), Zach Oliveira (Uxbridge, MA), Garrett Ranieri (Templeton, MA), Matt Sauris (Salisbury, MA), Bora Schlosser (Brookline, MA), William Schlesinger (Winchester, MA), Sanjay Talwar (Owings Mills, MD) and Camden West (Haverhill, MA).
 
Trailing 21-17 entering the fourth quarter, WPI put together a 10-play, 78-yard march to regain the lead. Dylan Gallo (Maynard, MA) connected twice with Ethan Frisch (Clinton, MA) on the drive, first for nine yards before finding him for a 24-yard touchdown with 13:38 remaining. Nathan Napier (Natick, MA) added the extra point to put the Crimson and Gray back in front 24-21.

MIT answered late in the frame. Treptow directed a six-play, 40-yard drive before finding Dennison for a nine-yard touchdown with 4:26 to play, putting the visitors ahead 28-24.

WPI had two opportunities to respond. The first reached the MIT 33 before the hosts were stopped on fourth-and-three with 48 seconds remaining. After using all three timeouts to force an MIT punt, the Crimson and Gray took over at their own one-yard line with 17 seconds left. Gallo found Dylan Dipietro (Oxford, MA) for nine yards on the first play, but after an incompletion, Gallo was sacked at the four-yard line as time expired.

Josh Macomber (Bethel, CT) powered the WPI offense with 175 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries, averaging 6.7 yards per attempt. His afternoon included touchdown runs of 37 and five yards as well as a 50-yard burst that helped set up a third-quarter field goal. Gallo completed 20-of-25 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown, while Frisch led the receiving corps with six catches for 78 yards and the fourth-quarter score.

Johnny Cacace (Watertown, MA) led the WPI defense with nine tackles. Chris Ciarniello (North Kingstown, RI) and Owen Matthews (Milford, MA) each added six stops, while Logan Kundred (Highlands Ranch, CO) finished with five. Zach Oliveira (Uxbridge, MA) broke up two passes, and Andrew Zipko (Rocky Mount, NC) recorded WPI's lone tackle for loss.

Treptow paced MIT by completing 20-of-32 passes for 211 yards and four touchdowns without an interception. Keegan Doody (Eastchester, NY) caught six passes for a game-high 75 yards and a touchdown, while Dennison hauled in three receptions for 23 yards and two scores. Ian Bond (Long Beach, CA) accounted for MIT's other touchdown reception. Marco Baisch (San Carlos, CA) led the visitors defensively with nine tackles, while Thomas Shoales (Georgetown, TX) collected eight stops and two tackles for loss.

WPI controlled the opening quarter behind Macomber. The junior broke free for a 37-yard touchdown with 10:58 remaining to finish a four-play, 60-yard drive. The Crimson and Gray then consumed more than nine minutes on a 15-play, 85-yard march, with Macomber punching it in from five yards out with 19 seconds left to give WPI a 14-0 advantage.

MIT cut the deficit in half just before the break. Treptow connected with Doody for 34 yards on third-and-13 to move the visitors into WPI territory, then found him again for an eight-yard touchdown with 15 seconds remaining, sending the teams to halftime with WPI leading 14-7.

The visitors pulled even early in the third quarter after Willem van Roijen (Mamaroneck, NY) intercepted Gallo and returned the ball 25 yards to the WPI 16. Six plays later, Treptow connected with Dennison for a four-yard touchdown to knot the game at 14-14.

Macomber answered with the longest run of the afternoon, breaking off a 50-yard gain to the MIT 26. WPI eventually reached the eight-yard line before Napier connected on a 25-yard field goal to put the hosts back in front 17-14 with 8:15 remaining in the third.
 
MIT responded with a 10-play, 75-yard scoring drive, highlighted by Treptow's 34-yard completion to Ezekiel Dube-Garrett (Fort Myers, FL). Treptow capped the march with a nine-yard touchdown pass to Bond, giving the visitors their first lead at 21-17 with four minutes left in the third and setting up the back-and-forth final quarter.
 
Both teams close out the regular season with NEWMAC match-ups next Saturday at noon. WPI travels to Newport, RI for a battle with Salve Regina, while MIT heads to Northfield, VT to take on Norwich.