Herbert Woodard becomes career rushing leader as Greyhound football runs past Saint Anselm, 45-12

October 17, 2009

Assumption 45, Saint Anselm 12

MANCHESTER, N.H. --- Junior running back HERBERT WOODARD (Bridgeton, NJ/Salem) rushed 17 times for 163 yards and four touchdowns leading Assumption College past Saint Anselm College, 45-12, in Northeast-10 Conference football here SATURDAY at Grappone Stadium.

Woodard scampered 64 yards on the Hounds first play from scrimmage to tie the game and later scored from three, one and 38 yards to pace his team to its third straight win. The Greyhounds are now 5-2 overall and 4-1 in the conference, while Saint Anselm is 2-5, 1-4.

In the process, he became the Greyhounds varsity career rushing leader with 2,431 yards passing Hall of Famer Fran DeFalco '94 (2,289 yards). He also passed the 'club' leader Rich Dandini '89, who finished with 2,335. He is also the first Greyhound to have 10 100-yard rushing games and tied DeFalco for the most rushing touchdowns (29) in a career. His 192 career points are just 12 points short of DeFalco's career mark of 204.

Next week the Greyhounds will travel to Bentley University, a 28-27 winner over Pace today, with kickoff slated for 2 p.m. The Falcons are 5-1 in conference action tied with Southern Connecticut for first place, while Assumption and Merrimack are right behind at 4-1. Therefore, the game will have special significance in the regional poll and in final determination of possible N.C.A.A. aspirations.

Saint Anselm started quickly in this game as sophomore MARC WILSON (Farmington, CT/Bridgeton) returned the opening kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown. The conversion kick failed leaving the Hawks in front 6-0.

The Greyhounds, or rather Woodard, wasted no time as he rambled 64-yards on his first carry to tie the game after just 30 seconds. Sophomore CORY KEMPS (Carmel, IN/Carmel) kicked the conversion to give the Greyhounds the lead, 7-6.

Sophomore PAUL PEREZ (Brooklyn, NY/Xaverian) returned a punt 19 yards to the Saint Anselm 23 to set up the next Greyhound score. Junior quarterback ANDREW KUPEC (Wyckoff, NJ/Indian Hills) found junior wide receiver JOHN BARKER (Avon, MA/Xaverian) for 22 yards on the second play setting up Woodard?€™s three-yard burst up-the-middle for the touchdown. Kemps conversion made it 14-6.

A 28-yard return by Perez to the Saint Anselm 33 set up Kemps for a season- and career-best 45-yard field goal---the second longest in Greyhound history. Jon Eisele '08 kicked a 49-yarder to beat LaSalle University (10/27/07).

Saint Anselm drove 73 yards in 10 plays early in the second period only to have senior middle linebacker DUSTIN ZITZMANN (Pinellas Park, FL/Dixie Hollins) stuff Wilson for no gain on a fourth-down and-one at the Hounds 11. Assumption then drove 89 yards in 13 plays to make it 24-6.

Woodard carried eight times for 38 yards including the final yard for the score. Kupec found junior wide receiver MARK GATELY (Waltham, MA/Waltham) for 34 yards to move the ball to the Hawk 47.

Saint Anselm drove 86 yards in eight plays on its next series only to have Zitzmann again stymie the process forcing a fumble subsequently recovered by sophomore defensive end KEVIN PICKETTE (Burlington, MA/Burlington). Just before halftime, junior defensive tackle MICHAEL FOLEY (Holden, MA/Saint John's) stopped the Hawks with a quarterback sack and eight-yard loss.

The Greyhounds came out fast the second half driving 53 yards in 10 plays to make it 31-6. Kupec rushed for 18 yards, including a five-yard keeper for the score, and converted three third-down plays to highlight the march.

After a short punt and another return by Perez, this one for 16 yards to the Saint Anselm 38, the Hounds were in business again. After an incomplete pass Woodard scampered 38 yards for his fourth TD. Kemps conversion made it 38-6.

On the ensuing kickoff junior LANCE MITCHELL (Boynton Beach, FL/Pope John II) stripped Wilson and returned it 20 yards for a touchdown. It was the first fumble returned for a touchdown since Gino Meccariello '06 returned one against American International (10/08/2005). Kemps conversion made it 45-6---two touchdowns in 10 seconds!

Wilson struck back however racing 70 yards to the Greyhound 20 on the next kickoff. Freshman quarterback MICHAEL PIERCE (Andover, MA/Andover) found junior wide receiver MARCEL BOUIE (Stone Mountain, GA/Dunwoody) on the first play for the lone Saint Anselm offensive touchdown. Pierce's pass for two-points went awry.

GREYHOUND GAME NOTES: junior running back HERBERT WOODARD (Bridgeton, NJ/Salem) has now rushed for 420 yards and nine touchdowns in two career games at Saint Anselm. He ran for 277 yards and five touchdowns here as a freshman . . . he has rushed for 385 yards and scored seven touchdowns in the last two weeks . . . he has 3,028 yards of career all-purpose offense, just the third Greyhound over 3,000 yards following Jason Calla '00 (3,051) and Fran DeFalco '95 (4,487) . . . and 1,057 yards this season . . . Woodard has rushed 157 times for 925 yards (the sixth best in Hound history) with 13 touchdowns (ties Kevin Clive record set in 1999) . . .

junior wide receiver DAVID CANNEY (Templeton, MA/Narragansett) caught just two passes and now has 133 receptions for 1,732 yards . . . he trails Eric Mauer '01 (140) and Jake Beers '08 (158) in career receptions and Mauer (2,166 yards) and Beers (1,950 yards) in reception yardage . . .

senior middle linebacker DUSTIN ZITZMANN (Pinellas Park, FL/Dixie Hollins) led the team with 5-0--5 tackles . . . he now has 144 236--380 for his career, third behind Scott Stephens ?€˜93 (70-117- 387) and Bill Guilfoil '95 (275-134--409) . . . sophomore PAUL PEREZ (Brooklyn, NY/Xaverian) had six punt returns for 75 yards . . .

the Greyhounds had 422 yards of total offense and rushed for 307 yards . . . they had a 36:21 to 23:39 advantage in time-of-possession . . . they have scored 241 points in seven games (averaging 34.4 per game) . . . the season record is 265 points in 2000 . . .

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