Bentley rallies to defeat Greyhound football; Herb Woodard over 1,000 yards for the season with new TD record

October 24, 2009

Bentley 24, Assumption 20

WALTHAM, Mass. -- Junior JOHN MALONE (Walpole, MA/Walpole) and postgraduate KELLEY ROWE (Toledo, OH/Sylvania Southview) scored second-half touchdowns as Bentley University came-from-behind to defeat Assumption College, 24-20, in Northeast-10 Conference football here SATURDAY.

Junior running back HERB WOODARD (Bridgeton, NJ/Salem), once again was the standout for the Greyhounds, rushing 27 times for 104 yards and two touchdowns, while senior middle linebacker DUSTIN ZITZMANN (Pinellas Park, FL/Dixie Hollins) finished with a game-high 7-4--11 tackles and an interceptions.

Woodard went over the 1,000-yard mark for the season with his 11th career 100-yard effort and now has 1,029 yards with a new career-record 31 rushing touchdowns (Fran DeFalco '94 finished with 29). He also set the mark for overall touchdowns with 34 and tied DeFalco's career-record point total (204). Zitzmann inched closer to the Hound career mark for tackles and now has 391 (second all-time) with two games remaining. Bill Guilfoil '94 finished with 409 for the present career mark.

Bentley senior linebacker MATT ZAHORUIKO (North Andover, MA/North Andover) was stellar on the other side with 1-9--10 tackles, while also contributing a fumble recovery leading to the go-ahead score. He then finished the Greyhounds last shot with an interception with 2:16 left in the game.

The Falcons have now won three straight and improved to 8-1 overall and 6-1 in the conference, while the Greyhounds are now 5-3 overall and 4-2 in the league.

With Bentley driving for the first score of the game, Zitzmann came up big with an interception at the 16-yard line. The Greyhounds then drove 84 yards in 11 plays to take the lead. Woodard accounted for four first downs in the march and scored on a one-yard plunge. Freshman CORY KEMPS (Carmel, IN/Carmel) kicked the conversion for a 7-0 lead.

On its next possession, the Hounds drove 62 yards in 11 plays setting up a Kemps 43-yard field goal with 8:33 left in the half to move to a 10-0 advantage. Junior quarterback ANDREW KUPEC (Wyckoff, NJ/Indian Hills) completed four-of-six passes including two first-down tosses to junior JOHN BARKER (Avon, MA/Xaverian) for 17 and 15 yards. He finished 20-for-34 for 221 yards, while Barker made seven receptions for 72 yards.

Bentley answered right back, moving 66 yards in seven plays for its first touchdown---a 15-yard pass from junior quarterback BRYANT JOHNSON (Hopedale, MA/Milford) to Malone on a slant. Johnson completed all four of his passes on the drive and Rowe had 35 rushing yards. They took their first lead with 10:47 left in the third period taking advantage of a fumble recovery and subsequent return by senior linebacker ERIC SONG (Encinitas, CA/La Costa Canyon) to the Assumption 45. Malone picked up his second touchdown from four yards to make it 14-10.

The lead was short-lived however as Assumption responded on the ensuing possession. The six-play, 63-yard drive included a 36-yard completion from Kupec to senior wide receiver DAVID CANNEY (Templeton, MA/Narragansett) and was again capped with a one-yard run by Woodard---his conference-leading 16th touchdown of the season. Kemps conversion made it 17-14. Canney ended with six receptions for 82 yards and now has 139 in his career with 1,815 yards.

Assumption's next possession started at the Bentley three following a mishandled punt snap recovered and returned 28 yards by sophomore DAN CONRAD (Holden, MA/Saint Peter-Marian). The Falcon defense stopped the Hounds three successive plays inside the five and the Hounds were forced to settle for a 19-yard Kemps field goal that made it 20-14.

After a completion from Johnson to placekicker TYLER MC NAMARA (Medway, MA/Medway) on a Bentley fake field goal attempt came up a couple yards short, the Hounds took over on their own 10. A false start pushed the ball back to the five, and sophomore MATT WELCH (Woburn, MA/Woburn) forced a fumble on the next play with Zahoruiko recovering. Rowe finished the short drive, running for the touchdown that made it 20-20. McNamara added the conversion for a 21-20 Falcon lead with 32 seconds left in the third.

NEXT WEEK: the Greyhounds host Northeast-10 Conference rival Stonehill College next FRIDAY at 7 p.m. Bentley has a bye week.

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