Andrew Kupec 5 TD passes lead Greyhounds past Pace, 34-26, in Northeast-10 football
October 3, 2009Assumption 34, Pace 26
PLEASANTVILLE, NY --- Junior quarterback ANDREW KUPEC (Wyckoff, NJ/Indian Hills) completed 25-for-31 passes for 343 yards and a team-record five touchdowns as Assumption College defeated Pace University, 34-26, in a wild Northeast-10 Conference football game here SATURDAY at Pace Field.
Sharing the spotlight for the Greyhounds was junior wide receiver DAVID CANNEY (Templeton, MA/Narragansett) who caught 11 passes for 124 yards and two touchdowns . . . junior wide receiver MARK GATELY (Waltham, MA/Waltham with four receptions for a career- and season-best 137 yards and a team-record tying three touchdowns . . . and senior middle linebacker DUSTIN ZITZMANN (Pinellas Park, FL/Dixie Hollins), the conference leading tackler, with 5-5--10 tackles to lead the defense.
And, junior running back HERBERT WOODARD (Bridgeton, NJ/Salem) rushed 22 times for 68 yards and became just the second varsity player in Greyhound history with over 2,000 yards. He now has a career-record 416 carries for 2,056 yards and trails just Fran DeFalco (1992-94) who rushed for 2,292 yards in his career.
Pace got a superb performance from junior quarterback RAY GREGG (Stony Point, NY/North Rockland) who completed 20-of-35 passes for 208 yards and two touchdowns.
The Setters struck first as junior ERIC ORTEGA (Staten Island, NY/St. Peter's Boys) scampered 61 yards with the opening kickoff with freshman linebacker MATT MARTINO (Lincroft, NJ/Middletown South) making a touchdown-saving tackle. Gregg found senior wide receiver JUSTIN POLANIS (Port Jervis, NY/Port Jervis) for 26 yards to the Assumption four before senior running back NATHANIEL FORD (Queens, NY/Jamaica) carried twice, the final yard for the score. Sophomore placekicker ALI MOURTADA (Foxboro, MA/Foxboro) kicked the conversion for a 7-0 advantage.
Kupec and the Greyhounds struck back quickly, hitting Gately on a 64-yard pass over-the-middle for the score on the second play. Sophomore placekicker CORY KEMPS (Carmel, IN/Carmel) kicked the tying conversion.
After stopping the Setters on their next possession, the Hounds led by Kupec came right back. The Hounds' quarterback completed eight-for-eight passes for 46 yards including the final eight to Canney. Kemps conversion made it 14-7 on the final play of the first quarter.
Pace scored on its first possession of the second period driving 83 yards in 13 plays. Gregg found junior running back DESMOND HINDS (Stamford, CT/Stamford) on a 14-yard slant for the score. Gregg's pass for a two-point conversion and a one-point lead was thwarted.
The Greyhounds had a Kemps 42-yard field attempted blocked and recovered on the next series by senior defensive end TYRELL ZIMMERMAN (Waterbury, CT/Wilby) leaving the score 14-13 Assumption at the half.
The Greyhounds then drove 65 yards in eight plays to start the third period. Kupec misfired on his first attempt then completed five straight . . . first to junior wide receiver JOHN BARKER (Avon, MA/Xaverian) for 17 yards, to Gately for 17 yards, to Barker again for nine more and finally a pair to Canney for 24 yards and seven yards. The conversion failed leaving Assumption in front, 20-13.
After sophomore defensive back DAN CONRAD (Holden, MA/Saint Peter-Marian) stuffed sophomore punter TREVOR TANIFUM (New Rochelle, NY/Hampshire) on a fourth-down attempt the Greyhounds made it a two-touchdown game. Three Kupec-to-Canney completions for 15, four and 14 yards highlighted the eight-play, 57-yad drive capped by a Kupec-to-Gately seven yard scoring strike. Kemps conversion made it 27-13 with 0:56 left in the period.
Ford scored from four yards out capping a seven-play, 57-yard march to again make it a one-score game, 27-20. A Gregg-to-Ortega 41-yard completion was the highlight of the drive.
The Greyhounds struck quickly for an insurance touchdown as Kupec found junior wide receiver MARCUS NICHOLS (Salem, NJ/Salem) for 20 yards and Gately for 49 more and the score. Kemps conversion made it 34-20.
Gregg tossed a 13-yard scoring pass to senior tight end ANDREW KULAK (Wolcott, CT/Wolcott) with 7:09 left to account for the final.
GREYHOUND GAME NOTES: junior quarterback ANDREW KUPEC (Wyckoff, NJ/Indian Hills) had a team-record five touchdown passes after tying the record against Worcester State (9/4/09) with four scoring strikes against the Lancers . . . he also completed his last two passes last week vs. Southern Connecticut and his first 11 passes vs. Pace for 13 straight completions . . . both Greyhound records . . . the 25 completions are tied for the second most in Hounds history (he's the fifth) as only Chad Carges at Saint Anselm (10/2/99) with 27 had more . . . the 343 yards is the second most in Hounds history behind only Carges' 370 yards vs. Saint Anselm (10/2/99) . . .
junior wide receiver DAVID CANNEY (Templeton, MA/Narragansett) became the first player in Hounds history with THREE 10 reception games and the first with back-to-back . . . Canney had a career-best 11 receptions for 124 yards vs. Pace and last week had 10 receptions for 157 yards for a two-game total of 21 catches for 281 yards . . . he now has 32 receptions for 474 yards and five TDs this season and 126 career receptions (third on career list) for 1,662 yards . . . and 2, 805 all-purpose yards . . . junior Mark GATELY (Waltham, MA/Waltham) had a season- and career-best 137 yards receiving and tied the team mark for touchdown receptions in game . . . only Jason Calla '99 has had as many as three in a game against Saint Anselm College (10/2/99) . . .
junior running back HERBERT WOODARD (Bridgeton, NJ/Salem) had 22 rushes for 68 yards . . . he also added four receptions for 14 yards for 82 all-purpose yards . . . he now has 416 career carries eclipsing the creer mark formerly held by Fran DeFalco (1992-94) at 398 . . . and 2,056 yards, second only to DeFalco's 2,289 . . . and 2,631 all-purpose yards (fifth career) . . .
senior middle linebacker DUSTIN ZITZMANN (Pinellas Park, FL/Dixie Hollins) had 5-5--10 tackles and now has 364 career tackles, third best in Hounds history behind Scott Stephens (1989-92) (387) and Bill Guilfoil (1990, 92 94) (409) . . . while his 228 career assists extended his Greyhound standard . . .
the Greyhounds had 405 yards, the second time this year they have had over 400 yards . . . they had 410 vs. Millersville in the opener (8/28/09) . . . the Greyhounds scored three of the four times they made the red zone improving their season total to 17-of-20 for 101 points (13 touchdowns, 4 field goals) . . .
NEXT WEEK: the Greyhounds host Northeast-10 Conference rival Merrimack College next SATURDAY (October 10) at 1 p.m. . . .
