Southern Connecticut stops Greyhound football, 45-13, despite Zitzmann's 20 tackle performance
September 26, 2009Southern Connecticut 45, Assumption 13
WORCESTER, Mass. --- Senior quarterback CHRIS ROBERTS (New Britain, CT/New Britain) threw for 238 yards and two touchdowns to lead Southern Connecticut State University past Assumption College, 45-13, in a Northeast-10 Conference football game SATURDAY at the Multi-Sport Stadium. The game was played as part of Fall Homecoming at the College.
Senior tailback JAROM FREEMAN (Peekskill, NY/Peekskill) finished with 113 yards and a touchdown, while sophomore wide receiver ANDRE PRIVOTT (Middletown, CT/Middletown) finished with four receptions for 96 yards in support roles for the Owls.
Assumption College got a superb defensive workout from senior middle linebacker DUSTIN ZITZMANN (Pinellas Park, FL/Dixie Hollins), who finished tying a career-high 9-11--20 tackles, while junior wide receiver DAVID CANNEY (Templeton, MA/Narragansett) ended with a career-tying high 10 receptions for 157 yards. Canney is merely the second Greyhound to catch as many as 10 passes in a game twice, having caught 10 for 105 yards against Stonehill (9-7-07).
Southern Connecticut took the opening kickoff and drove 56 yards in 13 plays to set up a sophomore placekicker CHRIS HAZELTON (Bristol, CT/Bristol Eastern) 23-yard field goal. Freeman rushed eight times for 49 yards to highlight the drive.
The Greyhounds came right back however to drive 38 yards in 11 plays after a 32-yard kickoff return by sophomore PAUL PEREZ (Brooklyn, NY/Xaverian). Junior quarterback ANDREW KUPEC (Wyckoff, NJ/Indian Hills) completed a 23-yard pass to junior wide receiver JOHN BARKER (Avon, MA/Xaverian) and also picked up a crucial first down on a fourth-and-two keeper to highlight the march. Freshman placekicker CORY KEMPS (Carmel, IN/Carmel) kicked a 26 yard field goal with 2:58 left in the first period to make it 3-3.
Freshman defensive back MATT MARTINO (Lincroft, NJ/Middletown North) blocked a Hazelton punt on the next series and recovered it at the Southern 29. Kupec completed two passes for 14 yards (to Canney) and 10 yards to junior wide receiver MARK GATELY (Waltham, MA/Waltham) to highlight the short drive. Kemps kicked a 24 yard field goal to give the Greyhounds their only lead, 6-3.
The Owls came right back to score on a sophomore tailback RASHAAD SLOWLEY (Mt. Vernon, NY/Archbishop Stepinac) 10-yard run up-the-middle and then added two quick scores in a 26-second span in the final minutes of the half to move to a 24-6 advantage at the break.
Slowley carried four times for 25 yards and Roberts found senior tight end PETER DI GANGI (Cheshire, CT/Cheshire) for 31 yards to the Assumption 18. Sophomore defensive back SONNY DILLINGER (Naples, FL/Saint John Neumann) made a touchdown-saving tackle on the play. Slowley scored on a third-and-two play with 11:26 to play in the half.
Freeman scored from six yards with 1:39 left to cap a nine-play, 64 yard march. Roberts connected with Privott for 20 yards and with DiGangi for 27 more to highlight the drive.
On the next series, junior cornerback JOHNATHAN DAVIS (Bloomfield, NJ/Bloomfield) intercepted a tipped Kupec pass on the first play setting up a second quick score. Roberts found Privott on the first play for 44 yards and the touchdown and Hazelton kicked the conversion for a 24-6 advantage.
The Greyhounds showed signs of life in the third period with 2:58 left as Woodard completed a 72-yard scoring pass to Canney---the second longest option-pass play for a touchdown in Greyhound history. Wide receiver Jake Beers completed a 75-yard scoring pass to wide receiver Shawn Cerretani against Bryant (9-17-05). Kemps conversion kick made it 24-13 with 3:03 remaining in the third period.
Southern Connecticut however wasted little time in responding-- driving 80 yards in a mere six plays capped by a Roberts 13-yard scoring strike to junior wide receiver BRIAN TOURTELOTT (Latham, NY/Shaker). Roberts found Privott for 21 yards and Freeman scampered 29 yards around right end to highlight the all-too-quick drive. Hazelton made the conversion for a 31-13 advantage.
The Owls scored two fourth-period touchdowns to account to the final of 45-13. Junior running back JOHN WIECHMAN (Buxton, ME/Bonny Eagle) plunged in from a yard out for one score and freshman PATRICK COLLINS (Manchester, CT/Manchester) scored his first career touchdown, also from a yard out.
GREYHOUNDS NOTEBOOK: junior quarterback ANDREW KUPEC (Wyckoff, NJ/Indian Hills) completed 19-of-36 passes for 165 yards . . . sophomore PAUL PEREZ (Brooklyn, NY/Xaverian) returned six kickoffs for 92 yards . . . one short of the Hounds record of seven set twice by Seth Lopes in 2002 . . . he is the second Hound this year with six as junior wide receiver JOHN BARKER (Avon, MA/Xaverian) has six returns vs. Millersville (8-28-09) in the opener . . .
Junior running back HERBERT WOODARD (Bridgeton, NJ/Salem) had his streak of 100-yard games stopped at three and finished with 17 rushes for 59 yards . . . he also added four receptions for 24 yards for 83 all-purpose yards . . . he now has 394 career carries just four short of the career mark of Fran DeFalco (1992-94) career mark of 398 . . . and 1,988 yards, second only to DeFalco's 2,289 . . . and 2,549 all purpose yards (fifth career) . . .
Senior middle linebacker DUSTIN ZITZMANN (Pinellas Park, FL/Dixie Hollins) had 9-11--20 tackles to become the first Greyhound with two 20-tackle games in his career . . . Zitzmann had 5-15--20 two years ago, also against Southern Connecticut (10-5-07) . . . oddly enough Chris Martino '09 had 9-10--19 tackles against Southern Connecticut (11-1-08) last year . . .
21 Bill GUILFOIL vs. Western New England, 11-4-94 (14-7)
20 Dan LYONS vs. Merrimack, 10-22-88 (15-5)
20 Danny VEO at Pace, 9-30-95 (13-7)
20 Phuoc HUYNH at M.I.T., 10-11-97 (18-2)
20 Dustin ZITZMANN vs. Southern Connecticut, 10-5-07 (5-15)
20 Dustin ZITZMANN vs. Southern Connecticut, 9-26-09 (9-11)
Zitzmann now has 354 career tackles, fourth best in Hounds history . . . while his 223 career assists is the new Greyhound standard eclipsing the previous mark of Chris Grogan (2002-05) with 221 . . . they are the only two Greyhounds with over 200 . . .
409 Bill GUILFOIL, 1990, 92-94 (275-134---409)
387 Scott STEPHENS, 1989-92 (270-117--387)
357 Chris GROGAN, 2002-05 (136-221--357)
354 Dustin ZITZMANN, 2006- (131-223--354)
the 72-yard scoring pass from junior running back HERBERT WOODARD (Bridgeton, NJ/Salem) is the ninth longest in Hounds history . . . and merely the second option-pass play . . .
88 Mike MULLEN (Jamie MERLONI) at M.I.T., 9-16-95 (TD)
83 Josh RATACIK (Dominique PRICE) at Bentley, 10-3-2008 (TD)
81 Neil CURTIN (Jim APICELLI) vs. Brooklyn, 10-27-90
80 Neil CURTIN (Jim APICELLI) vs. Bentley, 10-12-91
76 Taylor HUMPHREY (Joey FABIANO) vs. S. Conn., 10-5-07 (TD)
75 Jake BEERS (Shawn CERRETANI) vs. Bryant, 9-17-05 (option)
74 Andy KUPEC (Herb WOODARD) at Pace, 9-6-08 (TD)
74 Josh RATACIK (Dominique PRICE) at Bentley, 10-3-2008 (TD)
72 Herb WOODARD (David CANNEY) vs. S. Conn., 9-26-09 (TD) (option)
junior wide receiver DAVID CANNEY (Templeton, MA/Narragansett) is merely the second Greyhound with two 10-reception games joining Bill DeMalia . . . Canney now has 115 (fourth) receptions for 1,538 yards (third) in his career . . . and 2,681 all-purpose yards (fourth) . . .
14 Billy DE MALIA at Mount Ida, 11-10-01
13 Billy DE MALIA vs. Pace, 10-20-01
12 Jake BEERS at S. Connecticut, 10-6-06 (12-138)
11 Mike MOYER at Merrimack, 10-16-04 (11-58)
11 Eric MAUER vs. American International, 10-7-2000
11 Joey FABIANO vs. Merrimack, 11-08-2008 (11-119)
10 Mike WOODLOCK at Sacred Heart, 10-16-93
10 R.J. COLEMAN at Saint Anselm, 9-29-01
10 David CANNEY vs. Stonehill, 9-7-07 (10-105)
10 David CANNEY vs. So. Connecticut, 9-26-09 (10-157)
junior linebacker ETHAN MAXFIELD (Newport, NH/Newport) has now had back-to-back 10-tackle games . . . 5-5--10 vs. New Haven and 1-9--10 vs. Southern Connecticut . . . junior defensive back JAMES HUTCHINS (Ontario, CA/Colony) had a season- and career-best 4-5--9 tackles and his first career sack . . .
NEXT WEEK: the Greyhounds are at Northeast-10 Conference Pace University next SATURDAY (October 3) at 12 noon . . . Southern Connecticut hosts the University of New Haven in another conference matchup FRIDAY (October 2) at 7 p.m.
