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Engineers Defeat Ithaca; Advance to National Semifinals
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Kris Qua
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Rensselaer scored on its first two possessions and held off Ithaca College, 21-16, in the NCAA Division III Football Championship Regional Final in blizzard-like conditions at ’86 Field on Saturday, Dec. 6. Rensselaer improves to 11-1 and advances to its first-ever appearance in the NCAA National Semi-Finals. The Engineers will take on St. John’s (Minn.), who defeated Linfield, 31-25, next Saturday at noon in Minnesota (local time).
The Engineers broke out to an early 14-0 lead by scoring touchdowns on each of their first two possessions. On their first opportunity with the ball, senior quarterback Dan Cole hit classmate Pat Hughes on a 59-yard touchdown pass on their third play from scrimmage. After an Ithaca punt on its first possession, Cole connected with freshman tight end Jon Branche from 37-yards to cap a seven-play, 77-yard drive. Matt Verenini’s second extra point kick of the day gave the homestanding Engineers a 14-point lead with 10:17 left in the first quarter.
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Kris Qua
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Ithaca pulled to within 21-16 with 3:42 left in the fourth quarter when senior running back Pete Celebre scored on a one-yard plunge to cap a 10-play, 66-yard drive. The Bombers regained the ball on an interception but Felicetti was intercepted on a fourth-and-six play and the Engineers ran out the remaining 2:24 for the win.
Rensselaer finished with 391 yards of offense, led by Cole, who completed 21 of 43 attempts for 268 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception. He also ran for 45 yards and caught an 18-yard pass. Hughes was the primary target, catching a game-high 12 passes for 144 yards and a score while Branche finished with four receptions for 82 yards and two touchdowns. Defensively, Dylan Cooper had a game-high 11 tackles, including two solos, and Tim Frame made 10 stops (two unassisted).
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Kris Qua
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For the complete box scores, go to the
Athletics Web site
Slide Show of Game
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