Stonehill Hangs On at Wagner, 45-42

Vachon piles up 215 all-purpose yards (191 rushing);
Wagner misses last-second FG to force overtime

STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE: "Wagner College football loses shootout to Division II Stonehill, 45-42"
by Cormac Gordon

Boxscore 

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. (September 5, 2009) - Stonehill College survived a late comeback effort from Wagner College to claim a 45-42 shootout victory in non-conference football action at Wagner Stadium this afternoon. The win is the second-straight for Stonehill over the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) Seahawks.

Junior running back Eddie Vachon (Newton, Mass./Blair Academy) piled up a career-high 215 all-purpose yards to lead Stonehill to victory. He rushed the ball 27 times for a career-best 191 yards and three touchdowns on the ground, adding two punt and kick returns for ten and 14 yards, respectively. The 215 all-purpose yards give him 2,294 for his career to move into seventh all-time in Stonehill history. It marks the first time a Skyhawk player has gone over 200 all-purpose yards since Tyrone Jefferson had 236 against UMass Lowell in 2000 and the first 150-plus yard rushing game for a Stonehill player in nearly two years.

Sophomore Tim Morrison (Billerica, Mass./Billerica Memorial) made his first career start at quarterback for Stonehill and completed 5-of-13 passes for 112 yards and two touchdowns. He hit sophomore Oscar Alvarez (Framingham, Mass./Cushing Academy) and freshman Kyle Norwood (Rehoboth, Del./Cape Henlopen) for scores.

Sophomore Stephan Neville (Foxborough, Mass./Foxborough) also produced over 100 all-purpose yards for the Skyhawks, returning three kickoffs for 138 yards - including a 91-yard return for a touchdown in the second quarter. He also contributed four solo tackles, two pass breakups, a forced fumble and interception.

Junior Steven Good (Hyannis, Mass./Barnstable) racked up a career-high 16 tackles (seven solo), one for a loss of two yards and an interception. Junior Nick Vardaro (Woburn, Mass./Austin Prep) added a career-best 11 stops (two solo), while junior Anthony Tomasz (Hopkinton, Mass./Hopkinton) had nine tackles (six solo), a sack and forced fumble. Senior tri-captain Jon Penning (Leominster, Mass./Leominster) chipped in with 2.5 sacks.

Junior Tyler Newberry (Germantown, Md./Mercerburg Prep) and freshman Nick Doscher (Staten Island, N.Y./Moore Catholic) combined for 224 yards passing to lead Wagner. Newberry was 10-for-21 for 156 yards, a touchdown and interception, while Doscher was 8-for-14 for 68 yards and two interceptions. Newberry also added seven carries for 30 yards, while Doscher rushed ten times for 27 yards and a score.

Senior Lon Woods (St. Petersburg, Fla./J.P. Taravella) caught four passes for 99 yards, while sophomore David Crawford (Carrollton, Texas/Hebron) made four receptions for 44 yards and a touchdown.

Sophomore Jeremiah Brown (Brooklyn, N.Y./Grand Street Campus) led the Seahawks with 14 tackles (four solo), including 1.5 for a loss of two yards. Junior Keith Davis (Harrisburg, Pa./Devitt) posted nine stops (three solo) and a sack. 

Junior Steven Good racked up a career-high 16 tackles and added a key interception on defense.

Stonehill took what seemed like a safe 45-28 lead when Morrison hit Norwood for a 38-yard touchdown pass 38-seconds into the fourth quarter one play after sophomore Matthew Ianucci (Oakland, N.J./Indian Hills) picked off a Doscher pass at the Skyhawks 36 and returned it 26 yards for his second interception of the season.

Wagner drew within ten (45-35) after senior Shane Smith (Susquehanna, Pa./Honesdale) rushed the ball in from the three yard line with 5:38 to play that capped an eight play 45-yard drive which started at the Stonehill 45 after senior Brendan Gorey (West Islip, N.Y./West Islip) had his punt go out of bounds.

Stonehill recovered the onside kick and took 2:57 off the clock, pinning Wagner at its own two yard line with 2:31 to play. The Skyhawks worked the ball to their own 48 before Newberry hit Woods for a 50-yard play to the Stonehill two. After a Stonehill timeout, Newberry connected with Crawford for a touchdown pass that pulled the Seahawks within three after the extra point with 49-seconds left.

Wagner then pounced on the on-side kick at the Stonehill 48. Newberry was sacked on the first play for a loss of five and a false start had the Skyhawks second and 20 from their own 42 with 38-seconds remaining. Newberry found Crawford again for a 26-yard completion and first down to the Stonehill 32. Wagner got all the way to the Stonehill 12 with a fourth and two with one second left, but freshman David Lopez (Plantation, Fla./American Heritage), who had earlier missed a 27-yard field goal attempt, saw his kick to force overtime sail wide right to allow Stonehill to escape.

Both teams returned kickoffs for touchdowns in the offensive shootout. Junior Frantz Placide (Miami, Fla./Archbishop Curley) took the opening kickoff 89-yards for a score to put Wagner in front just 13-seconds into the contest. Stonehill answered on its first possession with Vachon capping a four-play, 69-yard drive with a one-yard plunge.

Sophomore Tim Morrison made his first career start under center and two of his five completions on the day went for touchdowns.

Wagner forged a 21-7 lead early in what would prove to be a wild second quarter with the teams combining for 49 points. Doscher capped a 12-play 65-yard, drive with a five-yard scoring scamper. Sophomore Richard Parker (Corona, N.Y./Bayside) scored from two yards out after the Seahawks recovered a Stonehill fumble at the two.

Stonehill took advantage of a Wagner fumble at its own 29 as Vachon turned in a 29-yard scoring run two plays after to pull Stonehill back within a score (21-14) 9:08 before halftime. Wagner regained a 14-point lead after Placide returned a punt 17-yards for a touchdown with 5:26 left in the half. Neville answered that return with his 91-yard kickoff jaunt.

After a three and out for Wagner, Stonehill evened the game at 28-28 when Vachon ripped off a 52-yard scoring run with 1:32 left in the half. The Skyhawks took a seven point lead into the lockerroom when Morrison hit Alvarez for a 12-yard touchdown pass with 11-seconds left after they regained possession on an interception by Good that he returned to the Wagner 35.

Stonehill (1-1, 0-0 NE-10) is back in action on Friday for its Northeast-10 Conference and home opener against defending NE-10 champion American International College at 7 p.m. The game will be part of "Kickoff Weekend" at the College with several special activities planned around the night at W.B. Mason Stadium. Wagner (0-1, 0-0 NEC) looks to rebound in quick fashion when it visits SUNY-Maritime on Thursday at 7 p.m.