Football Extends Win Streak to Three, Closing Out the Regular Season with a 27-19 Win at Plymouth State

Football Extends Win Streak to Three, Closing Out the Regular Season with a 27-19 Win at Plymouth State
PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Junior Kevin Fruwirth (Agawam, Mass.) completed 23-of-38 passes for 278 yards and four touchdowns Saturday afternoon to lead Curry College to a 27-19 victory over Plymouth State University in the New England Football Conference Boyd Division regular season finale for both schools.
 
Fruwirth connected with senior Greg Caswell (Brookfield, Mass.) on a pair of first-half touchdown passes as Caswell finished the day with seven receptions for 100 yards.  Junior Richard Johnson (Framingham, Mass.) and senior Rob Bambini (Westwood, Mass.) also caught TD passes from Fruwirth as Curry completes the regular season at 6-4 overall and 5-2 in the Boyd Division.
 
PSU junior Jake Tyler (Maynard, Mass.) threw for 151 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 47 yards and a TD as the Panthers completed their season at 2-8 overall and 1-6 in the division.
 
The Colonels looked like they were going to run away with it in the first quarter, taking a 13-0 lead and outgaining the Panthers in total offense, 168-25.  After each team fumbled on its first possession, Curry jumped on top when Fruwirth connected with Caswell on a 17-yard scoring strike. The touchdown came one play after Fruwirth hit Johnson on a 29-yard gain. The extra point attempt failed, leaving the score at 6-0.
 
Curry scored again on its next possession, going 79 yards in eight plays and capped by a Fruwirth-to-Johnson eight-yard toss. The extra point kick made it 13-0 at the end of the first quarter.
 
Plymouth State got on the scoreboard in the second quarter, converting a Colonel fumble into a touchdown. On the first play after Curry turned the ball over, Tyler hit senior Andrew Foglia (Montauk, N.Y.) on a 29-yard completion down the left sideline to the Curry nine-yard line. Three plays later, Tyler connected with Foglia on a six-yard TD pass, but PSU’s extra point attempt failed.
 
The Panthers tied the game at 13-all with six minutes left in the second quarter when Tyler ran it in from seven yards out. The touchdown was set up by a 26-yard pass play from Tyler to junior Zac Iovanella (North Andover, Mass.). The Colonels came right back to regain the lead when Fruwirth connected with Caswell on a nine-yard TD pass, and Curry took a 20-13 margin into halftime.
 
PSU was poised for a tying score early in the third quarter with an 11-play drive, including a first-and-goal at the Curry six, but Curry senior Rashad Sims (Beverly, Mass.) picked off Tyler to snuff out the drive.
 
The Colonels pulled away with a 10-play, 97-yard drive early in the fourth quarter, capped by Fruwirth’s 16-yard strike to Bambini that made the score 27-13.
 
Plymouth State had a golden chance to score again with about four minutes remaining but came up short after having first-and-goal at the Curry two. PSU managed one final touchdown with 1:46 remaining when Tyler found senior Dustin Matthews (Eliot, Maine) in the back of the end zone, but Curry recovered PSU’s on-side kick and ran out the clock.
 
Fruwirth ended the regular season with school records for completions (266), attempts (457) and passing yards (2,770). Bambini shattered previous career receiving records, amassing 210 receptions, 2,922 receiving yards, and 38 receiving touchdowns over four stellar seasons.
 
Winners of three-straight games, and six of their final eight, Curry will await a possible bid to an ECAC Division III Bowl game to be played on November 17. (Portions of this story were provided by PSU Sports Information)