MILTON, Mass. – The Curry College football team dropped its first contest of 2017, falling 17-14 to visiting Union College (N.Y.) in non-conference play at Walter M. Katz Field on Saturday afternoon. The win moves the Dutchmen to 3-1 while the Colonels sit an identical record of 3-1.
Curry was first to see the ball in the contest where the Colonels would begin shop at their own 33-yard line. Pass completions from Alex Corvese (Cranston, R.I.) to Dylan Vieira-Owens (Everett, Mass.), a rush by D'Aundray Burcy (Hyde Park, Mass.) and back-to-back completions to Spencer Tyler (Yarmouthport, Mass.) positioned Curry on the Union side of the 50. The Colonels were set up with a 4th down and two and Marc Mrozek (Stamford, Conn.) pulled out a fake punt and rushed four yards to give Curry the first down to keep the drive alive. Two plays later, Union's Evan Gilland (Westford, Conn.) picked off Corvese and returned it 34 yards to the Colonels 31.
The Dutchmen were awarded their first possession following the interception and went 24 yards in seven plays. Union was able to come away with points when Jonathan Schaible (Oldwick, N.Y.) put a 25-yard field goal through the uprights to put Union up, 3-0.
The 3-0 score would hold until there was a minute left in the third quarter. Each team had the ball twice to begin the second half and Curry would capitalize on their second possession. In a drive that started at the Union 43, the Colonels went 43 yards in nine plays and 3:18 to grab the first touchdown of the game on a five-yard rush by Corvese to put Curry up, 6-0. Mrozek tacked on the extra point to push the score to 7-3 with 1:02 left in the third.
The Dutchmen would answer right back and go 63 yards in five plays, capped off by an 18-yard touchdown pass from Nick Cascione (New Canaan, Conn.) to Griffin Beal (North Reading, Mass.) to regain the lead, 10-7.
Curry got the ball back but went three and out with the ball going back to Union. Cascione, Brett Waller (Tenafly, N.J.) and Travis Demby (Nantucket, Mass.) contributed heavily to a 12 play, 67-yard drive that encapsulated 7:44 that would be finished by Waller on a rush from nine yards to increase the lead to 10 with less than six minutes remaining in regulation.
The Colonels put together one more successful drive that went 12 plays and 79 yards. The possession was eventually capped off by an eight-yard touchdown pass from Corvese to Tyler as the deficit was trimmed to three with 1:29 left in regulation.
The Dutchmen were able to kill off the final 1:29 as they took the game by a 17-14 final.
Curry's offense was led by Corvese, who went 22-of-35 for 216 yards through the air, one touchdown and an interception. Sean Amaru led the Colonels backfield with 40 yards on 13 rushing attempts. Tyler paced all receivers with 131 yards on 11 catches and one touchdown. On the defensive side, the Colonels were led by Steven Grogan (Forestdale, Mass.), who made tackles (two solo, five assisted) Jeremy Eliades (Berlin, Conn.) and Marcus Greenidge (Flushing, N.Y.) each finished with six apiece.
For Union, Cascione completed 13-of-17 attempts for 172 yards and one touchdown. Waller led the charge on the ground, rushing six times for 110 yards and one touchdown. Beal was the leading receiver, hauling in five catches for 74 yards and one touchdown. Tucker Newman (Northampton, Mass.), Gilland, Jake Lombardo (Brick, N.J.) and Bobby Law (Brookfield, Mass.) paced the Dutchman defense with seven tackles each.
Curry enters their bye week and will return to the field on Sat. October 7 when they host UMass.-Dartmouth at 1:00 p.m. Union will next play on Sat. September 30 when they travel to Morrisville State College. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m.
