FITCHBURG, Mass. – The Curry College football team took an early 7-0 lead but surrendered 17 unanswered points, falling to Fitchburg State, 17-7, in non-divisional New England Football Conference (NEFC) action Saturday afternoon in Fitchburg. The Falcons evened their record at 1-1 while the Colonels fell to 0-2. The victory was the first for Fitchburg State over Curry since September 10, 2005.

Curry struck quickly, taking a 7-0 lead just six minutes into the contest as junior quarterback Kevin Fruwirth  (Agawam, Mass./Agawam) connected with senior wide receiver Greg Caswell (Brookfield, Mass./Tantasqua) for an 11-yard touchdown pass.

The Falcons quickly erased the Colonels lead, knotting the score (7-7) with a 20-yard touchdown run from junior quarterback Christina Lopez (Bronx, N.Y./South Bronx). Lopez led the Falcons on a seven-play, 57 yard drive, including a 20-yard pass to sophomore Steph’fon Teague (Fitchburg, Mass./Fitchburg).

In the second quarter, Fitchburg State grabbed a lead it would not relinquish as freshman Eric Anastasio (Topsfield, Mass./Masconomet) connected for a 26-yard field goal to give the Falcons a 10-7 advantage heading into the break. On the drive, Fitchburg State drove 75 yards on 11 plays, including a 22-yard rush by Lopez and a 15-yard pass to freshman Luis Feliz (Clinton, Mass./Clinton).

The second half opened with an exchange of non-scoring drives, before Fitchburg State extended its lead to ten (17-7) with a 24-yard touchdown strike. Lopez found newcomer Ty Spencer (Foxboro, Mass./Foxboro) down the sideline who brought in the ball and reached just inside the pylon. The Falcon defense set up the score, forcing a Colonels punt from their own three-yard line and senior Luiz Cruz (Revere, Mass./Revere) returned a short punt to the Curry 24, setting up Spencer’s first TD catch as a Falcon.

After the Falcons score midway through the third quarter, Fitchburg State gave way to its defense and special teams which held Curry scoreless for the remainder of the contest. Junior Tevin Bienamie (Swansea, Mass./Joseph Case) kept the Fitchburg State defense moving, sparking the Falcons early in the fourth quarter with an interception in the end zone, while sophomore Brian McDonald (Westwood, Mass./Hebron Academy) capped a career day punting with five punts for 218 yards (43.6/punt), including three inside the Curry 10-yard line.

On the defensive end, junior Alex Alcala (Leominster, Mass./Leominster) led the hosts, totaling a game-high 10 tackles with seven solo efforts, three assists (1.0 TFL) and two pass break ups, while Joseph Sasso (Melrose, Mass./Melrose), Taron Seaforth (Lynn, Mass./Lynn English) and Eric Myles (Fitchburg, Mass./Fitchburg) all collected seven tackles apiece. Junior Nic Calvano (Norfolk, Mass./King Phillip) led the way for the Colonels with seven tackles, 1.5 sacks and 2.5 TFLs.

Lopez paced the Falcons on the offensive end, posting a pair of scores with one on the ground and one in the air, while rushing for 31 yards and throwing for 103 yards. Teague reached the 100-yard plateau with a 114-yard effort on 23 carries, while Spencer reeled in three catches for 44 yards and a score. Fruwirth led the Colonels offensively with 174 yards and one TD (23-of-51), while Phil Bigelow (E. Orange, N.J./Bridgton Academy) picked up 66 yards on 17 carries.

Fitchburg State will be back in action next Saturday as it hosts Salve Regina at 1:30 p.m. Curry College will host Westfield State next Saturday at 1 p.m. (Game recap courtesy of Fitchburg State Sports Information)