UTICA, NY - The Utica College football team traveled to Hartwick College on Saturday and fell short in what would be there last game of the season. The Pioneers (3-7) lost 35-17 in Empire 8 action.
The Pioneers got on the board first when Nick Martin (RFA/Rome) completed a 29-yard pass to tight end Marc Neff (Dolgeville/Little Falls) for the touchdown. Alex Conlon (Suffolk CCC/E. Northport) rushed for 15 yards to the Utica 40 then Martin passed to James Proniewych (Pat-Med/Medford) who ran for five yards and gained a first down for Utica. Another complete pass to Cody Elliot (John F. Kennedy/Sloan, NY), then a 12-yard rush by Conlon got the Pioneers another first down and at 9:53 the pass was complete to Neff for the touchdown.
Hartwick answered back with 41 seconds left in the first quarter. Lindy Crea (Windsor/Binghamton) rushed for 10-yards gaining the first down then quarterback Jason Boltus (C.W. Baker/Baldwinsville) completed a pass to Rich Sands (Binghamton/Binghamton) for seven yards. Boltus then ran the ball 31-yards for the touchdown.
Hartwick held the Pioneers to a field goal on their next possession. Evan White (Peru/Plattsburgh) knocked down a 34-yard field goal and the Pioneers led 10-7 in the second quarter. Whites ensuing kickoff landed out-of-bounds putting Hartwick on the 35. After rushing for nine yards Boltus fumbled but it was recovered by Eric Saeger (Chenango Valley/Binghamton) at the Hartwick 49. Boltus rushed for nine more yards to gain the first down. Crea then rushed for 42 yards in three attempts and got the touchdown for Hartwick with 5:21 left in the second quarter.
Just three plays into the third quarter the Hawks scored again. A Boltus pass to Tyler DeMulder (Unatego/Unadilla, NY) for 36-yards secured the first down then another pass was complete to Corey D'Agostino (Rye/Rye, NY) for the touchdown. With 28 seconds to go in the third Boltus completed an 84-yard pass to Sands putting them on the Utica two yard line. At the start of the fourth quarter Crea rushed for two yards to score for the Hawks making the score 21-10.
Hartwick went on to score one more time and nine plays later Utica answered back with 4:43 left in the game. Adam Keller (RFA/Lee Center) returned Joe Gatta's kickoff for a gain of 27 yards. Martin then completed a pass to Mike Mastrella (St. Mary's/Elmwood park, NJ) for seven yards. After an incomplete pass Martin then passed to Proniewych for 22-yards to gain the first down. Another pass by Martin to Neff for 22 yards secured one last touchdown for the Pioneers.
Martin wrapped up his final game with 22 completions for a total of 217-yards. Martin leaves UC as the college's all-time leader in pass attempts (757), completions (390), yards (4,398), touchdowns (27), and completion percentage (51.5%) Conlon stood out on offense with 88-yards rushing on the day. Neff caught his fourth and fifth touchdowns of the season and also rushed twice for six yards.
Michael Sanchez ( Patchogue Medford/Patchogue) led the Pioneers with 12 tackles and one sack, while Joe Ryan (St. Mary's /Rutherford,NJ) made ten stops. Marcus Maroney (Lockport/Utica) made nine tackles and now ranks third all-time on the college's single season tackle list with 118 total tackles (62 solo, 56 assisted).
(New Hartford, NY/New Hartford) #
