The Utica College football team capped its 2009 campaign with a 56-30 loss to Empire 8 Conference rival and NCAA Tournament bound Alfred University Saturday afternoon at Merrill Field. The Pioneers close out their season with a 4-6 overall record, marking the second-best finish in the program's nine year history. Sophomore wide receiver Josh Mason (Schenectady, N.Y.) finished the day with seven catches for 100 yards and a touchdown, while senior linebacker Eric Kahl (Lockwood, N.Y.) made a game-high 15 tackles in his final contest dawning the orange and blue.
The Pioneers outscored the Saxons 23-14 in the second half, but they could not overcome a 42-7 first half deficit in the loss. Alfred used 527 yards of total offense, with 406 of those yards coming from the air attack, to improve to 8-1 overall on the year and earn at least a share of the conference's regular season crown.
The Saxons opened up a 42-7 first half lead behind four first half touchdown tosses from sophomore quarterback Tom Secky (Bemus Point, N.Y.). They also added an interception returned 52 yards for a touchdown to go along with a one yard touchdown plunge from Nick Clark (Cainsteo, N.Y.).
The Pioneers lone touchdown of the first half came from the arm of freshman quarterback Andrew Benkwitt (Mamaroneck, N.Y.), who connect with Mason on a 31 yard score through the air.
Benkwitt, who finished the day with 214 yards on 21 completions, also added a second half touchdown scamper . Casey McNulty (Red Hook, N.Y.) knocked down a 33 yard field goal for the Pioneers in the second half and sophomore running back Zach Jones (Camden, N.Y.), who finished the day with 50 yards rushing, added a one yard touchdown run. The Pioneers capped the scoring on the evening when backup quarterback Jared Keyte (Holland Patent, N.Y.) connected with senior wide receiver Keith Barone (Point Pleasant, N.J.) on a two yard strike with 37 seconds left in the contest.
Kahl tallied nine solo and six assisted tackles to pace the Pioneer defense, while junior line backer Kevin Hennion (Dumont, N.J.) added nine stops. Junior Terrell Cunningham (Rochester, N.Y.) totaled eight tackles and added one interception for UC and senior Sean Dixon (Sherrill, N.Y.) made seven stops.
Three of the Pioneers six losses this season came by six points or less and they were leading at halftime in all three of those contests. As a team UC broke several single season school records including rushing touchdowns (21), pass completions and receptions (215), passing and receiving yards (2,564), passing touchdowns (22), passing yards per game (256.4), total offensive yards (3,876), touchdowns responsible for (69), total yards of offense per game (387.6), all purpose yards (4,979), total points scored (344) and quarterback sacks (23).
Seniors Cody Elliot (Sloan, N.Y.), Eric Kahl, Pete Vano (Mahopac, N.Y.) and Casey McNulty have also left their mark on the College's record books breaking several career records over the course of the last three seasons. Elliot holds nearly every major receiving record including receiving yards (2,119) and receptions (176) and he also holds records for all purpose yards (3,769) and kick return yards (1,196). Kahl and Vano have been the core of the Pioneers' defensive unit for the past four years and will graduate ranked third (261) and fifth (199) on the College's all-time tackles list, respectively. McNulty will graduate as the College's all-time leading scorer with 109 career points and he also holds the record for most field goals made with 16.
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