Oct. 1, 2005
NORTH DARTMOUTH, MA - After combining to score just three points in the first three quarters, the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and Endicott College football teams put on an offensive showcase in the fourth quarter.
The Corsairs scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns, but the Gulls had the final say in a 16-14 victory over UMD, in a New England Football Conference Boyd Division game at Cressy Field Saturday afternoon.
UMD freshman quarterback Alex Garro brought UMD back in the final period. Trailing, 9-0, the Corsairs drove 48 yards in nine plays to score after freshman wide receiver Todd Harold returned Adam Maher's kickoff 40 yards across midfield. Garro connected with sophomore tight end Charley Gryska from 11 yards out to cut the Gulls' advantage to 9-7 with 10:11 left.
EC replied in kind. Orlando Johnson returned senior Derek Bealby's kickoff 25 yards, and a penalty for a facemask violation gave the Gulls the ball at the EC 47. Endicott went 48 yards in eight plays, culminating in a 26-yard pass from Alex Smith to Ryan MacLean with 6:29 remaining that made it 16-7.
After a short kickoff, the Corsairs took possession at their 44. They went 56 yards in plays, and Garro hit senior slot back Manny Lopes from seven yards out to make it 16-14, Endicott, with 2:41 remaining.
After Bealby's kickoff, the Gulls took over at their own 30 and drained the clock. Smith hit Gerard Festa with a screen pass for 16 yards and a first down on EC's first play from scrimmage. The Gulls picked up first downs on a 13-yard pass from Smith to Ray Lynch and a five-yard run by Festa and a five-yard facemask penalty, and then ran out the clock.
The defenses dominated the first half. Maher's 24-yard field goal with 4:36 left in the first quarter was the only scoring of the first half. Johnson returned a Bealby punt 35 yards to the Corsair 15 with 1:21 left in the third quarter, setting up Smith's three-yard scoring pass to Nicholas Giacalone with 14:55 remaining in the fourth period that gave the Gulls a 9-0 advantage.
Each team rushed for 126 yards. Festa gained 101 yards on 27 carries for Endicott, while sophomore running back Rob Sullivan led the Corsairs with 57 yards on 18 carries, Garro completed 12-of-22 passes for 96 yards, while Smith was 15 of 26 for 227 yards.
Ray Lynch had four catches for 61 yards and Andy Roy hauled in four passes for 76 yards while MacLean added 47 yards receiving on three catches.
A host of players led Endicott's defense, which allowed just 222 total yards compared to EC's 353. Joe Leaver led the team with 7.5 total tackles while Jared Giblin and Matt Talis (forced fumble) each had 6.5 tackles. Joe DePamphilis, Pego Jean-Paul and Bruno Silva each added six tackles. Orlando Johnson picked off a pass as well on defense. UMD fell to 0-5 and 0-2 in the NEFC Boyd Division with the defeat, while Endicott improved to 3-2 and 2-0 in the Boyd. The Gulls return home Saturday to face Fitchburg State (Noon).
The UMD Sports Information Office contributed to this report