The Mount Ida College football team gave up 20 fourth quarter points to hosting non-conference Hartwick College en route to a 27-12 loss in the Mustangs final regular season contest of 2010. Mount Ida, who has gained their first ever berth into the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) post-season tournament for the first time in the program's history, finish with an overall record of 6-4 tying their highest win total in their 11 year span as a program. The Mustangs will travel to Empire Eight powerhouse Springfield College this coming Saturday with kick-off slated at 1:00 p.m.
In a very low scoring affair for the opening two quarters, the Mustangs scored the first two touchdowns of the game starting with a one yard TD scamper by senior Paul Shaughnessy (Malden, MA/Northeast Metro Regional) in the beginning of the first quarter. A failed point after attempt by the Mustangs gave them a 6-0 advantage.
The Mustangs capitalized again with 7:23 remaining in the second quarter on a nine yard touchdown strike from sophomore quarterback Scott Drosendahl (East Aurora, NY/East Aurora) to junior wide out Nick Lynch (Hampton Bays, NY/Hampton Bays) adding to their lead up 12-0. A failed two point conversion attempt by the Mustangs kept the score where it was.
But Hartwick answered pulling within five points trailing 12-7 with under eight minutes to play in the game after a on yard touchdown scamper by Hawk running back Anthony Casiman (Gansevoort, NY/Schuylerville). Dan Brainard (Owego, NY/Owego) aired out a touchdown pass to Jordan Wilkins (Portsmouth, NH/Hyde School) for 29 yards giving the Hawks a one-point lead (13-12). Hartwick went for two but the play failed leaving the score at 13-12 Hartwick's favor with 7:17 left.
The Mustangs drove into Hartwick territory on the ensuing possession but linebacker Jordan Spirou (Westbury, NY/W.T. Clarke) intercepted Drosendahl on the Hartwick 20 with 4:14 remaining. Nate Rockefeller (Delhi, NY/Delaware Valley) ran for five yards and then on second and five, he broke free for a career-best 74-yard touchdown run to give Hartwick some breathing room. Senior kicker Heath Dunn (Mechanicville, NY/Mechanicville) tacked on the extra point to make the score 20-12.
The Hartwick defense held up on Mount Ida's next possession, stopping the Mustangs at midfield. After several timeouts to stop the clock, Rockefeller ran for 19 yards with under two minutes left to essentially put the game on ice, but he wasn't done as three plays later he broke the line again and bulled through several Mustang tacklers to make it to the end zone once again from 34 yards out. Dunn's extra point brought about the final score line of 27-12.
The Mustangs were led by Drosendahl who went 28-48 through the air with 277 yards passing and one touchdown to Lynch. Drosendahl was also sacked twice. Shaughnessy was stymied at the line with only 39 yards on the ground and one score while Lynch added eight catches for 91 yards and a touchdown.
Mount Ida was led defensively by sophomore Azim Carter (East Hartford, CT/East Hartford) with 10 solo tackles and a fumble recovery. Sophomore defensive end A.J. Knibbs (Spotswood, NJ/Spotswood) added three sacks and two forced fumbles.
Hawks senior running back Rockefeller led the way with a career-high 181 rushing yards, which included over 100 yards and two touchdowns in the final 3:15 of the game. The game is the second straight win for the Hawks and their second in row in come-from-behind fashion.
Casimano joined Rockefeller as the Hawks' second rusher to break the 100-yard mark for the game. He finished with 134 yards and a second-quarter touchdown. Brainard connected on 8-of-16 passes for 151 yards, including the go-ahead strike in the fourth quarter. Wilkins made six catches for 138 yards and the touchdown to take the lead.
Defensively for Hartwick, Spirou had eight tackles and the big fourth-quarter interception. RJ Roth (Cornwall, NY/Cornwall) recorded seven hits, one sack, and one tackle for loss. Pete Jackson (Groton, NY/Groton), Davionne Price (Bloomville, NY/Delhi), Chad Rockefeller (Delhi, NY//Delaware Valley), and Bryan Schweitzer (Babylon, NY/Babylon) each notched six tackles. Rockefeller also forced a fumble, and Schweitzer recovered the fumble, and added an interception and broke up three passes.