FRANKLIN, Mass. -- In a contest that saw almost every statistical category point in favor of Dean College, it was Mount Ida who escaped with a 14-7 win in Eastern Collegiate Football Conference (ECFC) action on Saturday afternoon at Lippert Field. The Mustangs struggled to move the ball consistently on the afternoon, but were able to capitalize in key situations throughout the contest. Mount Ida moved to 3-3 on the season and 2-1 in ECFC competition, while Dean falls for 3-3 overall and 1-2 in conference play.
Dean was able to start the contest with a drive that looked pegged for the endzone, but the Mustangs defense came up with the first of many big stops. It looked as if the Bulldogs were in the endzone but a penalty nullified a touchdown run by Matt Bethel (Miami, Fla.) and Dean eventually settled for a field goal. That attempt, however, was blocked by Chris Mederios (Pelham, N.H.), and it bounced right into the awaiting arms of DeSean Hart (Mays Landing, N.J.), who raced 80 yards up the sideline for game's first score.
Mount Ida added another touchdown midway through the second half when Mike Pina (Brockton, Mass.) connected with Nick Hewitt (Killingly, Conn.) for 45 yards, setting the visitors up deep in Bulldog territory. De'Andre Goldson-Fisher (Springfield, Mass.) punched it in from three yards out to give the Mustangs a 14-0 lead. Goldson-Fisher now leads the Mustangs with five touchdowns on the season and is tied for third in the conference.
The first drive of second half saw the Bulldogs utilize their running game to put the Mustangs defense on their heels. After a Dean touchdown was called back due to another penalty, the Mustangs defense stiffened and forced the Bulldogs to turn the ball over on downs inside the 15-yard line. Mount Ida relied on their defense throughout the afternoon as the offense struggled to move the ball, but time and time again the defense came up with big stops in key moments.
With less than four minutes to play, Dean finally connected on a big play with Matt Bethel (Miami, Fla) hitting Shafi Harris (Newark, N.J.) with a short pass, which he turned into a big 34-yard gain up the sideline all the way to inside the Ida 10-yard line. This time, the Bulldogs did get into the endzone as Noah Taiese (Aiea, Hawai'i) bowled his way in from four yards out. After the Mustangs recovered the onside kick, the Bulldogs used their timeouts wisely and forced a punt with around 40 seconds left. A line drive type punt hit the ground and made contact with a Dean player at the 16-yard line and Mount Ida was there to recover, giving them possession with 38 seconds left and ending the game.
Dean led in almost every statistical category including first downs (19-7), total offense (306-127) and time of possession (36:27-23:33). The biggest disparity was on the ground where the Bulldogs outrushed the visitors, 252-25. Josh David (Sandown, N.H.) was the star on defense for the Mustangs, finishing with a game-best 18 tackles, while Herman Congo (Wilmington, Del.) added 12 stops of his own.
The Mustangs return to Alumni Stadium next Saturday for an ECFC battle with Maritime (N.Y.) at 1:00pm. Saturday will also mark the dedication ceremony for the Michael Mazza Plaza, donated by the Class of 2017. Dean will be back in action next Saturday when they hit the road for a trip to Castleton State at 6:00pm.
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Founded in 1899, Mount Ida College is a small, private college in Newton, Massachusetts, providing career-focused programs built upon a strong foundation in the social sciences, humanities and the arts, all developed and implemented to prepare our approximately 1,450 students for success. The College is comprised of the School of Applied Sciences, the School of Business, the School of Design and the School of Social Sciences and Humanities, awarding associate, bachelor and master's degrees. www.mountida.edu