Football Pulls Out Overtime Win at Pace, 17-10


Jamiel posted his sixth double-figure reception game and went over 100-yards receiving for the fourth time, with his 11 catches for 111 yards and a touchdown, moving within striking distance of the program and NCAA freshman single-season reception records. (PHOTO BY Bob Blanchard)

Foltz tosses two TD passes, including winning score in OT

PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. (November 5, 2016) – Stonehill College closed out the regular season with a 17-10 overtime triumph against Pace University in Northeast-10 Conference football action at Pace Stadium this afternoon.

Junior quarterback Matt Foltz (Mount Joy, Pennsylvania/The Hill School) tossed two touchdown passes on the afternoon, including a 21-yard score to sophomore tight end Kaleb Lutton (Middletown, Connecticut/Xavier) in overtime, before the Stonehill defense held to seal the win. It marked Stonehill's first overtime game since a 23-17 loss to the University of New Haven on October 4, 2015, at W.B. Mason Stadium, and the Skyhawks first overtime win since a 41-38 triumph at Assumption College on September 20, 2013 in Worcester.

Stonehill (4-6, 4-5 NE-10) will close out the 2016 season next Saturday when it visits rival Bentley University (5-5, 5-4 NE-10) in the 5 vs. 6 seed game as part of Northeast-10 Championship Weekend. Pace (0-10, 0-9 NE-10) will visit Merrimack College (2-8, 2-7 NE-10) in the 9 vs. 10 game.

Foltz finished 17-for-25 passing for 165 yards, while Lutton caught six passes for 55 yards. Freshman Andrew Jamiel (West Yarmouth, Massachusetts/Dennis-Yarmouth) returned after missing last week to injury and posted his sixth double-figure reception outing of the season with 11 catches for 111 yards and a score. It marks his fourth 100-yard receiving game of the year and gives him a Division II leading 86 receptions for the season. Jamiel will enter next weekend's game five receptions shy of Nate Robitaille's '15 single-season program record of 91 set in 2013 and seven away from the NCAA Division II record for freshmen of 93 by Jarett Vito from Emporia State University in 1995. His 790 receiving yards this season ranks sixth on the program's single-season list.

Foltz surpassed 2,000 passing yards for the second straight season in the win, with his 2,058 yards one of just four 2,000-yard passing seasons in program history, accomplished by just two quarterbacks (Foltz & Logan Meyer '14). Freshman Jason Kennedy (Elmsford, New York/The Brunswick School) chipped in with six carries for 68 yards for the Skyhawks this afternoon.


Foltz threw a pair of touchdown passes, including the deciding score in overtime. (PHOTO BY Bob Blanchard)

Stonehill finished with 310 yards of total offense, with 127 rushing and 183 passing, while Pace registered 446 total yards, with 363 passing and 83 on the ground. The teams combined for five turnovers for the afternoon, with the Skyhawks converting 5-of-14 third down opportunities, compared to 4-of-15 for Pace, which collected three first downs on fourth down tries.

Senior Justin Kaffenberger (Monroe, New York/Monroe-Woodbury) paced the Stonehill defense with a game-high 11 tackles (ten solo), an interception and two pass breakups. Junior Nick Bona (Peabody, Massachusetts/Bishop Fenwick) added six tackles (all solo) and a forced fumble, while classmate Donovan Phanor (Portsmouth, New Hampshire/Portsmouth) also had six solo tackles, with an interception and breakup.

Junior quarterback Faustino Saucedo (Perth Amboy, New Jersey/Perth Amboy) led Pace with 380 total yards as he completed 29-of-48 passes for 362 yards and a touchdown, while adding five carries for another 18 yards on the ground.

Junior Tyler Mason (Mohegan Lake, New York/Walter Panas) caught 15 passes for 144 yards for Pace, while sophomore Alex Toplyn (Sicklerville, New Jersey/Paul VI) added six catches for 135 yards, including an 82-yard catch and run for a touchdown with 36-seconds remaining to force overtime.

Senior Olatayo Ishola (Irvington, New Jersey/Sayreville) led a Pace defense which kept the Setters in the game with eight tackles (seven solo), including 3.0 sacks for a loss of nine, and a forced fumble. Sophomore Kadeem Langhorne (Baldwin, New York/Baldwin) added four stops (all solo), including 1.0 sacks for a loss of four, and a fumble recovery, while Brandon Young (Staten Island, New York/St. Joseph by the Sea) chipped in with two solo tackles, an interception and two pass breakups.


Lutton caught the deciding touchdown in overtime, his first TD of the season (9th career). (PHOTO BY Bob Blanchard)

Stonehill took possession after Pace turned the ball over on downs at the Skyhawks ten yard line with 5:34 remaining in the fourth quarter. The Skyhawks moved the ball to the 48 with ten plays, working the clock down to a little over a minute remaining before Kaffenberger delivered a 27 yard punt down the right side that bounced out of bounds at the Pace 25. After an incompletion and sack, Saucedo completed a short pass to the left sideline to Toplyn, who broke a tackle before rambling 82 yards for a game-tying touchdown with 36-seconds remaining.

The Pace defense forced a fumble on Stonehill's second play from scrimmage on a sack of Foltz after the tying touchdown, but he was able to recover and send the game into overtime. The Setters won the coin toss and opted to take the second possession in the first overtime. After a four yard rush by junior running back Dylan Brown (Tinton Falls, New Jersey/Monmouth Regional), Foltz found Lutton inside the five yard line, before shedding two tacklers and finding the end zone for a go-ahead touchdown.

Senior Michael Scotman (White Plains, New York/White Plains) gained three yards on a rush to start Pace's overtime possession, but three-straight Saucedo incompletions, the final one broken up by Kaffenberger, sealed Stonehill's sixth straight win over the Setters dating back to a 23-20 overtime win for Pace in 2011. The Setters and Skyhawks have now played three overtime contests, with Pace winning two of the three.

Pace opened the scoring with 58-seconds remaining in the first quarter on a 28-yard field goal by freshman Nick DiCairano (Trumbull, Connecticut/Saint Joseph). Stonehill went three and out on its next possession, but Kaffenberger intercepted Saucedo at the Setters 35 and returned it 12 yards to the 23. Foltz connected with Jamiel on the next play for a go-ahead 23-yard touchdown 2:08 into the second quarter.

Stonehill extended its lead to 10-3 on its first possession of the second half when freshman Matthew Haite (Kingston, Massachusetts/Silver Lake Regional) capped a ten play, 41-yard drive, with a 40-yard field goal. It marks his second field goal of 40-yards or more this season and his sixth 30-plus yard conversion. Haite was also tremendous on kickoffs this afternoon, booting all three into the end zone for touchbacks.

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