Comella scored two fourth quarter touchdowns to give the Skyhawks a chance to claim a comeback win (PHOTO BY JD Cavrich) |
Stanzani passes for three touchdowns to lead Sharks to victory
BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (November 12, 2022) – Long Island University built a 27-7 halftime lead and then withstood a big Stonehill College comeback in the final 18 minutes of the contest to claim a 34-28 triumph in Northeast Conference football action at Bethpage Federal Credit Union Stadium today.
Freshman quarterback Luca Stanzani passed for 333 yards and three touchdowns to lead LIU to a third-straight win. The Sharks finished with 454 yards of offense for the afternoon, with junior Owen Glascoe scoring three touchdowns with a pair on the ground on just two touches, to go with one on two receptions for 39 yards.
Stonehill trailed by 20-points (34-14) with under three minutes remaining in the third quarter, but rallied with a chance to escape Long Island with a win. Down by six with a second possession inside the three minute mark of the fourth, freshman Ayinde Johnson collected an interception at the Sharks 24-yard line to seal the win with 41-seconds to play.
Leaders
Lorick paced the Skyhawks defense with eight tackles and a forced fumble (PHOTO BY Jan Volk/SportsPix) |
Stonehill
Tom Comella Junior, Running Back: 134 all-purpose yards, with eight carries for 62 yards and two touchdowns, to go with 72 return yards.
Ashur Carraha Sophomore, Quarterback: 17-for-42 for 180 yards and a touchdown.
Noah Canty Sophomore, Tight End: Four receptions for 51 yards and a touchdown.
Masyn Lorick Fifth-year, Safety: Eight tackles (six solo), forced fumble, pass breakup, 0.5 tackles for a loss of a yard.
LIU
Stanzani: 19-for-29 for 333 yards and three touchdowns.
Glascoe: Three total touchdown, with two rushing on two carries for six yards, and another as part of two receptions for 39 yards.
Davon Wells Junior, Wide Receiver: 206 all-purpose yards, with eight receptions for 163 yards and a score, while adding 32 return yards.
Matthew Nieves Sophomore, Defensive End: Nine tackles (eight solo), including 1.0 for a loss of a yard, two pass breakups.
How it Happened
- LIU opened with two first quarter touchdowns on its way to a 27-7 halftime lead.
- Stanzani connected with postgrad wide receiver Tosin Oyekanmi for a 21-yard touchdown pass one play after Stonehill forced a fumble, but gave the ball back with a fumble of its own on the return after the Sharks had marched its opening drive 74 yards on eight plays.
- Stanzani hit Glascoe with a 34-yard touchdown pass with 4:10 left in the first quarter for a second score for LIU.
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Stonehill cut its deficit in half 35-seconds into the second quarter on a 21-yard touchdown run by junior running back Jermaine Corbett to cap an 11-play, 85-yard drive.
Canty scored his first career touchdown and finished with a career-best 51 receiving yards. - The Sharks responded with two more scores before halftime, starting with a four-yard Glascoe rush with 10:02 left in the half.
- Stanzani's third touchdown pass of the first half was a 43-yard connection to Wells with 3:57 to play that stretched the Sharks lead to 20 points at the break.
- Stonehill made a late push, starting with a 17-yard touchdown catch by Canty from Carraha with 2:48 to play in the third.
- LIU responded to that score with an eight play, 89-yard scoring drive, capped by a two-yard touchdown run for Glascoe 42-seconds into the fourth.
- Stonehill made another charge, with Comella's first touchdown of the day a three-yard run to cap a 12-play, 72-yard scoring drive.
- The Skyhawks pulled within six on a second Comella touchdown, this on a five-yard carry, with five minutes still to play, but was unable to reach the end zone again, despite two more possessions over the final three minutes.
Noteworthy
- Canty's 51 receiving yards are a career-best, scoring his first career touchdown.
- Stonehill finished with 345 total yards.
Up Next:
Stonehill (4-4, 2-4 NEC) is back in action on Saturday, when it closes out its inaugural Division I FCS season by hosting Central Connecticut State University for Senior Day at W.B. Mason Stadium at 1 p.m. LIU (3-7, 3-3 NEC) visits Sacred Heart University next Saturday at noon.
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