FOOTBALL PITCHES SHUTOUT AGAINST PACE 7-0
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (October 21, 2006) - Marlon
Beckles (Brooklyn, N.Y.) rushed 36 times for 194 yards and
had the game's only touchdown as American International College
shut out Pace University 7-0 in Northeast-10 football Saturday
afternoon at John Homer Miller Field. The Yellow Jackets, who
entered the game ranked eighth in the Northeast Region among
Division II schools, improved to 5-2 overall and in the league,
while the Setters are now 3-5 and 2-5 in NE-10 play. The
shutout marked AIC's first since a 37-0 win over Assumption on
October 25, 2003.
With his effort Saturday, Beckles eclipsed the 1,000 yard rushing plateau for the season and has now rushed for a career-best 1,083 yards in 2006.
Beckles would score the game's lone touchdown with 14 seconds remaining in the first quarter, cutting to the left to rush for 25 yards and sneaking the ball just inside the pylon for the score, his sixth touchdown of the season. Justin Sokoloff (Cherry Hill, N.J.) converted the extra point to make it 7-0.
AIC limited the Setters to just 146 yards of total offense while rolling up 315 yards of offense of its own. The Setters would advance into Yellow Jacket territory just twice all afternoon and failed to convert. One of those trips came off a Yellow Jacket miscue, when a Pace punt glanced off a Yellow Jacket who was blocking and the Setters recovered the ball on AIC's 47. Pace would get to the AIC 10 before going back five yards, and a 32-yard field goal attempt by Luigi Casale with 11:55 to play was wide left.
The Yellow Jackets also controlled time of possession, with AIC holding the ball for 36:24, including 19:31 in the second half. AIC opened the second half with a 18 play, 71 yard drive that chewed up 10:07 before stalling on 4th-and-1 at the Pace 11.
Defensively, Terrence Holley (Bronx, N.Y.) led AIC with six tackles and four pass breakups. Brian Destephano (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and Carlos Cataquet (Brockton, Mass.) also had six tackles apiece. Jason Dominique (Roselle, N.J.) forced a fourth-quarter fumble that ended Pace's final drive with 3:23 left. Joe Streany led Pace with 11 tackles.
Shane Murphy (Bogota, N.J.) was 8-15 through the air behind center for AIC for 85 yards, with tight end Jason Laudano (Northford, Conn.) catching three balls, including a 32-yard completion. Kertis Hussey (Paterson, N.J.) and Tyler Scaccia (Webster, N.Y.) each had a pair of grabs. Daniel Moyer was 13-31 at quarterback for Pace, with Justin Polanis catching five passes for 24 yards.
AIC returns to action next Saturday when it
travels to first-place C.W. Post for a 12:00 game.