BOXSCORE

After a fast start with touchdowns in each of the first two possessions, The College at Brockport Football team gave up the early 14-7 lead and eventually dropped a 35-23 decision to William Paterson University Saturday in a New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) game in Wayne, NJ.
 
The Golden Eagles (0-3 overall, 0-2 NJAC) did not score again until the third quarter with a 21-yard field goal by junior E.J. Genzano (Albany, NY/Guilderland) that cut the Pioneer (2-1, 1-1) lead to 28-17 and freshman Tyrone Nichols (Troy, NY/Lansingburgh) added his second touchdown of the game in the fourth quarter to close out the scoring for Brockport.
 
William Paterson opened the game with a quick two-minute drive capped by a 30-yard TD run to open the scoring.
 
Brockport responded with a 13-play drive that was finished off by senior Alex Hendrickson (Unadilla, NY/Unatego) and a 1-yard plunge to knot the score at 7-7. The Pioneers fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Brockport recovered the loose ball and marched in from near the 50-yard line as Nichols scored on a 5-yard run to give the Golden Eagles a 14-7 lead with just over three minutes to play in the first quarter.
 
William Paterson opened the second quarter with a touchdown to tie the score and added another score with 33 seconds left in the quarter to take a 21-14 lead into the locker room at halftime.
 
In the third quarter, the Pioneers extended the lead on their first drive with a 59-yard TD pass play for the 28-14 advantage. Genzano's kick came at the end of a drive that saw the Golden Eagle advance all the way to the Pioneer two yard line but the William Paterson defense held tough forcing the short field goal attempt.
 
Sophomore Ross Ragonesi (East Northport, NY/Northport) picked off his third pass of the season on the next drive setting up the Golden Eagles in great field position. The Brockport offense marched down the field and inside the 10-yard line again but the William Patterson defense held again and this time Brockport tried to score on a fourth-and-goal situation. Hendrickson was stopped short of the goal line and the Pioneers took over possession at their own one-yard line.
 
The next two Brockport drives both ended with interceptions with the second returned for a William Paterson touchdown and a 35-17 lead.
 
After the interception, freshman quarterback Dylan Umbra (Sidney, NY/Sidney) regrouped and marched the Golden Eagles down the field scoring on a TD pass to Nichols from 14 yards out. The two-point conversion attempt failed leaving the Pioneers with a 35-23 lead with 2:21 left to play in the game.
 
Brockport attempted an onsides kick and recovered the loose ball giving the Golden Eagles possession near midfield.
 
Brockport drove the ball to the 15-yard line but the drive stalled on a failed fourth-down pass completion that was spotted just shy of the first down marker giving the ball back to the Pioneers with less than a minute to play in the game.


Nichols finished with 66 rushing yards and 73 receiving yards for the Golden Eagles. Hendrickson rushed for 90 yards on 19 carries and Umbra was 20-for-34 for 149 yards and one TD in his first college start. Defensively, Ragonesi led the team with 10 tackles, 1.5 for lost yardage, one interception and one pass deflection for Brockport.