CLAREMONT, Calif. (Sept. 29, 2007) – Two
weeks worth of practices and preparation came down to a 45-yard
field goal attempt off the foot of the opposition with 13 seconds
on the clock. Although on target, the pigskin sailed just 43 yards,
putting the ball back in the hands of the Tigers who held on for a
28-27 victory being tipped by senior James Sabo,
in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
opener tonight at Fritz B. Burns Stadium on the campus of CMS.
The teams battled throughout the game as the
scoreboard showed two ties and an ultimate final score that
separated the teams by a mere point. No one could have written a
script for the way the final six minutes panned out, but the Tigers
managed to extend their regular season winning streak to 29 games
while improving to 3-0 overall, 1-0 in SCIAC play.
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps struck first, leaving
the Tigers trailing for the first time all season. With 7:44
remaining in the first half Oxy knotted the game at 7-7 as freshman
Ryan Nastor ran four yards into the end zone and
sophomore Neil Martin finished off the play.
Fifty-four seconds from the half way mark
junior quarterback Justin Goltz found an open
Rocky Ciasulli in the end zone for the
Tigers' second score of the game. Again Martin's PAT
kick was good.
The 14-7 lead quickly turned into a tie the
Stags drove 55 yards down the field in four plays to add a second
score before the teams headed to the locker rooms.
Senior running back Jason
Haller ran 14 yards for his first touchdown of the 2007
season. accounted for the only scoring in the third quarter.
Goltz and Caisulli connected again for an
18-yard pass completion in the fourth quarter to cap off a
nine-play, 63 yard drive.
What unfolded after that brought Tigers and
Stags fans to the edge of their seats.
With 11 minutes remaining in regulation the
Stags blocked a Tigers punt attempt, recovering the ball at the Oxy
16 yard line.
During the next ten plays CMS drove down the
field into the end zone, cutting their deficit to 28-21. An Oxy
fumble put the ball back in the hands of the Stags, who took
advantage. CMS quarterback Ryan Larsen threw the ball long and it
found the hands of junior wide receiver Andrew Doyle for a 33-yard
touchdown.
Occidental senior Daniel
Tromello flung himself in font of the PAT attempt,
blocking the kick, preserving the one point Oxy edge with under
five minutes to play.
Haller spent the next 2:53 carrying the
ball six times for19 yards. The Tigers however
failed to convert a fourth and three, turning the ball back over to
the Stags with 1:44 to play in regulation.
Two first downs, and two Oxy timeouts later,
the game ended when Zach Mallove's 45-yard field goal attempt
came up short.
The running duo of Haller and Nastor racked up
85 and 61 yards respectively. Through the air Ciasulli caught five
passes for a total of 67 yards. Goltz finished 14-29 with his
longest completion a 29-yard pass to Chris
Washington. He added two touchdowns and was picked off
once.
Defensively Anthony Ostland
led all players with seven tackles. Right behind him was
Tim Creamer who contributed 6.5 total tackles.
Both players had six solo tackles and a sack for a loss of eight
and seven yards respectively. Ostland finished with 2.0 tackles for
a loss of ten yards while Creamer had 3.5 for 14. JD
Ciasulli intercepted Larsen and returned the ball 24 yards
and Jarred Salha picked off the CMS quarterback,
running back 21 yards. Ciasulli also broke up three plays for the
Tigers.
According to Don Hansen's National
Weekly Football Gazette the Tigers are currently ranked # 16 in
Division III.
Occidental will play their first home game of
2007 on Saturday, Oct. 6 when they host SCIAC foe Redlands (3-0;
0-0 SCIAC) at D.W. Patterson Field. Redlands is currently # 35 in
the Top-40 poll. Kickoff is slated for 7:00 p.m.
