Football Opens NJAC Slate With Win
Over WestConn, 31-24
DANBURY, Conn. (9/19/09) - Sophomore
quarterback Thomas D'Ambrisi (Eatontown, N.J.)
completed 15-of-26 passes for 246 yards and three touchdowns, as
the Kean University football team won its New Jersey Athletic
Conference opener over Western Connecticut State University, 31-24,
at the Westside Athletic Complex on Saturday afternoon.
Senior tight end Alex Cade (Galloway, N.J.) had
six receptions for a career-best 126 yards and two touchdowns for
the Cougars (1-1, 1-0 NJAC), while sophomore Jamahl
Williams (Passaic, N.J.) led the defense with eight
tackles and his second interception in as many games this
season.
The Cougars opened the scoring midway through the first quarter
when D'Ambrisi found junior Matt Puorro (Point Pleasant,
N.J.) (pictured right) from 22 yards out and the extra
point by sophomore Billy Daniels (Ridgefield,
N.J.) put Kean up 7-0.
Just 26 seconds later, after the Cougar defense forced WestConn
(0-2, 0-1 NJAC) into a three and out, Kean took the two touchdown
lead when senior Chris Aquino (Somerville, N.J.)
blocked the punt in the endzone and senior Jason Liberti (Cherokee,
N.J.) recovered the ball for the touchdown and a 14-0 lead after
the extra point conversion by Daniels.
WestConn trimmed the lead in half in the final minute of the
first quarter, as junior tailback Wayne Neal (Poughkeepsie,
N.Y.) scored on a four-yard run to cap an 11-play, 69-yard
drive with just 42 seconds remaining.
D'Ambrisi connected with Cade on back-to-back 17-yard
touchdowns, the second of which came on the first play of the third
quarter and gave the Cougars a 28-10 lead after a Williams 68-yard
kickoff return put the Cougars in excellent field position at the
WestConn 17-yard line.
With less than five minutes remaining in the third quarter, Neal
scored on a two-yard run and the Colonial extra point would pull
WestConn to within 28-17.
A Daniels' 40-yard field goal halfway through the final quarter
extended the Cougar lead back to two touchdowns at 31-17, before
WestConn senior quarterback James Williams (Wolcott,
Conn.) scrambled in from eight yards out with just over four
minutes left to put the final score at 31-24.
WestConn had one final drive starting at its own 43-yard line
with 91 seconds remaining, and Williams completed four of his next
passes, 
the last of which gave the Colonials a first-and-goal at the Kean
six-yard line. Two plays later, Kean junior linebacker
Victor D'Arrigo (Staten Island, N.Y.) sacked
Williams for a 13-yard loss to push the Colonials back and help
seal the Cougars' first victory of the season.
Williams completed 20-of-35 passes for 182 yards, while freshman
Tyler DeRosa (Miller Place, N.Y.) led the ground attack
with seven carries for 29 yards for WestConn. Steve
Griffin (Old Tappan, N.J.) led the WestConn receivers with
seven receptions for 55 yards.
Junior defensive back Chris Lauda (Staten Island,
N.Y.) (pictured left) finished with six solo tackles and
three pass breakups, while sophomore Richard Esdaille
(Neptune, N.J.) finished with seven tackles, including a
sack for a loss of 10 yards.
Kean remains on the road next week and heads to defending NJAC
champs SUNY Cortland for 1 p.m. start.
