TRINITY FOOTBALL RUNS OVER MIDDLEBURY
FOR FOURTH STRAIGHT WIN

Hartford, Conn.- Junior running back Tom Pierandri (Ridgefield, Conn.) rushed for 106 yards and a touchdown to lead the Trinity College Bantams to a 22-20 win over the visiting Middlebury College Panthers in New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) football action this afternoon at Jessee/Miller Field. Trinity, ranked No. 7 in New England, improves to 5-1 with its fourth straight win, while the Panthers fall to 2-4. The Bantams snap a four-game losing streak against Middlebury.

Trinity scored the go-ahead touchdown on a nine-yard run by senior captain running back Brian Fabrizio (Norwell, Mass.) with 9:24 remaining in the third quarter. The Bantam drive began in Middlebury territory, after Trinity junior linebacker Greg Tanner (Wellesley, Mass.) picked off Middlebury sophomore quarterback Mike Keenan (Rutland, Vt.) at midfield and returned the ball to the Panther 40-yard line.

Trinity spotted the Panthers a first quarter touchdown, as Middlebury took advantage of a fumbled punt by Fabrizio. Middlebury recovered the ball on the Trinity 19-yard line and senior running back Bill Lazzaro (Manlius, N.Y.) scampered into the end zone two plays later from nine yards away.

Trinity quickly answered with a 13-play, 74-yard drive, but was stopped on three plays from inside the five-yard line. The Bantams finally got on the board in the second quarter, when senior quarterback Greg Ward (Avon, Conn.) dove into the end zone from one yard away. A bad snap nullified the extra-point try to make the score 7-6 in Middlebury’s favor.

After a 38-yard field goal by Trinity senior Skip Sullivan (Milton, Mass.) gave Trinity the lead at 9-7, the Panthers went back ahead, 14-9, on a nine-yard touchdown pass from Keenan to wide receiver Tom Cleaver (Severna Park, Md.) with 50 seconds to go before halftime.

Middlebury threatened in the second half, missing a chance to retake the lead when a 48-yard field goal attempt by senior Mike Frissora (Sudbury, Mass.) fell just short of the cross bar. The Bantams extended their lead to eight points in the fourth frame, driving 71 yards on 16 plays, including a costly roughing the kicker penalty by the Panthers on a Trinity punt. Pierandri scored on a one-yard run and Sullivan kncked home the extra-point for a 22-14 Bantam lead.

Middlebury put together a 69-yard drive late in the fourth quarter, and Keenan found senior wide out Denny Smith (Weybridge, Vt.) in the end zone on a 26-yard pass, that was deflected by Trinity junior cornerback Andrew Whipple (Marblehead, Mass.), to bring the Panthers within a two-point conversion of a tie. Keenan again went to Smith again on the conversion try, but the ball was knocked away by Trinity sophomore safety Aaron Goldstein (Edina, Minn.) to preserve the Bantam victory.

Trinity held the ball for 42:09 of the game, rushing for 275 yards on 71 carries. The Bantams gained 23 first downs to just nine for the Panthers. Fabrizio gained 85 yards on 24 carries and a touchdown, and Ward added 10 carries for a career-high 60 yards and a score. Lazzaro totaled 15 rushes for 47 yards and a touchdown, while Keenan completed 10 out of 16 passes for 102 yards. Smith paced the Panthers with four catches for 48 yards.

Senior linebacker Wills Allen (Weems, Va.) had a team-high 14 tackles (eight solo), while Craig Schuette (Derby, Conn.), Phil Reiff (Hinsdale, Ill.), and Coleman Hutzler (Las Vegas, Nevada) notched 10 hits apiece for the Middlebury defense. Four of Hutzler’s tackles went for Trinity losses. Trinity junior defensive end Jamie Creed (Valley Forge, Pa.) had two sacks and freshman nose tackle Michael Blair (Plymouth, N.H.) posted a pair of tackles for loss among his four total tackles for Trinity. The Trinity defense, ranked No. 14 against the run, held Middlebury to 49 rushing yards on 22 carries.

1.    7:24 M- Bill Lazzaro nine run (Mike Frissora kick) M7-0
2.    8:32 TC- Greg Ward one run (Joe Wahl rush failed) M7-6
       2:04 TC- Skip Sullivan 38-yard FG TC9-7
       1:04 M- Tom Cleaver nine pass from Mike Keenan (Frissora kick) M14-9
3.    9:24 TC- Brian Fabrizio nine run (Ward pass failed) TC15-14
4.    8:30 TC- Tom Pierandri one run (Sullivan kick) TC22-14
       5:09 M- Denny Smith 26 pass from Keenan (Keenan pass failed) TC22-20