NEWTON, MA-Bobby Hemmann kicked a 47-yard field goal with 1:39 remaining and host Mount Ida held on for a 24-21 victory over the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth's football team in the first game at the Mustangs' brand new Alumni Field Friday night.
Hemmann's kick capped a 12-play, 41 yard drive and broke a 21-21 tie. Following the kick, the Corsairs took the ball at their own 25 yard line and drove to the Mount Ida 40, but senior quarterback Patrick Orlando's (Manchester, MA/Essex HS/Saint Anselm) fourth down pass to freshman running back Brinston Facey (Randolph, MA/Randolph HS) was incomplete, and the Mustangs ran out the clock.
The Corsairs, who led in the first half, 13-0, had rallied to tie the game when Orlando hit junior wide receiver Kiki Louis (Lowell, MA/Lowell HS) with a 28 yard scoring pass with 12:25 remaining, then connected with junior receiver Nico Irano (East Boston, MA/Boston Latin HS) for a two-point conversion that tied the game.
Orlando hit senior wide receiver Brandon McNeish (Springfield, MA/Agawam HS/Bridgton Academy) with 9:42 left in the first quarter to put UMD up, 6-0, Dane Finis blocked the PAT attempt by Corsair senior kicker Edgar Osols (Summit, NJ/Summit HS).
Orlando connected with senior wide receiver Romario Berneche (Everett, MA/Pope John XXIII HS/Mount Ida) from 17 yards out to cap a nine-play, 79 yard drive to make it 13-0 with 6:47 left in the first half.
But Mustang quarterback Scott Drosendahl scored on a two-yard run with 27 seconds left in the first half, then hit Jordan Hyman for a 62-yard score with 5:30 left in the third quarter to make it 14-13. Drosendahl hit Mike Babich w2ith an eight-yard scoring pass on the first play of the fourth quarter to put Mount Ida up, 21-13.
"We did a lot of good things, and there are some things we need to get better at," said UMass Dartmouth Head Coach Mark Robichaud. "We went up, 13-0, and they scored on us right at the half and hit a long pass in the second half, and we came back and tied the game with a two-point play. They kicked a late field goal, and we came back and threw an incomplete pass on fourth and one. We played very hard, our team never gave up, and I'm proud of their effort."
Orlando had the best game of his career, statistically, completing 31 of 43 passes for 287 yards and three touchdowns and rushing for 54 yards on seven carries, McNeish caught 15 passes for 152 yards and a score. Facey rushed 11 ties for 39 yards and caught six passes for 45 yards.
Drosendahl was 15 of 33 for 299 yards for Mount Ida, Hyman caught five passes for 170 yards, and Chris McNally rushed 22 times for 87 yards.
UMASS DARTMOUTH FOOTBALL