ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Bombers (1-0) scored 30 points in the final 30:28 to break open a close game and beat the visiting St. Lawrence Saints (0-1) in both team's season opener. The win marked the 30th time in the past 34 years that Ithaca has opened the season with a win.
Junior cornerback
Mike Conti (Daniel Hand/Branford, Conn.) sparked Ithaca's scoring burst, returning an interception 66 yards for a Bomber touchdown 32 seconds before halftime. In the second period, Ithaca rushed for 209 yards, with three running backs – senior
Dan Ruggiero (Pen Argyl/Pen Argyl, Pa.), sophomore
Clay Ardoin (Dolgeville/Dolgeville) and freshman
Jared Prugar (York/York, Maine) – scoring touchdowns.
Conti's interception came on an overthrown pass after the Saints had driven 66 yards to the Ithaca 38-yard line.
Ithaca's win spoiled the head coaching debut of St. Lawrence's
Mark Raymond, who spent six years as the Bombers' defensive coordinator. The Bombers are now 29-6 all-time against the Saints with 22 straight wins (including 11 straight at Butterfield Stadium, where St. Lawrence has scored one touchdown since 1995).
The Bombers scored on four of their first five second-half possessions before kneeling down to run out the clock on their final drive.
Junior
Andrew Rogowski (Canisius/East Amherst) opened the third-quarter scoring with a 21-yard field goal. The Ithaca defense forced a three-and-out (one of eight times the Bomber defense allowed the Saints to run four or fewer plays on a possession) and
Prugar capped a 10-play, 69-yard drive with a one-yard run for his first collegiate score.
The Saints forced Ithaca's only second-half punt on the Bombers' next drive but turned the ball over on their first play. Sophomore linebacker
Will Carter (Westlake/Thornwood), one of 11 first-time Ithaca starters, intercepted a pass near midfield and returned it to the Saint 32. Two plays later,
Ruggiero ran through a huge hole on his way to a 31-yard touchdown.
After a failed fourth-down conversion (St. Lawrence had three in the second half), the Bombers drove 37 yards in four plays for their final score.
Ardoin, who led Ithaca with a career-high 71 rushing yards, scored on a 30-yard run.
Rogowski kicked a 22-yard field goal on Ithaca's second drive that opened the scoring.
Ithaca's defense held the Saints to 156 yards of total offense and collected four turnovers. Junior linebacker
Joe Gilfedder (Governor Livingston/Berkeley Heights, N.J.) and senior defensive tackle
Andrew Haim (Douglas MacArthur/Levittown) recovered fumbles;
Gilfedder's recovery – on a fumble forced by sophomore strong safety
Allen Fessette (Beekmantown/Plattsburgh), another first-time starter – set up
Rogowski's first field goal. He led Ithaca with nine tackles, including two for loss. Senior free safety
Andy Lonsky (Delaware Valley/Milford, Pa.) made a pair of tackles among his seven totals tops.
Carter and junior linebacker
Eric Toporoff (Montvale Township/Towaco, N.J.) made six tackles apiece.
Toporoff broke up two passes and added a pair of sacks, forcing fumbles on both plays (St. Lawrence recovered both).
Sophomore wide receiver
Joseph Ingrao (St. Anthony's/Nesconset), one of eight first-time starters for Ithaca's offense, led all receivers with six catches for 108 yards. Senior
Rob Zappia (Greece Athena/Rochester), another first-time starter, threw for 177 yards. He became the seventh straight Bomber quarterback to win his starting debut; since 1978 28 quarterbacks have started a game for Ithaca and 24 of them won their first start.
The Bombers remain home next weekend to host the Union Dutchmen Saturday.
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