ANNVILLE, Pa. – Junior cornerback Matt Murdock returned a fumble 31 yards for a touchdown with 4:12 left in the first half, and freshman Mike Monastra's extra point would prove to be the difference as Lycoming College defeated Lebanon Valley 7-6 Saturday afternoon in a Middle Atlantic Conference football game played in a steady rain at an extremely sloppy Arnold Field.
Lebanon Valley (2-6, 2-5 MAC) had a chance to win the game with 1:23 left, but sophomore Eldin Brodlic had his 21-yard field goal attempt sail wide left. Lycoming (3-4, 2-4 MAC) was then able to run out the clock and improve to 21-0 all-time against LVC.
The 7-6 verdict marked the closest game between Lebanon Valley and Lycoming since a 7-6 Warrior victory in 1987.
The Dutchmen took a 6-0 lead with 10:20 left in the first half when junior quarterback Dan Kelly took a quarterback draw for a 15-yard touchdown run on a fourth-and-9. But Brodlic's extra kick was also wide left.
Lebanon Valley held Lycoming to 178 total yards and limited the Warriors to 61 passing yards on just six completions. Sophomore Brandon Traugh was Lycoming's leading ball carrier, rushing 16 times for 57 yards.
Kelly completed 14 of 25 passes for 154 yards while rushing for an additional 35 yards. Sophomore receiver Adam Brossman caught seven passes for 124 yards while classmate Ryan Brennan had 15 carries for 56 yards.
Prior to Lycoming's lone touchdown, sophomore Clint Vinju had returned a punt over 25 yards to beyond midfield, but an illegal block brought the ball back to the Lebanon Valley-16. After a first-down pass, junior defensive tackle Dave VanNort popped the ball loose on a Dave Holland run, and Murdock raced in to scoop it up and gallop untouched down the right side of the field and into the end zone.
Lebanon Valley forced Lycoming to punt with just under three minutes left in the game, and Vinju gave the Dutchmen excellent field position with a 34-yard return that put the ball at the LVC-47. Kelly promptly hit Brossman with a deep ball down the left side of the field, and the 41-yard completion gave the Dutchmen a first-and-10 at the Lycoming-12.
An eight-yard run from Brennan gave LVC a second-and-2 at the 4-yard line, but the Dutchmen netted zero yards on its next two rushes before Brodlic's field goal attempt.
Lebanon Valley's touchdown was set up by a fumble recovery by sophomore linebacker Terry Kaufman at the Lycoming-26. Freshman linebacker Brian Cottone forced the fumble and finished with seven tackles.
Senior linebacker Chris Weaver led the Dutchmen with a career-high 15 tackles, including 2.5 for loss, while Kaufman had 11 tackles. Freshman defensive end Curt Brown added eight tackles while senior cornerback Joey Venezia made his first interception of the season and the third of his career.
Senior linebacker Luke Sterling had 12 tackles for Lycoming.
Lebanon Valley will take its bye week before returning to action on Saturday, Nov. 5, when it visits Moravian College in another MAC match-up.
[Photo - Sophomore receiver Adam Brossman, who caught seven passes for 124 yards against Lycoming]
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