November 13 , 2004

Colby Feane hauls in a first quarter touchdown in a 41-20 win over Rochester. (Photo by K. Colton/ SPORTSPICS.net)

GENEVA, N.Y.—On Senior Day at Boswell Field, six different members of the Hobart College Class of 2005 scored to lead the Statesmen to a 41-20 victory over the University of Rochester in Liberty League football action. Hobart completed a perfect run through the conference slate with a 7-0 record, 8-1 overall.

The Statesmen, who clinched an NCAA Tournament berth last weekend, racked up 499 yards of total offense, while holding the Yellowjackets to just 269, including a mere 54 on the ground.

Hobart jumped out to a 14-0 lead on a 55-yard touchdown reception by senior wide receiver Rick Piñero (Smithtown/Hauppauge, N.Y.) and a 9-yard TD catch by junior wide receiver Colby Feane (Weedsport/Weedsport, N.Y.).

Rochester (4-6, 3-4 Liberty) got on the board just before the end of the first quarter when senior wide receiver Kevin Toolan (Liverpool/Liverpool, N.Y.) caught a 9-yard strike from junior quarterback Aaron Molisani (Canandaigua/Canandaigua, N.Y.).

Hobart rattled off the contest’s next 27 points to build a commanding 41-7 lead with 9:41 remaining in the game.

At the 1:30 mark of the second quarter, senior kicker Eric Ampuja (Brockton/Brockton, Mass.) started the run with a 30-yard field goal into a stiff wind. The three-pointer tied him with Shawn Fazio ’81 for the Hobart career record for FGM (19).

Hobart led 17-7 at the break.

The Statesmen put the game out of reach with 22 unanswered points in the third quarter. Senior tight end Marcus Eriksson (Onondaga/Syracuse, N.Y.) caught his first career touchdown to get the ball rolling. Less than three minutes later, senior running back Ty Godinho (Lancaster/Lancaster, N.Y.) rumbled in from 3 yards out for a 30-7 Hobart lead.

Rochester was pinned on its own 5-yard line when the ensuing kickoff was muffed out of bounds. On first down, senior defensive end Chris Purtell (Pioneer/Sardinia, N.Y.) sacked Molisani in the end zone for a safety.

Hobart kept the scoreboard operators busy, scoring five plays later on a 22-yard strike to senior wide receiver Dan Suozzi (New Hampton/New Canaan, Conn.). Suozzi finished the day with seven catches for 119 yards. Sophomore quarterback Shawn Mizro (Newark/Newark, N.Y.) completed 16-of-24 for 271 yards and four touchdowns, raising his season total to 27 TDs, five more than the old Hobart season mark set in 10 games.

Junior defensive end Jeff Nadelson (Lawrence Academy/Andover, Mass.) tacked on another safety early in the fourth quarter when the Yellowjackets botched a punt attempt.

Molisani threw two touchdowns against Hobart’s third and fourth string defense late in the fourth quarter to finish 21-of-47 for 200 yards and three touchdowns.

Defensively, Hobart did not have a player with more than six tackles, but 18 Statesmen recorded at least two stops. Junior linebacker Matt Simon (West Seneca/West Seneca, N.Y.) led Rochester with a game-high 16 tackles.

The Statesmen, as Liberty League champions, receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The pairings will be announced at 1 p.m., on Nov. 14, on ESPNews.