PACE FALLS TO NEW HAVEN IN NE-10 ACTION
WEST HAVEN, Conn.- Eric Ortega (Staten Island, NY/St. Peter's) tossed a touchdown and caught another in the Setters 49-27 loss to the University of Haven in Northeast-10 Conference football action. The Setters fall to 0-8 overall and 0-6 in the NE-10, while the Chargers improve to 4-4 overall and 3-4 in conference play.
The Setters struck first on their second possession of the game, capitalizing on a New Haven fumble their 24-yard line. Pace would use a little trickery as Ortega faked a reverse and tossed a touchdown pass to Patrick Lupfer (Mineola, NY/Kellenberg Memorial) for an early 7-0 Setter lead. The Chargers answered on their ensuing possession, using an 8-play, 65-yard drive capped off by a seven-yard run by Josh Smart to tie the game at seven.
Pace would answer with a touchdown as Lupfer would catch his second touchdown of the day, this time an 11-yard pass play from quarterback Joe Romanick (Slidell, LA/Slidell) with the Setters extra point being blocked. New Haven would answer on the kickoff as Sharieff Hall would go 75 yards to put the Chargers ahead by one at 14-13.
The Setters would again take advantage of a Charger turnover as David Lopez (Ozone Park, NY/Christ the King) would force and recover a fumble at the New Haven 46-yard-line. On the first play from scrimmage, Romanick would his Ortega for a touchdown to put Pace back in the lead at 19-14 as the Setters would fail on the two-point conversion. New Haven would answer right before halftime as quarterback Ryan Osiecki would connect with Demetrius Washington-Ellison for a 26-yard touchdown to take a 21-19 lead into the break.
The Chargers would add to their lead in the second half as Osiecki would two more touchdowns, one to Washington-Ellison and another one to Hall. The Chargers would score a touchdown on a fake field goal and the defense would recover a Setter fumble 34 yards for a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter.
The Setters would add a late score as Romanick would lead Pace down the field, hitting Ortega would 17 yards and Andrew Kulak (Wolcott, CT/Wolcott) for a 24-yard yard gain on a fourth-and-two play to set up a two-yard run by Kyle Curran (Shaftsbury, VT/Worcester Academy).
For Pace, Romanick completed 17-of-35 passing for 239 and two touchdowns, while rushing for 40 yards. Jason Washington (Bronx, NY/Mamaroneck/Iona College) totaled 40 yards on the ground. Ortega led the Setters' receivers with four receptions for 83 yards and one score. Defensively, Pace was led by Marvin Taylor (Newtown, CT/UConn) and Jonfrey Sanchez (Bogota, NJ/Bogota) who each finished with eight total tackles, with Taylor netting a sack.
The Setters return to action next Saturday, October 31 when Pace will host American International College in a Northeast-10 Conference game on Senior Day for Pace. Kickoff is scheduled for 12 pm at Pace Field on the Pace Pleasantville campus.
