SCHENECTADY, NY - Aaron Molisani threw for two touchdowns and a two-point PAT in the fourth quarter to rally the Yellowjackets before Union held on for a 27-24 victory.
He finished 10 of 17 for 148 yards and was intercepted once. Kapps Killingstad completed 13 of 20 passes for 102 yards and was picked off once.
Jay Jay Vanderstyne led all receivers with seven catches for 113 yards and one TD. Mike Sondericker caught four passes for 19 yards. In all, 10 men caught passes.
Matt Bielecki rushed for 61 yards on 19 carries and scored once TD. The Yellowjackets passed for 288 yards and rushed for 41.
Union rolled up 170 yards on the ground (Tom Arcidiacono had 163 yards and one TD). Anthony Marotti completed 12 of 24 passes for 205 yards with two interceptions and two TDs.
Union improved to 2-1 overall, 1-0 in the Liberty League. Rochester is 2-2 overall, 0-1 in the Liberty League.
With Rochester trailing, 24-10, Molisani threw a 48-yard scoring strike to Mike Coolbaugh with 8:49 to go. Griffin Moar's PAT was missed and the Yellowjackets were within 24-16. After a Union field goal, he drove Rochester 34 yards in two plays, the second one a 22-yard TD pass to Vanderstyne with 2:33 to go. Molisani threw a two-point conversion pass to Sondericker, getting the Yellowjackets within field goal range at 27-24.
Rochester tried an onside kick which Union recovered at Rochester's 44. The defense held Arcidiacono to three yards on two carries. Marotti tried a third down play action pass that was broken up by Jim Milks. Ben Rapple's punt pinned Rochester at the 12.
Molisani hit a nine-yarder to Vanderstyne and found Bielecki for 15, moving the ball to the 36. His first down pass was incomplete and a final deep pass for Vanderstyne was broken up as the Union defense swarmed around the junior receiver.
Notes: Coolbaugh's TD catch was his second reception this year. Vanderstyne leads the team with five TD catches and 18 receptions overall… The first TD drive in the second half was helped by a fumbled punt return by Union which Matt Stack recovered, putting the ball on the Union 38. A penalty pushed it back to the 48 and Molisani found Coolbaugh on the next snap… The defense did well. Jim Milks had eight tackles, a fumble recovery, an interception, and a pas s breakup. Jason Goeller had eight tackles, including his fifth sack of the season and another TL… Joe Galantini returned to the lineup. He supplied three tackles and one interception… Union went 70 yards in 10 plays for a TD on the first drive of the game. Dutchmen recovered a Killingstad fumble at the Rochester 12 on the first UR series. Penalties eliminated three long Union plays, one of them a TD pass. Facing third and 33 from the Rochester 35, Arcidiacono was dragged down for a four yard loss by Goeller and Pat Gallagher.
