WORCESTER, MA – Nick Perpignan was stopped just shy of the goalline on a two-point try with 27 seconds to play as WPI held off Rochester, 35-34, at Alumni Field on Saturday afternoon.
 
The loss evens Rochester's Liberty League record at 3-3. The Yellowjackets are 5-3 overall. WPI improved to 3-3 in league play. The Engineers are 6-3 overall.
 
Rochester battled back from a 28-14 deficit with two touchdowns – the second one coming with just 90 seconds to play. WPI returned the kickoff 99 yards for a go-ahead TD with 1:13 to play, only to see Rochester drive 72 yards in six plays to get within one point.
 
Justin Redfern completed 29 of 45 passes for 329 yards and two TDs. He was intercepted once, but not sacked. Derek Wager caught 10 passes for 87 yards. Kyle Allegrini caught four passes for 50 yards, including a 19-yard TD which got Rochester within 28-21 with 6:51 left in the third. Max Berger had the other TD catch, a 34-yarder from Redfern with 27 seconds remaining to pull Rochester within 35-34.
 
The Yellowjackets rolled up 498 yards in offense – 329 through the air, 169 on the ground. Redfern rushed six times for 48 yards and scored once – on a 10-yard run in the second quarter to put the Yellowjackets on the scoreboard after WPI took an early 14-7 lead. Shane Saucier ran for two TDs – a one-yard run in the second (tying the game at 14-14) and a one-yarder in the fourth, again tying the score – this time at 28-all.
 
For WPI, Dan Eckler completed 14 of 17 passes for 204 yards and three TDs. He was sacked twice, but did not throw an interception. He found Mitch Celaj for two TDs and Marcus Middleton for one.  The Engineers rushed for 145 yards and passed for 215, finishing with 360 in total offense.
 
WPI drove for touchdowns on its first two possessions – moving 86 yards in seven plays for a 7-0 lead after the opening kickoff, then going 95 yards in nine plays midway through the first quarter. Eckler sandwiched a seven-yard run between two passes – one a 30-yarder and the second a 23-yarder which was followed by a 13-yard personal foul penalty vs. Rochester. That put the ball on the 13 and four straight runs by Zach Grasis put the ball in the end zone.
 
Jeff Weinfeld's punt pinned WPI at the five. After two incompletions, Eckler broke off a 41-yard run to move the ball to the Rochester 39. A mixture of runs and passes got it down to the 12 where Eckler found Middleton for the TD.
 
The Yellowjacket offense found its rhythm in the second quarter. Redfern directed a nine-play, 88-yard drive to pull Rochester within 14-7. He completed two key passes – one to David Angie for 24 yards, the other to Perpignan for 16 yards. That placed the ball on the 30. Perpignan carried three times for 20 yards and Redfern scored on a first-and-goal from the 10. Andrew Haber's PAT tied the score.
 
After the defense forced a punt, the UR offense ate up time (6:53) and yardage (86 yards in 17 plays) to even the score. The Yellowjackets converted three third downs in the drive. The last was an eight-yard run by Redfern to put the ball on the one and Saucier took it in from there.
 
Matt Pasternak's kickoff was returned 41 yards by Alex Domond to the UR 43. The scoring drive took three plays, helped by a flag vs. Rochester. Eckler hit Celaj for a 15-yard TD to give WPI a 21-14 lead at the half.
 
It extended to 28-14 early in the third. Redfern was intercepted by Kevin Lynch. That set up a seven-play, 63-yard scoring drive which ended with Eckler's pass to Celaj for a 20-yard TD (28-14).
 
The Yellowjackets marched 76 yards in 13 plays – the longest was Redfern's 19-yard scoring pass to Allegrini. Haber's PAT cut the deficit to 28-21. In the fourth, WPI drove down to the Rochester 8 where Isaiah Smith sacked Eckler back to the 12. Blaine Bursey's 28-yard field goal attempt sailed wide left with 8:34 left in the game.
 
On the next drive, Redfern completed seven of nine passes. The Yellowjackets completed one fourth down – Myles Allen rushed one yard for a first down at the WPI 25. Two plays later, he carried for 14 yards down to the 15. Then he ran three of the next four plays (Redfern threw incomplete on one) to get the ball to the one where Saucier bulled it in. Haber's extra point tied the score at 28-28.
 
The celebration was short-lived. Domond returned Pasternak's kickoff 99 yards for a TD and a 35-28 lead with 1:13 left. WPI kicked off from its own 20 after an unsportsmanlike penalty and the Yellowjackets started on their own 28 with 1:07 to play. Redfern found Wager for 23 yards, then threw incomplete. The QB ran for a nine-yard gain on second down, before throwing incomplete on third down. He hit David Angie for a six-yard gain and first down at the Engineer 34 with 33 seconds left. Each team burned a time out before Redfern and Berger connected on a 34-yard scoring pass with 27 seconds left.
 
When Rochester lined up to try for two points, WPI called timeout. Then Rochester called timeout. As play resumed, Redfern's pass for the corner of the end zone was incomplete, but WPI was flagged for pass interference. The ball moved half the distance to the goalline. Perpignan tried to follow the straight-ahead blocking, but was met by a group of tacklers just short of the goal line. Rochester kicked off and WPI knelt with the snap.