Box Score WALTHAM, Mass. -- Freshman cornerback
Peter Thorbahn (Norwell/Xaverian Brothers HS) broke a scoreless tie with a 67-yard pick-six late in the first half, sophomore
Aaron Chretien (Commerce Township, Mich./Walled Lake Northern HS) set up a score with a blocked punt less than a minute later and junior
Kyle Wisnieski (Mansfield/Mansfield HS) returned another interception to the one-yard line early in the fourth as Bentley University celebrated Homecoming with a 28-0 win over Pace University in Northeast-10 Conference football Saturday afternoon.
It marked the third straight game that Bentley has shutout the visiting Setters (42-0 in 2012, 31-0 in 2014) and boosted the 3-2 Falcons to 3-1 NE-10, good for a tie for second place. Pace, held to six first downs and 155 total yards, fell to 0-5 (0-4 NE-10).
Thorbahn's interception, his team-leading third of the season, and subsequent 67-yard return produced the third defensive touchdown in the Northeast-10 this season, all belonging to Bentley, and a 7-0 advantage with 1:58 left in the second quarter.
On the ensuing possession, Chretien came up with the punt block with Bentley taking possession at the Pace 10. Three plays later, senior Sean Myers (Foxborough/Roxbury Latin HS) was on the finishing end of the eighth TD pass of the season for classmate CJ Scarpa (Andover/Andover HS), a five-yarder that made it 14-0 with 0:27 on the first-half clock.
It remained that way into the opening minutes of the fourth quarter when Wisnieski notched Bentley's 12th interception of the season. He took it back 24 yards to the one, and on the very next play, senior George Craan (Hyde Park/Concord-Carlisle HS) ran it in. Freshman Grant Buchanan (Holliston/ Holliston HS) tacked on the extra point, making it a 21-0 game.
Bentley's fourth and final touchdown came with 4:29 remaining after the Falcons stopped a fourth-down conversion attempt by the visitors. Five players later, coach Bill Kavanaugh's team was successful on fourth down with senior Matt Montalto (West Yarmouth/Dennis-Yarmouth Reg. HS) running it in from the sixth for his second TD of the season.
Neither team could get much offense established in the drizzly conditions as Bentley finished with only 11 first downs and 241 yards. The two clubs combined to punt 21 times, with Falcon senior Tyler Ford (Amherst, N.H./Souhegan HS) averaging 46.2 yards on 10 kicks. Bentley, which had the ball for 36:32, was 4 for 19 on third-down conversion attempts and Pace was nearly the same, 4 for 18.
Of Pace's 155 yards, 115 came after Bentley's third touchdown. The Setters, who had only one possession longer than three plays during the first three quarters, finished with five net rushing yards on 20 carries and completed only 18 of 44 passes.
Craan had a solid day rushing the ball for the Falcons, gaining 88 yards on 23 carries. Scarpa finished 14 of 23 for 63 yards and one interception.
As he usually does, senior linebacker Bryan Hardy (Barnstable/Barnstable HS) led the Falcons in tackles, finishing with nine, including 1.5 for losses. In addition to the two interceptions, Bentley also had a fumble recovery, from sophomore Jordan Zlogar (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa HS) on a mishandled punt.
Bentley will also be home Friday night, hosting nationally-ranked Assumption College in a match-up of two of the three teams currently tied for second place in the conference.
