MOURTADA BOOTS LONGEST FIELD GOAL IN SCHOOL HISTORY
IN LOSS TO SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT

PLEASANTVILLE, NY- The Pace football team lost to the Owls of Southern Connecticut State University 40-17 in Northeast-10 Conference action this afternoon. The Setters drop to 4-4 overall and 3-3 in the NE-10, while the Owls improve to 6-2 and 3-3 in conference play.

The Setters got on the board first as they capitalized on an Owl miscue. Pace linebacker Brian Schuster (Miller Place, NY/Miller Place) (Miller Place, NY/Miller Place) intercepted a pass by Southern QB Chris Roberts, setting up the Setter offense deep in Owl territory. The Pace offense wasted no time in taking advantage of the turnover as QB Dean Trerotola (Brooklyn, NY/Xaverian) hit Eric Ortega (Staten Island, NY/St. Peter's) (Staten Island, NY/St. Peter's) for a 33-yard touchdown strike on the first play following the interception.

The Owls responded with 27 unanswered points as Roberts would throw three touchdowns, while Jerom Freeman would score on the ground from one yard out.

A Pace school record would be shattered on this day as place kicker Ali Moutada (Foxboro, MA/Foxboro) would boot a 52-yard field late in the first half, eclipsing the old mark of 45-yard held by Scott Pluschau set on November 11, 1989 against Stony Brook.

Southern would add to their lead on the first possession of the second half as Roberts would toss his fourth TD in the air, hitting Ty Marshall on a 34-yard connection for a 34-10 lead.

The Setters would pull closer late in the third as Treroltola would punch it in from a yard out to move the score to 34-17. The Owls' John Wiechman, who earlier caught a 4-yard touchdown pass, would score in the ground from 19 yards out for the final margin.

For the Setters, Trerotola, subbing for an injured Ray Gregg (Stony Point, NY/North Rockland), tossed for 120 yards on 13-for-25 passes, one touchdown and a pair of interceptions on the day. Nathaniel Ford (Queens, NY/Jamaica) (Queen, NY/Jamaica) led the Setters in rushing, carrying the ball 19 times for 68 yards. Pat Olchovy (Islip, NY/Islip/Univ. of Hawaii) (Islip, NY/Islip) and Ortega both had 40 receiving yards with Ortega getting the touchdowns and Olchovy leading in receptions with five. As a team, the Owls outgained the Setters in total offense 477-182

Defensively, the Setters had four players in double figures in tackles, led by Michael LaMonica (Beachwood, NJ/Toms River South) (Beachwood, NJ/Toms River South) with 14. Jonathan Jones (Dover, NH/Bridgton Academy) (Dover, NH/Bridgton Academy) totaled 13 tackles, including nine solo. Lee Robinson (New Milford, CT/New Milford) (New Milford, CT/New Milford) tallied 12 while Greg Brain (Westtown, NY/Minisink Valley) (Westtown, NY/Minisink Valley) rounded out the top tacklers with 11.

The Setters return to action next Saturday, November when Pace travels to Waltham, MA to take on the Falcons of Bentley University in a Northeast-10 Conference game set for a 1:00 pm kickoff.