No. 5 Brockport bypasses Ithaca, 13-7

ITHACA, N.Y. – Despite a slow start, The No. 5 ranked College at Brockport football team picked up a hard-fought road win against Ithaca College on Saturday, downing the Bombers 13-7. The Golden Eagles improve to 2-0 on the young season, while Ithaca drops to 1-1 in their 2018 campaign. The Golden Eagles got off to a sluggish start, coming up empty handed in their first three drives. The offense found some rhythm in the second quarter, starting the drive at their own 49-yard line. After back-to-back short yard gains, quarterback Joe Germinerio completed a 21-yard pass to Joseph Ortiz to convert on third down. Justin Morrison was called upon on the following third and short and came up big, picking up 19-yards for first and goal on the Ithaca two-yard line. Germinerio connected with Ortiz in the end zone to put the Golden Eagles on the board, and a Justin Moyle extra point established the 7-0 lead. The defense held down the charge for Brockport in much of the first half. The first drive by the opposition looked promising as they reached the Brockport 27-yard line, but an Alex West sack pushed the Bombers back for a loss of six-yards. The secondary played well against the pass, forcing a turnover on downs and held the Bombers scoreless. It was as close as Ithaca would get, as they recorded three straight three-and-outs. Senior safety Jake O'Connell made a spectacular play, intercepting the ball at mid-field, giving Brockport an opportunity to add to their lead to end the first half. Germinerio completed five straight passes to get Moyle into field goal range, and gave the Green and Gold a 10-0 halftime lead. The Golden Eagles began the second half at their own 30, and used eight rushes and three pass completions to push to the Ithaca two-yard line. Unable to punch into the endzone, Brockport didn't leave the redzone empty-handed, as Moyle hit a field goal to lift the Golden Eagles 13-0. The lone Bombers score came in the final minutes of the game, on a 34-yard pass. The score was the only blemish on a sound defensive day, as Brockport held Ithaca to a mere 24 rushing yards and 156 passing yards. Cedric Campbell III and Lawrence Jenkins led the way with six total tackles, while Jenkins got his hand on two pass-breakups. Linebacker West put constant pressure on the opposing quarterback, recording two sacks and three quarterback hits as well as a forced fumble, which was recovered by Matt Arita. As for the Brockport offense, Germinerio posted 23 completions for 170-yards through the air, including a TD. Zach Samborski led the ground game for the Green and Gold, with 20 carries on the day for 64-yards. Ortiz was the number one receiving target, picking up 12 catches for 102-yards and the TD. The Golden Eagles will return home for their next contest, a matchup against St. Lawrence University on Brockport's Homecoming Weekend. The game will kick off at 1 p.m. on Sept. 15 at Bob Boozer Field. Be sure to stay up to date on all of your Golden Eagle scores and awards by following @BportAthletics on Twitter and by liking the "Brockport Golden Eagles" Facebook page.

P