Box Score Box score


Brockport, NY … The College of New Jersey football team won its first game of the 2010 season in thrilling fashion as sophomore kicker Tyler Olsson (Kendall Park, NJ/South Brunswick) booted a 45-yard game-winning field goal as time expired to give the Lions a dramatic win 24-21.

One week removed from pushing an extra point wide in a 24-23 overtime loss to Farleigh Dickinson University-Florham, Olsson struck the biggest kick of his young career sending his teammates home with a tremendous New Jersey Athletic Conference victory at Brockport.

TCNJ put itself behind the eight-ball as they trailed 21-7 with 11:45 remaining in the third quarter. But the Lions rallied to score a pair of second half touchdowns to set up Olsson's heroics. Sophomore Joe Falco (Ocean, NJ/Ocean Township) capped off a 10-play, 55-yard scoring drive with a two-yard touchdown run to cut the deficit to 21-14 late in the third quarter. That drive was set up by a Scotty Mathurin (Mahwah, NJ/Mahwah) interception, which he returned 17 yards.

The Lions defense got better as the game progressed as the Golden Eagles came up empty in their final five possessions of the game. After Mathurin's interception, they forced three punts and a turnover on downs.

TCNJ tied the game in the fourth when sophomore quarterback Nicholas Tyson (Freehold, NJ/Freehold Boro) connected with William Frederich (Berlin, NJ/East Stroudsburg South) on a 51-yard touchdown strike. The Lions got the ball with 1:03 remaining on their own 24-yard line. Junior quarterback Jay Donoghue (Shamong, NJ/Seneca) hit Chris Meliado (Ridgefield Park, NJ/St. Peters Prep) with seven and nine-yard pass completions to move the ball up to midfield. Donoghue then rushed for six and eight yards and head coach Eric Hamilton took his final timeout with :03 remaining on the clock at the Brockport 27.

Olsson split the uprights as time expired, setting off a wild celebration and giving TCNJ a much-need conference win.

Falco led the running attack with 61 yards on 16 carries. Junior Erik Smithman (Barnegat, NJ/Barnegat) also had a solid outing gaining 45 yards on 10 carries.

Meliado had his best game to date catching six passes for 69 yards and a touchdown, while Frederich grabbed a pair of catches for 57 yards. Meliado also had a 30-yard touchdown reception on a pass from Tyson in the second quarter to knot the game at seven. It was Tyson's first career touchdown pass.

Sophomore Greg Burns (Hamilton, NJ/Hamilton West) had another strong effort leading the defense with 13 tackles (5 solo). William Haduch (Branchburg, NJ/Somerville) had 12 tackles in the game while co-captain Matthew Kreider (Delran, NJ/Delran) wrestled 10 Golden Eagles to the ground. Derek Goreczny (Somerville, NJ/Hunterdon Central) also had an interception and six tackles for TCNJ.

The Lions return to Lions' Stadium this Saturday, October 2 at 1 p.m. It's Homecoming Day at The College of New Jersey as TCNJ will square off against NJAC pre-season favorite SUNY Cortland.