Postgame Audio

• Lafayette Coach Frank Tavani

April 28, 2001

Box Score

EASTON, Pa. (www.lafayette.edu) - The Lafayette defensive unit, utilizing a scoring system which rewarded the defense with points for not allowing first downs and stopping drives, defeated the offense 39-25 in the Leopards' 2001 spring football game today at Fisher Field.

Lafayette's defense (maroon) intercepted three passes, including two by Rob Wildasin '02 (Annville, Pa./Annville-Cleona) and one for a 65-yard touchdown by Jeff Werrell '02 (Allentown, Pa./Salisbury).

The Leopards' starting linebacker corps of Nick Boccagno '02 (Burke, Va./De Matha), Matt Bourdon '02 (Jacksonville, Fla./De Matha), and Adriel Linyear '02 (Brooklyn, N.Y./Shaker) accounted for 21 tackles, three sacks, and five tackles for loss. Bourdon led the defense with 12 tackles and two sacks.

"Our defense has been playing with a lot of intensity, especially in the past week," said Frank Tavani, who enters his second season as Lafayette's head football coach. "I would have liked to seen the offense score a few more times, but I am extremely pleased with our defense. They have come a long way since last season."

Offensively, the quarterback combination of Chad Ritchie '02 (Winchester, Va./John Handley) and Marko Glavic '04 (Pickering, Ontario/St. Mary Catholic) completed 16-of-28 passes for 170 yards, including 10-of-16 for 107 yards for Ritchie. Six different quarterbacks played in the contest, while 14 different receivers caught passes.

Edward Carter '04 (Voorhees, N.J./Eastern) emerged as Lafayette's leading rusher on the day with 36 yards on seven carries, and John Ricketts '03 (Wenonah, N.J./Gateway Regional) led the Leopards with five receptions for 35 yards.

The Leopards' two place kickers -- Martin Brecht '03 (Jeannette, Pa./Greensburg Central Catholic) and Michael Beatrice '04 (Mahwah, N.J./Mahwah) -- both went two-of-three on 40-yard field goal attempts.

Today's game punctuates three weeks of spring practices. Lafayette concluded the 2000 season with a 2-9 overall record, and 1-5 and sixth place in Patriot League play. The Leopards open the 2001 season at Towson in a Patriot League contest on Sept. 8, at 1 p.m.