BY JEFF FALK
Lebanon Valley College played an NCAA Division Three football game on Saturday. And for the Flying Dutchmen, more than a few positives resulted from it.
Not only did LVC win the game 31-21, it did so on the road – at Montclair State – during its 2012 season opener. The Flying Dutchmen also accomplished the feat without their most inspired offensive performance, thanks in part to four takeaways.
Lebanon Valley scored ten points in a span of five minutes late in the first half to take a 17-7 lead. Sean Fakete knocked through a 24-yard field goal before quarterback Leo Kyte hit Joey Miller with a 35-yard scoring strike with 5:28 of the second quarter remaining.
Then, six minutes into the second half, Evan Fink upped LVC’s advantage to 24-7 with a three-yard scoring plunge.
Montclair State out gained LVC by a wide 423-288 margin. A good chunk of that came through the air, in the form of 347 yards.
But the Flying Dutchmen did not turn the ball over, while intercepting Montclair on three occasions and forcing a late fumble.
Lebanon Valley, which featured eight new starters, went 8-3 a year ago. Montclair State had received top-25 recognition in some Division Three preseason polls.
Josh Borreli sealed the LVC win with a 30-yard interception return for a touchdown two minutes into the final quarter. That made it 31-14.
Lebanon Valley drove its opening possession of the season 76 yards in 11 plays and came away with a one-yard touchdown burst from Conrad Heisey and a 7-0 lead. Heisey was part of a Flying Dutchmen rushing attack that churned out 170 yards.
The meeting, part of the MAC-NJAC Challenge, was the first-ever between the two schools. Lebanon Valley will open the home portion of its schedule on newly renovated Arnold Field on Saturday at 1 p.m.
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