LATROBE, Pa. (Oct. 5) – The Saint Vincent football team was defeated, 16-13, by Geneva College in front of a capacity Homecoming crowd at Chuck Noll Field.
 
In a game heavy on defense, the Bearcats (1-4, 1-4 Presidents' Athletic Conference) limited the Golden Tornadoes (2-3, 2-3 PAC) to just 265 yards of total offense and forced a pair of turnovers, but saw their comeback effort thwarted by an interception inside the red zone with just over a minute remaining in the fourth quarter.
 
The game got off to a strong start for Saint Vincent, as Keegan O'Brien returned the opening kickoff 73 yards to begin the Bearcats' first possession on the Geneva 15-yard line. The Bearcats would then go to the ground to take an early lead, with Dontae Sanders rumbling into the end zone from two yards out to open up a 7-0 lead just 1:57 into play.
 
Geneva needed just 1:44 to answer back, marching 42 yards in four plays to tie the game at 7-7 on a David Reid touchdown run with 11:03 left in the opening quarter.
 
The teams traded punts over the next three possessions, before the Bearcat defense came up with its first turnover to thwart a Geneva drive deep inside SVC territory, with Robbie Labuda forcing a fumble that was recovered by teammate David Simouang on the 26-yard line. SVC was unable to capitalize, however, with the first quarter ending in a 7-7 deadlock.
 
On the opening play of the second quarter, the Bearcat defense came up big again, when KeShawn Davis recovered a Golden Tornado fumble on the Geneva 18. Due in part to a penalty on second down, the SVC drive stalled, but Adam Koscielicki buried a 30-yard field goal to give SVC back the lead, 10-7, with 12:57 left in the half.
 
Geneva countered the Koscielicki field goal by taking its first lead of the day on the ensuing possession, when Reid bowled in for his second touchdown of the day, this one from a yard out, to cap off a lengthy 15-play, 72-yard drive that spanned more than seven minutes. After Wiley Purry blocked the extra point, the Golden Tornadoes led 13-10 with 5:42 left in the half.
 
The back-and-forth continued, as Saint Vincent used 15 plays to chew up the rest of the clock and ended the half on Koscielicki's second successful field goal of the day, this time from 25 yards, to tie the game at 13 at the intermission. The long drive spanned 61 yards, and included Luke Levendosky pass completions of 10 yards to O'Brien, 10 yards to Brian Boyd and 12 yards to Jeffrey Downs II.
 
The Golden Tornadoes marched down the field on the opening drive of the second half, covering 62 yards – all on the ground – to set up first-and-goal inside the SVC 5. The Bearcat defense then buckled down, forcing Geneva to bring out the field goal unit after picking up just one yard on the next three plays. Josiah Weyandt then broke through the line to block the 20-yard kick goal attempt and keep the score deadlocked.

Following an SVC three-and-out, the Golden Tornadoes went back to the ground to chew up both yards and the clock, rushing 13 times – and converting two fourth downs – to advance the ball to the SVC 12. Again, the Bearcat goal line defense held, with Kyle Murray breaking up a pass on third down, to bring the Golden Tornado kicking unit back onto the field. This time, the 29-yard field goal was good to give the visitors a 16-13 lead with 10 seconds left in the quarter.
 
Each of the first four drives in a rapidly moving fourth quarter ended in punts, before the Bearcats took over on their own 15 with 2:59 left in regulation. The drive began with a 20-yard completion from Levendosky to Chris Downs, before a Geneva personal foul advanced the ball to the 50 at the 2-minute time out. Levendosky would then cover 16 yards over a pair of runs, before Sanders muscled a three-yard burst to enter the red zone at the Geneva 16 with 1:15 left. The Bearcats would get no closer, however, as on the ensuing play, the Golden Tornadoes' Cameron Smith intercepted a pass attempt in the end zone.

The visitors covered just five yards on their next trip, and were forced to punt it away after a pair of timeouts, giving SVC the ball back at midfield with seven seconds left, but Levendosky's Hail Mary attempt fell short as time expired.
 
Levendosky ran for a team-high 44 yards on nine attempts, while also completing nine passes for 80 yards. Billy Beck gained 36 yards on the ground, and Sanders finished with 35. O'Brien paced the SVC receiving corps with two catches for 29 yards.
 
Labuda led the way defensively for the Bearcats, recording 12 tackles, along with his forced fumble and.a pass break-up. Purry recorded 10 stops, while Fred Woodfork made nine tackles, including 2.0 for loss, and forced a pair of fumbles.
 
For the game, Geneva outgained Saint Vincent 265-189 in total offense, with 227 yards coming on the ground. Reid paced the visitors with 78 yards on 16 carries.
 
After playing three straight home games, the Bearcats will now take part in back-to-back road frays, beginning with a 7 p.m. matchup next Saturday, Oct. 12, at PAC co-leader Case Western Reserve.