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First appeared Oct. 28, 2002
Homecoming seems to bring out the best in the University of Maine Black Bear football team. For the second straight season on Homecoming weekend, the Black Bears overcame a seemingly impossible early deficit, this time topping the Hofstra University Pride 24-17 for their 11th consecutive home win in front of a rain-soaked crowd of 6,753 fans Saturday at Alfond Stadium.
The Pride did all of its scoring in the second quarter, turning UMaine mistakes and good field position into a 17-0 lead.
After a Chris Anorato field goal made the score 3-0, Black Bear senior quarterback Jake Eaton was picked off by Pride defensive end Shaun Kinsley, who rumbled 35 yards for a momentum-grabbing touchdown that made the score 10-0.
The rain continued to fall and so did the Black Bears.
UMaine’s offense failed to convert a fourth down and gave the ball back to Hofstra on the Black Bear 43-yard line. Seven plays later, Hofstra quarterback Andrew English, playing in place of the benched Ryan Cosentino connected with wideout Devale Ellis on a six-yard touchdown pass that put the Black Bears down 17-0 going into the locker room.
Just as most of those in attendance were leaving for home, the Black Bears began to show up.
“When I came out in the second half, I asked ‘Where did everyone go,’” Black Bear head coach Jack Cosgrove said. “I would have probably gone, too, the way we were playing.”
The Black Bear defense, playing without two of its best defensive players, senior linebacker Stephen Cooper and senior defensive end Brendan Curry, had a multitude of players make tide-turning plays in the second half.
“We felt very confident about what we were doing,” Cosgrove said. “I thought [defensive coordinator Rich] Nagy had a tremendous plan for the defense that gave [Hofstra] something we hadn’t shown anybody else. Don’t forget, Hofstra put up 102 points on us over the last two years. We needed to do something to defend the run-and-shoot offense. The reason we won the game was because our defense got us turnovers in the fourth quarter.”
Junior defensive back Jarrod Gomes’ interception return set UMaine up with great field position at the Pride 20. Fullback John Gelsomino punched it in five plays later cutting the Hofstra lead to 17-10.
On Hofstra’s initial play of their next drive, defensive lineman Brian Mann was the recipient of a gift interception by English, who was drilled by senior linebacker Rob Kierstead, and Mann found the end zone from 22 yards out.
Kierstead’s biggest contribution came two plays after Mike Mellow’s missed extra point left UMaine down by one, 17-16, when he dove to intercept an English pass attempt.
“He’s in the background because of [Cooper], but he’s always in the right place at the right time. That interception was Rob Kierstead. He’s where he’s supposed to be.”
Senior quarterback Jake Eaton led the Black Bear offense down the game winning six-play drive that culminated with his 11-yard touchdown pass to sophomore wide receiever Christian Pereira.
“I’ve played in many important games in high school and college,” Eaton said. “I’ve never seen a whole team pull it together like this. We played with as much heart and character as any team I’ve been involved with.”
“They found a way to win,” Hofstra head coach Joe Gardi said of the Black Bears after the game. “That’s what it’s all about.”
Bangor Daily News