Upper Montclair, NJ (11/29/03) – Senior running back Pete Celebre (Wallingford, PA/Strath Haven) scored on a pair of touchdown runs and Peter Mayer (Hubbardsville, NY/Hamilton) had two interceptions, one for a touchdown, as Ithaca College knocked off Montclair State, 33-13, in the second round of the NCAA Division III Playoffs at Sprague Field on Saturday afternoon. The Bombers (10-2), now advance to the quarterfinal round on December 6 where they will face Upstate New York rival Rensselaer Polytechnic in Troy, NY. RPI upset Springfield College, 40-34 in Massachusetts earlier in the day.

Ithaca, which improved to 27-9 in NCAA Playoff games, defeated Montclair State for the 10th time in 12 meetings, including four times in the NCAA Playoffs (1985, 1986, 2001). Two years ago, the Bombers defeated MSU, 35-23 in the first round at Montclair. Running back EUGENE VICK (Newark, NJ/Hillside) rushed for 116 yards for the Red Hawks (9-2), who had their nine-game winning streak snapped and suffered its first loss since the season-opener against Springfield (22-14) on September 13.

The Bombers had two opportunities to put points on the board early, but couldn't convert as it turned the ball over twice. Matt Tosh (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights) returned the opening kickoff 74 yards to the MSU 14. However, two plays later, quarterback Josh Felicetti (Doylestown, PA/Central bucks East) fumbled the snap and it was recovered by MSU's MORGAN BURKLOW (Pompton Plains, NJ/Pequannock). On Ithaca's next possession, its moved to the MSU, six, but again the drive stalled as Felicetti's pass was intercepted in the end zone by ANDY SILVAGNI (New Providence, NJ/New Providence).

Ithaca finally broke through early in the second quarter as Tosh set up the drive with a 29-yard punt return. Felicetti hit Jeff Welch (Ithaca, NY/Ithaca) on a 10-yard pass and Caleb Greer-Carney (Concord, NH/Cushing Academy) had 20-yard gain to the MSU 20. After another run, Felicetti connected with PJ Canestrari (Ironia, NJ/Randolph) from 14 yards out to the Red Hawk 8. Two plays later, Felicetti hit Mike Oertel (Peru, NY/Peru) for a three-yard touchdown pass to give Ithaca 6-0 lead as the extra point caromed off the upright. The Bombers extended the lead to 9-0 with 7:57 left before half. On 3rd-and-6, Felicetti hit Welch for 25 yards to the MSU 42. After Ithaca stalled at the 25, Brett Kitenplon (Seminole, FL/Admiral Farragut) connected on a 41-yard field.

On Montclair's next possession, the Red Hawks put together one their best drive of the half as it moved from its own 20 to the Ithaca 37. Vick accounted for 46 yards on the drive, but on the 10th play of the drive, JOHN DIGIROLAMO (Morris Plains, NJ/Parsippany Hills) was intercepted by Seth Molisani (Canandaigua, NY/Canandaigua Academy), who return the ball 62 yards to the MSU 9. After Ithaca failed to move the ball, Kitenplon hit a 27-yard field goal as the Bombers led, 12-0 at halftime.

After a scoreless third quarter, Ithaca moved 83 yards in eight plays to extend its lead to 19-0. Celebre had a 14-yard run on a 3rd-and-10 and Welch carried for 24 yards to the MSU 32. Two plays later, Celebre broke up the middle for a 26-yard touchdown with 11:43 left.

Montclair finally broke through as Shaun Murray (Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial) returned the ensuing kickoff 29 yards and a personal foul penalty gave MSU the ball at the Ithaca 33. Facing a 4th-down at the IC 27, backup quarterback Mike Pessaro (Verona, NJ/Verona) hit SHAUN PERRYMAN (Dunnellen, NJ/Dunnellen) for a 12-yard gain. On the next play, DiGirolamo hit STEVE ARMSTRONG (Paterson, NJ/St. Mary's) for a 15-yard touchdown, cutting the lead to 19-7 with 10:21 to go.

MSU got the ball back, but Mayer intercepted DiGirolamo's pass and returned it 45 yards for a Bomber touchdown. MSU's next possession also ended in a turnover as Mayer again intercepted a pass and brought it back 57 yards to the MSU 33 with 4:18 left. The Bombers faced a fourth-down, but kept their drive alive as Felicetti completed a play-action pass to Oertel with just over 90 seconds left. Celebre then capped the short drive with a six-yard run to make the score, 33-7. Montclair got one more touchdown as CHRIS VOLO (Livingston, NJ/Livingston) scored from a yard out with 17 seconds remaining.

Celebre finished with 96 yards as Ithaca ran for 197 yards out of its 349 total offensive yards. Felicetti completed 12-of-26 passes for 152 yards, including four receptions by Welch. Molisani and Brett Campbell had 10 tackles apiece for the Bombers.

DiGirolamo was 12-of-42 for 164 yards and four interceptions for Montclair State, which fell to 7-8 all-time in its NCAA Playoff appearances. Vick finished with 116 yards on 26 carries as he ended the year with 1,270 yards - the fourth highest single-season total in Montclair State history. Senior linebacker RAY MEYER (Hasbrouck Heights, NJ/Hasbrouck Heights), playing in his final game at MSU, had 10 tackles. The Red Hawks had a season-high 373 yards in offense.