WALTHAM, Mass. --- Freshmen and former high school teammates Marc Eddy (Southboro/Algonquin Reg. HS) and Dallas Mall (Northboro/Algonquin HS), reunited for the first time since 1999, combined for three touchdown passes, including a game-winning 49-yarder with 2:39 left, as Bentley College rallied past Saint Anselm College, 27-24, in Northeast-10 Conference football Friday night before 1,962.

Playing in the first football game in NE-10 history, Eddy and Mall sparkled in their collegiate debuts. Eddy finished 18 of 23 for 278 yards and no interceptions while Mall, who prepped last year at Worcester Academy, caught eight of his aerials for 176 yards (tying for sixth most in Bentley history).

It was a wild fourth quarter with four lead changes, beginning with a five-yard run by Saint Anselm sophomore Kevin Ridgley (Amesbury) with 13:04 left that put the visiting Hawks up three, 17-14, for their first lead since midway through the opening stanza. It was a short 20-play drive following a blocked punt by sophomore Adam McClure (Ayer) and a Bentley personal foul.

Bentley answered right back with an eight-play, 75-yard drive. Eddy was four-for-five for 77 yards on the drive, which capped off with a 28-yarder to Mall. A play after an apparent TD pass was negated by an illegal shift penalty, Eddy scrambled and eluded three potential sacks before hitting a wide-open, kneeling Eddy in the endzone. The extra point attempt hit the upright, leaving the Falcons on top by three, 20-17 with 9:21 left.

Saint Anselm came right back on its next possession, with senior QB Keith Comeau (Marblehead) - an impressive 11 of 17 in the second half - throwing a 44-yard scoring bomb to sophomore Matt Santiago (Clinton). Junior Erol Senel (South Euclid, Ohio), who booted six points (including a 32 yard field goal in the opening period), added the extra point and the Hawks were back in front, 24-20, with 5:31 to play.

However, Eddy and Mall were not to be denied. Eddy completed all four of his attempts on the Falcons' ensuing drive, capping it off by teaming with Mall on what proved to be the game-winner. On a fourth-and-three from just over midfield, he hit Mall at about the 20. Mall eluded several tackles while battling his way to the end zone. Junior Mike Gerrity (South Windsor, Conn./South Windsor HS) made the point after, and the Falcons were up three.

Any comeback hopes that Saint Anselm may have harbored were dashed with 57 seconds left when Falcon senior linebacker Bryan Brown (Leominster/St. Bernard's CC HS), Bentley's defensive MVP the last two seasons, made his first career interception from just over midfield.
Eddy and Mall also played a key role on Bentley's opening touchdown, a one-yard run by junior tailback Paul Reed (Roxbury/Swampscott HS) with 7:26 left in the first. The six-play, 68-yard drive featured the first career pass by Eddy, a 41-yarder to Eddy.

Bentley finished with 380 yards, seven more than Saint Anselm, while the Hawks amassed four more first downs, 22-18. The Falcons ran for 102 yards, including a game-high 72 in 19 carries by sophomore tailback Andy Breda (Hanover/Hanover HS).

For Saint Anselm, Comeau overcame a rough first-half to finish 16 of 30 for 254 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Ridgley paced the Hawks on the ground with 52 yards on 14 carries, and 10 different Saint Anselm players caught passes.

Defensively, Bentley received strong performances from its two safeties. Senior free safety Jesse Campanaro (San Diego, Calif./Sante Fe Christian HS), who missed most of last season with a broken elbow, had a game-high 11 passes and two passes defended, while junior strong safety Ryan Ferguson (Plainville, Conn./Plainville HS) had 10 stops. Junior cornerback Gregg Albano (Toms River, N.J./Toms River HS) also had an interception for the Falcons.

Bentley remains at home to host Merrimack College next Friday night at 7 p.m. Saint Anselm returns to action next Saturday when it opens its home schedule by hosting UMass-Lowell.