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Pointers
Rally For First Win at La Crosse Since 1962
Box
Score
Doug Mittlestaedt blocked a 28-yard field goal attempt with 21
seconds remaining to lift UW-Stevens Point to a 17-16 victory over UW-La
Crosse Saturday, marking the Pointers� first win in La Crosse since
1962.
�I was nine years old the last time we won here,� Pointers�
coach John Miech joked following the game. �Our team persevered through
some bad things that happened in the first half.�
The Pointers rallied from a 16-0 deficit and finally took the lead
with 2:15 left on an eight-yard third down pass from Scott Krause to Kurt
Kielblock. The pass capped a 13-play, 96-yard drive as the Pointers were
four-for-four on third down plays. Included in the drive was a 48-yard
pass from Krause to Tony Romano down to the eight-yard line.
On the ensuing drive, UW-La Crosse drove to the Pointers� 34-yard
line on just two plays. After a rush for no gain, Heath Novitzke and Nick
Haffele had sacks on consecutive plays to set up a fourth-and-25 play on
the Pointers� 49 yard line. However, UW-La Crosse quarterback Josh
Boraas connected with Dan Zellner for a 31-yard pass play to the
Pointers� 18-yard line. The Eagles worked the ball to the 12-yard line
before Mittlestaedt broke through to block the potential game-winning
field goal.
�That was a big surge and he just hit it low,� Miech said.
�Our defense played real well.�
The winning margin was also the result of a missed kick as the
Eagles missed an extra point after a seven-yard pass from Boraas to Matt
Rizzo gave UW-La Crosse a 16-0 lead. The extra point was five yards longer
due to a false start penalty on the original attempt.
Rizzo�s touchdown was set up by a 42-yard interception return by
Brian Portilia and Jeremy Unertl set up the Eagles� first score with a
50-yard punt return.
�We put our defense in some bad situations,� Miech said.
�They really stepped up and held them without a point in the second
half.�
The Pointers finally scored on a 35-yard field goal by Ricardo Vega
with 3:37 left in the first half and scored their first touchdown on a
27-yard pass from Krause to Chad Valentyne on a third-and-18 play.
Krause was 14-for-28 passing for 213 yards. Lance Gast led the
Pointers with 33 yards rushing.
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