CONTACT: Adam Sopris, a.sopris@hvcc.edu, 518-629-7898
FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Sunday, September 17, 2017

Hudson Valley Community College football team won its first game of the 2017 season after defeating Ithaca JV 10-7 today in Ithaca, NY. 

The Vikings fell behind in the second quarter when Ithaca JV scored on a 1-yard touchdown run on a sweep to the left side for a 7-0 lead. Hudson Valley responded with 10 unanswered points in the second half, including the game-winning field goal by Nathan Fankhanel (Clifton Park/Shenendehowa) as time expired to give the Vikings the win.

Vikings running back Amani Murphy (Brooklyn/Brooklyn Technical) carried the ball 13 times for a game-high 96 rushing yards and a touchdown. Murphy's 5-yard touchdown run came with 8:10 remaining in the third quarter to tie the game at 7-7. Vikings' kicker, Linnea D'Achille (Easton/Greenwich) converted the extra-point and in the process became the first female student-athlete to play a snap for the Hudson Valley football program.

With the game tied at 7-7, the Vikings defense forced a turnover-on-downs to give the Vikings offense the ball back at their own 46-yard line and 58-seconds remaining in the game. Wesley Manning (Setauket/Ward Melville) and the Vikings offense marched down the field as Manning completed passes to four different receivers during the 7 plays, 49-yards drive to set up Fankhanel's game-winning field goal.

Football is back in action next Sunday, Sept. 24 when they travel to face the New Jersey Warriors with a 1 p.m. scheduled kickoff.