Issue date: 10/20/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Andrea Pendergast Junior tailback Cory Sartorelli makes an 11-yard run to score his second touchdown of the game versus UW-River Falls on Saturday afternoon at Carson Park.

The UW-Eau Claire football team was playing some of its best football of the season. The defense has been solid all season and the offense was really starting to click. Saturday's game against the 2-3 UW-River Falls Falcons should not have been an issue for the Blugolds.

Unfortunately for the Blugolds, the Falcons caused them a lot of trouble and in the end, handed them their second loss of the season, by a score of 27-19. It was the second year in a row that the Blugolds lost to the Falcons. Last year the Falcons defeated the Blugolds by a score of 27-20.

"It's a disappointment," head coach Todd Glaser said. "I don't think we played our best game. But our hats are off to River Falls. They came out and they competed and they got it done and we didn't. Our kids know that in this league, if that happens, you're going to get beat. That's what happened today."

Both teams struggled to find any rhythm offensively early on as the defenses dominated play. The score was 0-0 after the first quarter.

The Blugolds found the end zone early in the second quarter. Junior running back Cory Sartorelli scored on a one-yard run to give the Blugolds a 6-0 lead. Junior placekicker/punter Craig Kolb was sidelined with an injury, so Sartorelli was forced into action to kick the extra points. His kick sailed wide so the Blugolds remained in the lead 6-0.

The Falcons would score a touchdown before the half though and they held a 7-6 lead at halftime.

The Blugolds stopped the Falcons on the first drive of the second half, but a fumble gave the ball right back to River Falls and they capitalized, taking a 14-6 lead.

The Blugolds answered on the next drive with another touchdown by Sartorelli to make the score 14-13.

River Falls would not give up the lead for the rest of the day; as every time the Blugolds scored, the Falcons had an answer.

River Falls scored with 1:42 remaining in the fourth quarter and took a 27-19 lead. The Blugolds got the ball back and started to drive down the field for a game-tying touchdown. The Blugolds hopes ended when junior quarterback Kyle Paulson's last pass was intercepted.

"The last two games we played really well," Paulson said. "We were coming off all that confidence and motivation. We basically just came out flat today. It's a tough loss."

The Blugolds will now face an uphill battle in order to make the playoffs. One more loss on the season could end any hopes they have of building on last years' success.

"We'll get back tomorrow and start on Platteville. We've got to win out the rest of the games so we can try to make the playoffs," Paulson said.

The Blugolds will try to rebound from this loss next Saturday as they travel to UW-Platteville. Kickoff for that game is scheduled for 1 p.m.

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