ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The Thiel Tomcats fell to 0-2 Saturday after suffering a 17-7 loss to the University of Rochester Yellowjackets.
 
Thiel fell behind 14-0 in the first quarter on a pair of Dean Kennedy touchdown passes. Kennedy's first TD pass, a 19-yarder to Chris Lebano, came on Rochester's first drive of the game. His second TD pass was a 50-yarder to Garrett Kesel with a little more than three minutes remaining in the first quarter.
 
The Tomcats refused to give in and, on their second offensive drive in the second half, embarked on a 13-play drive that consumed six minute and 23 seconds and ended with a 1-yard Taylor Fink (Kittanning, Pa./Kittanning) touchdown run. Cody McClelland (Sarver, Pa./Freeport) tacked on the extra point and the Tomcats trailed by just seven points with nearly 19 minutes remaining in the contest.
 
Fink paced Thiel's touchdown drive, picking up a trio of first downs on runs of 3-, 7- and 1-yard. Quarterback Andrew Smith (Williamsfield, Ohio/Pymatuning Valley) also completed a clutch 18-yard pass to Berend Grube (Venetia, Pa./Peters Twp.) in a third-and-two situation from the Rochester 19-yard line to set up Fink's touchdown run.
 
The Tomcat offense pieced together another long drive in the fourth quarter, but it fizzled out at the Rochester 26-yard line when Smith's fourth down pass intended for Grube fell incomplete.
 
Rochester added three crucial points with 2:34 remaining in the game on a 40-yard field goal by Alex Antonucci.
 
Fink was Thiel's top runner with 60 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. Lebano led the Yellowjackets on the ground with 79 yards on 24 carries.
 
Smith completed 17 of 31 passes for 128 yards. Kennedy connected on 11 of 17 passes for 151 yards and a pair of touchdown lobs.
 
McClelland had a nice day punting. He averaged 42.3 yards per punt with a long of 51 yards and one punt that was downed inside the 20-yard line.
 
Sophomore linebacker Tom Thorpe (Charleroi, Pa./Charleroi) led Thiel's defense with nine tackles, 2.5 of which were for a loss.
 
Tomcat senior defensive end Tim Taylor (Girard, Pa./Erie Cathedral Prep) recorded one tackle for a loss, which moved him into second place on Thiel's career tackles for loss list (46.5). Taylor also recorded one sack to move into a fourth-place tie on Thiel's career sacks list (22).
 
In all, the Tomcat defense recorded eight tackles for loss and four sacks Saturday.
 
Thiel will open up PAC play next Saturday (Sept. 15) at home against the Geneva Golden Tornadoes. Kickoff at Alumni Stadium is set for noon.