GREENVILLE, Pa. – Trailing 27-24 Saturday at Alumni Stadium with five seconds remaining in regulation, Thiel kicker Chris Rosales (Port St. Lucie, Fla./St. Lucie West Centennial) lined up for a potential game-tying 46-yard field goal against the Geneva Golden Tornadoes. Unfortunately, the kick was blocked by Geneva and returned 60 yards for a touchdown by Zach Hall to give Geneva a 33-24 Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) win.
 
Geneva jumped out to a quick 17-0 lead on touchdown runs of 4- and 64-yards by Trewon Marshall. Sandwiched between Marshall's touchdown runs was a 33-yard field goal by Andrew Dowler.
 
The Tomcats got back into the game late in the first half when Marcus Waddy (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora) blocked a punt out of the end zone to get his team on the scoreboard.
 
After the ensuing kickoff Thiel started the next possession at Geneva's 48-yard line. The Tomcats found the end zone four plays later when Ronald Brown (Munhall, Pa./University Prep) hooked up with Ryan Rowland (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington) from 16 yards out. Brown also threw a successful 2-point pass to freshman tight end David Aumuller (Cocoa Beach, Fla./Cocoa Beach) to cut Geneva's lead to 17-10 at halftime.
 
The Tomcats got within a point late in the third quarter when Brown threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Waddy. The game-tying extra point was blocked, allowing the Golden Tornadoes to maintain a slim 17-16 lead.
 
Marshall scored his third rushing touchdown of the game, this one from one yard out, on Geneva's next possession to give the Golden Tornadoes a 24-16 edge heading into the final quarter.
 
The Tomcats tied up the game 24-24 on their next possession when Nick Barca (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) scored on a 3-yard run and Brown threw a 2-point pass to Jake Elk (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin).
 
After a pair of drives yielded no points for either team, the Golden Tornadoes took a 27-24 lead on a 21-yard field goal by Dowler with 1:21 remaining in regulation.
 
Brown completed a 30-yard pass to Rowland and a 28-yard pass to Waddy on the final drive of the game, but Rosales' potential game-tying field goal on the final play of regulation was blocked and returned for a touchdown by Zach Hall.
 
On 24 carries, Barca ran for 215 yards, the sixth most in a single game in program history. He scored one rushing touchdown, and his long run on the day was a 52-yarder.
 
Brown completed 10-of-22 passes for 139 yards. Rowland led Thiel with four catches for 71 yards and a touchdown. Waddy caught one touchdown pass and blocked a pair of Geneva punts.
 
Marshall ran for a game-best 219 yards on 26 carries. He scored three touchdowns, one of which was a 64-yarder. Quarterback Bryan Stafford contributed 143 yards on 12 carries while Nick Monteleone ran for 76 yards on 11 totes.
 
Dalton DuBrosky (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) and Elk led the Tomcats with 11 and 10 tackles, respectively. Bryan Weyant led the Golden Tornadoes with 10 tackles.
 
Thiel (1-3, 1-1 PAC) will return to action Saturday when they face the Washington & Jefferson Presidents on the road. The PAC game is slated to begin at 1 p.m.