EASTON, Mass. – The American International College football team scored 10 points in the final two minutes to record a 37-34 Northeast-10 victory at Stonehill College Saturday afternoon at W.B. Mason Stadium.

The Yellow Jackets improved to 3-1 for the season and 2-0 in the Northeast-10 with the win, while the Skyhawks fell to 1-3 overall and 0-2 in conference play.

AIC held a 27-20 lead after redshirt freshman quarterback Kevin Arduino (Cornwall, N.Y.) ran for a 26-yard touchdown with 1:09 remaining in the third quarter, but Stonhill answered with a pair of scores in a span of 3:07 to take a 34-27 lead midway through the final frame.

Junior wide receiver John Gomes (Hyannis, Mass.) pulled in a 19-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Logan Meyer (Ventura, Calif.) 3:34 into the fourth quarter to tie the game at 27 and junior running back Jeremetrius Troy (Mattapan, Mass.) broke off a 43-yard run to the end zone with 8:18 left in the game to give the Skyhawks the lead.

After going three-and-out on their ensuing possession the Yellow Jackets got the ball back with 4:55 to go at their own 35-yard line. Arduino and sophomore running back Terrell Williams (Hempstead, N.Y.) marched AIC down the field and Arduino capped off the drive with a 14-yard score with exactly two minutes on the clock to tie the game at 34-all. Williams ran for 35 yards on the drive, including a 26-yard run that set the Yellow Jackets up at the Stonehill 14-yard line.

The Skyhawks then drove to the AIC 44-yard line after getting the ball back before turning it over on downs. Stonehill called a timeout on fourth-and-two with 31 seconds left in the game, but it was AIC junior defensive lineman Kushtrim Hakanjin (Brooklyn, N.Y.) who came up with the big play as he stripped Meyer and the Yellow Jackets recovered at their 42-yard line to start their game-winning drive.

Arduino connected with sophomore wide receiver Matt Brown (North Kingston, R.I.) on a 41-yard completion to gave AIC a first down at Stonehill's 17-yard line. The Yellow Jackets then called timeout with 12 seconds on the clock to setup the winning 34-yard field goal from freshman place kicker Cesar Vaca-Hurtado (Naples, Fla.). The Skyhawks also called timeout to try and freeze Vaca-Hurtado, but the ploy did not succeed.

Stonehill received the following kickoff with seven seconds remaining, but after many laterals and an illegal forward pass it was AIC that earned the victory.

The Yellow Jackets led 7-3 after junior linebacker Darius Evans (Linden, N.J.) picked off Meyer and ran it back 27 yards for a score just five minutes into the game and Arduino completed a 23-yard scoring pass to sophomore wide receiver Cal Brownridge (Newark, N.J.) with five minutes left in the first quarter. The PAT was blocked, giving AIC a 13-3 lead after one.

Williams then capped off a 12-play, 80-yard drive with a six-yard touchdown run four minutes into the second quarter. The Skyhawks answered with an 11-play, 81-yard scoring drive of their own that saw Meyer hit Gomes for a six-yard score with 6:29 left in the first half.

Meyer found Gomes for a 33-yard score with exactly six minutes to go in the third quarter and freshman place kicker/defensive back Ryan Handy (Howell, N.J.) converted a 26-yard field goal on Stonehill's next possession to tie the game at 20 with 3:05 left in the frame. He was the third kicker used by the Skyhawks, who missed three attempts inside 35 yards in the first half.

AIC won the game despite being outgained by Stonehill, 497-378. The Skyhawks also had the edge in time of possession, holding the ball for 32:08 of a possible 60 minutes.

Arduino finished the game 16-of 33 for 161 yards and one touchdown through the air, and ran 11 times for 71 yards and two more scores. Williams finished with 21 carries for 115 yards and a score.

Meyer completed 30-of-42 passes for 285 yards and three touchdowns, while Troy carried the ball 18 times for 130 yards and one score. Gomes finished with 14 receptions for 154 yards and three TDs.

Junior defensive back Markell Rice (New Rockelle, N.Y.) recorded a game-high 14 tackles (12 solo) with one tackle for loss for the Yellow Jackets, while redshirt freshman defensive back Carron McCluney (Hillside, N.J.) had 10 tackles (nine solo). Hakanjin recorded nine tackles (five solo) with 2.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and a forced fumble, while sophomore linebacker Joel Bowen (Brooklyn, N.Y.) had nine tackles (seven solo) with 2.5 tackles for loss and one sack.

Senior defensive back Matt Iannucci (Oakland, N.J.) led Stonehill with 11 tackles (five solo), while junior linebacker Fabrice Dragon (Stoughton, Mass.) registered eight tackles (five solo) with one tackle for loss.

The Yellow Jackets will have a short week coming up as they will next travel to Bentley University for a 7 p.m. Northeast-10 contest Friday, September 30.