Canada edged Italy 20-17 in an exciting close encounter at the Velodromo Vigorelli in Milan as the hosts narrowly failed to force overtime with a missed 42-yard field goal attempt as time expired.
Canada now travels to Bochum to face Germany in another international friendly on Sunday, November 16, kickoff 4pm CET.
Fresh off an IFAF European Championships Final Four bronze medal victory over Germany last month, Italy fielded a much stronger line up than the experimental squad that had lost 56-0 to Canada back in April and took a first quarter lead through a 25-yard William Testa field goal. The visitors replied on their next possession when Adam Preocanin split the uprights with a 42-yard field goal.
Canada was plagued by six motion penalties on offense as they struggled to gain momentum but eventually took a 10-3 lead into halftime. A pass interference call, a facemask penalty and a key connection between quarterback Michael O’Connor and receiver Jaylan Graves moved the ball into the red zone. From there, Jamel Lyles rushed over left end and just clipped the end zone pylon for the lead as Preocanin tagged on the extra point.
Canada should have extended the lead before the interval following a spectacular connection over the middle between O’Connor and Rysen John. But with 37 seconds remaining in the half, two-way star Ryan Minniti came up with an interception on third and short.
Minniti again ended a promising Canadian drive in the third quarter with his second pick and then went on the offensive as his eight-yard touchdown run on first and goal and a Testa extra point leveled the contest at 10-10.
Shawn Charles returned the kickoff back to the 36-yard mark and from there, O’Connor and John connected again to set up a second scoring strike to Lyles and restored the seven-point advantage. The touchdown was Lyles’ fifth in two games against Italy.
The Italians were determined to fight back and on the opening play of the fourth quarter quarterback Luke Zahradka found Andrea Volonnino for the game-tying touchdown after Testa tagged on the point after.
A 35-yard Preocanin field goal edged Canada three points in front late in the game and although Zahradka and the dependable Minniti battled against the clock to drive Italy downfield, a 42-yard potential game-tying field goal proved agonizingly just beyond the range of Testa.
Photo: FIDAF
