Montreal stays unbeaten on Duval's field goal

Jul 21, 2006, 2:50 GMT

Montreal, QC - Damon Duval kicked a 13-yard field goal with 11 seconds remaining to lift the Montreal Alouettes over the Hamilton Tiger- Cats, 41-38, at Molson Stadium.

Quarterback Anthony Calvillo was 29-of-37 for 319 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions for the Alouettes, who are now a perfect 5-0. Ben Cahoon hauled in 11 of those passes for 151 yards.

Jay Maas, meanwhile, finished 30-of-40 for 374 with a touchdown and an interception for Hamilton (1-5), which twice surrendered substantial leads. Maas also ran for a score.

The Alouettes gained temporary control of this back-and-forth contest with 9:51 left, as Calvillo hit Robert Edwards with an 18-yard TD pass to give Montreal a 38-30 edge.

Maas answered with a 26-yard touchdown pass to Brock Ralph, however, then found Craig Yeast in the end zone for a two-point conversion that tied the game in the final five minutes.

The Montreal defense stiffened late in the game to give the ball back to Calvillo, who engineered a drive deep into Hamilton territory. Duval then hit the chip shot to seal the win.

Montreal opened up the scoring courtesy of Duval's 47-yard field goal early in the first quarter, but Hamilton countered with 14 straight points to move in front.

Maas got the Ti-Cats on the board with a two-yard TD run midway through the first before Mike Echols intercepted Calvillo and sprinted 94 yards for a touchdown to make it 14-3.

The Alouettes charged back to reclaim the lead in the second stanza. Calvillo hit Jeff Piercy in the end zone with a play-action pass from three yards out with 7:43 to play, and Anwar Stewart followed minutes later with a 35-yard interception return that put his squad up, 17-14.

Field goals from 41 and 43 yards out off the foot of Mark Myers in the final two minutes, however, gave Hamilton a 20-17 edge at halftime.

The Tiger Cats then went up by 10 early in the third on a 53-yard interception return by Jason Goss.

Montreal fired right back, as Calvillo connected with Kerry Watkins for a six- yard TD and Thyron Anderson for a 36-yard score that put his squad ahead 31-27 after three quarters.

Hamilton cut into the lead with a nine-yard Myers field goal 52 seconds into the fourth.

Game Notes

The Montreal defense has allowed just 14 second-half points over its last three games. Hamilton's TD in the fourth was the first the Alouettes defense has allowed in the second half all year.

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