DEERFIELD, Ill. -- In front of a big homecoming crowd celebrating 25 years of Trinity International football, the 2014 edition of the Trojans came up just short, falling to the St. Ambrose Bees, 34-23. Trinity generated 416 yards of total offense on the day, but five turnovers proved to be too costly, leading to 14 points for SAU.

Box Score | Season Stats | MSFA Midwest Standings

The Trojans (2-4, 0-2 MSFA) got off to a slow start, as the offense punted on each of its first three possessions, before getting on the scoreboard in the second quarter. St. Ambrose (2-3, 1-1 MSFA) struck first, when an eight-play, 44-yard drive to open the game resulted in a 38-yard field goal.

The Bees extended their lead near the end of the first quarter, moving the ball 63 yards in six plays, capping the drive off with a 10-yard touchdown pass to move ahead of the Trojans by a 10-0 margin. After a punt for the Trojans, the TIU defense stepped up to force a three-and-out, followed by Trinity's first score of the day. An eight-play, 50-yard drive was highlighted by junior running back Chris Elliott's touchdown run from three yards out, the first of Elliott's two TDs on the day. A two-point conversion attempt fell short, leaving the score at 10-6 in favor of the Bees.

St. Ambrose would again score 10 unanswered points in the second quarter, to stretch their adavantage to 20-3 before the final drive of the half. Starting on their own 14-yardline, the Trojans marched across midfield with 1:23 until the halftime break, finally reaching the SAU 31-yardline on a six-yard Jim Kenney reception. As time expired on the first half, sophomore Jeremiah Carter kicked a career-high 48-yard field goal straight through the uprights to cut into the deficit, and head into the locker rooms with a 20-6 halftime score.

With a chance to make it a one-possession game with the first drive of the second half, the Trojans suffered their second interception of the day, giving up the ball on their own 45-yardline after just three plays from scrimmage. The Bees quickly went the other way, scoring five plays later on a 26-yard touchdown pass from SAU quarterback Patrick Smith. After the extra point, the Bees had extended their lead to 27-19 early in the second half.

The Trojans took advantage of an SAU missed field goal in the closing minutes of the third quarter, taking over on their own 28-yardline and driving 72 yards in just five plays, including a trick Gary Tyler pass to Stephen Anderson for 28 yards, and a 13-yard Elliott rushing touchdown. The Trojans trailed by just 11 points, and needed two scores to get back into the game.

On their next possession, St. Ambrose extended their lead again, eating 4:34 in the longest drive of the game, while finishing the 13-play run with a 1-yard rushing score.

Another interception, and a drive ending on a failed fourth-down attempt, the Trojans got a late touchdown to close the gap again, on a 46-yard scramble by Anderson that went all the way for the score. With four minutes remaining, the Trojans weren't able to collect the following onside kick, and St. Ambrose was able to run out the clock, up by two scores.

Anderson finished the day with 247 yards in the air on 26-of-47 passing, but no touchdowns and four interceptions. Elliott had a pair of TDs along with 65 yards on 21 attempts. A pair of underclassmen wideouts had strong performances; freshman Brad Hargis made eight catches for a total of 71 yards, while sophomore Cory Windle had seven receptions and 72 yards on the day.

Defensively, senior linebacker Ethan Ming led TIU with 13 tackles, including 1.5 sacks and a tackle for loss. Darwin Stone and Riley Schussler collected 11 tackles apiece. The Trojan defense collected four sacks in whole, but did not force a turnover for the first time this season.

The Trojans will return to Frazier Field next Saturday, October 18, when Trinity will play host to the No. 6 Grand View Vikings. Kickoff next Saturday is set for 1:00 p.m.