Football Loses Heartbreaker at New Haven 27-25
NEW HAVEN, CT – James Suozzo
(Everett, MA) rushed for three touchdowns and threw for
314 yards, but the Merrimack football team dropped a first-place
showdown to the University of New Haven 27-25 Saturday
afternoon.
The loss drops Merrimack to 3-4 overall, 3-2 in the league,
while New Haven maintains its first-place lead with a 5-1
conference record.
Suozzo set up a possible two-point tying conversion after
picking up his third touchdown of the game, rushing from two yards
out with 50 seconds to play. But the two-point conversion failed,
as Anthony Smalls
(Dorchester, MA) got the carry but could not get into the
end zone.
Merrimack failed to recover the onside kick, and the Chargers
ran out the clock, escaping with the big victory.
Suozzo took the Warriors down the field in just 2:17, going 88
yards and converting on two fourth downs, including a 28-yard rush
to the New Haven 3-yard line on 4th-and-5.
New Haven controlled the first quarter, taking a 10-0 lead, but
the Warriors came back in the second as Suozzo scampered into the
end zone from three yards out, capping a 10-play, 87-yard drive
over 3:07 that saw the junior quarterback connect with Greg
Abelli (Billerica, MA) three times, including a 40-yard
pass to start the drive.
Trailing 10-6, Merrimack looked primed to take the lead at the
end of the half, but Suozzo, with his team at the 1-yard line, was
picked off in the end zone by Desmond Anderson.
After the Warriors went three-and-out to start the second half,
the Chargers went 74 yards, extending their lead to 17-6 as Victor
Jones ran into the end zone from 1-yard out for his second 1-yard
touchdown rush of the game. Mike DeCaro got the drive going,
rushing for 42 yards on the first play of the drive before Ryan
Osiecki found Sharieff Hall for a 16-yard pass, which got the ball
to the one.
Following a 42-yard field goal from Chris Scifo, Suozzo cut the
deficit to 20-13 with a 1-yard touchdown run, but New Haven came
right back, as Hall hauled in a 16-yard touchdown reception with
8:44 to play.
Merrimack didn't quit, as Anthony Smalls (Dorchester,
MA) made it a 27-19 game, rushing in from three yards out,
but the extra point attempt was blocked.
The Warrior defense then forced New Haven to punt, but Suozzo
threw four straight incomplete passes, turning the ball over on
downs with 3:17 left.
Just when it seemed that New Haven would run out the clock,
Osiecki was intercepted by Ian Weaver (Brooklyn,
CT) in the end zone giving Merrimack one last chance to
tie the game, needing to go 88 yards in 3:07.
Suozzo finished with 314 passing yards, completing 29 of 58
passes for 314 yards, while rushing for another 83 yards and three
scores. Abelli picked up 135 receiving yards on 11 receptions,
while Smalls totaled 53 yards rushing. Isaiah Voegeli
(Hyannis, MA) totaled six catches for 62 yards.
Preseason All-American Shawn Loiseau
(Shrewsbury, MA) led the way defensively once again with
15 tackles, including 10 in the first half. Special teams doomed
the Warriors, as they saw two extra points blocked.
Osiecki finished with 199 passing yards, while DaCaro (83 yards)
and Jones (75 yards) led the Charger rushing attack.
Merrimack hosts American International next Saturday at 1 p.m.
in the first game of a two-game homestand.
