Football Opens 2011 with 60-3 Win over WPI
NORTH ANDOVER, MA – The Merrimack football team opened the 2011 season with a school-record 60 points, en route to a 60-3 victory over WPI in front of 2,146 fans at Warrior Field Saturday night.
Surpassing the previous school record of 55 points set in October of 2007, the Warriors racked up 317 total yards in the first half, while giving up just 62, taking a 27-3 lead at halftime.
Senior quarterback James Suozzo (Everett, MA) threw for four first-half touchdowns, two each to Shane Ferguson (Point Pleasant Beach, NJ) and Isaiah Voegeli (Hyannis, MA), while completing 14 of 22 passes for 252 yards. Suozzo hit Ferguson from 32-yards out 4:56 into the first, and following a Jimmy Holland (Billerica, MA) interception, they connected once again, this time from 15-yards out 8:39 into the first to give the hosts the 13-0 lead.
Following a WPI field goal to start the second, Suozzo hit Voegeli on fourth and six from 20-yards out to give the Warriors the 20-3 advantage.
Then with 57 seconds to play in the half, Suozzo launched one to Voegeli, this time from 57 yards, to send the teams to the locker room with Merrimack owning a 27-3 lead.
Merrimack tacked on three early touchdowns in a 7:47 span to start the second half, as Jimon Hill (North Chicago, IL) and Suozzo each scored on rushing plays, while sophomore linebacker Matt Tripicchio (Lake Zurich, IL) returned an interception 36 yards for his first career touchdown.
After Vincent Gallo (Rotterdam, NY) recovered a fumble, Joe Clancy (Newburyport, MA) hit Voegeli in the end zone on the next play from 41 yards out, for Merrimack's fourth touchdown of the quarter, pushing the lead to 53-3.
Quinn McDonough (Medford, MA) opened the fourth quarter with a 50-yard run, the largest of his career for his first collegiate touchdown.
Suozzo finished with 306 passing yards and four touchdowns on 15-of-24 passing in two and a half quarters of play. Voegeli racked up 177 yards and three scores on just five receptions, while Hill rushed for 89 yards on 13 carries. Ferguson (51 yards) and Ethan Weaver (Brooklyn, CT) (50 yards) combined for 101 yards as nine receivers caught passes in the win.
Defensively, preseason All-American Shawn Loiseau (Shrewsbury, MA) totaled a team-high nine tackles, while Michael Wiggins (Dolton, IL) picked up seven tackles, three for a loss. The defense forced five turnovers, as freshman Carl Brescia (Farmingdale, NY) forced and recovered his first career fumble in the fourth quarter, while Nick McDaniels (Boston, MA) picked up his first career pick.
"I was happy with the way we moved the ball, and how our defense limited the opportunities," said head coach John Perry. "We did a good job of incorporating everyone in our first game, but we have a lot to work on before our next game."
Merrimack (1-0) continues non-conference action at PSAC opponent Edinboro next Saturday at 1 p.m. in the first-ever matchup between the two teams.
