Stonehill Sneaks by Football, 24-20, Friday Night
Links: Box Score | Highlights
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The Merrimack College football team battled valiantly before ultimately dropping a hard-fought, 24-20 decision to visiting Stonehill College – a squad receiving votes in the latest American Football Coaches' Association (AFCA) National Rankings – on Friday night at Martone-Mejail Field.
The Basics
Score: (RV) Stonehill 24, Merrimack 20
Records: Merrimack (0-2, 0-1 NE-10) | (RV) Stonehill (2-0, 1-0 NE-10)
Location: Martone-Mejail Field | North Andover, Mass.
How It Happened
Playing in its first night game at Martone-Mejail Field in over six years, Merrimack and Stonehill fought tooth-and-nail in a mostly defensive battle that spanned all four quarters.
For the second straight week, a low-scoring first half set the tone, as the Warriors opened up the scoring midway through the first quarter after recovering a Stonehill fumble at the visitors' 1-yard line. Sophomore quarterback Joe Capobianco (Oceanside, N.Y.) promptly punched it himself from a yard out to make it a 6-0 lead for the hosts.
Stonehill would answer early in the second on an eight-play, 85-yard drive that ended with Gordon McLeod hauling in a 50-yard pass from Skyhawk quarterback Matt Foltz, and that score stood through the remainder of the first half.
After Steve Grzwacz knocked in a 38-yard field goal to give the visitors a 10-6 edge midway through the third, both sides exchanged punts before Merrimack took over with 2:08 left in the penultimate stanza. But the Warriors didn't even need that long to find the end zone, as the hosts marched 80 yards on seven plays in just under two minutes before Capobianco connected with freshman Marquis Spence (Lodi, N.J.) on a gorgeous fade pass into the left-corner of the end zone for the latter's first career touchdown, one that pushed the Warriors in front, 13-10.
Then, the defense and special teams both stepped up, forcing a three-and-out before freshman Nick Gallo (Schenectady, N.Y.) blocked a Stonehill punt attempt deep in Skyhawk territory, and classmate Enrique McFarlane (West Hempstead, N.Y.) gathered the loose ball at the 10-yard-line and took it to the house, and just like that the Warriors took a 20-10 lead.
Stonehill, however, came right back, scoring on its next passion on a seven-play, 59-yard drive before its defense forced a Merrimack punt.
The deciding drive of the game came with 7:23 to go, as the Skyhawks marched 80 yards over nine plays with the aid of a Merrimack penalty before Foltz found Kaleb Lutton for the latter's second touchdown of the quarter to give Stonehill the lead for good.
Inside The Numbers
- Merrimack's defense put forth a valiant effort, racking up 60 tackles – including a game-high 12 by junior Brian Carroll (Sudbury, Mass.)
- Junior linebacker Carey Wells-Jowers (Baltimore, Md.) also was excellent on the defensive side of the ball, coming up with one of the team's four sacks, totaling two tackles for loss and recovering one fumble
- Offensively, the Warriors were outgained by a 348-188 margin and converted only 3-of-13 third-down opportunities (23%)
- Capobianco finished 16-for-26 with 171 yards, while Spence and classmate Juwan Hall (Waterbury, Conn.) enjoyed prolific nights in their young careers; the former led the way with 51 receiving yards, and the latter added 39 yards receiving and 21 more on kickoff returns
- Stonehill held a 36:00-24:00 edge in time of possession
Up Next
Merrimack hits the road for the first time in 2015, as the Warriors travel to Assumption next Friday (Sept. 18) evening for a 7 p.m. kickoff.
--
For continuing coverage of Merrimack College Athletics, visit MerrimackAthletics.com and follow the Warriors on Twitter and on Facebook.
