WORCESTER, MA – After falling behind 14-0, the Maritime College football team scored touchdowns on four of its next five drives on Saturday afternoon at WPI. The Privateers (4-2, 2-1 NEWMAC) held on to beat the Engineers (3-3, 1-2 NEWMAC) by a 28-21 count at H. Carr Field.
WPI received the opening kickoff and capped a 14-play drive with a 29-yard field goal by Brock Dubey. Dubey kicked a 21-yarder to make it 6-0 early in the second quarter. On the Engineers' next drive, they moved 73 yards in nine plays. Stephen MacDonald connected with Bryce Curtin for a 23-yard touchdown pass, then Curtin ran in the two-point conversion to put WPI up 14-0 with 3:20 left until halftime.
On the ensuing Maritime drive,
Steven Stassi (East Islip, NY) went 5-for-5 passing.
Ian Derda (Guilford, CT) was on the receiving end three times, including an 18-yard touchdown with 1:07 remaining in the half that trimmed the Privateers' deficit to 14-7. Maritime then tied the game on its first possession of the second half. Stassi capped the 11-play, 74-yard march with a 19-yard TD run.
The next two WPI drives both ended with interceptions—
Aidan Griffin's (Queens, NY) fifth of the season and one by
Patrick Noto (Smithtown, NY) that was returned to midfield. After a 1-yard run by
Devin Cline (Miller Place, NY), Stassi hit
Luke Caliendo (North Babylon, NY) for 13 yards. He then found Caliendo again for 36 yards and a score that put the Privateers in front. Caliendo added the extra point to make it 21-14.
A seven-play, 81-yard drive ended with Caliendo's second touchdown reception of the game, a three-yard catch that extended the lead to 28-14 with 12:16 to go. Caliendo scored Maritime's final 15 points and 16 overall.
Tom McGraw carried six times for 39 yards on the next WPI possession, and his six-yard scamper into the end zone brought the Engineers back within 28-21 with 8:49 remaining. After the Engineers forced a punt, they drove to the Maritime 40 before the drive stalled. The Privateers' next drive also ended with a punt, but
Cameron Squicciarini (Manorville, NY) pinned WPI deep in its own territory with 1:27 left. On 4
th-and-11 from his own 26, MacDonald threw an incompletion, allowing Maritime to take a knee and close out the victory.
Stassi finished 17-for-25 for 205 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed seven times for eight yards and a score. Caliendo made six catches for 81 yards and two touchdowns, while
Nate Casaburi (Sayville, NY) tallied six receptions for 70 yards and Derda had five catches for 48 yards and a touchdown. Cline, meanwhile, was credited with 41 rushing yards on 16 carries.
Defensively,
Dylan Denicker (Queens, NY) paced the Privateers with 10 tackles (nine solo). He also recovered a fumble, as Maritime caused three turnovers.
Tim Gasparik (Seaford, NY) added eight tackles, while
Vinny Fundaro (Levittown, NY) notched two tackles for loss, a sack and a forced fumble.
For the Engineers, MacDonald was 22-for-33 passing for 230 yards and a touchdown. He also threw two interceptions. McGraw carried 17 times for 84 yards and a touchdown, and Jay Mezzo had 109 receiving yards on eight catches. Curtin added three receptions for 33 yards and a score. Max Anderson led the WPI defense with eight tackles, while Jimmy Espinal finished with six tackles, a sack and an interception.
Following a bye week, the Privateers will play their final two home games of the season. Maritime welcomes MIT (1-4, 0-3 NEWMAC) to Reinhart Field at 12 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 21.
