THROGGS NECK, NY – Two weeks ago, the Maritime College football team put up 37 points, its most since 2018, in a win at Norwich.  On Saturday, the Privateers topped that number.  Maritime (4-2, 2-1 New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference) scored six touchdowns and tallied 427 yards of total offense in a 42-35 victory over WPI (3-3, 1-2 NEWMAC) at Reinhart Field.

It was Maritime's annual Homecoming celebration, as alumni were welcomed back and this year's Regiment of Cadets was introduced prior to the game.  The Privateers gave them plenty to cheer about, starting on the opening drive.

Maritime received the opening kickoff and went three-and-out.  However, WPI fumbled the punt and Anthony Gentile (Massapequa, NY) recovered, setting the Privateers up at the Engineers' 26.  Eleven plays later, Devin Cline (Miller Place, NY) plowed into the end zone, giving Maritime a 6-0 lead.  WPI immediately responded, though, when quarterback Mike Ingraffia ran 32 yards for a score.  The extra point was good, putting the Engineers up 7-6.

The Privateers went back in front on Steven Stassi's (East Islip, NY) 8-yard TD pass to Ian Derda (Guilford, CT) that capped an 11-play, 82-yard drive with 11:45 left in the second quarter.  Stassi then connected with Cline for the two-point conversion.  WPI tied the game on a 48-yard strike from Ingraffia to Aaron Skaling before a 28-yard touchdown pass from Stassi to Luke Caliendo (North Babylon, NY) made it 20-14 at halftime.

Midway through the third quarter, Cline notched his second rushing touchdown of the game, and the Privateers added two points on a pass from Pat Quinn (Farmingdale, NY) to Derda.  The Engineers used an eight-play, 65-yard scoring drive to again pull within seven points, but a 35-yard catch and run by Derda extended Maritime's advantage to 35-21 entering the fourth quarter.

After Ingraffia's 14-yard strike to Douglas Cain early in the final period trimmed the Privateers' lead to just a touchdown, Stassi found Derda for a third time, this time from 24 yards out to once again make it a two-score game, 42-28.  On their ensuing possession, the Engineers drove 59 yards in 13 plays for a touchdown.  The march took up nearly seven minutes, however, leaving just 2:52 remaining.

WPI used two timeouts on defense before Maritime converted a 3^rd-and-5.  After the Engineers took their last timeout, Cline gained six on 3^rd-and-6 to ice the victory.  The Privateers went 2-for-2 on third down during their final drive and 11-for-17 in the game.  Maritime was also 3-for-3 on fourth down while holding WPI to 1-for-7 on third down and 3-for-4 on fourth down.

Stassi finished 24-for-35 for 270 yards and four touchdowns.  He also contributed 30 yards on the ground.  Caliendo had 219 all-purpose yards, including 132 on eight receptions.  Derda, meanwhile, made seven catches for 84 yards and three scores.  Cline gained 83 yards on 24 carries, and he punched it into the end zone twice.

Defensively, Kevin Wu (Staten Island, NY) and Jack Kellner (Seaford, NY) led the way.  Wu made 10 tackles, while Kellner recorded nine tackles.  Dylan Denicker (Queens, NY) broke up three passes, and Zander Timothy (Woodland Park, NJ) had two breakups to go along with half a sack.

For the Engineers, Ingraffia was 18-for-30 passing for 231 yards and four touchdowns.  He was also WPI's leading rusher, carrying 12 times for 96 yards and a score.  Jay Mezzo led the Engineers with five catches for 64 yards, while Skaling's 67 receiving yards were a team-high.  Gavin Chieff paced WPI with 13 tackles, and Frankie Polito tallied 12 stops.

Up next for the Privateers is a 12 p.m. matchup at MIT (2-4, 0-4 NEWMAC) next Saturday.