MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME FOOTBALL

Saturday, November 5, 2016

Currier Field, Plymouth, N.H.

FINAL:              PLYMOUTH STATE 28, MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME 7

PLYMOUTH, N.H. --  Sophomore Mitch Banuskevich (Milford, N.H.) rushed for 167 yards and hauled in a touchdown reception as Plymouth State converted four takeaways into 14 points to post a 28-7 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference football victory over Massachusetts Maritime Saturday afternoon at Currier Field.

The host Panthers (5-4, 3-4 MASCAC) capitalized on a fumble recovery at midfield to take a 7-0 lead just 4:06 into the contest when freshman Jacob Szulc (Concord, N.H.) hauled in a 48-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Zack Edwards (Brookfield, Mass.), who extended that edge to 14-0 at the break after connecting on a 13-yard scoring strike to Banuskevich with 45 seconds remaining in the opening half.  Senior Tyler Mahoney’s (Dracut, Mass.) one-yard plunge with 2:36 to play in the third stanza capped a six-play, 63-yard drive to give Plymouth State a three-score lead, and freshman Prince Gbaley (Manchester, N.H.) capped the hosts’ scoring on the ensuing possession when he returned an interception 60 yards for a pick-six.  Senior Kenny Pierce (Beverly, Mass.) accounted for the visiting Buccaneers’ (4-5, 3-4 MASCAC) lone points of the afternoon midway through the final frame, as he hauled in freshman quarterback Ty Ebdon’s (Gales Ferry, Conn.) first career touchdown pass from 16 yards out with 8:11 remaining to account for the final margin.

Banuskevich amassed all but 11 of the Panthers’ 178 rushing yards on the day, as Plymouth State collected 322 yards of total offense that included 133 passing yards from Edwards.  Edbon and fellow freshman Matt Smith (Lowell, Mass.) combined for 193 passing yards in the setback for Massachusetts Maritime, which amassed 283 yards of offense in the setback.  Senior Shane Haggerty (Cohasset, Mass.) hauled in seven receptions to break E.J. Bennett’s school single-season record with 61 catches on the year for the Buccaneers, as Haggerty stands just 51 receiving yards shy of also establishing a new single-season mark in that category after notching 71 yards in today’s setback.

Senior Zach Ziemba (Manchester, N.H.) registered seven total tackles to lead the way defensively for Plymouth State, which also received six stops from freshman Matt Shea (Windham, N.H.).  Junior Joe Esposito (Hackettstown, N.J.) chipped in with four solo tackles and a fumble recovery for the Panthers, who won for the first time in four meetings between the two squads since the formation of the MASCAC in 2013.  Senior Marshall McCarthy (Duxbury, Mass.), who entered the game leading all NCAA Division III players nationally in solo tackles, added to that total with 10 solo stops for Massachusetts Maritime, as he now has 69 solo and 96 overall tackles in just eight contests played to date this fall.  Sophomore Adrell Enlow (Worcester, Mass.) added eight solo stops for the Buccaneers, who also received a fumble recovery from junior Tim Churchill (Scituate, Mass.) as well as junior Bobby Gross’s (Tampa, Fla.) second interception of the season.

Massachusetts Maritime heads to Bridgewater, Mass. next Saturday afternoon to renew rivalries with Bridgewater State in the 38^th Annual Ocean Spray Cranberry Bowl that kicks off at Noon, while Plymouth State hosts Fitchburg State in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference regular season finale for both squads at Currier Field that also kicks off at Noon.