MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME FOOTBALL

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Clean Harbors Stadium, Buzzards Bay, Mass.

FINAL:                    MAINE MARITIME 41, MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME 34

                                                                        1              2              3              4                 Total

Maine Maritime (5-1, 3-1 NEFC)                       7              14           6              14      -           41

Massachusetts Maritime (2-5, 1-3 NEFC)        3              10           0              21       -           34

SCORING SUMMARY

MEM:      Jim Bower 3 yd run (Michael Brennan kick)                       8:50 1^st

MAM:       Jake Bickley 25 yd FG                                                      3:41 1^st

MEM:      Bower 8 yd run (kick failed)                                             14:56 2^nd

MAM:       Jonathan Emond 19 yd pass from Matt Spinazzola (Bickley kick)              12:31 2^nd

MEM:      Tyler Angell 1 yd run (Angell rush)                                   8:46 2^nd

MAM:       Bickley 33 yd FG                                                             3:55 2^nd

MEM:      Bower 4 yd run (rush failed)                                           8:35 3^rd

MEM:      Bower 1 yd run (Brennan kick)                                      14:21 4^th

MAM:       Deonte Fielder 51 yd pass from Spinazzola (Bickley kick)                14:02 4^th

MEM:      Matthew Rende 1 yd run (Brennan kick)                       8:49 4^th

MAM:       Fielder 5 yd run (Bickley kick)                                       8:15 4^th

MAM:       Douglas Dyke 2 yd run (Bickley kick)                           1:25 4^th

Attendance:           1,967

BUZZARDS BAY, Mass. --  Senior fullback Jim Bower (South Paris, Maine) rushed for 255 yards on 41 carries and scored four touchdowns to lift Maine Maritime to a 41-34 New England Football Conference Bogan Division victory over Massachusetts Maritime in the 37^th Annual Admiral's Cup Game played Saturday afternoon at Clean Harbors Stadium.

Bower's efforts helped the visiting Mariners (5-1, 3-1 NEFC) capture the Admiral's Cup for the sixth straight year, as he sandwiched scoring runs of three and eight yards, respectively, around a 25-yard field goal by junior Jake Bickley (Wilbraham, Mass.) of the host Buccaneers (2-5, 1-3 NEFC) in giving Maine Maritime a 14-3 advantage just four seconds into the second stanza.  Massachusetts Maritime closed back to within 13-10 on the ensuing possession when freshman quarterback Matt Spinazzola (Melbourne, Fla.) connected with fellow freshman Jonathan Emond (Green Harbor, Mass.) on a 19-yard touchdown pass (their fourth such hook-up in the last three weeks), and after senior quarterback Tyler Angell's (Leeds, Maine) one-yard scoring plunge with 8:46 to play in the half extended the Mariner edge to 21-10, Bickley's second field goal of the half, a 33-yarder with 3:55 to go before intermission, sliced the Buccaneer deficit to 21-13 at the break.

Bower's third touchdown of the day, a four-yard run with 8:35 remaining in the third quarter, gave Maine Maritime a 27-13 cushion, and he capped his scoring day with a one-yard plunge 39 seconds into the final stanza to give the visitors a 34-13 lead.  Spinazzola answered back for Massachusetts Maritime just 19 seconds later when he connected with freshman Deonte Fielder (Haines City, Fla.) on a 51-yard touchdown pass, but the Mariners regained a two-touchdown edge with 8:49 remaining when sophomore Matthew Rende (Augusta, Maine) capped an 11-play, 70-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown and a 41-20 lead.  The Buccaneers used another quick score of 34 seconds to close back to within 14 when Fielder returned the ensuing kickoff 56 yards and scored two plays later on a five-yard run, and the hosts capped the scoring with 1:25 to play on a two-yard run by junior Douglas Dyke (Plainville, Mass.) after recovering a visitor fumble and marching 60 yards to make it 41-34.  Bickley's ensuing on-side kick went through a total of six players on both teams out of bounds, and Maine Maritime ran out the final 84 seconds to claim its triumph.

Rende added 84 rushing yards on the day for the Mariners, who amassed 467 of their 474 yards of total offense on the ground.  Fielder accounted for a career-high 261 all-purpose yards in the setback for the Buccaneers, including 91 rushing yards, 90 receiving yards and 80 yards in kick-off returns to go with his two touchdowns for the hosts.  Spinazzola completed 23-of-31 passes for a career-high 213 yards to go with his two scores for Massachusetts Maritime, as Fielder (8 receptions for 90 yards) and Emond (7 catches for 74 yards) accounted for 164 receiving yards on the day.

Senior Mike Riley (Milton, Vt.) paced Maine Maritime defensively with 10 solo tackles in the triumph, while junior Wade Mondoux (Berwick, Maine) added eight solo stops and a sack for the Mariners.  Senior Ryan Howley (New Fairfield, Conn.) earned the Steve McHugh Defensive Player of the Game Award for Massachusetts Maritime with 14 total tackles, including eight solo stops, while sophomore Mike Bois (Lakeville, Mass.) added 12 total tackles (seven solo) and senior Matt Wiszowaty (Clearwater, Fla.) chipped in with 11 total tackles, including nine solo stops.

Massachusetts Maritime travels to Fitchburg, Mass. next Saturday afternoon to take on Fitchburg State in a New England Football Conference Bogan Division match-up that kicks off at 1:30 p.m., while Maine Maritime hosts Framingham State in a New England Football Conference Bogan Division outing next Saturday afternoon in Castine, Maine that begins at Noon.