MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME FOOTBALL

42^nd Annual Admiral’s Cup

Saturday, September 20, 2014

Clean Harbors Stadium, Buzzards Bay, Mass.

FINAL:              MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME 26, MAINE MARITIME 20 (DOUBLE OVERTIME)

BUZZARDS BAY, Mass. --  Senior quarterback John Trudel’s (Niantic, Conn.) two-yard run in the second overtime capped a second half comeback that led Massachusetts Maritime to a 26-20 victory over Maine Maritime in the 42^nd Annual Admiral’s Cup played Saturday afternoon at Clean Harbors Stadium.

Trailing 12-0 at the break, the host Buccaneers (1-1) received a 91-yard return of the second half kickoff for a touchdown from senior Bobby Rosano (North Reading, Mass.) to close back to within a score, and after stopping the visiting Mariners (1-1) on downs on the ensuing possession, Trudel capped a five-play, 69-yard drive with a six-yard touchdown run that was set-up on a 32-yard completion to Rosano and a pair of receptions totaling 31 yards to senior E.J. Bennett (East Wareham, Mass.).  Maine Maritime took advantage of good field position at the hosts’ 46-yard-line on its ensuing drive, and junior quarterback Michael Fahey (Union, Conn.) capped a six-play drive with a one-yard plunge that gave the visitors a 20-13 lead following a two-point conversion, but Massachusetts Maritime answered back again on its next possession, as Rosano hauled in a 14-yard scoring strike from Trudel to even matters at 20-20.

Both teams had chances to take the lead in the fourth quarter, the best coming with 5:19 remaining after the Buccaneers drove to the Mariner 8-yard line before Trudel’s pass was intercepted by junior Cody McDonald (Lincoln, Maine) in the end zone for a touchback.  Maine Maritime took that possession and drove down to the Massachusetts Maritime 8-yard line with 1:04 to play in regulation, but the visitors were stopped on a 4^th-and-4 rush on a tackle by senior Reynard Ortiz (Lowell, Mass.), and the two rivals headed to overtime for the first time in the Admiral’s Cup series.  McDonald came up with his second interception on the second play of the first overtime after the Mariners won the toss and elected to play defense, but Maine Martime’s drive stalled at the 18-yard line, and a Fahey fumble that was forced by senior Victor Andrade (Yarmouth Port, Mass.) to start the second extra session set up Trudel’s heroics and gave Massachusetts Maritime its fourth straight Admiral’s Cup triumph.

The Mariners took the opening kickoff and marched 68 yards on six plays to take a 6-0 lead just 2:05 into the contest on a three-yard run by sophomore Joe DiBiase (Portland, Maine), who added a 54-yard touchdown run with 1:15 remaining in the opening quarter.  Maine Maritime rushed for 311 yards in the opening 30 minutes of action and held the ball for over 20 minutes in building its lead, but the Buccaneers held the visitors to 175 yards over the final two quarters of regulation and the two overtime periods.

Rosano amassed 243 all-purpose yards on the day for Massachusetts Maritime, including a career-high nine receptions for 136 yards to go with his 91-yard kickoff return for a score (the second of his career).  Trudel overcame four interceptions to complete 29-of-51 pass attempts for 376 yards, including 11 hook-ups with Bennett for 173 yards, as the Buccaneers gained 291 of their 431 yards of total offense after intermission.  DiBiase rushed for 126 first half yards to go with his two touchdowns in the setback for the Mariners, who also received 117 yards on 11 attempts from freshman Jacob Doolan (Fairfield, Maine).  Fahey amassed 91 rushing yards and 113 yards of total offense for Maine Maritime, which collected 486 total yards on the day and outrushed the hosts by a 464-55 margin.

Senior Avery Tavares (Dartmouth, Mass.) registered a career-high 11 total tackles (seven solo) in the win for Massachusetts Maritime, which also received a combined 10 stops from Andrade and fellow senior Kevin Stanton (Abington, Mass.).  Sophomore Thomas Kinton (York, Maine) recorded a game-high 13 total tackles (10 solo) to go with an interception in the setback for Maine Maritime, which also received 10 total stops and the two picks from McDonald.  The Buccaneers have won four straight in the Admiral’s Cup series for the first time since 2003 and now hold a 25-17 edge over the Mariners in the modern day rivalry that dates back to 1973.

Massachusetts Maritime hosts Worcester State in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference opener for both teams next Saturday afternoon at Clean Harbors Stadium beginning at 12:30 p.m., while Maine Maritime hosts Western New England in the New England Football Conference lid-lifter for both squads next Saturday afternoon in Castine, Maine beginning at 1:00 p.m.

BUC BLOG:  Rosano’s other kickoff return for a touchdown came in last year’s 24-20 Chowder Bowl victory over SUNY-Maritime, as he returned a third quarter kickoff 86 yards to spark a Buccaneer rally from a 10-point deficit...Today’s game marked the first double overtime contest in Massachusetts Maritime history and the first extra session affair since a 42-35 setback at Framingham State in 2012...The Buccaneers have now won four straight home openers dating back to 2011...Bennett closed to within 141 yards of Keith Caruso’s career receiving yards mark of 2,041 set last season.