Sept. 10, 2005
Final Stats
FAIRFIELD, Conn.-Sophomore kicker Bradley Rowe (Stratham, N.H.) nailed three field goals, while the Marist defense tallied six tackles for loss in a 22-20 Red Foxes victory over Sacred Heart Saturday at Campus Field. Marist evened its record at 1-1 with the win, while the Pioneers dropped to 0-2.
The Red Foxes stunned the Pioneers on SHU's first play from scrimmage when junior safety Nick Salis (Nashua, N.H.) picked off Pioneer quarterback Tyler Arciaga to put the Red Foxes in business at the Sacred Heart 38-yard line. Marist subsequently marched down to the Pioneer 10-yard line and settled for a 27-yard field goal by Rowe to go up 3-0 with 11:49 to go in the first quarter.
The Marist special teams set up the Red Foxes' first half touchdown when junior defensive back Justin Olive (Mt. Sinai, N.Y.) drilled Sacred Heart punt returner Jon Corto, dislodging the ball that junior wide receiver Mike DiGiaimo (Queens, N.Y.) promptly recovered at the Pioneer 33-yard line. The turn of events set up senior quarterback James Luft's (Lake Peekskill, N.Y.) 14-yard touchdown run around the left side to put Marist up 10-0 with 3:53 to go in the first stanza.
The two teams traded possessions and field position until the Pioneers scratched out an eight-play, 58-yard drive to pull to within 10-7, culminating with Ed Pricolo's one-yard touchdown run with 3:15 left in the half.
The Red Foxes offensive machine came out strong in the second half, grinding out a 15 play, 76 yard drive that ate up 8:41, capped by Rowe's second field goal of the game (a 21-yarder) to push the Red Foxes advantage to 13-7 with 6:19 remaining in the third quarter.
Marist wasn't done with its patient, but potent offense as head coach Jim Parady's troops chewed up 5:45 more with a 13-play drive that saw Rowe connect on his career-long, a 38-yard field goal with 13:58 to go in the contest.
Pricolo and the Pioneers came right back, however, with an 11-play, 80-yard drive of their own and pulled to within two when Pricolo notched his second one-yard touchdown run of the game with 8:43 to go, making the score Marist 16-14.
On the ensuing possession, Marist drove 80 yards back the other way and appeared to clinch the game when Luft found junior wideout Prince Prempeh (Hamilton, N.J.) for a diving 20-yard touchdown in the right corner of the end zone to put Marist up 22-14 with 5:23 left.
Pricolo added his third touchdown of the contest with 1:43 left, a 40-yard gallop down the left sideline that brought the Pioneers to within two. However, senior linebacker Mike Giummo (Lincroft, N.J.) tapped away Aricaga's two-point pass and senior wide receiver Tim Traynor (Lincroft, N.J.) recovered Sacred Heart's ensuing onside kick to clinch the win.
Luft finished the day going 17-for-27 for 185 yards with a rushing and a passing touchdown. Arciaga finished 18-for-32 with 183 yards and two interceptions.
Luft and sophomore running back Obozua Ehikioya (West Hempstead, N.Y.) finished with 56 yards apiece on the ground, while Pricolo's 171 yards and three touchdowns keyed the SHU attack.
Senior wideout Guy Smith (New Milford, Conn.) caught five more passes for 27 yards, while sophomore Mark Clavie (Brewster, N.Y.) grabbed four passes for 58 yards. Sacred Heart was led by Alvin Franklin's six catches for 74 yards.
Marist will be back in action Saturday, September 17th at Leonidoff Field against Central Connecticut State.
