Saint Anselm Gets Past Merrimack
Hawks Win Wet, Wild Affair, 21-7
Derek DiMartino breaks through the line for
five of his 98 yards Saturday.
-Photo by Gil Talbot |
Manchester, N.H. (October 26, 2002)- Saint Anselm defeated Merrimack
College by a 21-7 score in a steady downpour Saturday in a Northeast-10
Football game played at Grappone Stadium in Manchester, N.H.
Saint Anselm improves to 3-5 overall, 3-5 in NE-10 play while Merrimack
slips to 3-4 overall, 3-4 in league play.
If the rain didn't signal it enough, Saint Anselm dictated that
the game would be a wild one as the Hawks tried an onside kick to
start things off. Merrimack recovered the attempt but it was a sign
of things to come-- nine fumbles and five turnovers, four of which
came in the fourth quarter.
Merrimack drew first blood, as Dominic Cardine (Allantown, Pa.)
went 44 yards, nearly untouched to put the Warriors on top midway
through the first quarter. The Warriors continued to drive the ball
all day but it was the Hawks coming up with all the big plays.
The Hawks tied the game, 7-7, midway through the second quarter
as Derek DiMartino (Amherst, N.H./ UMass Amherst) capped
a 12-play, 56-yard drive with a three-yard plunge, powering through
a pair of Merrimack defenders.
Jim Malone knocks down a pass deep in Saint
Anselm territory. The Hawks intercepted two passes in the game.
-Photo by Gil Talbot |
Saint Anselm went ahead for good five minutes later after a five-play,
57-yard drive that included a pair of big plays. A 36-yard screen
pass to Kevin Ridgley (Amesbury, Mass./ Amesbury) set up
a 10-yard scoring pass from Keith Comeau (Marblehead, Mass./
Marblehead) to Travis Pelletier (Deerfield, N.H./ Central)
at the 3:46 mark. Pelletier, who was running a fade pattern, wrestled
the ball away from a Merrimack defender in the end zone and held
on for his fifth touchdown of the year.
The Hawks added to their lead to open the second half, using another
lengthy drive, this time a 10-play, 64-yard drive. A nifty 18-yard
scamper by DiMartino set up Comeau's second scoring strike of the
game as he hit Jason Case (Attleboro, Mass./ Salisbury) on
a nine-yard slant.
The day's scoring was finished but the wild play wasn't, as the
two teams started handing each other chances to gain control of
the game. In the end, seven Merrimack fumbles (one lost), two interceptions,
and three late sacks propelled the Hawks to their second straight
home win.
DiMartino finished the game with a workman-like 26 carries for 98
yards. Comeau completed 15 of 21 passes for 152 yards and two TDs
while Ridgley and Pelletier led all receivers with four catches
for 47 and 36 yards, respectively. Sophomore tight end Mike Smith
(Chelmsford, Mass./ Chelmsford) also pulled down three tough catches
in traffic on the rainy day, all keeping drives alive.
On defense, linebackers James Ward (Westerly, R.I./ Westerly)
and Matt Horgan (Salem, Mass./ Salem) each recorded 10 tackles
with a sack. Horgan also forced two fumbles and intercepted a pass
and returned it 21 yards after Ward jarred the ball loose from a
Merrimack receiver. Each player also recorded a quarterback pressure.
Sophomore cornerback Mike DeMasi (New Canaan, Conn./ New
Canaan) also recorded his conference-leading sixth interception.
For Merrimack, Jon Reid (Bronx, N.Y.) had 17 carries for 99 yards
for a Merrimack team that out gained the Hawks 205-119 on the ground
and 351-271 overall. Jamie Campbell (Wilmington, Mass.) played a
spectacular game on defense, leading all players with 17 tackles
(11 solo), two for a loss, and also recovered a fumble.
Saint Anselm will return to action next Saturday, November 9 when
the Hawks travel to Easton, Mass. For a 12:00 road game at Stonehill.
| Score By Period |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
F |
| Merrimack |
7 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
7 |
| Saint Anselm |
0 |
14 |
7 |
0 |
21 |
Box Score