KINGS POINT, N.Y. (Oct. 5, 2024) – Despite a late push down the field, a potential game-tying field goal missed as Merchant Marine lost 31-28 to Salve Regina on Saturday afternoon at Tomb Field. USMMA is now 3-1 (1-1 NEWMAC) and Salve Regina is 3-2 (2-0 NEWMAC).
 
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• Box Score   

Junior Gervy Alota (San Diego, Calif.) went 7-13 passing with 116 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions. Alota also chipped in 83 rushing yards and three more scores on the ground. Sophomore Will Surdez (Colts Neck, N.J.) finished as the leading rusher with 105 yards on 28 carries, with the Mariners running for 359 yards as a team. Senior Talsen Smith (Roseville, Calif.) secured four catches for 102 yards and a touchdown as well. Defensively, sophomore Zatyk Holub (Mount Vernon, Iowa) had nine tackles plus a sack.
 
USMMA forced a three-and-out after kicking off to begin the contest, before marching down field to take the early lead. Gervy Alota found Talsen Smith for a 44-yard reception to get deep into Salve territory, before Will Surdez got the team down to the goal line, and Alota kept it himself for a one-yard rushing TD.
 
After each side punted on their next possessions, Salve Regina got a big play from their wideout Josh Letelier to get into KP territory. A pass interference call against the Mariners put the ball on their own one-yard line, where Justan Luzzi punched it in to tie the game at 7-7.
 
The Mariners stuffed a fourth down attempt by the Seahawks to start the second quarter, setting themselves up deep in Salve Regina territory. Alota and the offense needed just four plays to score, as Alota found Talsen Smith for a 32-yard touchdown grab to go up 14-7.
 
Later in the quarter, Merchant Marine had the Seahawks backed up in their own end on a fourth down, but Salve elected to try a fake punt and got stopped inside their own 10-yard line, at the six officially. Alota then scored on USMMA's first snap, his second rushing score of the afternoon, although the extra point missed, but the Mariners took that 20-7 lead into halftime.
 
Kings Point received the ball to begin the third quarter, but a pair of penalties saw them stall out and punt to the Seahawks, where a third penalty for fair catch interference gave Salve the ball in KP territory. After a short run on first down, QB Jake Stack found Andre Sullivan for a 43-yard touchdown grab, cutting the Mariner lead to 20-14.
 
Further into the third quarter, KP took over the ball on their own five yard line after an excellent punt. Alota kept the ball for himself on first down, but rushed backwards and fumbled into his own end zone, where Salve Regina recovered it for a go-ahead touchdown.
 
Unfazed by the setback, Merchant Marine steadily marched into Seahawk territory on the ensuing drive. Shortly after the fourth quarter began, Alota scampered into the end zone from 11 yards out to give USMMA a 28-20 lead, after the two point conversion was successful.
 
But on the ensuing drive, Salve Regina needed just five plays to march down the field as Stack connected with Sullivan again for a game-tying score with just under 12 minutes to play.
 
Following a KP punt back to the Seahawks, they drove inside the red zone, but the Mariners forced a field goal attempt from 30 yards. The initial kick was wide, but an offsides call against USMMA gave Salve a second attempt. Nathan DiRado converted from 25 yards, as the 'Hawks grabbed a 31-28 edge.
 
Merchant Marine got the ball back and drove into Salve territory, taking nearly six minutes off the clock, however a 42-yard field goal attempt to tie the game missed wide left. The Mariners were then forced to use their timeouts to stop the clock as Salve tried to ice the game.
 
The Seahawks again dialed up a fake punt on fourth down inside KP territory, and the Mariners broke up the pass play to give themselves one final shot. Another field goal chance to tie the game, this time from 39 yards away, missed wide left to give Salve Regina a 31-28 victory.
 
Next up for USMMA, they hit the road to take on MIT on Saturday, Oct. 12 up in Cambridge, Mass. Kickoff is set for noon.
 
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