Bangor, ME - The Husson football team provided a few sparks, but it was slow and steady all day long for the SUNY Maritime Privateers who earned the 34-13 victory at the Winkin Complex on the campus of Husson University. With the win, Maritime College improves to 7-1 and a perfect 5-0 record in the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference (ECFC) while the Eagles are still searching for their first win, and fall to 0-8 (0-5 ECFC). 

Husson got their first big play of the game near the end of the first half when first year defensive lineman Godfrey Taylor (New York, NY) recovered a squibbed kick-off off the bounce and took it 55 yards to the score. Jack Hersom (Sidney, ME) provided the other Eagle score, hauling in a 12 yard Kash Keezer (Veazie) pass for a touchdown in the fourth. That was one of Hersom's 3 catches for a total of 33 yards, one of four Husson receivers who caught 3 passes. Keezer finished the game 15-28 for 125 yards and the score. Senior Chris Dalecki (So. Berwick, ME) finished the game with 9 tackles (8 solo) and three tackles for loss to lead the Husson defense. 

SUNY Maritime kept it on the ground as they generally do with their triple option offense, and the Eagles were unable to cut down Jamie Spanopoulos (Franklin Square, NY), the 5'8" 233 lb fullback for the Privateers, who finished the game with 31 carries for 162 yards and 2 TDs. Quarterback Tyler Trodden (Putnam Valley, NY) threw for 73 yards to go with his 34 yards on the ground for just over 100 yards of total offense for him as well. Pat Lasher (Seaford, NY) racked up 7 total tackles (6 solos) and a TFL in the victory. 

Maritime got things started on their opening drive, putting together a 5 play 63 yard drive that spanned 2:32, culminating with a 25 yard rush for the score from slot back Fritz Jean (Palm Coast, FL). After a Madison Leary (Tavares, FL) point after, the Privateers went ahead 7-0. 

Husson would go three-and-out on their next drive, but wound up holding SUNY Maritime to a failed 4th down conversion attempt and got the ball back. A false start penalty cut the Eagles' next drive shot, and they were forced to punt the ball back to the visitors for the second consecutive drive. 

The Eagle defense displayed their 'bend but don't break' mentality on the ensuing Maritime possesssion, conceding just a Leary field goal after an 8 play drive that ate up over 5 minutes, and SUNY took a 10-0 lead.

The offense continued to struggle for the Eagles into the second quarter, and Keezer was intercepted by Sean Wiggers (Norwood, NJ) at the Husson 48. The Privateers were unable to take full advantage of the short field, settling for another Leary field goal and going up 13-0 on the road. 

Husson got things going on their next offensive possession, putting together a 9 play, 41 yard drive that spanned over 3 minutes, and was cut short by a failed 4th down conversion attempt at the Maritime 32. SUNY took the ball and went 68 yards in 5 plays and just 51 seconds, thanks to a pair of long runs from Fritz, and the blustering Spanopoulos punching it in from 6 yards out. With the kick, Maritime went up 20-0.

With just 17 seconds remaining, Leary teed the ball up and attempted to squib the ball down the middle. The ball bounced of the chest of Taylor the upback, bouncing about 5 yards in front of him. The ball took a fortuitous bounce and came right up into Taylor's hands, and the 5'11" 240 lb defensive end took off toward the endzone, breaking a pair of tackles on his way to an electrifying 55 yard run back. That brought the Eagles to within two scores, and after a successful squib attempt from the Eagles, the went into the half trailing 20-7. 

Neither team really did much of anything in the third quarter, and with the Maritime ground game rolling the way it was, there were just three posessions in the quarter. Husson started things off with a three-and-out, followed by a 12 play SUNY drive that ended with a missed field goal, and then a 13 play drive from the Eagles that ended on downs. 

The Privateers were able to break the second half scoring drought, as Spanopoulos scored from 5 yards out to cap off a 12 play 77 yard drive that carried into the 4th quarter. The Eagles went three-and-out again, and were forced to punt which was returned for 50 yards by Greg Caneparo (Nanuet, NY), setting Maritime up with a short field. Gary Bigham (Jacksonville, FL) plunged into the endzone from a yard out to extend the Privateer lead to 34-7. 

The Eagles never quit despite the score, and after Colten Miranda (Avon, ME) forced and recovered a fumble with under a minute remaining. Keezer rolled to his right and set up the throw-back tunnel screen for Hersom to run into the endzone untouched for a score. The PAT was blocked, but Husson made it a more respectable 34-13 final.

Husson Head Coach Sean Murphy was pleased with the way his team fought despite the loss, "We made a lot of improvements today, and competed for four quarters out there. It was a different atmosphere on the sidelines and that's promising. If we continue to work like we have been, and come out and play like this in our last two contests, good things will happen for our program."

The Eagles travel to Castleton State for a 1:00 pm start next Saturday, before returning to the Winkin Complex on November 12th for the final game of the 2011 season. SUNY Martime hosts Norwich University next Saturday for a 1:00 pm matchup pitting the two unbeaten teams in the ECFC against eachother, in a game that will likely decide who earns the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Playoffs.