Husson earns second straight victory

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NORTHFIELD, Vt. – Husson College continued its stingy defensive play Saturday afternoon, limiting Norwich University to 215 total yards on its way to a 14-13 Division III football victory.

Linebacker Ross Salovitch registered nine unassisted tackles to help the Eagles (2-1) claim their second straight victory and only their second NCAA road win in four seasons. Bryan Biggers posted seven tackles and Josh Lemieux six with an interception for Husson.

Norwich (1-2) took a 7-0 lead after an Eagles goal-line fumble on Darnell Jackson’s 9-yard scoring run. Husson countered less than four minutes later when Dan Burk capped a 94-yard march with a 1-yard TD dive.

The visitors took the lead for good in the third quarter after Lemieux’s interception set the stage for a 30-yard scoring toss from David Chase to Bryan Ferguson. Darren Gauthier’s second PAT kick provided the eventual winning margin.

The Cadets responded with Jackson’s 84-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, but the conversion kick failed.

Ferguson netted 121 yards on 19 carries and caught three passes for 69 yards for Husson. Chase completed eight of 15 passes for 125 yards and a TD.

Jackson’s 105 rushing yards paced Norwich.

Husson 0 7 7 0 – 14

Norwich 7 0 6 0 – 13

N – Jackson 9 run (Hicks kick)

H – Burk 1 run (Gauthier kick)

H – Ferguson 30 pass from Chase (Gauthier kick)

N – Jackson 84 kickoff return (kick failed)

W. New England 28, MMA 26

At Springfield, Mass., the Mariners failed to convert a PAT kick and an extra-point rush in the fourth quarter and the Golden Bears hung on for the New England Football Conference victory in the first meeting between the two teams since 1988.

Western New England snapped a 14-14 tie, converting two MMA turnovers into touchdowns in the third quarter. After a fumbled punt return, QB Jon Tallerico (15-for-22, 233 yds.) found Bobby Carney on an 8-yard scoring pass.

Four minutes later, an interception led to Tallerico’s 9-yard TD throw to Kevin Miculcy.

The Mariners responded with Jim Bower’s 6-yard scoring run with 13:18 left, but the PAT was blocked. MMA then got a 1-yard TD dive by quarterback Brandon Hamilton (5-10, 130 yds.), but his conversion rush came up short.

Ken Rackliff added a 2-yard touchdown plunge for MMA, which controlled the ball for 36 minutes, 42 seconds (62 percent of the time). Brandon Goodrich finished with 90 yards on 11 carries and caught two passes for 73 yards to pace the Mariners.

Tallerico passed for four TDs, a WNEC record.

Maine Maritime (1-1) 7 0 7 12 – 26

WNEC (2-0) 7 7 14 0 – 28

WNE – Varga 53 pass from Tallerico (Farrell kick)

MMA – Rackliff 2 run (Matthews kick)

WNE – Miculcy 12 pass from Tallerico (Farrell kick)

MMA – Goodrich 28 run (Matthews kick)

WNE – Carney 8 pass from Tallerico (Farrell kick)

WNE – Miculcy 9 pass from Tallerico (Farrell kick)

MMA – Bower 6 run (kick blocked)

MMA – Hamilton 1 run (rush failed)