Final Stats

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The Southern Connecticut State University football team scored the final 15 points of the game, but 24 straight second half points by Merrimack College provided just enough of a margin for victory in a  38-35 win over the Owls on Saturday afternoon.

The Owls registered the final 15 points of the game but an onside kick with 1:59 remaining went out of bounds, and the Warriors ran out the clock from there.

Southern Connecticut is now 0-4, 0-2 in Northeast-10 Conference play. Merrimack is now 2-2, 1-2 in league action.

John Moscatel (Lexington, Mass.) totaled 192 all-purpose yards and a touchdown on the day for the Owls. He hauled in a 44-yard touchdown pass, rushed for 67 yards and added 81 yards on kickoff returns.

Sebron Woodley (Linden, N.J) returned a fumble 90 yards for a score, while also adding an interception for the Owls. The fumble return came in the closing minutes, when, on a 4th down play,  the Owls' defense knocked the ball loose. Woodley scooped it up and broke through two arm tackles to go the distance the other way. On the ensuing two-point try, quarterback Jacob Jablonski (Gales Ferry, Conn.) hit tight end Jerome Cunningham (Waterbury, Conn.) on a successful two-point try.

Merrimack opened the scoring just over three minutes into the game after the Owls missed a field goal on their opening drive. Southern Connecticut countered with a 12 play, 70-yard drive that culminated on an eight-yard pass from Jablonski to Cunningham.



Devin Silverman (Berlin, Conn.) added a field goal early in the second quarter to give the Owls a 10-7 lead.

Merrimack went back in front on its next drive at 14-10, but SCSU scored the final 10 points of the half. Silverman connected on a 28-yard field goal to get the Owls within a point before Jablonski hit Moscatel on a 44-yard catch and run to put the Owls in front at 20-14 at the half.

However, the Warriors came out with 24 straight points in the second half before SCSU made a late run.

Vaughn Magee (Mastic Beach, N.Y.) finished with 92 yards on the ground to lead the rushers. Jablonski completed 15-of-34 passes for 199 yards and two scores. Raymond Fagan (Meriden, Conn.) and Cunningham each had four catches to lead the receivers.

Mike Dunkley (Yonkers, N.Y.) led the defense with 13 tackles.

SCSU is back in action next Saturday for a home game against St. Anselm.