WORCESTER -- Sean McAllen (Prospect, CT) ran for 183 yards and three touchdowns in the first half, and Mike McGoff (Ashland, MA) notched a pair of sacks as the pair claimed Robert Pritchard Offensive and Defensive MVPs, as the Engineers overwhelmed the Mariners 51-20 during Homecoming Weekend.
The Crimson and Gray, the top team in the in the latest Grinold Chapter New England Division III Top 10, move to 5-0 on the season and 2-0 in conference play and join the undefeated 1938, 1954 and 1983 squads as the only teams in the program's 130-year history to tout a 5-0 mark. Maine Maritime is 0-5 overall and 0-2 in NEWMAC action.
The Engineers were clicking on all cylinders in the first half, scoring 34 first-half points, gaining 448 yards on just 24 plays and not allowing a point defensively.
McAllen becomes just the third WPI rusher to eclipse 3,000 career rushing yards, and catapults two spots to third all-time with 3,043 yards.
On the first drive of the game, McAllen opened with a 9-yard gain to set up second-and-1 from the Engineers' 45-yard line. Senior Connor Field (Granby, CT), who entered the matchup needing 55 yards to gain 1,500 for his career, took the next handoff exactly 55 yards for a touchdown after he hit a hole on the left side of the line on the second play of the game for WPI, giving the Engineers a 6-0 lead.
Field ran for 102 yards on six carries, marking this the third game in which Field has eclipsed 100 yards on the ground this season. McAllen scored two of the next three touchdowns, one from 14 yards out and the other from 97 yards out. Fellow senior Zach Uglevich (Maynard, MA) also ran well, racking up 67 yards and a touchdown on 13 touts.
The Engineers amassed a total of 586 yards of offense, while not punting once.
Senior Julian Nyland (Melrose, MA) threw for 128 yards and a touchdown on 10-of-13 passing, while senior Brendan Chipman (Middleboro, MA) threw an 80-yard touchdown to classmate Austin Pesce (Monroe, NY) after a lateral. Clark Ewen (Arlington, MA) hauled in a team-best four catches for 53 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, the front seven of WPI was staunch against the run, allowing the Mariners just 36 yards on the ground. McGoff had two of the host four sacks on the day and was joined in the sack parade by Lou Duh (Monroe, CT) and Jack Gerulskis (Southboro, MA). Nick Ostrowski (Charlton, MA) led all tacklers with 10, while Zack Ahrens (South Glens Falls, NY) chipped in with eight, and Sam Casey (Winchester, MA) seven. The Engineers had 65 tackles, nine of them for loss.
Maine Maritime junior quarterback Nikolas Moquin (Goffstown, NH) threw for 298 yards and three touchdowns on 22-of-32 passing, and classmate Dominic Casale (Freeport, ME) made six catches for 89 yards and two touchdowns. Mason Kaseeman (Portland, ME) and Reed Hopkins (Augusta, ME) had strong receiving games with eight catches for 81 yards and seven receptions for 85 yards respectively.
Defensively, the Mariners were paced by junior linebacker Aren Dickman's (Scarborough, ME) six tackles. Cole Eddins (Fort Smith, AK) added five stops, and Trenton Bouchard (Winslow, ME) collected a first quarter interception.
WPI had a large edge in total yards (586-364), but the teams were nearly identically (21-20 WPI) in first down, while the guests, buoyed by an impressive 19-play, 85-yard drive to start the second half that chewed up 9:54, had a large advantage in time of possession (36:28-23:32)
After a bye week for final exams, WPI heads to Washington D.C. for a noon kickoff on Saturday, October 19th at Catholic. Maine Maritime continues a Massachusetts two-game road swing next weekend with a noontime contest at MIT.
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