KINGS POINT, N.Y. (Oct. 29, 2022) – The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy football team lost its home NEWMAC contest against Springfield College, 27-13, on Saturday afternoon at Tomb Field. The defeat drops the Mariners' record to 5-3 (3-2 NEWMAC), while the Pride improve to 6-2 (4-0 NEWMAC) with the victory.
 
Prior to kickoff, the Mariners paid tribute to their 25 graduating seniors with a special Senior Day ceremony. Links for photos and a video from the Senior Day ceremony are below.
 
Game Files

• Box Score
• Senior Day Ceremony Photo Gallery
• WATCH: 2022 Senior Day Ceremony 

On the field, the Mariners responded to a Springfield 34-yard field goal to end the game's opening drive with a 43-yard pass TD from senior Jeremiah Wang (Manassas, Va.) to sophomore Talsen Smith (Roseville, Calif.) that closed out a 10-play, 77-yard drive. The extra point by sophomore Jackson Tinkis (Bossier City, La.) made it 7-3 in favor of USMMA with 6:41 to play in the first.
 
The Pride answered back two drives later, however, after they turned a Mariner fumble into seven when junior Noah Wagnblas made a one-handed catch while falling near the side of the end zone. The XP put the visitors back up 10-7 very late in the first quarter.
 
Midway through the second quarter, Tinkis drilled a 26-yard field goal to tie the score up at 10-10, which is where it remained into the halftime break.
 
A fumble by Merchant Marine on the opening kickoff of the second half gave Springfield the ball deep in Mariner territory. Just three plays later, the Pride scored on another TD haul by Wagnblas to go up 17-10.
 
Tinkis brought the Mariners to within four with his second field goal of the day, this from 29-yards, and it was a 17-13 game at 3:23 of the third.
 
The Pride ate up a good amount of time late in the third before finding the end zone with their third pass TD of the game, this caught by sophomore Jacob Silvester from three yards at 11:45 of the third and that put Springfield up by two possessions, 24-13.
 
The ensuing Merchant Marine possession resulted in a punt before the visitors took nearly five minutes off the clock which resulted in an 18-yard field goal that made it a two-touchdown game.
 
On their final drive, the Mariners got down to the Springfield 21-yardline, but four-straight pass attempts by Wang fell incomplete and the Pride got the ball back and ran time out for their road victory.
 
Wang finished the day passing for 117 yards on 7-for-19 completions and also rushing for a team-best 105 yards, while Smith hauled in five catches for 89 yards.
 
Defensively, senior Connor Caffrey (Spokane Valley, Wash.) recorded a game-high 11 tackles, while junior Teddy Brunger (Indialantic, Fla.) and sophomore C.J. Livesay (Morristown, Tenn.) both had eight stops apiece.
 
For the Pride, grad. student David Wells completed 8-of-12 pass attempts for 108 yards and had three touchdowns. Two of the TDs were caught by Wagnblas, who finished the afternoon with six catches for 88 yards. Wells also ran for a team-high 61 yards. On the defensive side, sophomore Tyler Pohlman led the way for Springfield with 10 tackles. There was one sack on the day for the Pride, as well as three forced fumbles, four pass breakups and three quarterback hurries.
 
Up next for Merchant Marine is the Secretaries' Cup game against arch-rival Coast Guard at home on Saturday, Nov. 12. The start time for that game has been confirmed by ESPN as a 12-noon kickoff at Tomb Field. As a reminder, tickets are not needed for the game, as it will free of charge to enter Brooks Stadium. Live stats the link to ESPN's video schedule page are available on the USMMA Football Schedule Page.
 
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