WASHINGTON, DC– Last Saturday, the Maritime College football team was stunned when Castleton scored the game-winning touchdown with 48 seconds remaining.  The Privateers weren't going to let history repeat itself this week.  Gallaudet (5-2, 3-1 Eastern Collegiate Football Conference) scored a touchdown with 36 seconds left, but Maritime (2-5, 1-2 ECFC) stopped the Bison's game-tying two-point attempt to hang on for a 26-24 victory at Hotchkiss Field on Saturday.

Maritime took a 26-2 lead on Tate Neiderer's (Hanover, PA) 10-yard TD run early in the fourth quarter, but Gallaudet came storming back.  Eric Gregory returned an interception 20 yards for a score, and the two-point conversion made it 26-10 midway through the period.  The Bison then capped a seven-play, 75-yard drive with a 34-yard scamper by Mikka Harvey, and the two-point conversion pulled Gallaudet within one score at 26-18 with 3:59 remaining.

After the Privateers went three-and-out, the Bison got the ball back with 2:50 left on the clock.  Gallaudet covered 58 yards in 12 plays, with Harvey rushing 23 yards into the end zone to bring the Bison within a two-point conversion of tying the game.  Each team was called for a penalty on the first two two-point attempts.  Finally, on the third try, the Maritime defense stopped Brandon Washington before he crossed the goal line, preserving the lead.  Tim Gasparik (Seaford, NY) then recovered the onside kick to seal the 26-24 victory.

The Privateers held an 18-0 lead at halftime.  Maritime opened the scoring on Steven Stassi's (East Islip, NY) eight-yard touchdown pass to Ian Derda (Guilford, CT) at the 8:05 mark of the first quarter.  Stassi was then on the receiving end of a touchdown, hauling in a five-yard score from Pat Quinn (Farmingdale, NY) on a wide receiver option with 1:00 left in the first half.

On the second play of the ensuing Gallaudet drive, Dru Stephens (New Orleans, LA) intercepted Nicholas Maccini's pass and returned it to the Bison 27, setting up the Privateers to add another score before halftime.  Five plays and 28 seconds later, Stassi connected with Derda for the second time in the half, making it 18-0 at the half.  Gallaudet got on the board when Maritime conceded a safety in the third quarter before the Privateers extended their advantage to 26-2 on Neiderer's 10-yard scurry and Aidan Nunez's (Carmel, NY) successful pass to Quinn on the two-point attempt early in the fourth.

Stassi finished 12-for-31 passing for 125 yards and two touchdowns.  He also rushed eight times for 20 yards and had the five-yard TD reception.  Neiderer gained 148 yards and scored a touchdown on 25 carries.  Derda, meanwhile, caught eight passes for 108 yards and two scores.

Aidan Griffin (Queens, NY) led the defense with 12 tackles, while Kevin Wu (Staten Island, NY) was credited with 10 tackles, including two tackles for loss, and forced a fumble.  Overall, Maritime held Gallaudet to just 74 total passing yards and caused four turnovers, with Stephens, Sergio Borda (Toms River, NJ) and Josh Walker (Lake Grove, NY) all recording interceptions.

For Gallaudet, Maccini was 3-for-7 for 39 yards and two interceptions before being replaced by Washington, who went 3-for-13 for 35 yards.  Washington also gained 113 yards on the ground after carrying 26 times.  Harvey ran for 63 yards and two touchdowns, while Jaylen Johnson had two receptions. 

Eric Gregory's 20-yard interception return accounted for the other Gallaudet touchdown. Zarek Nathanson was the Bison's leading tackler with 11 stops, and Laron Thomas made 10 tackles.

Next Saturday, the Privateers return to Reinhart Field for the annual homecoming game.  There will be the traditional pregame and halftime festivities surrounding the 2 p.m. contest against Dean (1-6, 1-2 ECFC).