LATE RALLY FALLS SHORT AS SETTERS DROP FIRST CONFERENCE GAME
SETTERS LOSE 31-28 TO MERRIMACK

PLEASANTVILLE, NY- The Pace football team lost its first Northeast-10 Conference game as the Setters fell to the Warriors of Merrimack College 31-28 at Pace Field this afternoon. The Setters fall to 3-2 overall and 2-1 in the NE-10, while the Warriors improve to 3-2 and 2-1 in conference play. 

The Warriors opened the game with 17 unanswered points as Sean Garvey (Farmington, CT) booted a 32-yard field goal for the opening points of the game. James Suozzo (Everett, MA) would scamper for 1 21-yard touchdown run to end the first quarter and would throw a four-yard scoring strike to Jeremiah Watts (Clovis, CA) to account for the Merrimack points.

The Setters would battle back as Ray Gregg (Stony Point, NY/North Rockland) (Stony Point, NY/North Rockland) would connect with Eric Ortega (Staten Island, NY/St. Peter's) (Staten Island, NY/St. Peter's) on a pair of touchdown scores, the first being a 27-yard pass play with 8:15 left in the second quarter. Gregg would hit Ortega with 1:25 left in the half on an 11-yard strike to slice the Warrior lead to 17-14.

Merrimack would extend their lead right before the end of the half as Suozzo capped a 6-play, 56-yard drive with a 19-yard touchdown pass to Quavari Jackson (Lynn, MA) for a 24-14 halftime advantage for Merrimack.

Merrimack would get the ball to start the second half but on the third offensive play, Suozzo would be intercepted by Jonathan Jones (Dover, NH/Bridgton Academy) (Dover, NH/Bridgeton Academy), giving the Setters prime field position. Gregg would hit Andrew Kulak (Wolcott, CT/Wolcott) (Wolcott, CT/Wolcott) for both passes on the two play drive, the final pass being an 18-yard touchdown pass to slice the Merrimack lead to 24-21, early in the third quarter.

Suozzo and Watts would again connect on a 33-yard pass play late in the third quarter as the Warriors extended their lead back to 10 points at 31-21 at the 2:20 mark.  

The Setters kept hope alive as Nathaniel Ford (Queens, NY/Jamaica) (Queens, NY/Jamaica) capped a 10-play, 65-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown run to cut their deficit back to three at 31-28. Pace's defense would eventually force the Warriors to punt giving the Setters the ball at their own one-yard-line. Gregg would lead the Setter offense out to the Pace 35-yard-line before the Warriors' Mike O'Brien (Marlboro, MA) would seal the game with an interception with 28 seconds to go in the game.

Gregg would finish 28-of-42 in the air for 327 and three touchdowns. Ortega was Gregg's favorites target as he hauled in nine receptions for 138 yards and a pair of scores on the day. The Setter rushing attack was limited to 14 net yards on the day. For Merrimack, Suozzo tossed for 246 yards on 21-of-42 passing and also threw three TDs on the day. Watts finished with four catches for 60 yards and two touchdowns.

Defensively, Greg Brain (Westtown, NY/Minisink Valley) (Westtown, NY/Minisink Valley) led the Setters with eight total tackles, while Charles Bachelder (Melrose, MA/Bridgton Academy) (Melrose, MA) posted six tackles. Shane Brown (Wakefield, MA) led the Warriors with game-high 13 tackles on the day.

The Setters return to action next Saturday, October 11 when they travel to Worcester, MA to take on Northeast-10 Conference foe Assumption College set for 1:00 pm kickoff.