SCORE BOX:
Plymouth 27
Nichols College 14
Plymouth, N.H.— PSU Football avenged their own homecoming loss last weekend by botching Nichols College’s on Saturday October 1st. Plymouth State senior defensive back Christian Mulcahy (Norwich, Conn.) put on an NEFC Defensive Player of the Week performance, surging the Panthers past the Bison, 27-14, at Vendetti Field.
“I feel that my personal performance was just a benefit from the hard work that all the guys around me put in for a full 60 minutes,” said Mulcahy, who seemed to do it all for the Panthers in Saturday’s game. “I was especially proud of the way that both the defense and special teams responded in times of adversity throughout the game.” Mulcahy recorded two interceptions and four pass breakups on defense, was 4 for 5 in PAT kicking, and also returned a kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter.
The Panthers took an early lead, and never let up against the Bison. After losing another quarterback to injury during last week’s game, Plymouth State sent out third-string quarterback freshman Joey Avila (Gloucester, Mass.) to start. The PSU offense kept the ball for the first eight and a half minutes of play, finishing their first drive with a one-yard touchdown punched in by senior Dustin Matthews (Eliot, Maine), giving the visiting team a 6-0 lead. The score would change on PSU’s next drive. Avila and Matthews made their way down the field, setting up junior Andrew Foglia (Montauk, N.Y.) for a two-yard touchdown run.
The game’s action never stopped, as the Bison held PSU on the next series, giving the homecoming crowd hope. Nichol’s momentum was halted right away by Mulcahy, who collected his first of two interceptions on a Jacob Shoup pass attempt. On offense, senior Josh Duford (Claremont, N.H.) caught Avila’s pass for a touchdown, setting the score at 20-0 at the end of the half.
Nichols answered back when Shoup opened the third quarter with a touchdown pass to David Gonzalez. Mulcahy showcased his speed on the next kickoff, blowing past the Bison for a 90 yard touchdown and, again, stopping whatever comeback the home team mounted. Nichols scored once more in the fourth quarter, but was never able to overcome the deficit created by the Panthers.
Plymouth State will look to continue their dominance this Saturday at home against MIT. Mulcahy knows what he and his teammates need to do for that to happen, “The momentum of the win will help us with our upcoming opponent, but we will have to prepare for MIT just as hard as we did Nichols.”