NORWICH CONTINUES TO ROLL AGAINST MOUNT IDA, 27-17

The Mount Ida College Mustangs opened their season with a 27-17 loss to rival Empire 8 Conference member Norwich University. This is the eighth year in a row that MIC could not uphold a victory. The Mustangs compiled a total of 168 yards of offense while the Cadets converted two big four downs that turned into touchdowns for the win racking up 247 total yards in offense.

Mike Epps (Englewood, NJ/White Morrow) picked off a pass with 6:14 left in the first quarter but the Mustangs for 9 yards that brought the green to the Norwich 22 yard line that set up the first TD of the day. The Mustangs got on the board first with a one yard touchdown run by freshman Shane Gardner (Sunrise, FL/Northeast) for his first TD in a green uniform. This made it 7-0 with 4:12 left in play in the first quarter.

Norwich followed up with the next six points off field goals by Chris Seifert (Jackson, NJ/Jackson Memorial) one from the 26 yard range and the other came from 32 yards out. This made it 7-6 in favor of the Mustangs going into halftime.

In the start of the third quarter, Mount Ida did something for the first time in program history, kick a field goal. Bobby Cordosa (Stoughton, MA/Stoughton), soccer player turned kicker, decided to end the eight year drought of no three pointers for the ‘stangs. This put MIC on top by a score of 10-6 around the 5:41 mark in the third set.

NU’s Darnel Jackson (Miami, FL/Parkway Academy) gave his team a chance to take the lead when he caught a pass from teammate and quarterback Andy Holz (Coral Springs, FL/Coral Springs Christain) to put NU on the two yard line for a chance to break the game open. Jackson took care of the rest running in for the two yard TD to put his team on top 13-10 with 2:23 left in the 3rd.

Mount Ida came right back starting with a interception by sophomore David Green (Homewood, AL/Homewood) that put the Mustangs on the Norwich 2 starting the fourth quarter. They would leave the rest up to the freshman Gardner to pound it in for the touchdown regaining the lead for the Mustangs 17-13 at the beginning of the fourth quarter.

It was all Norwich from here on out scoring the next 14 points of the game to take the lead and the win. E.J. Flannigan (Amesbury, MA/Amesbury) caught a pass from Holz to 15 yards out to put the Cadets up 20-17. Mount Ida had a few chances to dominate the lead, but could not get the offense going. NU pounded in the final nail with a 35 punt return run back for the winning touchdown with 5:44 left to play in the game.

The Mustangs will travel to Plymouth, NH to face the Panthers from Plymouth State University next Saturday, September 8th, for a 1:30 pm start.