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Muhlenberg Defeats Moravian to Keep Sodexo Trophy

More news about: Muhlenberg

Matthew Stickney rushed for 112 yards and a touchdown to earn game MVP honors as the Muhlenberg football team retained possession of the Sodexo Trophy with a 29-14 win against rival Moravian.

The Mules finished the regular season with a record of 7-3 and await word of a possible berth to an ECAC bowl game. The Greyhounds ended at 2-8.

Freshman quarterbacks for both teams put up impressive numbers, with Michael Hnatkowsky going 23-for-38 for 249 yards and two touchdowns for Muhlenberg, and Doug Erney completing 18 of 29 attempts for 254 yards and a pair of scores for Moravian.

Junior safety Nick Zambelli was named the Greyhounds' game MVP after recording a career-high 13 tackles and picking off a pass.

Muhlenberg took the opening kickoff and put together an 18-play, 72-yard drive that ended with Yanni Mitropoulos scoring his first career points on a 31-yard field goal.

Moravian moved to the Mule 21 on its first possession but mishandled the snap on a field goal try and came away with no points.

A 36-yard punt return by Brad Ramirez set up the first touchdown of the game, a 6-yard run by Mule freshman James Diggs on the third play of the second quarter.

The Greyhounds lined up for another field goal late in the half, but Thomas Cosgriff blocked the 25-yard try. Muhlenberg took over at its 17 with 3:42 left and drove 83 yards in eight plays to extend its lead to 16-0. The drive was extended by Joseph O'Hagan's 22-yard run on a fake punt, and Hnatkowsky ended it by hitting Ryan Curtiss in the end zone from 16 yards out with 37.3 ticks on the clock.

Moravian got on the board on its third drive of the second half when Erney connected with Alex Pierce for a 41-yard touchdown.

A 45-yard completion from Hnatkowsky to Kyle Wilczynski set up Stickney's 4-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter, making the score 22-7.

The Greyhounds needed only three plays, plus Justice Anderson's 37-yard kickoff return, to answer, with Erney finding Aaron Hudson for a 28-yard touchdown.

Muhlenberg kept Moravian off the board the rest of the way, adding an insurance touchdown on Hnatkowsky's 8-yard pass to Josiah Wright with 3:58 left.

Wilczynski caught a game-high six passes for 81 yards for the Mules, while Moravian's Hudson caught five passes for 75 yards in his final game.

Muhlenberg rushed for 195 yards and held Moravian to 82 yards on the ground.

Dec. 15: All times Eastern
Final
Cortland 38, at North Central (Ill.) 37
@ Salem, Virginia
Video Box Score Recap Photos
Dec. 9: All times Eastern
Final
North Central (Ill.) 34, at Wartburg 27
Box Score Recap
Final
Cortland 49, at Randolph-Macon 14
Box Score Recap Recap Recap Photos
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