NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. (Sept. 20, 2014) - On Saturday, the LIU Post football team was unable to stave off a rallying Merrimack squad in a 19-17 Northeast-10 Conference loss at Martone-Mejail Field in North Andover.

Trailing 17-13 with just under four minutes to go in regulation, the Warriors (2-1, 2-0 NE-10) drew two defensive penalties early in their game-winning drive to set up shop at the Pioneers' (1-2, 1-1 NE-10) 40-yard line. On a third-and-10 from that spot, freshman quarterback Joe Capobianco (Oceanside, N.Y.) converted a key first down on a 14-yard strike to fellow Long Islander Jere Brown (Freeport, N.Y.). One play later, Capobianco completed a pass to Armond McRae (Nashua, N.H.), which he took 26 yards for the go-ahead score.

The subsequent extra point was blocked, setting the potential stage for Steven Laurino (Boise, Idaho) to showcase his late-game heroics for the second-consecutive week. The green and gold were unable to stir up another comeback though, going four-and-out and turning the ball over on downs in the process. Laurino missed twice to his tight end, Sean Binckes (Brooklyn, N.Y.), and had his fourth-down pass attempt to Kamron Palmer (Brooklyn, N.Y.) broken up by Matt Clifford (Billerica, Mass.).

In what was a back-and-forth defensive battle, LIU Post amassed 409 yards of total offense to Merrimack's 386. The Pioneers outgained their opposition on the ground (180-130) and through the air (229-256).

Leading 3-0 early in the second quarter, a 28-yard hook-up from Laurino to Binckes on a second-and-20 gave the visitors first-and-goal from the Warriors' four-yard line. Yet, two ensuing offensive penalties pushed LIU Post out of field-goal range, and forced the Pioneers to punt.

Three possessions later, a Laurino fumble at the Merrimack 40 turned into seven points for the hosts. Between McRae and Adriell Mayes (Chesapeake, Va.), the duo rushed for 60 yards combined on four snaps for the TD. It was a 10-yard run by Mayes that made it a 7-3 game. The Warriors had an opportunity to tack on more before the half, but Jhaleel Oswald (Rosedale, N.Y.) stripped Justin Mount (Westford, Mass.) at the one-yard line to keep the difference at three points at the break.

At the start of the third quarter, a fourth-down stop from Brandon Cheney (Hewlett, N.Y.) on a Capobianco run turned the ball over to LIU Post. The Pioneers capitalized on the field position, as a six-play, 52-yard series resulted in a four-yard touchdown run by Laurino.

The Warriors fired back, however, on their opening series of the fourth quarter. Starting at his own 46-yard line, Capobianco dropped back and hit Brown for a 46-yard pass on his first snap of the period, leading to first-and-goal at the LIU nine-yard line. Three plays later, Capobianco connected with Cody Demers (Dracut, Mass.) to put Merrimack ahead 13-10. Senior kicker Nick Zwaan (Longmeadow, Mass.) failed to convert on the PAT, giving Laurino and his squad an opportunity to tie with a field goal.

The failed extra point turned out to be moot, as Laurino, on a rollout, threw a 30-yard touchdown pass on third down to Palmer in the end zone with 7:46 remaining. That pushed the Pioneers, who were an impressive 7-of-15 on third downs in the contest, back in front, 17-13.

Laurino was 20-of-39 in the game for 229 yards and a touchdown. He also scampered for 66 yards and a score. Red-shirt sophomore running back Mike Williams (Westbury, N.Y.) amassed a team-high 97 net yards on the ground. Palmer (80 yards receiving) and red-shirt sophomore wideout Shane Hubbard (St. Albans, N.Y.) (52 yards receiving) hauled in seven catches apiece.

On defense, Cheney and red-shirt senior linebacker Anthony Brunetti (Bayville, N.Y.) made 13 tackles each. Brunetti recovered a fumble and intercepted a pass as well. Oswald forced two fumbles to go along with six tackles. Graduate lineman Manny Dopazo (Huntington Station, N.Y.), like Oswald, had six tackles, a game-high 1.5 of which were for a loss.

Head Coach Bryan Collins and his LIU Post team continue their three-game road trip versus NE-10 opposition next Saturday (Sept. 27) at Assumption in Worcester, Mass. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.