Montclair State couldn’t do enough to overcome Salisbury in their first NJAC match of 2016.
Photo courtesy of MSU Athletics.
Montclair State quarterback Ryan Adzima continued to prove his worth this past week, but he was unable to pull out a win for the Red Hawks in Salisbury, MD. The freshman picked up his second straight New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Rookie of the Week title after the team lost 40-20 to the defending conference champions. The team now has a 1-1 overall record and a 0-1 conference record.
Adzima threw for 198 yards and two touchdowns, as the Red Hawks tried to land their first 2-0 start since 2011. Last week’s star, John DiStefano, responded to the Sea Gull’s opening possession touchdown with a touchdown of his own. DiStefano scored on a 75-yard run after taking a hand-off from Adzima.
However, the Red Hawks couldn’t hold off Salisbury. The Sea Gulls scored punched in two more touchdowns, and almost scored a third time, but junior Vincent Cordasco sacked the opposing quarterback, Ryan Jones, at the Montclair State 4 yard line to end the half.
Montclair State didn’t find the end zone again until the fourth quarter, when the Sea Gulls were already up 34-7. Early in the fourth quarter, Adzima threw to Julanee Prince for a 30-yard touchdown, keeping the game close at 34-14. It didn’t stay that way for long though – Salisbury answered by putting seven more points on the board and taking over eight minutes to do so. Adzima tried to fight back, throwing his second touchdown pass of the night to freshman Kyiese Lopez.
The Red Hawks hope to turn things around as they head home to Sprague Field for the first time this season on Saturday Sept. 24. They will face off against Rowan University at noon for a “Color Rush” game.
According to Athletic Director Mike Scala, the teams are planning to emulate the NFL’s Thursday games during these “Color Rush” games. The Red Hawks will be dressed in all head to toe red– helmets, jerseys and pants – while the Profs will be sporting all gold.
