ERIE, Pa. -- The Mercyhurst football team dropped its season opener to Hillsdale, 19-11, in a non-conference contest on Saturday at Tullio Field.

Quarterback Doug Altavilla and wide receiver Brad Novak hooked up for the Lakers' only touchdown on a 32-yard pass in the third quarter. The pair linked again on the ensuing two-point attempt to trim Mercyhurst's deficit to eight points, but those were the last points of the day for Mercyhurst.

Altavilla finished 16 of 38 for 252 yards. Novak added four catches for 82 yards.

Zach Smith was the Lakers' leading receiver, totaling six grabs for 95 yards. Running back E'Andre Smith rushed 13 times for 80 yards.

For the Mercyhurst defense, defensive backs Ben Young, Dante' Redwood and Jake Tarasovitch recorded seven total tackles each. Redwood broke up four passes while Young broke up two. Tarasovitch made two tackles-for-loss.

The Lakers scored on the game's opening drive when kicker Mark Schafer converted a 28-yard field goal. Mercyhurst traveled 72 yards in 10 plays to set up the kick. The drive featured three passes from Altavilla to Smith, which totaled 72 yards.

Hillsdale evened the score later in the first on a 35-yard kick by Joe Phillipp. That was the beginning of 19-0 scoring stretch for the visiting Chargers (1-0).

Quarterback Chase Stewart found wide-out Trey Brock for a 5-yard touchdown hookup in the second quarter before Phillipp pushed the Hillsdale advantage to 12-3 with a 25-yard field goal before halftime.

Running back David Graham helped expand Hillsdale's lead to 19-3 with a 2-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.

The Lakers then pushed back with Altavilla found Novak for the Lakers' only TD. That happened on 4th-and-8.

Mercyhurst had three possessions to tie in the fourth quarter. They ended, in order, with a punt, turnover-on-downs and interception. The Laker offense pushed down to the Hillsdale 8-yard-line late in the fourth quarter, but then stalled. Altavilla was intercepted by Merrick Canada, effectively ending the contest.

Stewaart was 17 of 33 for 198 yards for the Chargers. Brock made nine catches for 124 yards and Graham rushed 18 times for 84 yards. Defensive back Spencer Nehls totaled eight tackles and one blocked kick. Defensive lineman Matt Schrzan recorded two sacks.

The Lakers will return to action on Saturday, Sept. 9, with a 12 p.m. Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference interdivisional game against the East Division's Kutztown.