Box Score

Shepherdstown, WV - Mercyhurst football went on the road to end their year with the team unable to get the win over Shepherd. The Lakers fought hard in the matchup as they kept it at a one score game for much of the opening half, but they could never find themselves on top in the 49-25 final.

How it Happened

The Lakers were first on the board as they jumped out to a 7-0 lead just four minutes into the game. It was the ground game that helped Mercyhurst get on the board with Mike Pappas pushing past the pylon from 28 yards out for the score. Shepherd then went on a run and were able to tie things up one minute later. The Rams then continued their attack and was able to take the lead with just three minutes to go in the canto with their second passing score of the game, 14-7. Mercyhurst did not allow the deficit to stay at seven for long as they managed to end the period with Adam Urena's first passing touchdown of the game, hitting Bradyon Black for the 47-yard score to make it 14-13 going into the second.

Shepherd did not let things stay at one point for long with them opening up the second quarter with their third score of the game. It was once again their air raid that got the job done as Shepherd took a 21-13 lead at the 13:44 mark of the second. They then added on in the final few minutes of the half, but Mercyhurst was aggressive with the time they had left with Urena finding Black for the second time in the half to make it a 28-19 game going into the break.

The third quarter was a quiet one that saw only seven points be put on the board with a rushing score by the Rams doing the trick. The final frame was a more offense-focused period with there being three touchdowns in the frame. The one that belonged to Mercyhurst came on the ground with Dustin Shoaf able to work his way up the middle for the one-yard score. His efforts were not enough, though, as the Rams continued to have a solid day on offense as they scored twice in the final 15 minutes to take home the win.

Highlights

Adam Urena finished with 290 yards through the air while adding 25 completions and a pair of passing scores to his line. Braydon Black was his favorite target as he had 11 completions for 181 yards and and two receiving TDs, all of which are career-highs. On the ground it was Dustin Shoaf who did most of the work with 96 net yards on 19 carries and a touchdown. Defensively, Tyler Buterbaugh led the way with 11 total tackles while Zack Helsley finished with eight and his lone interception on the season.