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Wildcats taking dead aim on retaining musket

By Staff | Oct 20, 2012

DURHAM – When current co-captain Chris Zarkoskie was being recruited by the University of New Hampshire football team one of the first things he was shown was the Brice-Cowell Musket, which goes the winner of the annual UNH-Maine game.

The Black Bears didn’t have the same option when the offensive lineman visited Orono. The Wildcats have won eight of the last nine meetings with their longtime border rival and hope to make it nine out of 10 Saturday (12, CSN-NE) at Alfond Stadium when they square off for the 100th time.

“It’s the most important thing in the locker room,” Zarkoskie said of the musket, which hangs overhead. “It really is.”

The series, which UNH leads 48-43-8, has been hotly contested in recent years with the last four games being decided by four points or fewer. The last three have each been decided by three points, including last season’s 30-27 UNH win at Cowell Stadium.

Two of the last three games at Alfond have gone to overtime, including the Wildcats’ 16-13 loss in 2010.

“You look at the musket every day and you want to keep it there,” said senior linebacker Matt Evans. “We knew the feeling two years ago when we lost. It’s a very big week for us and we take it seriously.”

With UNH no longer playing Dartmouth and Massachusetts, the Maine game is the first one the Wildcats circle on their calendar when the schedule comes out.

“You’re always thinking about Maine,” Zarkoskie said. “You’re always thinking about keeping that musket. That year when we didn’t have the musket was very disappointing.”

“Of all the rivalries over the last 10 years,” coach Sean McDonnell said, “this is the biggest one because of the significance of the musket and it’s usually the last one of the year and the one you remember most as a player.”

The Black Bears blocked a potential game-winning field-goal attempt at the end of regulation in 2010 and then went on to win in OT on a 37-yard field goal by Brian Harvey.

“We didn’t finish the game,” Evans said. “It was a very sour feeling after.”

UNH regained the musket last year by staging a fourth-quarter rally. Nico Steriti provided the winning score with an 18-yard touchdown run that made it 30-20 early in the fourth.

The red-shirt freshman, who replaced the injured Dontra Peters, gained 150 yards on 21 carries in his first college start. As the featured back this season, Steriti has rushed for 100 yards or more in four of the last five games.

“From the first time when I was a freshman there was a different kind of buzz around practice and at the field house,” kicker Mike MacArthur said of the rivalry. “Intense. It’s the kind of game we all love because it’s a big pressure game.”

The No. 12/14 Wildcats (5-2, 3-1 CAA), have won three in a row, including last week’s come-from-behind 44-40 victory over Richmond.

Maine (2-4, 1-2 CAA) has lost three of four and is coming off a 24-19 setback at Towson last weekend. The Black Bears’ lone win in that stretch is a dominating 26-3 triumph at Delaware.

Defensive end Michael Cole had five sacks in that game but also suffered a season-ending injury.

“It doesn’t matter if one team is 0-10 and the other team is 10-0,” Zarkoskie said. “It’s a battle that can make or break your season.”

The Black Bears are 0-2 at home this season with back-to-back losses to Albany and Villanova.

This is the second of three road games in October for the Wildcats, who have dubbed the month Rock-tober. They play at Rhode Island next week.

“The road through Rock-tober leads back to the Granite State,” Zarkoskie said. “You want to win Rock-tober. You’ve got to win on the road to be successful in the CAA.”

Who is QB?

Quarterback Andy Vailas was banged up in the Richmond game and is questionable for Maine.

He’s started five straight games and played most of another after taking over from Sean Goldrich, who injured his shoulder on the second play against Minnesota in Week 2 after winning the job in training camp.

“I still don’t think Sean’s 100 percent,” McDonnell said Wednesday, “but he’s better than Andy physically right now. If we had a game (Wednesday) Sean Goldrich would probably be the starting quarterback.”

McDonnell planned to make a decision after practice Thursday. Vailas and Goldrich both took snaps during the game-winning drive last Saturday against Richmond.

Under control

After struggling earlier in the year, particularly on extra points, MacArthur appears to have straightened out.

“Knowing the blame lies squarely on me is not a feeling you want to have,” he said.

“It was definitely frustrating. It was something I had to work through and hopefully leave behind.”

For the second year in a row, MacArthur had offseason hip surgery and didn’t totally trust his plant leg.

“I’m definitely coming around which is nice,” he said. “I’m hitting the six-month mark which is a big milestone for recovery and I’m starting to feel a lot better.

MacArthur was named CAA special teams player of the week for his performance against Richmond.

He went 5 for 5 on extra points, made a 27-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter and also bombed a 51-yard punt that was downed on the Richmond 1 and led to the Wildcats’ game-winning score.

“Mike’s worked really hard this year to improve on a couple things,” McDonnell said, “and I think he’s hitting the ball really well.”

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