By Tiffany Williams –
SUNY Maritime and Salve Regina square off Saturday in Newport, and the stakes feel heavier than a late-September non-conference clash should. A year ago, the Privateers stunned the Seahawks with a 25-22 upset that flipped the script after Salve Regina had humiliated them 49-0 in 2023. Now, it’s about which version of these two programs shows up.
Maritime rides into 2025 with swagger and scars. They forced a ridiculous 16 fumbles last season—ranking 13th nationally in turnover margin—and even capped the year with their first-ever postseason win, a 21-14 Fusion Bowl victory over Husson. Their identity is clear: take the ball away, run it down your throat, and let opponents beat themselves. Running back Devin Cline’s 233-yard bowl explosion stamped him as a problem defenses can’t ignore. But a sluggish passing game lingers as the weak link, and with new head coach Anthony Trotta taking over in July, there’s no telling how smooth the transition will be when real bullets fly.
Salve Regina, meanwhile, is searching for stability. Kevin Gilmartin has built the most consistent program in school history, with 70 wins and five postseason berths in the last nine years. His offensive lines set the tone, and in 2023 the Seahawks rolled to a 9-2 record, pummeling NEWMAC opponents early. But 2024 exposed cracks. They stumbled to 6-4, never recovering after quarterback Jake Stack left midseason. That void still looms. No clear starter has emerged, and that uncertainty is poison against a defense that thrives on forcing mistakes.
This is the clash of two storylines: a SUNY Maritime program looking to prove 2024 was no fluke under a rookie head coach, and a Salve Regina team desperate to reassert itself as the heavyweight it once was. The Seahawks have the pedigree. The Privateers have momentum. Saturday decides which one matters more.