Salve Regina football has a new rushing king. His name is Joey Mauriello.
NEWPORT — Salve Regina University running back Joey Mauriello became the school’s all-time leading rusher on Saturday as the Seahawks defeated Western New England 28-25 at Toppa Field.
The senior from Colts Neck, New Jersey, needed to gain 17 yards entering the game to set the new school benchmark. Mauriello ripped off a 14-yard run the first time he carried the ball, then became the record holder with a 10-yard run on the Seahawks' opening possession of the game.
Mauriello broke Jim Callahan’s 26-year-old mark of 3,896 career rushing yards. After running for 76 yards — including a 13-yard touchdown scamper — on 15 carries on Saturday, Mauriello now has gained 3,957 yards in his career.
With four regular-season games remaining, he seems a lock to surpass the 4,000-yard mark.
Mauriello rewriting the record book
Mauriello also has a chance to surpass Callahan’s school record for rushing touchdowns (46). He would need to reach the end zone seven more times to eclipse the mark.
Entering this season, Mauriello holds the university's all-time records in yards per rush (6.34), rushing yards per game (131.9), all-purpose yards (4,335) and all-purpose yards per game (149.5).
Mauriello appeared to be on track to set a new school record for rushing yards in a season in 2019 until he suffered an ACL tear and finished with 1,334 yards, just 148 yards shy of Sam Psacale’s mark set in 2015.
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The following season, Mauriello ran for 1,412 yards and was named a Division III All-American. Mauriello missed the Seahawks first four games of this season and returned to the lineup on Oct. 8 in loss to Curry. He gained 60 yards on 14 runs and scored a TD in the contest.
Mauriello also is involved with the Seahawks Take Flight program, a fundraising campaign that asks alumni, parents and other donors to support Salve Regina athletics during the 2022-23 academic year. Learn more at givecampus.com/schools/SalveReginaUniversity/seahawks-take-flight-2022.
This article originally appeared on Newport Daily News: Salve Regina football: Joey Mauriello breaks all-time rushing record
