Box Score The Misericordia University football team suffered a heartbreaking 42-35 loss at King's, Saturday.

After grabbing an early lead, the Cougars trailed throughout the second half and had a potential game-tying drive thwarted with an interception in the end zone in the final minute.

Clayton Vleck ran for 66 yards and two touchdowns and Robin Custodio added a rushing touchdown.  Sam Gillison and Colton Pyne both had touchdown receptions.

Brandon Leap was 19-34 for 201 yards passing and two TD's.

Garrett Murray led the MU defense with nine tackles and Jared Henn and Vincente Maldonado had six stops each.

Klayton Kelly returned the opening kick-off 29 yards to the MU 40 and the Cougars and went 60 yards in 11 plays for a quick 7-0 lead.

Leap hit Gillison for 33 yards on second down and picked up nine yards on a fourth-and-conversion to keep the drive alive.

MU had three straight one yard gains with Custodio going in for the score with 10:35 to go in the opening quarter.

King's answered with a 72-yard drive to tie the score and the Cougars came right back with a lengthy drive of their own.

Kelly returned the kick-off 22 yards to the MU 29 and Leap hit Josh Dieter for a seven yard gain on third down.

Ryan Kurtz had a 10-yard catch for a first down in King's territory and a personal foul moved the ball to the King's 27.  After a 12-yard gain by Leap, Vleck went 20 yards on four carries to give MU a 14-7 lead.

King's tied it with a 74-yard scoring strike on its first play on the ensuing drive.

The Monarchs got the ball back on an interception deep in their own end and marched 67 yards in 12 plays to take a 21-14 lead early in the second quarter.

After the teams exchanged punts, the Cougars drove deep into King's territory but turned it over on downs at the 22 with 3:56 to go in the first half.

The Cougars forced a punt and went into halftime trailing 21-14.

The Monarchs took a 28-14 lead on the opening drive of the second half and forced an MU punt on the next series.

MU got the ball back on a fumble deep in King's territory and quickly took advantage.

Vleck rumbled 12 yards to the Monarchs' 15 and Leap hit Isaiah Solomon for 12 yards to the one yard line.

Vleck punched it in on second-and-goal to get within 28-21 midway through the third quarter.

King's answered with a quick score to go up, 35-21, but the Cougars responded with another score.

A personal foul on the kick-off gave MU the ball at their own 46 yard line and Vleck fought gained nine yards on fourth-and-one for a first down at the King's 36.

Leap hit Pyne for nine yards and the pair connected again for a 23-yard TD to cut the margin to 35-28 with 1:07 left in the third quarter.

King's went 85 yards in nine plays to take a 42-28 lead early in the fourth quarter, but the Cougars weren't done.

Kelly returned the kick-off 24 yards to the MU 30 yard line and Leap hit Custodio for 12 yards and a first down near midfield.  A personal foul on the Monarchs moved the ball to the King's 39.

Another personal foul gave the Cougars a first down at the 21 and Leap hit Gillison from there for a touchdown to get within 42-35.

The Cougars forced a three-and-out and seemed headed for the tying score.

Justin Connolly had an eight-yard catch for a first down near midfield and Kurtz went 23 yards on the next play for a first down at the King's 30.

Custodio picked up nine yards, but the King's defense held on the next two running plays and took over on their own 30.

The Monarchs had a chance for a clinching score, but Tyler Collins scooped a fumble near midfield to set up MU's final drive.

A pass interference penalty moved the ball to the King's 31 and 8-yard completions to Gillison and Pyne gave the Cougars a first down at the 15 yard line.

MU's threat ended on a Monarch's interception in the end zone.