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NORTHEASTNORTHEAST CONFERENCECONFERENCE FootballFootball ‘05‘05‘05

Steven Bergeski Central Conn. St.

Jason Forrest Will Boone Brian Boland Robert Morris Albany Monmouth

Joey Henley Sacred Heart

J.J. Cox Luke Palko WarrenMarkMiles Jepson BarnettAustin St. Francis (PA) Wagner Stony Brook WagnerMonmouth

AlbanyAlbany •• CentralCentral ConnecticutConnecticut StateState •• MonmouthMonmouth •• RobertRobert MorrisMorris SacredSacred HeartHeart •• St.St. FrancisFrancis (PA)(PA) •• StonyStony BrookBrook •• WagnerWagner • www.northeastconference.org • 2005 NEC Football

8-13 Albany 32-37 Sacred Heart The Great Danes should rely more on defense than offense. Pioneers should be solid again, particularly on offense. 14-19 Central Connecticut State 38-43 St. Francis (PA) The Blue Devils seek back-to-back NEC titles. The Red Flash need to win the close ones to jump in the standings. 20-25 Monmouth 44-49 Stony Brook The Hawks seek three consecutive crowns with a younger unit. The Seawolves will need to be consistent to mount a charge. 26-31 Robert Morris 50-55 Wagner The Colonials should make a resurgence in their new home. The Seahawks’ passing game will be the key to success.

Rupert Rickards Table Of Contents Robert Morris 2 About The NEC/NEC Sports 3 NEC Members/Contact Info 4-5 NEC Presidents/Office Staff 6-7 2005 Football Preview 8-55 Team-By-Team Reports 56-68 NEC Seasons In Review 69-72 NEC Football Record Book 73 Driving Directions

Northeast Conference 200 Cottontail Lane Vantage Court North Somerset, NJ 08873 (732) 469-0440 Fax: (732) 469-0744

Credits Editor, Design and Layout: Bob Balut, Ron Ratner Editorial Assistance: Andrew Alia Photos: Dave Saffran, Greg Vedder, Bob Ewell, Steve Slade, George Kien, J. Gregory Raymond, Jason Cohn, J.D. Cavrich, Paul Bereswill, Bob O’Rourke and Steve Smith Special Thanks: All the NEC SIDs

NEC On Television FOX SPORTS Butler at Robert Morris • Sept. 17 • 12:00 pm St. Francis (PA) at Robert Morris • Oct. 1 • 1:00 pm FOX SPORTS Albany at Cent. Conn. St. • Sept. 24 • 1:00 pm

NEC Webstore NEC gear can be purchased securely online at www.necstore.org.

www.northeastconference.org Visit the official league website for standings, stats, notes, releases and the latest in the world of NEC football. Football

When the Northeast Conference was first established as the ECAC-Metro Conference back in 1981, the league’s founders had one simple goal in mind: to create a competitive Division I men’s conference for unaffiliated schools on NEC Football the Eastern seaboard. A single-sport entity at its inception, even the league’s most ardent supporters during its formative years could not have envisioned a transformation into a burgeoning 11-member, 21-sport conference. Now, 25 years later, the NEC begins a yearlong celebration of its Silver Anniversary by proudly looking back at its heritage, while at the same time writing the next chapter in the league’s evolution. About The NEC The NEC and its member institutions remain committed to enhancing the experience of its student-athletes, while strength- ening its competitive position both regionally and nationally. With that in mind, the league’s traditional focus on athletic achievement, academic integrity and development, community outreach and sportsmanship has never been stronger. 2005-06 NEC Championship Dates To that end, the NEC launched Sportsmanship Counts! in 2004-05, an initiative designed to reinforce and promote the ideals and fundamentals of good sportsmanship. Championship Date Site (Host) The remarkable success story of the conference began to unfold in 1985, when the league began sponsoring additional Field Hockey Oct. 28 & 29 High Seed sports. Three years later, a change of name was in order and the Northeast Conference as we know it today was born. M/W Cross Country Oct. 29 St. Francis (PA) With membership and sport sponsorship continuing to grow over the next decade and beyond, the NEC now has access Women’s Soccer Nov. 4 & 6 High Seed to NCAA automatic bids in 12 sports (, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s golf, women’s Men’s Soccer Nov. 11 & 13 High Seed , men’s and women’s soccer, softball, men’s and women’s tennis and women’s volleyball). Volleyball Nov. 19 & 20 High Seed Though the NEC has featured various incarnations since its inception, charter members Fairleigh Dickinson, Long M/W Indoor Track Feb. 11 & 12 P.G. County Sports Complex (Landover, MD) Island, Robert Morris, St. Francis (NY), St. Francis (PA) and Wagner remain part of the current 11-school alignment. M/W Swimming Feb. 17 & 19 P.G. County Sports Complex (Landover, MD) They are joined by Monmouth (admitted in 1985), Mount St. Mary’s (1989), Central Connecticut State (1997), Quinnipiac Men’s Basketball Mar. 2, 5 & 8 High Seeds (1998) and Sacred Heart (1999). NEC expansion, which culminated in 1999 with the addition of Sacred Heart, has given Women’s Basketball Mar. 4, 7 & 11 High Seeds the league a five-state geographic footprint with access to such major media markets as , Baltimore, M/W Tennis Apr. 21 & 22 Mercer County Tennis (tentative) Pittsburgh and Hartford. Women’s Golf Apr. 29 & 30 Disney’s Lake Buena Vista Golf Course With the addition of four sports over the last seven years, NEC member institutions now compete in 21 championship Women’s Lacrosse Apr. 28 & 30 High Seed sports: baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, field hockey, football, men’s and Men’s Golf May 6 & 7 Disney’s Palm Golf Course women’s golf, men’s and women’s indoor track and field, women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s outdoor track and field, M/W Outdoor Track May 6 & 7 Mount St. Mary’s men’s and women’s soccer, softball, women’s swimming, men’s and women’s tennis, and women’s volleyball. Softball May 12 & 13 High Seed Baseball May 19-21 FirstEnergy Park (Lakewood, NJ) Iamarino has also succeeded in widening the NEC’s exposure on a national basis through a number of initiatives. The league’s official website - one of the most comprehensive in the nation - was relaunched in 2004 with additional content and features, as well as a state-of-the-art design. To supplement one of the premier regional basketball television pack- ages in the country, the conference also began televising football games in 2003. Over the last three years, the NEC has NEC Commissioner’s Cup televised nearly 100 events, as the league’s coverage area expanded to 20 million homes. Along with flagship station MSG Network, other regional television outlets included Fox Sports-New York, Fox Sports-Pittsburgh, Fox Sports-New 2004-05 Commissioner’s Cup NEC Commissioner’s Cup England and Comcast SportsNet. In 2005, ESPN broadcast the men’s championship game for the 18th straight year while Overall Standings Past Champions MSG televised the women’s title contest for the eighth season in a row. 1. Monmouth 199.11 2004-05 Monmouth 2003-04 Monmouth During the 2004-05 campaign, the NEC played on a national stage through the awarding of NCAA bids to the conference 2. St. Francis (PA) 186.53 3. Quinnipiac 177.70 2002-03 UMBC in 12 team sports. In the league’s highest profile event of the year, the Fairleigh Dickinson men’s basketball team played 2001-02 UMBC 4. Long Island 174.41 2000-01 UMBC top-seed and eventual national runner-up Illinois to a first-half standstill, gaining instant recognition before a nationwide 5. Sacred Heart 167.50 audience. Monmouth won the Sports Network Cup in football, emblematic of the top mid-major program in the nation, 1999-00 UMBC 6. Robert Morris 166.82 1998-99 UMBC as five conference programs finished in the final top-10 poll. Men’s soccer has been the league’s most competitive sport 7. Central Connecticut State 141.65 1997-98 Monmouth on a regional and national basis in recent years, including Fairleigh Dickinson winning four NCAA Tournament matches 8. Mount St. Mary’s 140.54 1996-97 Mount St. Mary’s over the past four years. Last season, NEC programs scored men’s soccer victories over teams from the ACC, Big East 9. Wagner 126.69 1995-96 Mount St. Mary's and Atlantic 10, while Long Island tied a Michigan team that was ranked third in the nation at the time. Individually, St. 10. Fairleigh Dickinson 106.32 1994-95 Mount St. Mary's 1993-94 Fairleigh Dickinson Francis (PA) distance runner A.J. Suravicz claimed All-America honors in the indoor mile after finishing in ninth place 11. St. Francis (NY) 80.95 1992-93 Fairleigh Dickinson at the NCAA Championships in March, while teammate Ryan Sheehan became a two-time All-American after placing 11th 1991-92 Fairleigh Dickinson in the 10,000 meter run at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in June. Along with Sheehan, the NCAA Outdoor Track The Commissioner's Cup is awarded annually 1990-91 Monmouth & Field Championships produced two more All-Americans as Long Island’s Bryan Steele took sixth place in the 400 to the school that fares best in the 1989-90 Fairleigh Dickinson 1988-89 Fairleigh Dickinson meter hurdles and Monmouth’s Bobby Smith claimed fifth place in the javelin. In football, Robert Morris linebacker league's championship sports. 1987-88 Fairleigh Dickinson James Noel and Albany offensive lineman Geir Gudmundsen were tabbed to the AFCA I-AA All-America team. Albany 1986-87 Long Island defensive back Kurt Campbell became the second NEC player drafted since the league began sponsoring football in 1996 when he was chosen by the in the seventh round. In women’s swimming, Central Connecticut State’s Jaime Crowley qualified for the NCAA Swimming Championships in the 50 freestyle, then went on to compete in two events 2004-05 NEC Championship Winners at the World Championship trials in Indianapolis. On a regional note, the Long Island women’s soccer team advanced to the ECAC Tournament championship match. Sport ______Team Champion Field Hockey ______Rider One of the highlights of the conference year was the NEC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament, which went “Back Men’s Cross Country ______Quinnipiac To Campus” for the first time since the 1996-97 season. While Fairleigh Dickinson won the men’s crown for the first time Women’s Cross Country ______St. Francis (PA) since 1998, St. Francis (PA) continued its longstanding domination of NEC women’s hoops with its fourth conference Women’s Soccer ______Central Connecticut State title in a row and ninth in the last ten years. In women’s cross country, St. Francis (PA) collected its fourth straight league Men’s Soccer ______Long Island championship, while the Central Connecticut State women’s soccer team made it three in a row. Monmouth, which took Women's Volleyball ______Long Island home NEC titles in men’s and women’s indoor track and field and men’s outdoor track and field, won its second straight Football ______Monmouth, Central Connecticut State NEC Commissioner’s Cup and fourth overall. The Hawks also earned a share of the NEC football crown, finished tied for first place in women’s lacrosse and won the regular season men’s basketball championship. To conclude the Women’s Swimming ______Gardner-Webb campaign, four NEC baseball players were chosen in the 2005 Major League draft: Quinnipiac’s Bryan Sabatella, Ari Men’s Indoor Track & Field ______Monmouth Kafka and Pat Egan, as well as Wagner’s . Women’s Indoor Track & Field ______Monmouth Men’s Basketball ______Fairleigh Dickinson The 2004-05 academic year also boasted a strong balance between athletic feats and academic achievements of NEC Women’s Basketball ______St. Francis (PA) student-athletes as 1,032 league competitors were named to the NEC Academic Honor Roll and eight earned national Women’s Golf ______Long Island Academic All-America status, the second highest one-year total in league history. NEC Student-Athlete of the Year Beth Men’s Tennis ______Quinnipiac Swink (two-time honoree in women’s basketball) and Andrew Maloney (three-time honoree in track and field) of St. Women’s Tennis ______Quinnipiac Francis (PA), along with Long Island’s David Ledet (men’s soccer), Mount St. Mary’s Naomi Campano (two-time honoree Women’s Lacrosse ______Mount St. Mary’s in women’s lacrosse), Robert Morris’ Jonathan LeDonne (football) and Gardner-Webb’s Taylor Simpson (women’s Men’s Golf ______Central Connecticut State swimming) were all recognized as ESPN The Magazine first team Academic All-Americans. Joining the aforementioned Softball ______Robert Morris quartet was Central Connecticut State’s Sabrina Mariani, (two-time honoree in women’s soccer) and St. Francis (PA)’s Men’s Outdoor Track & Field ______Monmouth Ryan Sheehan (track and field), who earned third team Academic All-America plaudits. St. Francis (PA) ranks among Women’s Outdoor Track & Field ______St. Francis (PA) the top programs nationally in Academic All-Americans over the last seven years with 19. Baseball ______Quinnipiac

2 Northeast Conference Football NEC Office/Football Membership NEC Football Northeast Conference NEC Member Commissioner John Iamarino [email protected] (732) 469-0440, Ext. 1 Institutions Associate Commissioner (TV/Communications) Ron Ratner [email protected] (732) 469-0440, Ext. 6 Assistant Commissioner (Championships) Donna Poyant [email protected] (732) 469-0440, Ext. 3 NEC Notable Alumni Assistant Commissioner (Marketing/Operations) Central Connecticut State Andrew Alia [email protected] (732) 469-0440, Ext. 4 Ricky Bottalico, Former Pitcher Assistant Commissioner (Compliance) Dave Campo, Former Head Football Coach, John Hirschbeck, Major League Baseball Rachelle Held [email protected] (732) 469-0440, Ext. 2 Jim Kelly, Director of Player Personnel, Assistant Director of Communications (Football Contact) Rick Lantz, Head Coach, Berlin Thunder (NFL Europe) John Larson, U.S. Congressman (First District Connecticut) Bob Balut [email protected] (732) 469-0440, Ext. 5 Donna Fiedorowicz, Director of Tournament Business Affairs, Administrative Intern Senior PGA Mike Sherman, Head Football Coach, Green Bay Packers Alison Robbins [email protected] (732) 469-0440, Ext. 27 Michael Ryan, Head Athletic Trainer, Coordinator of NEC Football Officials Scott Pioli, Vice President/Player Personnel, Milton J. Halstead Fairleigh Dickinson Seth Greenberg, Head Basketball Coach, South Florida Tim Higgins, NCAA Basketball official NEC Fax Number (732) 469-0744 Jay Horowitz, Public Relations Director, NEC Website www.northeastconference.org George Martin, Former Pro Football player (NY Giants) Peggy Noonan, Former Speechwriter for Ronald Reagan NEC Webstore www.necstore.org Bill Willoughby, Former NBA Player Fred Roedel, Founder & Former CEO, Suisse Chalet Long Island Albany Central Connecticut State Rose Bird, First woman named to California’s highest court as Chief Justice Director of Athletics Director of Athletics Jimmy Breslin, Pulitzer Prize winning columnist/author Bud Greenspan, Olympic documentor & President, Cappy Dr. Lee McElroy (518) 442-3263 Charles Jones (860) 832-3038 Productions Sports Information Director Asst. AD/Sports Information Dr. Louis Lemberger, Member of team that developed Prozac Brian DePasquale (518) 442-3072 Tom Pincince (860) 832-3089 Ossie Schectman, Former NBA player (Scored first point in NBA history) [email protected] [email protected] Terry Semel, Chairman & CEO, Yahoo! Head Football Coach Head Football Coach Velma Scantlebury, One of two African-American women Bob Ford (518) 442-3052 (860) 832-3064 transplant surgeons in the world Monmouth Sports Information Fax (518) 442-3139 Sports Information Fax (860) 832-3084 Alex Blackwell, Former NBA Player Press Box Phone (518) 442-5895 Press Box Phone (860) 832-0120 Ed Halicki, Former Major League Pitcher Web Address Web Address Christie Pearce Rampone, Member of NY Power Soccer Team David J. Burke, Writer, producer, director Seaquest DSV, Tribeca, www.albany.edu/sports www.ccsubluedevils.com Wiseguy, Crime Story and Miami Vice Linda Deutsch, Journalist/Special Correspondent, Associated Press Monmouth Robert Morris Trish Millines-Dziko, President/Exec. Director, Technology Access Foundation David Wilson, Editor, Bloomsburg Financial Markets Director of Athletics Director of Athletics Dr. Marilyn McNeil (732) 571-3415 Dr. Craig Coleman (412) 262-8302 Mount St. Mary’s Sports Information Director Sports Information Director Father Flanagan, Founder of Boys Town Matt McHugh, Former US Congressman and Director of World Bank Thomas Dick (732) 571-4447 Jim Duzyk (412) 262-8314 Njuguna Mahugu, Secretary General of U.N. Security Council and [email protected] [email protected] Kenyan Ambassador to the U.N. Head Football Coach Head Football Coach Scott Newkam, President & CEO Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Fred Carter, Former NBA player and ESPN NBA Analyst Kevin Callahan (732) 571-7582 (412) 262-8296 Lou Grillo, NBA Referee

Sports Information Fax (732) 571-3535 Sports Information Fax (412) 262-8557 Quinnipiac Press Box Phone (732) 571-4400 Press Box Phone (412) 264-6202 Murray Lender, Founder of Lenders Bagels Turk Wendell, Former Major League Baseball Pitcher Web Address Web Address www.monmouth.edu/athletics www.rmu.edu/athletics Robert Morris Kevin Colbert, Director of Football Operations, Hon. William J. Coyne, U.S. Congressman () Sacred Heart St. Francis (PA) Hank Fraley, Starting center, Vic Gregovits, Former VP of Marketing/Broadcasting, Pittsburgh Director of Athletics Director of Athletics Steelers; Current, CEO RMU Island Sports Center Bill Sutton, VP of Team Marketing, NBA C. Donald Cook (203) 365-7649 Robert Krimmel (814) 472-3280 Sports Information Director Sports Information Director Sacred Heart Gene Gumbs (203) 396-8127 TBD (814) 472-3128 Kevin Nealon, Actor/Comedien [email protected] Head Football Coach John Ratzenberger, Actor/Comedian Craig Ryden, Chairman, CEO and President of Yankee Candle Co. Head Football Coach Dave Opfar (814) 472-3891 Joseph V. Melillo, Executive Producer, Academy of Music Paul Gorham (203) 365-7564 Sports Information Fax (814) 472-3196 St. Francis (NY) Joseph Browne, Senior VP of Communications/Governmental Affairs, Sports Information Fax (203) 365-7696 Press Box Phone (814) 472-3128 NFL Press Box Phone (203) 365-7532 Web Address Robert J. Clark, VP & Treasurer, Major League Baseball Web Address www.francis.edu/athletics/athlhome.shtml Dr. Frank Macchiarola, President of St. Francis (NY)/Former Chancellor of the NYC Board of Education www.sacredheartpioneers.com Donald A. McQuade, Vice Chancellor of Relations, Wagner Cal-Berkeley Stony Brook Thomas Von Essen, Executive VP Giuliani Partners/Former Director of Athletics Commissioner of NYC Fire Department Director of Athletics (718) 390-3488 St. Francis (PA) Jim Fiore (631) 632-7122 Sports Information Director Claire Ansberry, Author and staff writer, Wall Street Journal Sports Information Director Ben Shove (718) 390-3227 Jeffrey Bower, Assistant Coach/Former GM, New Orleans Hornets Dr. James P. Gallagher, President, Philadelphia University Rob Emmerich (631) 632-6312 [email protected] Mike Iuzzolino, Former NBA Player [email protected] Head Football Coach Scott Layden, Former VP and General Manager, Head Football Coach Walt Hameline (718) 390-3488 J. Randall MacDonald, Senior VP of Human Resources, IBM Sam Kornhauser (631) 632-7198 Tom Meredith, Managing Director, Dell Ventures Maurice Stokes, Three-time NBA all-star with the Rochester and Sports Information Fax (718) 390-3347 Cincinnati Royals and Pro Basketball Hall of Famer Sports Information Fax (631) 632-8841 Press Box Phone (718) 420-4050 Press Box Phone (631) 632-4037 Web Address Wagner , Former NFL Head Coach Web Address www.wagnerathletics.com , Actor www.goseawolves.org Dr. Donald Spiro, Founder of Oppenheimer Fund

3 Northeast Conference Football

John Iamarino • Commissioner NEC Football

John Iamarino is in his ninth year as Commissioner of the Northeast Conference, having been appointed in April of 1997. NEC Presidents & His contract was recently extended through the 2006-07 aca- Commissioner demic year by the NEC’s Council of Presidents.

Iamarino has promoted the NEC through an ambitious agenda designed to improve the quality of competition, upgrade com- pliance-related matters and generally increase the marketing and brand awareness of the Conference and its member insti- tutions.

To improve the 21 championship NEC sports for the more than Ninth Year 2,200 student-athletes who compete, the Conference secured professional facilities to accommodate baseball, indoor track & field, tennis and women’s swimming championships. Tournament gifts, awards, tro- phies and event programs have all been systematically upgraded. Dr. John Miller Dr. J. Michael Adams Central Connecticut State Fairleigh Dickinson In June of 2004, the NEC reached agreement with Maingate, Inc. of Indianapolis to become the official merchandiser of the Conference. Maingate’s clients have included NBA and NHL teams, as well as NASCAR and the National Professional Rodeo Associa- tion. For the first time ever, the NEC has logo goods available for purchase by consumers on a website (www.necstore.org) featuring a wide variety of merchandise.

In basketball, Iamarino worked to obtain the league’s first package of televised games on Madison Square Garden Network. From a modest 12-game schedule in 1997-98, the NEC TV package has steadily increased, reaching its all-time high of 30 games two years ago. Plans call for production of a 30-minute basketball show previewing the 2005-06 Dr. David Steinberg Vice Admiral Paul G. Gaffney II season, with distribution in all NEC markets. In addition to MSG, games are carried by Fox Long Island Monmouth Sports New York, Comcast and Fox Sports Pittsburgh among other outlets.

In football, Iamarino worked with league presidents and athletic directors to implement a limited financial aid policy that permits need-based athletics grants to a maximum of 30 student-athletes per team. In 2005, for the third consecutive year, the NEC will produce two football games for coverage on regional cable television networks.

During his term as Commissioner, the NEC has launched a comprehensive website, hired the league’s first full-time marketing director, established a student-athlete advi- sory committee, and sponsored seminars designed for female and ethnic minority high school and students interested in pursuing collegiate athletics as a career. Dr. Thomas H. Powell Dr. John Lahey Mount St. Mary's Quinnipiac Iamarino is active nationally within the NCAA as a member of the Baseball Rules Com- mittee, and is presently serving as Vice President for Division I-AA on the Executive Committee of the Collegiate Commissioners Association (CCA). He formerly served on the Division I-AA Governance Committee and the NCAA’s Special Events Committee and was a television coordinator of two NCAA Basketball Tournament regionals.

Prior to his appointment at the NEC, Iamarino spent 13 years at the Sun Belt Conference in a variety of publicity, compliance and administrative positions. He entered the field of intercollegiate athletics as Assistant Sports Information Director at Georgetown Univer- sity in 1979, working two years there before moving on to become Director of Sports Dr. Gregory G. Dell’Omo Dr. Anthony J. Cernera Information at Jacksonville University. Robert Morris Sacred Heart He is a 1977 graduate of St. Bonaventure University, where he earned magna cum laude honors majoring in the field of journalism. A native of Monsey, NY, he resides in Hillsborough, NJ with his wife, Mary Ann, and son P.J. (9).

Milton J. Halstead • Coordinator of Football Officials

Milton J. Halstead enters his seventh season as Coordinator of Football Dr. Frank Macchiarola Rev. Gabriel Zeis, TOR Officials for the Northeast Conference. St. Francis (NY) St. Francis (PA) Well known along the east coast as a football official and assignor, Halstead also serves as the Commissioner of the Eastern Collegiate Football Officials Association, handling assignments for the Pennsylvania State Athletic Con- ference (Division II) and Middle Atlantic Conference (Division III).

Halstead’s officiating experience includes the 1994 NCAA I-AA National Championship game and the NCAA I-AA National Championship Tournament from 1983-92. Recently, Halstead was honored by the All- Foundation for his dedicated service. Seventh Year A 1964 graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design and Engineering, Dr. Richard Guarasci Halstead lives in Pipersville, Pennsylvania with his wife, Vicky. Wagner

4 Northeast Conference Football Ronald Ratner • Associate Commissioner NEC Football Ronald Ratner, 36, begins his eighth year with the Northeast Conference. He was promoted to Associate Commissioner in June, 2002 after serving as Assistant NEC Office Staff Commissioner since December, 1998. Ratner was originally hired as the league’s Assistant Director of Communications in July, 1998.

Ratner orchestrates the league's public relations initiative, and is the publicity contact for men’s basketball, baseball, soccer and tennis. He serves as executive producer of basketball and football telecasts on the NEC television network, Andrew Alia • Assistant Commissioner where he is responsible for the scheduling of contests, acquisition of on-air talent and production of in-game and pre-taped features. Ratner oversees the Andrew Alia, 32, is in his eighth year with the Northeast Conference. The 1998- content of the league's official website and facilitated the redesign and relaunch of the site in February, 99 NEC administrative intern was named Assistant Director of Operations in 2004. Ratner also organizes and coordinates NEC Championships for basketball, tennis and cross June, 1999, was promoted to Director of Operations in July, 2000, and was country, and conducts the NEC Scholar-Athlete awards program. His 2003-04 NEC men’s basketball most recently elevated to Assistant Commissioner in July, 2002. guide was judged "Best In The Nation" among all conference publications by CoSIDA. As Assistant Commissioner, Alia oversees the NEC’s marketing program includ- Prior to joining the NEC, Ratner served as Sports Information Director at Hunter College in New York ing areas such as corporate sponsorship packages and promotion of champi- City for six years. Ratner was responsible for publicizing the program's 19 sports, facilitated the devel- onships and special events. His other duties include serving as an executive opment and aided in the maintenance of Hunter’s athletic website and was also involved in the producer of NEC Television Network broadcasts, acting as a liaison to marketing internal and external marketing of the program. While at Hunter, Ratner served as the Publicity specialists at NEC member institutions, and directing the league’s merchandis- Director for the Skyline Athletic Conference from 1993-95 and the Met Wrestling Conference from ing efforts. 1994-98, while also serving as a radio analyst for CUNY Athletic Conference basketball from 1993-97. Alia also organizes and administers selected NEC championship events, develops schedules for numer- ous sports, and serves as the conference office’s business manager. Alia’s professional experience He has taken on roles as a media relations assistant at the 1996 World Series and during the 1998 includes working as a media relations assistant at three NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament Goodwill Games at Madison Square Garden. Ratner also served as the Director of Computer Opera- events; the 2004 East Rutherford Regional, the 2000 first and second rounds in Buffalo, NY, and the tions for the NCAA sponsored National Youth Sports Program (NYSP) at Hunter from 1993-98. 1999 East Regional, which was held at the Meadowlands in New Jersey.

Ratner graduated summa cum laude from in 1990 with a bachelor's degree in Alia’s internship with the NEC enabled him to complete his master’s degree in Sport Management, Business Management and Finance. He earned his master's degree in Sports Management from Brook- which he received from the University of Connecticut in December, 1998. While at UConn, he worked lyn College in 1992. Ratner and his wife, Diane, reside in Flemington, NJ along with their three-year extensively with the athletic department’s academic counseling program. old son Kyle.

12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890 A native of Saddle Brook, NJ, Alia graduated cum laude from in 1995 with a bachelor’s degree in history and political science. Alia and his wife Catherine currently reside in Franklin Park, NJ.

12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890 Donna Poyant • Assistant Commissioner 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890 Donna Poyant, 34, is in her eighth year with the Northeast Conference. She was Rachelle Held • Assistant Commissioner named Assistant Director of Communications on December 3, 1998, and was promoted to Director of Championships/Communications Assistant in Au- Rachelle Held, 24, enters her first year with the NEC. Held was hired in June, 2005 gust, 2001 before being elevated to Assistant Commissioner in June, 2002. as Assistant Commissioner, concentrating in the area of compliance. Poyant oversees all NEC Championship events, and assists in select PR duties. Held is responsible for all NCAA compliance related matters within the She is the league’s liaison to the membership SWAs, and the liaison to the conference. The primary contact for NCAA coaches’ certification and National coordinators of officials in soccer, men’s basketball and women’s basketball. Letter of Intent matters, Held acts as a liaison to the league’s faculty athletic Poyant is also responsible for the production of conference championship representatives, Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and football handbooks, championship programs and the NEC Policy Manual. financial aid committee. She also organizes and coordinates various NEC Championships. Prior to her arrival at the NEC, Poyant served as Director of Community Relations for the Winston- Salem Warthogs, a Carolina League Class A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, for Prior to joining the NEC, Held spent a year serving as an Administrative Fellow three years. Her responsibilities included layout and design of print publications, overseeing special at the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference where she was responsible for assisting in the areas of events, supervising game day staff and organizing player appearances and game day promotions. She compliance and campus compliance reviews, rules interpretations, administration of NCAA coaches’ also acted as a liaison within the community for little leagues, schools and charities. certification exams and National Letter of Intent program, the publication of the MAAC handbook and other projects assigned by the Commissioner. Prior to her stint with Winston-Salem, Poyant spent 1995 as the Special Projects Manager for the Prince William Cannons in Woodbridge, Virginia. She assisted in media relations, sales and advertising Held is a 2003 graduate of Canisius College with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications, and received for the Carolina League Class A affiliate. Poyant also interned with the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape her Master’s degree in Sport Administration from the same school in December, 2004. While an Cod League in 1994. undergraduate at Canisius, she was a member of the women’s soccer and lacrosse teams, while also serving as secretary of the SAAC. At that time, Held also served as a volunteer in the AmeriCorps- A native of New Bedford, Massachusetts who currently resides in Piscataway, NJ, Poyant was a gradu- Athletes in Service program in Buffalo, NY. ate assistant in the Sports Information Office at Springfield College. She earned her master’s degree in Sport Management from Springfield in 1994. She is a 1993 graduate of Eastern Connecticut State Held currently resides in Somerset, NJ. University with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. While at Eastern Connecticut State,

Poyant was a four-year letterwinner and a pitcher on the Warriors’ 1990 NCAA Division III National 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890 Championship softball team 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890

12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890 Alison Robbins • Administrative Intern

Bob Balut • Assistant Director of Communications Alison Robbins, 22, a recent graduate of Drew University, will assist in the public Bob Balut, 30, enters his third year at the Northeast Conference, having been relations and marketing efforts of the conference, provide support at NEC named to the position of Assistant Director of Communications in November, championships and televised events, and assist in the day-to-day operations 2003. Balut’s responsibilities consist of organizing conference-wide media re- in the league office. lations, maintaining the NEC’s official website, assisting with various NEC cham- pionships, including men’s soccer, men’s golf and baseball, and is the main As an undergraduate student, Robbins served as Sports Editor of Drew’s stu- media contact for several sports, including football. dent-run newspaper, The Acorn. The sports section was awarded first place in sports writing by the New Jersey Press Foundation in 2003, and the paper Balut brings to the conference a wealth of experience in the media relations itself was tabbed the best four-year college newspaper in the state in 2005. She field, serving in the sports information department at Wagner College from also completed an internship at Fox News, The O’Reilly Factor and The Factor 1997-03, and served as the school’s Director of Sports Information from 1999- Radio in fall of 2003. In that capacity, she researched breaking stories, as- 03. His responsibilities included game management, overseeing all athletic pub- sembled news features and contacted and coordinated guests. Robbins also assisted in the Drew lications and the development and maintenance of the athletic department website. Balut also created athletic department during her senior year. the Seahawk Broadcasting Network, which streamed Wagner’s first-ever Internet broadcasts for foot- ball, basketball and baseball. In addition, served on the Wagner Athletic Hall of Fame and the Seahawk A cum laude graduate of Drew with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and a minor in Business Golf Classic committees and had a two-year stint as the Chair of the Northeast Conference Sports Management, Robbins was an International Sociology Honor Society member and also took part in Information Directors committee, while hiring and overseeing a four-member staff. an International Business Seminar in Iceland in the spring of 2003.

Before his promotion, Balut spent two years as Assistant Sports Information Director at Wagner from Robbins was a four-year letterwinner in softball who was named team Most Valuable Player as a junior 1997-99. He has also worked as a media relations assistant at the University of Massachusetts in 1997 and served as team captain in her senior campaign. The Phillipsburg, NJ native was named to the and began his career as an undergraduate assistant at the University of South Carolina, where he served Middle Atlantic Conference All-Academic team three times and was also a National Fastpitch Coaches as baseball contact for two seasons (1996-97). Association All-America Scholar-Athlete. In 2005, she was the recipient of Drew’s Larry Horner Female Athletics Leadership award, presented annually to one male and one female student-athlete in rec- The Long Valley, New Jersey native is a 1997 graduate of the University of South Carolina, where he ognition of their commitment to the promotion and display of the values of sportsmanship, as well holds a bachelor’s degree in Sport Administration. He and his wife, the former Erica Minter, who played as the leadership role they assume for the benefit of their teammates and the success of the team. basketball at Wagner from 1994-98, were married in June, 2003. They reside in Mount Laurel, NJ along with their son, Aidan, who was born on Easter Sunday, March 27, 2005.

5 Northeast Conference Football 2004 NEC Postseason Honorees NEC Football

The Northeast Conference made its mark on the Division I-AA landscape in 2004. Five NEC teams (Monmouth, Central Connecticut State, Sacred Heart, Robert Morris, Wagner) ended the year nationally ranked in the Sports Network I-AA Mid-Major final poll. Monmouth, which shared the NEC Championship with CCSU, won The Sports Network Cup after ranking No. 1 in the publication poll.

Individually, Albany offensive lineman Geir Gudmunsen, who signed a NFL free agent contract with the last spring, earned The Sports Network, American Football Northeast Conference Announces 2005 Coaches Association (AFCA) and Don Hansen Football Gazette All-America honors, along Football Television Package with Robert Morris linebacker James Noel. Robert Morris linebacker Jonathan LeDonne garnered Academic All-America in 2004, after compiling a 4.0 cumulative grade-point- average. With the 2005 football season just around the corner, the Northeast Conference announced a three-game 2004 The Sports Network I-AA 2004 ESPN The Magazine Academic All- television package to air on regional outlets throughout Mid-Major All-Americans America Football Team the Northeast. The three broadcasts are the most the RB Ed Pricolo Sacred Heart First Team Defense NEC has produced in a single season. LB Geir Gudmundsen Albany LB Jonathan LeDonne RMU RS Dante Settles Robert Morris The games will air on consecutive weeks beginning on DL Jason Forrest Robert Morris 2004 Don Hansen Football Gazette I-AA September 17 when Robert Morris hosts Butler in the DL David Bamiro Stony Brook Mid-Major All-Americans inaugural game at in Moon Town- LB James Noel Robert Morris ship, PA. Fox Sports-Pittsburgh will air the contest live at DB Josh Marino Robert Morris First Team 12:00 pm. On September 24, Albany travels to defend- DB Donnie Rose Cent. Conn. St. RB Cory Harge CCSU ing NEC co-champion Central Connecticut State for a RB Ed Pricolo SHU 1:00 pm kickoff on Fox Sports-New York. The package 2004 AFCA Division I-AA American TE Rupert Rickards RMU wraps up with a Fox Sports-Pittsburgh broadcast on AP Tyjuan Massey RMU October 1 as Robert Morris hosts Keystone State rival OL Geir Gudmundsen (below) Albany OL Geir Gudmundsen & UA St. Francis (PA) at 1:00 pm. LB James Noel RMU OL Dan Iskra MU DL David Bamiro SBU DL Jason Forrest RMU The 2005 season marks the third straight year the NEC has aired football games as part of LB Colin Disch * UA its extensive regional sports package. This coming winter, the league will air between 25 LB James Noel RMU and 30 men’s and women’s basketball games. DB Donnie Rose CCSU DB Mike Scott SHU “This year's package not only represents the most games we've been able to do, but KR Dante Settles RMU provides much greater exposure for our programs,” said John Iamarino, NEC Commissioner. “Both of the Fox networks reach millions of more homes than our outlet a year ago. And Second Team we're thrilled to be able to carry the first-ever game and the first NEC game in the new Joe WR Miles Austin MU Walton Stadium at Robert Morris.” WR Chris Turner WC OL David Charles SBU Paul Dottino enters his third season as the play-by-play voice of NEC football. He is also a OL Brandon Shaw UA member of the NEC basketball broadcast team and the beat reporter for PK Steve Andriola MU 1050 ESPN Radio in New York and for Sirius' NFL Radio Channel. Eric Singer is the Producer DL Charles Bryant WC DL Chimezie Okobi SBU of NEC basketball telecasts. LB Craig Romano WC DB Terek Henderson WC The Northeast Conference consists of 11 institutions of higher learning located throughout P Sean Dennis MU five states and is celebrating its 25th year as an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic associa- tion. The NEC began sponsoring football at the I-AA level in 1996, and has since increased Honorable Mention its membership from five to eight institutions. Central Connecticut State, Monmouth, Robert Q B T.J. Moriarty SBU Morris, Sacred Heart, St. Francis (PA) and Wagner are full-time NEC members who sponsor AP Chris Blackshear CCSU football, and they are joined by associate members Albany and Stony Brook. PK Piotr Czech WC LB Coree Tucker CCSU 2005 NEC Football Television Schedule KR James Wright SHU Date Matchup Time Broadcast Outlet Coach of the Year Sat., Sept. 17 Butler at Robert Morris 12:00 pm Fox Sports-Pittsburgh Kevin Callahan MU Sat., Sept. 24 Albany at Central Conn. St. 1:00 pm Fox Sports-New York * Defensive Linebacker of the Year Sat., Oct. 1 St. Francis (PA) at Robert Morris 1:00 pm Fox Sports-Pittsburgh & Offensive Lineman of the Year

NEC Football Scholar-Athlete Award Tidbits • Ed Pricolo became the first Sacred Heart running back to lead the NEC in rushing with Former Robert Morris linebacker Jonathan LeDonne (pictured) 1,339 yards. became the sixth annual winner of the NEC Football Scholar- • Luke Palko, brother of quarterback Tyler Palko, became the first Athlete award last December. LeDonne, who was named a first St. Francis (PA) wide receiver to lead the conference in receptions (82). team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America, finished second • For the first time in league history, four NEC quarterbacks passed for more than 2,000 on the Colonials in 2004 with 74 tackles. The ironman did not yards in a season, including Robert Morris’ Drew Geyer (2,601), Wagner’s John Sciarra miss a game over four years. Off the field, LeDonne was a two- (2,581), Stony Brook’s T.J. Moriarty (2,495) and St. Francis (PA)’s Anthony Doria (2,115). year member of the NEC Academic Honor Roll and a two-time • Monmouth’s Sean Dennis became the first punter to post better than a 40 yard per Academic All-District honoree, the Aliquippa, PA native is just the average and lead the league in consecutive season. second Colonial in school history to earn Academic All-America • As a team, Albany has led the NEC in rushing the last six seasons. In 2004, the Great recognition. A Manufacturing Engineering major, LeDonne re- Danes averaged 254.7 yards per contest, more than 60 yards higher than Monmouth, which markably maintained a perfect 4.0 grade point average through- finished second in the category (189.9). out his career at Robert Morris. • Wagner has led the NEC in turnover margin the last three seasons. Year Scholar-Athlete School • CCSU’s Cory Harge gained 331 yards versus Stony Brook last season, shattering the NEC 1998 Matt Farabaugh St. Francis (PA) single-game record of 242 held by himself and Albany’s Gary Jones. 1999 Brian Russo Wagner • Wagner Head Coach Walt Hameline and Monmouth Head Coach Kevin Callahan were 2000 J.T. Herfurth Albany assistant coaches together at University at Albany under Bob Ford in 1977. Callahan also 2001 Marvin Royal Sacred Heart was an assistant under Hameline from 1981-93. 2002 Justin Rosato Monmouth • CCSU Head Coach Tom Masella and Sacred Heart Head Coach Paul Gorham were 2003 Victor Camacho Albany assistant at UMass from 2002-03. 2004 Jonathan LeDonne Robert Morris • Masella played at Wagner under Hameline before his graduation in 1981 and coached under him from 1982-84. 6 Northeast Conference Football

Robert Morris Opens NEC Football Joe Walton Stadium

Robert Morris University conducted a ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 20 for Joe Walton Stadium - the newest football facility in the Northeast Conference - which will make its debut on September 17th against Butler University.

The $10 million facility will have a seating capacity of 3,000 with a field turf playing surface. It will also host a 36,000 square-foot athletic administration building.

Joe Walton Stadium is Robert Morris’ first on-campus facility since it joined NCAA Division I football in 1993.

Hank Fraley Anchors Albany’s Kurt Campbell The Philadelphia Eagles Drafted By the Packers

Robert Morris’ Hank Fraley (1996-99) (pictured), a three- University at Albany’s Kurt Campbell was the first of time first team all-NEC offensive tackle, has been the two seventh-round selections of the Green Bay starting center for the Philadelphia Eagles the last four Packers at the NFL Draft this spring. Campbell, who seasons and has quickly become one of the most reli- was the 245th player selected, is the first UAlbany able anchors in the . In 64 football player to be chosen in the draft. games played as an Eagle, Fraley has started all but one, including 10 starts in the postseason, including in Super Campbell, who is slated to play outside linebacker Bowl XXXIX against the New England Patriots. in the pros, earned four varsity letters as a Great Dane. He finished his collegiate career with 120 For his efforts, the 6-2, 300-pounder earned a lucrative tackles, including 34 in 2004, and 19 pass break- five-year contract extension in 2002 for more than $3 ups while playing both roverback and cornerback. million, not including a seven-figure signing bonus. Campbell was the first NEC player to be taken in The Eagle was named to both Fox Sports analyst Daryl the NFL Draft since 2002 when the Dallas Cowboys Johnston’s “All Lunch Pail Team” and Sports Illustrated’s Dr. Z’s “All-Tough Team” in 2004, chose Sacred Heart’s Deveren Johnson in the sixth round. and was integral in the success of the one of the most productive offenses in the NFL, an offense that posted a team record 4,208 passing yards, and third-highest point total in In addition, All-America offensive tackle Geir Gudmundsen agreed in principle to a team annals (386). free-agent contract with the Buffalo Bills as did Stony Brook’s David Bamiro with the and Monmouth’s Will Holder with the Oakland Raiders. Most recently, Fraley participated in the Joe Walton Stadium ribbon-cutting ceremony, which officially opened the new home of Robert Morris football. NEC All-Americans Associated Press I-AA All-Americans 1997 Rick Sarille Wagner Third Team 1999 Rick Sarille Wagner Third Team 2000 J.T. Herfurth Albany First Team 2000 Kayode Mayowa Sacred Heart Third Team NEC Football Champions 2002 Gary Jones Albany Second Team NEC Overall Final 2004 Sports Network 2002 Joe Sentipal Monmouth Third Team Year Champion Rec. Rec. I-AA Mid-Major Poll 2003 Gary Jones Albany Third Team 1996 Robert Morris 3-1 9-2 Sports Network I-AA All-Americans Monmouth 3-1 7-3 2001 Daryn Plummer Wagner Third Team 1997 Robert Morris 4-0 8-3 School (1st Place Votes) Record Points 2002 Gary Jones Albany Third Team 1998 Robert Morris 4-1 4-6 1. Monmouth (19) 10-1 235 Monmouth 4-1 5-5 2. Drake (5) 10-2 220 Sports Network I-AA Mid-Major All-Americans 1999 Robert Morris 7-0 8-2 2001 Alex Argulewicz Albany 2000 Robert Morris 8-0 10-0 3. Central Conn. St. 8-2 185 2001 Josh Bazan Albany 2001 Sacred Heart 8-0 11-0 4. San Diego 7-4 157 2001 Aaron Edwards Monmouth 2002 Albany 6-1 8-4 5. Duquesne 7-3 150 2001 Reggie Chambers Robert Morris 2003 Monmouth 6-1 10-2 6. Dayton 7-3 132 2001 Sam Dorsett Robert Morris Albany 6-1 7-4 2001 Mark Leyenaar Robert Morris 2004 Monmouth 6-1 10-1 7. Sacred Heart 6-4 92 2001 Justin Holtfreter Sacred Heart Cent. Conn. St. 6-1 8-2 8. Robert Morris 6-5 59 2001 Shaun Hubbard Sacred Heart 9. Morehead State 6-6 48 2001 DeVeren Johnson Sacred Heart All-Time NEC Records 2001 Kayode Mayowa Sacred Heart 10. Wagner 6-5 39 2001 Marvin Royal Sacred Heart 2002 Gary Jones Albany School Record Pct. 2002 Alex Argulewicz Albany Albany 32-11 .744 2004 NEC vs.... 2002 Shaun Hubbard Sacred Heart Robert Morris 41-15 .732 2002 Odain Mitchell Sacred Heart Monmouth 35-21 .625 Atlantic 10 0-2 MAAC 15-0 2002 Josh Bazan Albany Sacred Heart 27-22 .551 2002 Kayode Mayowa Sacred Heart Division II 0-0 Patriot 1-4 Wagner 31-26 .544 2002 Joe Sentipal Monmouth Stony Brook 19-25 .432 Division III 1-0 Pioneer 1-3 2002 Aden Smith Stony Brook CCSU 25-31 .446 Ivy 0-1 2002 Chris Blackshear Central Connecticut State 2002 Corey Oaks Robert Morris St. Francis (PA) 3-53 .054 2003 Gary Jones Albany 2003 Mike Malone Central Connecticut State 2003 Geir Gudmundsen Albany NEC Coaching Records 2003 Mike Laroche Albany 2003 Greg Tonzola Sacred Heart Current Since Joining NEC 2003 Pete Athans Sacred Heart Coach School All-Time Pct. School Pct. NEC Pct. Play Pct. 2003 Franklin Bright Wagner Kevin Callahan Monmouth 69-50 .580 69-50 .580 53-40 .570 35-21 .625 2003 Tim Heaney Wagner 2003 Joe Sentipal Monmouth Bob Ford Albany 205-148-1 .581 196-126 .609 38-26 .594 32-11 .744 2003 Sean Dennis Monmouth Paul Gorham Sacred Heart 6-4 .600 6-4 .600 6-4 .600 3-4 .429 2004 Ed Pricolo Sacred Heart Walt Hameline Wagner 169-81-2 .673 169-81-2 .673 51-42 .548 31-26 .544 2004 Geir Gudmundsen Albany Sam Kornhauser Stony Brook 99-105-2 .485 99-105-2 .485 27-32 .458 21-30 .412 2004 Dante Settles Robert Morris 2004 Jason Forrest Robert Morris Tom Masella Cent. Conn. 8-2 .800 8-2 .800 8-2 .800 6-1 .857 2004 David Bamiro Stony Brook Dave Opfar St. Francis (PA) 6-25 .194 6-25 .194 6-25 .194 2-19 .095 2004 James Noel Robert Morris Joe Walton Robert Morris 73-37-1 .662 73-37-1 .662 60-32 .652 41-15 .732 2004 Josh Marino Robert Morris 2004 Donnie Rose Central Connecticut State 7