20042004 FOOTBALLFOOTBALLFOOTBALL NN EWSEWS && NN OTESOTES 200 Cottontail Lane, Vantage Court North, Somerset, NJ 08873 Football Contact: Bob Balut, Asst. Director of Communications Phone: 732-469-0440/Fax: 732-469-0744 • www.northeastconference.org E-Mail: [email protected] Central Connecticut State • Fairleigh Dickinson • Long Island • Monmouth • Mount St. Mary’s Quinnipiac • Robert Morris • Sacred Heart • St. Francis (NY) • St. Francis (PA) • Wagner NEC Football Football Facts & Figures (Week 2 - September 13, 2004) Last Week’s Results School NEC Pct. Overall Pct. Streak Home Away Saturday, September 11 1. Central Connecticut State 1-0 1.000 1-1 .500 L1 1-0 0-1 Rhode Island 39, Central Conn. St. 7 St. Francis (PA) 1-0 1.000 1-1 .500 W1 1-0 0-1 Monmouth 34, La Salle 15 2. Monmouth 0-0 .000 2-0 1.000 W2 1-0 1-0 St. Francis (PA) 35, Sacred Heart 28 Robert Morris 0-0 .000 2-0 1.000 W2 2-0 0-0 Robert Morris 34, Duquesne 14 Wagner 0-0 .000 2-0 1.000 W2 0-0 2-0 Fordham 14, Albany 0 Stony Brook 0-0 .000 0-1 .000 L1 0-0 0-1 Wagner 28, Marist 13 Albany 0-0 .000 0-2 .000 L2 0-1 0-1 Sacred Heart 0-2 .000 0-2 .000 L2 0-0 0-2 Home team underlined NEC Offensive Player of the Week This Week’s Schedule Drew Geyer, Robert Morris Thursday, September 16 Jr., QB, 6-4, 215, Gibsonia, PA/Deer Lakes Central Conn. St. at St. Peter’s, 7:00 pm Geyer continued his hot play as Robert Morris’ signal caller with 302 passing yards and two in the Colonials’ 34-14 Saturday, September 18 triumph over top-ranked Duquesne on Saturday. The junior completed 19-of-31 passes en route to his first career 300-yard passing Albany at Brown, 1:00 pm performance. He guided the Colonials on scoring drives in their first offensive possessions of both halves, keeping momentum on his Stony Brook at Wagner, 1:00 pm team’s side. On RMU’s first offensive exchange, Geyer was 3-for-3 passing for 42 yards, which was capped off by a two-yard Valparaiso at St. Francis (PA), 1:00 pm plunge by tailback Kevin Drakeford (Englewood, NJ/Paramus Catholic). Setting up Robert Morris’ second score, a 24-yard Monmouth at Robert Morris, 1:30 pm Iona at Sacred Heart, 2:00 pm field goal by Nathan DiLorenzo (Wheeling, WV/Wheeling Park), the quarterback was 2-for-2 passing for 79 yards, including a 52-yard strike to senior Dante Settles (Washington, DC/Northwestern). Late in the first quarter, Geyer put the Colonials up NEC Teams in Bold 17-0 with a 21-yard touchdown pass to Tyjuan Massey (Orlando, FL/William R. Boone). His second touchdown came in the first possession of the second half with a 27-yard connection to freshman flanker Mario Hines (Ecorse, MI/Ecorse). In two games this season, Geyer is 32-for-49 passing for 530 yards with eight touchdowns. NEC Offensive Player of the Week Sep. 7 Cory Harge, CCSU NEC Defensive Player of the Week Sep. 13 Drew Geyer, RMU Jonathan LeDonne, Robert Morris Sr., LB, 6-1, 215, Aliquippa, PA/Aliquippa LeDonne led the inspired Colonial defense in a win over No. 1 Duquesne on Saturday and helped hold the Dukes to 307 total yards, NEC Defensive Player of the Week with just 62 rushing yards. The linebacker collected nine totals tackles (4 solo), his first career , one pass breakup and Sep. 7 Brian Sullivan, CCSU a quarterback hurry. In a key play of the ballgame, LeDonne intercepted the Duquesne quarterback on the opponent’s 40-yard line Sep. 13 Jonathan LeDonne, RMU and returned it to the Duquesne 12. Two plays later, Drew Geyer (Gibsonia, PA/Deer Lakes) connected with Tyjuan Massey (Orlando, FL/William R. Boone) in the endzone to put Robert Morris on top 17-0. LeDonne, a senior, now has 197 career tackles, moving him into 10th place on the Robert Morris all-time list.

NEC Special Teams Player of the Week NEC Special Teams Player of the Week Sep. 7 Derek Pearson, CCSU Adam Sciulli, St. Francis (PA) Sep. 13 Adam Sciulli, SFPA Fr., K, 5-10, 195, , PA/Central Catholic Rookie placekicker Adam Sciulli helped lead St. Francis (PA) to its first-ever win in an NEC opener, by converting both of his field goals and all three of his point-after-attempts, in a 35-28 win over Sacred Heart on Saturday. With the scored knotted at 7-7 in the first quarter, Sciulli put the Red Flash ahead momentarily with a 31-yarder, the first field goal of his young career. Late in the third quarter, NEC Rookie of the Week the Pittsburgh, PA product gave St. Francis a 27-21 lead with 25-yard field goal. Sep. 7 Joey Henley, SHU Sep. 13 Colin Disch, UA NEC Rookie of the Week Colin Disch, Albany Fr., LB, 6-1, 208, North Plainfield, NJ/North Plainfield NEC Preseason Coaches Poll Despite a 14-0 setback at Fordham, redshirt freshman Colin Disch led the Great Danes defense in tackles for a second-straight week, recording a career-high 13 stops, including four unassisted and 1.5 for losses. Disch also added a half sack, as Albany held Fordham 1. Albany (5) 6. Wagner to just 14 points and 207 yards of total offense, with both Ram scoring drives starting inside Albany territory. Disch currently leads his 2. Stony Brook (2) 7. Sacred Heart team and ranks first in the NEC in total tackles (25) and second in tackles-for-loss (3.0). Monmouth (1) 8. St. Francis (PA) 4. Robert Morris 5. Central Conn. St. First place votes in parentheses. www.northeastconference.org N E C FO OTBALL ON L I N E 2004 NEC Football Schedule/Results

Albany Central Connecticut State Monmouth Robert Morris Sacred Heart (0-2, 0-0 NEC) (1-0, 1-0 NEC) (2-0, 0-0 NEC) (2-0, 0-0 NEC) (0-2, 0-2 NEC)

Date Opponent Time Date Opponent Time Date Opponent Time Date Opponent Time Date Opponent Time 9/2 at Hofstra L, 0-45 9/4 at Sacred Heart W, 27-6 9/4 at St. Peter’s W 44-3 9/4 Buffalo State W 47-10 9/4 Central CT St. L 6-27 9/11 Fordham L, 0-14 9/11 at Rhode Island L, 7-39 9/11 La Salle W, 34-15 9/11 Duquesne W, 34-14 9/11 at St. Francis (PA) L, 28-35 9/18 at Brown 1:00 pm 9/16 at St. Peter’s 7:00 pm 9/18 at Robert Morris 1:00 pm 9/18 Monmouth 1:30 pm 9/18 Iona 2:00 pm 9/25 at Sacred Heart 1:00 pm 9/25 Wagner 6:00 pm 9/25 Stony Brook 1:00 pm 9/25 at St. Francis (PA) 1:00 pm 9/25 Albany 1:00 pm 10/2 at Lehigh 1:00 pm 10/2 at Iona 1:00 pm 10/2 Marist 6:00 pm 10/2 at Stony Brook 12:30 pm 10/2 Wagner 1:00 pm 10/9 St. Francis (PA) 1:00 pm 10/9 at Wagner 1:00 pm 10/9 at Robert Morris 1:30 pm 10/9 Central CT St. 1:30 pm 10/16 at Marist 7:00 pm 10/16 Monmouth 1:00 pm 10/16 at Albany 1:00 pm 10/16 Dayton 1:30 pm 10/23 St. Francis (PA) 1:00 pm 10/23 St. Peter’s 1:00 pm 10/23 at Stony Brook 6:00 pm 10/23 Georgetown 1:00 pm 10/23 at Wagner 1:00 pm 10/30 at Monmouth 1:00 pm 10/30 at Stony Brook 6:00 pm 10/30 Wagner 1:00 pm 10/30 Central CT St. 1:00 pm 10/30 St. Peter’s 1:30 pm 11/6 Stony Brook 1:00 pm 11/6 at Monmouth 1:00 pm 11/6 at Robert Morris 1:30 pm 11/6 Sacred Heart 1:00 pm 11/6 Albany 1:30 pm 11/13 Central CT St. 1:00 pm 11/13 at Albany 1:00 pm 11/13 Robert Morris 1:00 pm 11/13 St. Francis (PA) 1:00 pm 11/13 at Sacred Heart 1:00 pm

NEC Games in Bold NEC Games in Bold NEC Games in Bold NEC Games in Bold NEC Games in Bold

St. Francis (PA) Stony Brook Wagner (1-1, 1-0 NEC) (0-1, 0-0 NEC) (2-0, 0-0 NEC)

Date Opponent Time Date Opponent Time Date Opponent Time 9/4 at Georgetown L 7-36 9/4 at Lehigh L 2-25 9/4 at La Salle W 35-28 9/11 Sacred Heart W, 35-28 9/18 at Wagner 1:00 pm 9/11 at Marist W, 28-13 9/18 Valparaiso 1:00 pm 9/25 at Monmouth 1:00 pm 9/18 Stony Brook 1:00 pm 9/25 Robert Morris 1:00 pm 10/2 Robert Morris 2:00 pm 9/25 at Central CT St. 6:00 pm 10/2 La Salle 1:00 pm 10/9 Hofstra 6:00 pm 10/2 at Sacred Heart 1:00 pm 10/9 at Albany 1:00 pm 10/16 at St. Francis (PA) 1:00 pm 10/9 Monmouth 1:00 pm 10/16 Stony Brook 1:00 pm 10/16 Iona 1:00 pm 10/23 Albany 10/23 at Central CT St. 1:00 pm 10/23 Robert Morris 1:00 pm 6:00 pm 10/30 Morehead State 1:00 pm 10/30 at Albany 1:00 pm 10/30 Sacred Heart 6:00 pm 11/6 Wagner 1:00 pm 11/6 at St. Francis (PA) 1:00 pm 11/6 at Central CT St. 1:00 pm 11/13 at Monmouth 1:00 pm 11/13 at San Diego 1:00 pm 11/13 Iona 4:00 pm

NEC Games in Bold NEC Games in Bold NEC Games in Bold NEC Football Notes: NEC Career Interception Leaders (through games of September 11) 1. Chris Blackshear, CCSU, 2001-present 16 2. Brian Pawlowski, SHU, 2000-03 15 Four NEC Teams Ranked In Sports Net- 3. Nick Downs, RMU, 1997-00 14 work I-AA Mid-Major Top-Ten Poll; Rob- Chad King, SBU, 2000-present 14 ert Morris Moves to No. 2 5. Pete Athans, SHU, 1999-03 11 With an impressive win over top-ranked Brian Dunn, RMU, 1996-97 11 Duquesne on Saturday, Head Coach and the Robert Morris Colonials jumped two spots to No. 2 in the Sports Network Mid- Quote Of The Week Major poll release on Monday. Monmouth (No. 3) remained in the top-10 with a win Robert Morris linebacker James Noel: Comments on his team’s defense against La Salle, as did Wagner (No. 8). Despite being idle last week, Stony Brook success in 2004 – hopped one spot to No. 9. “As a unit, we’ve been clicking. Since before camp, during the summer, St. Francis (PA) On the Right Foot before the season even began, we talked about how good a defense we The Red Flash are poised to shake things up in the NEC this season. In its NEC opener can be. It just seemed like we were ready.” said James Noel - the 6-foot, versus Sacred Heart, the boys of Loretto threw their offense into high gear, knocking off 225-pound native of Miami registered four solo tackles and assisted on the Pioneers, 35-28 at the Pine Bowl. St. Francis compiled 467 total yards - 164 yards nine others. (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review) coming from tailback Todd Harris (Duquesne, PA/Duquesne). Harris also scored St. Francis’ first touchdown in the second half on a one-yard plunge. St. Francis, who owns NEC’s Anchors NFC East Champion Eagles a 3-54 lifetime NEC record, moved above .500 in league play for the first time in school Robert Morris’ Hank Fraley (1996-99), a three-time first team history. The Flash continue their four-game home swing, when they face non-confer- all-NEC offensive tackle, has been the starting center for the Phila- ence foe Valparaiso this Saturday before hosting NEC opponent and Western Pennsylva- delphia Eagles the last three seasons and has quickly become nia brother Robert Morris on Sept. 25. one of the most reliable anchors in the . In 55 games played as an Eagle, Fraley has started all but one, including Heavyweight Matchup: Robert Morris Hosts Monmouth seven starts in the postseason. He did not start the 2001 regular season In a battle of two of the top teams in the NEC, Robert Morris (2-0) coming off a finale, a meaningless game in terms of playoff standings. For his efforts, the convincing win over top-ranked Duquesne last Saturday, hosts Monmouth (2-0) and its 6-2, 300-pounder earned a lucrative five-year contract extension in 2002 vaunted defensive attack, who has allowed a league-best 9.0 points per game through for more than $3 million, not including a seven-figure signing bonus. the first two games this season. The Colonials have beaten the Hawks in three of the last four meetings and six of the nine meetings all-time. In a defensive battle, Monmouth The Eagle was part of an offensive line in 2003 that protected quarterback eclipsed Robert Morris last season, 17-10, behind a fourth-quarter touchdown by MU Donovan McNabb on the way to his fourth-straight Pro Bowl appearance, tailback Bobby Smith (Hopatcong, NJ/Hopatcong). and paved the way for the “Three Headed Monster” running back attack (Brian Westbrook, Duce Staley and Correll Buckhalter) that posted a com- Robert Morris vs. Monmouth: Meeting-By-Meeting bined 1,618 rushing yards and 2,465 total yards from scrimmage. (Robert Morris leads series 6-3) Fraley also sponsors the Hank Fraley Award which is presented annually to 2003 Monmouth 17, Robert Morris 10* a high school football player in the Philadelphia area who gets the most 2002 Robert Morris 15, Monmouth 10* from his abilities. The 2004 recipient was Nick Colleluori, 5-9, 170-pound, 2001 –Cancelled Due to Sept. 11– defensive lineman from Ridley (PA) High School. 2000 Robert Morris 23, Monmouth 7* 1999 Robert Morris 34, Monmouth 16* NEC To Televise Two Football Games On Metro-TV 1998 Monmouth 27, Robert Morris 26* After successfully broadcasting the first two games in league his- 1997 Robert Morris 41, Monmouth 20* tory last season, the Northeast Conference will televise two more 1996 Robert Morris 43, Monmouth 6* football contests in 2004. On September 4, Sacred Heart visited Central 1995 Monmouth 16, Robert Morris 13 Connecticut State in a battle of Nutmeg State foes. On October 9, defending 1994 Robert Morris 26, Monmouth 19 NEC Champion Monmouth travels to Staten Island, NY to take on longtime rival Wagner. Both games will be broadcast live on Metro-TV, which is * NEC Game currently available in 4.3 million homes in the New York Metropolitan area.

CCSU’s Blackshear: The NEC’s Interception King Paul Dottino, a highly visable member of the league’s NEC Central Connecticut State senior Chris Blackshear took only three sea- broadcasts and New York Giants reporter on ESPN Radio in New York City, sons to become the Northeast Conference single-game, single-season and career leader will again handle play-by-play duties. Joining Dottino in the booth for his in . Blackshear has 16 take-aways in his career and looks to build on that first tour of duty with the NEC will be former New York Giants quarterback total in 2004. His record seven (7) INTs in 2002 also ties an NEC seasonal standard, and regional color analyst Scott Brunner. tying him with four others, including Stony Brook senior Chad King, who reached the same feat in 2002. In that year, Blackshear nabbed three (3) picks at Arute Field on Robert Morris Versus Buffalo State November 9 against NEC rival Wagner to set the game mark. King is well on his way on For the third-straight year, the Colonials made history against Buffalo State catching Blackshear in 2004 for the career mark with two interceptions Saturday when they faces the Bengals in week one. Drew Geyer’s school-record six against No. 21 Lehigh, moving him into a tie for third all-time in career picks. touchdown passes on Saturday followed in the foot steps of former Colonials Albany (0-2, 0-0 NEC) Last Game: Fordham 14, Albany 0 Next Game: 9/18 at Brown, 1:00 pm • Part of arguably the toughest schedule in the NEC, the Great Danes dropped their second straight with a 14-0 loss to Fordham of the Patriot League on Saturday. It marks the first time since 1976, when Albany was a NCAA Division III member, that UA was shutout in back-to-back games to open the season. Albany failed to score a touchdown at home for just the second game since Oct. 8, 1994. 9/2 at Hofstra L, 0-45 • UA is off to an 0-2 start for the first time since 2000 and second time since 1992. 9/11 Fordham L, 0-14 • The crowd on 4,411 at University Field on Saturday was the largest since a game in the 1994 season. 9/18 at Brown 1:00 pm • Albany held the Fordham offense to just 207 total yards, including a minuscule 30 yards through the air. Fordham’s two touchdowns came as a result of superb field 9/25 at Sacred Heart 1:00 pm position for the Rams, with both scoring drives starting inside Albany territory. 10/2 at Lehigh 1:00 pm • Redshirt freshman linebacker Colin Disch (North Plainfield, NJ/North Plainfield) was solid again with a team-leading 13 tackles to his credit, earning him 10/9 St. Francis (PA) 1:00 pm NEC Defensive Player of the Week. Disch leads all NEC tacklers with 25 stops this season, including 10 tackles versus Hofstra in Albany’s season opener. 10/16 Monmouth 1:00 pm • Linebacker Brian Becker (Saratoga Springs, NY/Saratoga Springs) added 10 tackles. The third time the junior has reached double-figure tackles in a game. 10/23 at Stony Brook 6:00 pm • Linebacker Chris Stellato (Port Jervis, NY/Port Jervis) recorded his second career interception. 10/30 Wagner 1:00 pm • Because of the defense struggle against Fordham, Albany punter freshman Chris Lynch (Lindenhurst, NY/Lindenhurst) punted 11 times, one off the school 11/6 at Robert Morris 1:30 pm record, for a 35.5 average, including a long of 55 yards in the first half. 11/13 Central CT St. 1:00 pm • Platooning quarterbacks Uli Delgado (Gloversville, NY/Gloversville) and Nicholas Bazan (Bronx, NY/Cardinal Spellman) combined for 14-of-39 passing for 105 yards. Delgado returned after having orthoscopic knee surgery on Aug. 27.

Central Connecticut State (1-1, 1-0 NEC) Last Game: Rhode Island 39, Central Conn. St. 7 Next Game: 9/16 at St. Peter’s, 7:00 pm • Central Connecticut State dropped a 39-7 decision to Rhode Island on Saturday, a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference. It marks the fifth loss for the Blue Devils against A-10 opponents in the last three seasons. • Backup quarterback Tim Sheard (Syracuse, NY/Corcoran), a freshman, saw his first action as a collegian and led the Blue Devils on a seven-play, 64-yard drive for a touchdown. During the drive he rushed four times for 21 yards, and finished the afternoon with 14 rushes for 76 yards (5.4 ypc) and 3-of-6 for 21 yards 9/4 at Sacred Heart W, 27-6 passing. 9/11 at Rhode Island L, 7-39 • Junior safety Rob McGuire (Howard Beach, NY/Christ the King) led the Blue Devils defense on Saturday with 10 total tackles, a forced and fumble 9/16 at St. Peter’s 7:00 pm recovery. 9/25 Wagner 6:00 pm • Sophomore running back Marquis Morrison (New Haven, CT/Wilbur Cross) substituted for the injured Cory Harge (Amherst, NY/Sweet Home) 10/2 Marist 6:00 pm and rushed 13 times for 53 yards, collecting his first career rushing touchdown. Morrison netted a receiving touchdown in Central’s NEC win over Sacred Heart 10/9 at Robert Morris 1:30 pm in week one. Harge injured his left elbow in the first quarter of Saturday’s game at Rhode Island. There is no word on Harge’s status for the upcoming schedule, but 10/23 St. Francis (PA) 1:00 pm it does look like Morrison will get more work. 10/30 at Monmouth 1:00 pm • CCSU’s leading tackler linebacker Coree Tucker (Warren, OH/Harding) and Chris Blackshear (Fort Pierce, FL/Port St. Lucie), the 11/6 Stony Brook 1:00 pm NEC’s all-time leader in interception with 16 for his career, each posted nine tackles. Tucker has 18 total tackles this season (12 solo). Donnie Rose (Hartford, 11/13 at Albany 1:00 pm CT/Sports Science Acad.), Farod Muhammad (Buffalo, NY/Hutchinson Central Tech) and Joe Mahaffey (Somerville, NJ/Somerville) each had five tackles. Rose also blocked an extra-point in the second quarter. • After converting 50 percent of their third-down chances against Sacred Heart, CCSU was 4-for-15 versus Rhode Island. Monmouth (2-0, 0-0 NEC) Last Game: Monmouth 34, La Salle 15 Next Game: 9/18 at Robert Morris, 1:30 pm • Monmouth rolled to a 34-15 win over MAAC opponent La Salle on Saturday, moving to 2-0 for just the third time in school history (2001, 2003). The Hawks’ 78 points against St. Peter’s (44) and La Salle (34) is the highest total ever for the first two games of the season. • Sophomore quarterback Brian Boland (Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial) completed 16-of-23 passes for 203 yards and a career-high three touchdowns and also 9/4 at St. Peter’s W, 44-3 had seven rushes for 22 yards. In the first half, Boland was 11-for-15 for 116 yards and two scores. The Hawks are 4-0 when Boland passes for 200 yards or more. 9/11 La Salle W, 34-15 • With 243 yards receving in the first two games, junior wideout Miles Austin (Garfield, NJ/Garfield) is just the second player in school history to collect 9/18 at Robert Morris 1:30 pm consecutive 100-yard receiving games. Will Holder opened the 1995 with 129 versus Marist and 147 yards versus Robert Morris. The Hawks are 4-0 when Austin 9/25 Stony Brook 1:00 pm posts 100 yards or more in a game. Austin ranks first in the NEC this season in receiving yards per game (121.5) and is second in catches (14). 10/2 at Iona 1:00 pm • With 1,324 yards, Joe Migliore (Jackson, NJ/Jackson Memorial) needs to average 75.1 yards per game to become the fourth player in school history to 10/9 at Wagner 1:00 pm 10/16 at Albany 1:00 pm log 2,000 career rushing yards. Migliore ranks second among active NEC runners in career yards. Stony Brook’s Clinton Graham is the leader with 1,530. 10/23 Georgetown 1:00 pm 10/30 Central CT St. 1:00 pm 11/6 Sacred Heart 1:00 pm 11/13 St. Francis (PA) 1:00 pm

Robert Morris (2-0, 0-0 NEC) Last Game: Robert Morris 34, Duquesne 14 Next Game: 9/18 vs. Monmouth, 1:30 pm • Robert Morris continues its impressive play this season with a 34-14 drubbing of top-ranked Duquesne on Saturday, racking up 442 yards of total offense. Quarterback Drew Geyer (Gibsonia, PA/Deer Lakes) was remarkable, throwing for 302 yards and two touchdowns on 19-of-31 passing. Geyer earned NEC Offensive Player of the Week honors. Defensively, the Colonials were led by NEC Defensive Player of the Week winner Jonathan LeDonne (Aliquippa, PA/ 9/4 Buffalo State W, 47-10 Aliquippa). LeDonne added nine tackles (4 solo), his first career interception, one pass breakup and one quarterback hurry. 9/11 Duquesne W, 34-14 • Freshman wide receiver Mario Hines (Ecorse, MI/Ecorse) finished with three receptions for 61 yards and a third-quarter touchdown. His 27-yard score came 9/18 Monmouth 1:30 pm on the first possession of the second half for RMU, to give the Colonials a commanding 34-7 advantage. On the season, Hines has four catches for 141 yards - an 9/25 at St. Francis (PA) 1:00 pm average of 35.3 yards per reception. Senior Tyjuan Massey (Orlando, FL/William R. Boone), along with Massey, are Geyer favorite receivers. Massey leads 10/2 at Stony Brook 12:30 pm the squad with seven catches, including a team-best three touchdowns. 10/9 Central CT St. 1:30 pm • Junior tailback Devin Wilson (Homestead, PA/Steel Valley) led the Colonials with 73 yards rushing on 18 carries and also added a team-high four receptions 10/16 Dayton 1:30 pm for 68 yards. 10/23 at Wagner 1:00 pm 10/30 St. Peter’s 1:30 pm • Robert Morris had three interceptions versus Duquesne, after being blanked in that department against Buffalo State in the opener. LeDonne, senior Jonathan 11/6 Albany 1:30 pm Robinson (Orlando, FL/Williams R. Boone), a high school teammate of Massey, and linebacker James Noel (Miami, FL/North Miami) each had a pick. 11/13 at Sacred Heart 1:00 pm • Defensive back Jeff Rommes (Gibsonia, PA/Deer Lakes) recorded eight tackles and a fumble recovery, while senior lineman Babafemi Odumeru (Riverdale, MD/Parkdale) tallied five tackles, including two sacks. Sacred Heart (0-2, 0-2 NEC) Last Game: St. Francis (PA) 35, Sacred Heart 28 Next Game: 9/18 vs. Iona, 2:00 pm • The Pioneers dropped their second-straight NEC contest to open the 2004 season, turning the ball over five times, in a 35-28 loss to St. Francis (PA) at Loretto, PA. The Pioneer defense was responsible for two of the four Sacred Heart touchdowns on the afternoon. Jonathan Corto (Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park) returned a fumble 28-yards in the fourth quarter and senior Mike Scott (Groton, CT/Fitch) netted the second touchdown on a 38-yard interception return 9/4 Central CT St. L, 6-27 in the second quarter. 9/11 at St. Francis (PA) L, 28-35 • Sophomore James Wright (New Haven, CT/Wilbur Cross) returned a kickoff 82 yards in the third quarter on Saturday and remarkably did not score a 9/18 Iona 2:00 pm touchdown on that return. On the day, Wright amassed 133 yards on three kick returns. He leads the NEC with a 44.3 kick return average. Also a receiver, Wright 9/25 Albany 1:00 pm 10/2 Wagner 1:00 pm caught three passes for 80 yards and got his touchdown. 10/16 at Marist 7:00 pm • Sophomore linebacker Jon Wilson (Bloomfield, CT/Bloomfield) had 10 tackles for the second straight week. 10/23 St. Peter’s 1:00 pm • Wide receiver Joey Henley (Kent, WA/Kentridge) collected eight passes for a career-high 93 yards with a long of 34 yards. This season, Henley ranks third 10/30 at Stony Brook 6:00 pm in the league in both receptions (12) and receiving yards (160). 11/6 at Monmouth 1:00 pm • Tailback Ed Pricolo (Johnston, RI/La Salle Acad) rushed for a career-high and game-high 178 yards on 24 carries with one touchdown versus St. Francis. 11/13 Robert Morris 1:00 pm His 24-yard touchdown run put the Pioneers to within three, 24-21, midway through the third quarter. Pricolo also caught one pass for 14 yards. He currently leads the NEC in rushing with a 152.5 yard per game average. St. Francis (PA) (1-1, 1-0 NEC) Last Game: Georgetown 36, St. Francis (PA) 7 Next Game: 9/18 vs. Valparaiso, 1:00 pm • St. Francis (PA) won its first-ever NEC opener with a 35-28 victory at home versus Sacred Heart on Saturday. Tailback Todd Harris (Duquesne, PA/ Duquesne) led the way for the Flash with a career-high 164 yards, including 133 yards in the second half, and a touchdown. He also caught a pass for three yards. • Quarterback Anthony Doria (Pittsburgh, PA/Seton La Salle) was 12-for-28 passing for 198 yards and a touchdown. • Senior defensive back Marcus Haines (Pittsburgh, PA/Westinghouse) recorded a team-high nine tackles and intercepted a pass in the win. The interception 9/4 at Georgetown L, 7-36 9/11 Sacred Heart W, 35-28 came in the St. Francis endzone, halting a Sacred Heart drive. Haines leads the Red Flash with 18 tackles on the season. 9/18 Valparaiso 1:00 pm • Freshman kicker Adam Sciulli (Pittsburgh,PA/Central Catholic) converted all five his kicks on the afternoon, including his first two career field goals (31, 9/25 Robert Morris 1:00 pm 25) and three PATs. For his efforts, he earned NEC Special Teams Player of the Week. 10/2 La Salle 1:00 pm • Sophomore Michael Caputo (Bethel Park, PA/Seton La Salle) led all St. Francis receivers with four catches for 46 yards. Junior wideout Maurice Sales 10/9 at Albany 1:00 pm (Pittsburgh,PA/Peabody) added three catches for a team-best 87 yards and a fourth-quarter, 35-yard touchdown grab. 10/16 Stony Brook 1:00 pm 10/23 at Central CT St. 1:00 pm 10/30 Morehead State 1:00 pm 11/6 Wagner 1:00 pm 11/13 at Monmouth 1:00 pm

Stony Brook (0-1, 0-0 NEC) Last Game: No. 21 Lehigh 25, Stony Brook 2 – idle in week 2 Next Game: 9/18 at Wagner, 1:00 pm • Despite the final result, Stony Brook lost a hard fought battle with No. 21 ranked Lehigh on Sept. 4, falling the Mountain Hawks, 25-2. It was the highest ranked opponent that the Seawolves have faced in the program’s 21-year history. Lehigh scored 14 points in the fourth quarter to break the game open. • The Seawolves defense played well, holding Lehigh to just 297 total yards, including 123 rushing. 9/4 at Lehigh L, 2-25 • Defensive end David Bamiro (Central Islip, NY/Central Islip) matched a career-high with three sacks and four solo tackles, and in the process, increased 9/18 at Wagner 1:00 pm his career sacks total to 21.5, which made him the school’s all-time leader. 9/25 at Monmouth 1:00 pm • Defensive back Chad King (Ocean Township, NJ/Ocean Township) made a triumphant return to the Seawolves lineup after missing all of 2003 with a 10/2 Robert Morris 2:00 pm shoulder injury. He intercepted two Mountain Hawk passes, giving him 14 for his career (3rd in NEC history). 10/9 Hofstra 6:00 pm • Sophomore Paul Perez (Bergenfield, NJ/Bergenfield) racked up a team-high eight tackles at linebacker. 10/16 at St. Francis (PA) 1:00 pm 10/23 Albany 6:00 pm • On offensive, preseason all-NEC quarterback T.J. Moriarty (Howell, NJ/Red Bank Catholic) attempted a career-high 54 passes, setting a Stony Brook single- game record. Moriarty finished the game with 279 passing yards. 10/30 Sacred Heart 6:00 pm • Flanker Josh Anderson (East Syracuse, NY/East Syracuse Minoa) made seven catches to lead all Stony Brook receivers. J.J. Cox (Somerset, NJ/Piper) and 11/6 at Central CT St. 1:00 pm Londre Blocker (Manhasset, NY/Manhasset) each had six catches. 11/13 Iona 4:00 pm • Blocker is the NEC’s active leading receiver in catches (103), receiving yards (1,501) and receiving touchdowns (15).

Wagner (2-0, 0-0 NEC) Last Game: Wagner 28, Marist 13 Next Game: 9/18 vs. Stony Brook, 1:00 pm • Wagner improved to 2-0 in the season with a 28-13 win over intrastate rival Marist at Poughkeepsie, stopping a four-game losing streak to the Red Foxes. • Wagner has started the season 2-0 each of the last three seasons and three of the last six (1999, ‘02, ‘03), and has seven wins against its last nine MAAC opponents. • Sophomore running back Warren Barnett (Springfield, MA/Central) set career highs, rushing for 170 yards on 40 carries and two touchdowns. He averaged eight yards per carry when given the ball on first or second downs. Barrett ranks second in the NEC in rushing with a 115.5 per game average and leads 9/4 at La Salle W, 35-28 9/11 at Marist W, 28-13 the league in scoring (24 points) and touchdowns (4). 9/18 Stony Brook 1:00 pm • Junior linebacker Craig Romano (Syracuse, NY/Solvay/Bridgton Acad.) led the Seahawks in tackles for the second-straight game, making nine stops, 9/25 at Central CT St. 6:00 pm including one for loss. 10/2 at Sacred Heart 1:00 pm • Senior defensive back Terek Henderson (Neptune, NJ/Neptune/Univ. of Buffalo) collected two interceptions in the game to tie a Wagner record. 10/9 Monmouth 1:00 pm Henderson now has eight for his career. 10/16 Iona 1:00 pm • Junior quarterback John Sciarra (La Canada, CA/St. Francis/UCLA) completed 12-of-24 passes for 126 yards and scored his first career touchdown with 10/23 Robert Morris 1:00 pm 10/30 at Albany 1:00 pm a two-yard run in the game’s opening drive. Sciarra completed passes to seven different receivers, including a 25-yard TD to junior flanker Mike Malik (Warren, 11/6 at St. Francis (PA) 1:00 pm RI/La Salle Acad.). 11/13 at San Diego 1:00 pm • Freshman punter/kicker Piotr Czech (Keyport, NJ/Keyport) converted all four of his PATs on Saturday, and is perfect 9-for-9 on the season. As a punter, Czech averaged 39.8 yards on five punts Saturday. NEC Football NEC Football Career/All-Time Records I-AA Mid-Major Polls

NEC Active Leaders NEC Career Leaders The Sports Network I-AA Mid-Major Poll (Sept. 13) Rushing Rushing 1. 1,530, Clinton Graham, SBU, 2000, 2003-04 1. 4,460, Rick Sarille, WC, 1996-99 2. 1,324, Joe Migliore, MU, 2002-04 2. 3,847, Sam Dorsett, RMU, 1999-03 School (First Place Votes) Record Points Prev. 3. 1,268, Cory Harge, CCSU, 2003-04 3. 3,033, Gary Jones, UA, 2002-03 1. Dayton (21) 2-0 237 2 4. 736, Bobby Smith, MU, 2002-04 4. 2,462, Archie Wannamaker, RMU, 1996-98 2. Robert Morris (3) 2-0 210 4 5. 2,428, Stan House, CCSU, 1996-97 3. Monmouth 2-0 192 3 Passing Yardage 6. 2,362, Clinton Dunston, CCSU, 1999-02 4. Duquesne 1-2 146 1 1. 4,434, Scott Dolch, CCSU, 2001-04 7. 2,330, Michael Hall, SFPA, 2000-03 5. San Diego 1-1 142 6 2. 2,367, Drew Geyer, RMU, 2002-04 8. 2,310, Chris Davis, WC, 2000-03 6. Valparaiso 2-1 131 5 3. 2,337, T.J. Moriarity, SBU, 2001-04 9. 2,195, Brian Manigault, UA, 1999-01 7. Drake 2-1 90 8 4. 1,685, Brian Boland, MU, 2003-04 10. 2,165, Matt Merklinger, MU, 1998-01 8. Wagner 2-0 76 9 9. Stony Brook 0-1 42 10 Pass Receptions Passing Yardage 10. Morehead State 0-2 28 7 1. 103, Londre Blocker, SBU, 2001-04 1. 7,255, Tim Levcik, RMU, 1998-01 2. 69, Miles Austin, MU, 2002-04 2. 5,145, Keith Toolan, CCSU, 1996-99 Also Receiving Votes (in order of points): Albany (11), 3. 67, Rupert Rickerts, RMU, 2002-04 3. 4,434, Scott Dolch, CCSU, 2001-04 Davidson (8), Central Conn. St. (5), St. Peter’s (1), St. Francis (1) 4. 60, Shaun Grover, WC, 2002-04 4. 4,430, Justin Holtfreter, SHU, 2000-01 5. 50, Josh Anderson, SBU, 2003-04 5. 4,039, Bill Rankin, MU, 2000-02 6. 3,788, Jeremy Swords, SFPA, 1997-99 Don Hansen’s Football Gazette I-AA Mid-Major Poll 7. 3,625, Aaron Smith, WC, 1998-01 (Sept. 12) 8. 3,564, Ryan Roeder, UA, 1999-01 9. 3,428, Jeff Skinner, WC, 1996-98 School 10. 3,181, Scott Bard, SBU, 2000-02 1. Dayton 11. Central Conn. St. Pass Receptions 2. Robert Morris 12. Wagner 1. 141, Jason Bain, WC, 1997-00 3. Monmouth 13. Iona 2. 127, Chuck Kinsley, WC, 1997-00 4. Duquesne 14. Austin Peay 3. 124, Chris Phillis, UA, 1999-01 5. San Diego 15. Davidson 4. 104, Chris McGovern, SBU, 1999-02 6. Albany 16. Jacksonville 104, Anthony Galella, MU, 1996-98 7. Valparaiso 17. La Salle 6. 103, Londre Blocker, SBU, 2001-04 8. Morehead State 18. Marist 7. 102, Chris Wilkinson, SHU, 1998-00 9. Stony Brook 19. Butler 8. 98, Andrew Gonzalez, SHU, 1999-02 10. Drake 20. St. Francis (PA) 9. 92, Sean Simmons, WC, 2002-03 10. 89, L.T. Brown, CCSU, 1996-98 Dopke I-AA Mid-Major Poll (Sept. 12)

NEC Coaching Records School 1. Dayton 13. Morehead State Current Since Joining NEC Coach School All-Time Pct. School Pct. NEC Pct. Play Pct. 2. Robert Morris 14. La Salle Paul Gorham Sacred Heart 0-2 .000 0-2 .000 0-2 .000 0-2 .000 3. Monmouth 15. St. Francis (PA) Walt Hameline Wagner 165-76-2 .683 165-76-2 .683 47-37 .559 28-22 .560 4. Drake 16. Austin Peay Joe Walton Robert Morris 69-32-1 .681 69-32-1 .681 56-27 .675 38-11 .776 5. Stony Brook 17. Iona Bob Ford Albany 201-143-1 .584 192-121 .613 34-21 .618 28-8 .778 Tom Masella Cent. Conn. 3-21-0 .125 1-1 .500 1-1 .500 1-0 1.000 6. Wagner 18. Jacksonville Kevin Callahan Monmouth 61-49 .555 61-49 .555 45-39 .536 29-20 .592 7. San Diego 19. Sacred Heart Sam Kornhauser Stony Brook 96-99-2 .492 96-99-2 .492 24-26 .480 17-20 .459 8. Duquesne 20. St. Peter’s Dave Opfar St. Francis (PA) 4-18 .182 4-18 .182 4-18 .182 2-13 .133 Combined Totals 595-436-6 .577 584-394-5 .597 207-167 .553 142-95 .599 9. Valparaiso 21. Marist 10. Davidson 22. Butler 11. Central Conn. St. 12. Albany All-Time NEC Records NEC Champions • 1996-2003 NEC Football vs. the competition School NEC Record NEC Overall Year Champion Rec. Rec. Albany 34-9 1996 Robert Morris 3-1 9-2 Central Connecticut State 22-35 Monmouth 3-1 7-3 NEC vs... Monmouth 35-21 1997 Robert Morris 4-0 8-3 Robert Morris 42-14 1998 Robert Morris 4-1 4-6 Atlantic 10 0-1 MAAC 5-0 Sacred Heart 27-23 Monmouth 4-1 5-5 St. Francis (PA) 3-54 1999 Robert Morris 7-0 8-2 Division II 0-0 Patriot 0-3 2000 Robert Morris 8-0 10-0 Division III 1-0 Pioneer 0-0 Stony Brook 21-23 2001 Sacred Heart 8-0 11-0 Wagner 31-26 2002 Albany 6-1 8-4 Ivy 0-0 2003 Monmouth 6-1 10-2 Albany 6-1 7-4 NEC Football NEC Football Preseason All-Conference/All-America Teams Composite Schedule/Results

Sports Network 2004 I-AA Mid-Major Preseason All-America Team September 2 Albany at Hofstra, 7:00 pm Offense Defense RB Clinton Graham Stony Brook DE David Bamiro Stony Brook September 4 Stony Brook at Lehigh, 1:00 pm OL Brandon Shawk Albany LB James Noel Robert Morris Wagner at La Salle, 1:00 pm OL Geir Gudmundsen Albany CB Chris Blackshear Central Conn. St. Sacred Heart at Central Conn. St., 1:00 pm K Steve Andriola Monmouth P Sean Dennis Monmouth St. Francis (PA) at Georgetown, 1:00 pm RS Mark Jepson Wagner Buffalo State at Robert Morris, 1:30 pm Monmouth at St. Peter’s, 7:00 pm

September 11 Football Gazette 2004 I-AA Mid-Major Preseason All-America Team Sacred Heart at St. Francis (PA), 1:00 pm Duquesne at Robert Morris, 1:30 pm 1st Team Offense 2nd Team Offense Central Conn. St. at Rhode Island, 12:00 pm RB Joe Migliore Monmouth Fordham at Albany, 6:00 pm RB Clinton Graham Stony Brook Wagner at Marist, 7:00 pm OL David Charles Stony Brook TE Rupert Rickards Robert Morris Monmouth vs. La Salle, 1:00 pm OL Geir Gudmundsen Albany OL Dan Emanuele Wagner September 16 OC Brandon Shaw Albany OL Dan Iskra Monmouth Central Conn. St. at St. Peter’s, 7:00 pm RS Tyjuan Massey Robert Morris 2nd Team Defense September 18 Albany at Brown, 1:00 pm 1st Team Defense DL Erik Yngstrom Monmouth Stony Brook at Wagner, 1:00 pm DL David Bamiro Stony Brook LB Brian Becker Albany Valparaiso at St. Francis (PA), 1:00 pm LB Eddie Cobbinah Stony Brook LB Craig Romano Wagner Monmouth at Robert Morris, 1:30 pm Iona at Sacred Heart, 2:00 pm LB James Noel Robert Morris DB Ernie Williams Stony Brook DB Chris Blackshear Central Connecticut St. September 25 Stony Brook at Monmouth, 1:00 pm DB Mike Niklos Robert Morris Albany at Sacred Heart, 1:00 pm P Sean Dennis Monmouth Robert Morris at St. Francis (PA), 1:00 pm Wagner at Central Conn. St., 6:00 pm

October 2 2004 NEC Preseason All-Conference Team Monmouth at Iona, 1:00 pm Albany at Lehigh, 1:00 pm La Salle at St. Francis (PA), 1:00 pm Offense Defense Wagner at Sacred Heart, 1:00 pm Robert Morris at Stony Brook, 2:00 pm Pos Name School Pos Name School Marist at Central Conn. St., 6:00 pm QB T.J. Moriarty # Stony Brook DL Ed Ratyniak Monmouth RB Cory Harge Central Conn. St. DL Bryan Karp Stony Brook October 9 RB Clinton Graham # Stony Brook DL Jason Forrest ^ Robert Morris Monmouth at Wagner, 1:00 pm St. Francis (PA) at Albany, 1:00 pm WR Miles Austin Monmouth DL David Bamiro # Stony Brook Central Conn. St. at Robert Morris, 1:30 pm WR Tyjuan Massey Robert Morris LB James Noel #! Robert Morris Hofstra at Stony Brook, 6:00 pm TE Kevin McCray St. Francis (PA) LB Dan Blazosky Monmouth OL Geir Gudmundsen #$* Albany LB Eddie Cobbinah ^ Stony Brook October 16 OL Dan Emanuele Wagner DB Chris Blackshear # Cent. Conn. St. Iona at Wagner, 1:00 pm Stony Brook at St. Francis (PA), 1:00 pm OL Dan Iskra Monmouth DB Donnie Rose # Cent. Conn. St. Monmouth at Albany, 1:00 pm OL Brandon Shaw ^ Albany DB Ryan Chrobak Albany Dayton at Robert Morris, 1:30 pm OL David Charles #! Stony Brook DB Mike Niklos Robert Morris Sacred Heart at Marist, 7:00 pm

# 2003 First Team All-NEC Selection Special Teams October 23 St. Peter’s at Sacred Heart, 1:00 pm ^ 2003 Second Team All-NEC Selection St. Francis (PA) at Central Conn. St., 1:00 pm $ 2002 First Team All-NEC Selection Pos Name School Robert Morris at Wagner, 1:00 pm ! 2002 Second Team All-NEC Selection K Steve Andriola ^ Monmouth Georgetown at Monmouth, 1:00 pm * 2001 Second Team All-NEC Selection P Sean Dennis # Monmouth Albany at Stony Brook, 6:00 pm RS Donnie Rose Cent. Conn. St. October 30 Wagner at Albany, 1:00 pm Morehead State at St. Francis (PA), 1:00 pm NEC Football Central Conn. St. at Monmouth, 1:00 pm 2003 Final Standings St. Peter’s at Robert Morris, 1:30 pm Sacred Heart at Stony Brook, 6:00 pm School NEC Pct. Overall Pct. Streak Home Away November 6 Wagner at St. Francis (PA), 1:00 pm 1. Monmouth 6-1 .857 10-2 .833 L1 5-0 5-2 Stony Brook at Central Conn. St., 1:00 pm Albany 6-1 .857 7-4 .636 L1 4-1 3-3 Sacred Heart at Monmouth, 1:00 pm 3. Robert Morris 4-3 .571 6-4 .600 L2 3-1 3-3 Albany at Robert Morris, 1:30 pm Stony Brook 4-3 .571 6-4 .600 W3 4-1 2-3 November 13 5. Sacred Heart 3-4 .429 6-5 .545 L4 2-2 4-3 Wagner at San Diego, 1:00 pm Central Conn. St. at Albany, 1:00 pm Wagner 3-4 .429 6-5 .545 W2 4-2 2-3 St. Francis (PA) at Monmouth, 1:00 pm 7. Central Connecticut State 2-5 .286 3-8 .273 L2 1-3 2-5 Robert Morris at Sacred Heart, 1:00 pm Iona at Stony Brook, 4:00 pm 8. St. Francis (PA) 0-7 .000 1-9 .100 L5 0-4 1-5 Sam Dorsett and Corey Oaks. Dorsett broke the RMU all-time NEC Football rushing mark against Buffalo State in 2003 with 179 yards rush- NCAA Statistics (www.ncaa.org) ing in a 33-23 win, while former defensive back Oaks returned two interceptions back for touchdowns in a 41-12 victory over NEC In NCAA Statistics the Bengals in 2002, which tied the I-AA record. (as of Sept. 11 - top 10)

Hameline Of Fire Ind. Category Rank Player School Statistics Field Goals 3 Nathan DiLorenzo Robert Morris 2.0 FG/g After 23-plus seasons at the helm of Wagner , 9 Steve Andriola Monmouth 1.50 FG/g Walt Hameline has built an impressive record. He is the Interceptions 2 Chad King Stony Brook 2.0 INT/g winningest football coach in New York Metropolitan history and 8 Terek Henderson Wagner 1.0 ING/g Kickoff Return 1 James Wright Sacred Heart 44.33 avg. ranks sixth winningest among active coaches at the I-AA level Passing Efficiency 2 Drew Geyer Robert Morris 205.96 with a career win total of 165 and ranks 10th in winning per- 4 Brian Boland Monmouth 194.73 centage (.683). Hameline also captured Wagner’s only national Punt Return 3 Dante Settles Robert Morris 27.5 avg. 5 Jonathan Corto Sacred Heart 23.5 avg. championship in any sport with a title at the Division III level in Rushing 5 Ed Pricolo Sacred Heart 152.5 yd/g 1987 when the Seahawks finished with a 13-1 record. Scoring 8 Warren Barnett Wagner 12.0 p/g

Team Category Rank School Statistics Robert Morris Names New Football Stadium After Passing Efficiency 2 Robert Morris 200.83 Head Coach 4 Monmouth 198.74 Punt Returns 4 Sacred Heart 23.5 avg. After ten seasons as a football program, Robert Morris Rushing Defense 6 Robert Morris 52.5 yd/g football will play its first game on campus in 2005 at Scoring Defense 8 Monmouth 9.0 pts/g “”, named after the school’s first Turnover Margin 5 Wagner 3.5 - 1 and only head football coach. The stadium will feature an 6 Robert Morris 3.0 - 1 artificial turf surface and initial seating for 7,000, with a poten- tial expansion to 10,000. During his tenure, Walton has won five NEC championships and boasts a 69-32-1 record with the Colonials.

NEC Sets Attendance Record The Northeast Conference set all-time records for total and average attendance in 2003. Nearly 90,000 fans attended NEC football games last season, an average of 2,400 per contest. The statisical data showed that the NEC increased its total attendance by nearly 5,000 fans and by an average of more than 350 per contest. Stony Brook led the NEC with an average game attendance of 4,613 at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium and hosted a league-best 6,079 fans versus St. Francis (PA) on Oct. 18. Stony Brook hosts its first game this season against Robert Morris on Oct. 2.

Stony Brook’s Blocker Is A Gamebreaker Stony Brook senior Londre Blocker is one of the top wideouts in the Northeast Conference. In three season and 27 games played, the Manhasset, NY product has recorded 103 catches for 1,501 yards and 15 touchdowns - all three are tops among active NEC players. His 103 catches ranks fifth all-time in NEC career receptions. Blocker also is tied for the single-game NEC mark of three touchdowns grabs in a single game, and is the only receiver in NEC history to reach it twice.

St. Francis (PA): Now That’s A Road Trip St. Francis (PA) freshman offensive lineman Derek Uperesa is a native of Pago Pago, American Samoa. A group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean about halfway between the Hawaiian Islands and New Zealand. American Samoa is a a United States territory. The distance between Pago Pago and Loretto, PA is 6,960 miles. Uperesa will also need to adjust to the higher altitude of Western Pennsylvania. Pago Pago sits at elevation of eight feet. Loretto’s elevation is 1,944 feet. In addition to Uperesa, two other natives of the South Pacific joined the Red Flash program in 2004. Hawaiians Daniel Otineru and Fehi Sevelo became the first NEC Football natives of the Aloha State to play for the Red Flash. Coaching Connection

NEC Players Make A Mark in the Pros Bob Ford Robert Morris’ Robb Butler and Tim Levcik along with Sacred Heart’s (Albany) Deveren Johnson and Monmouth’s Will Holder (pictured) have taken their NEC football backgrounds and turned them into professional • UA Head Coach ‘70-pres. • NEC coach since ‘99 aspirations. Butler signed a free-agent contract with the NFL’s San Diego Chargers •Former assistants Hameline in the off-season as a defensive back and has hopes make the squad in the pre- (‘76-’77) and Callahan (‘77-’80) season. Levcik and Johnson, who both tried their hands in the NFL, are playing arena football - Levcik is a quarterback with the Philadelphia Soul of the AFL, while Johnson is a wideout with the Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings of AFL2. Holder is one of the top scorers in the AFL with the New York Dragons. Walt Hameline Kevin Callahan (Wagner) (Monmouth) Stingy Hawks •WC Head Coach ‘81-pres. •MU Head Coach ‘92-pres. The and head coach Kevin Callahan have made name for them- •NEC coach since ‘96 •NEC coach since ‘96 selves on defense over the last few seasons. The Hawks have the NCAA Division I-AA •Assistant coach under Ford at •Assistant coach under Ford at UA (‘76-’77) UA (‘77-’80) top scoring defense in the 21st century. The Blue and White have allowed just 625 •Coached beside Callahan as •Coached beside Hameline as points in 45 games since 2000. The average of just 13.89 points per game is ahead assistant at UA (‘77) assistant at UA (‘77) •Had Callahan as assistant coach •Assistant coach under of the 14.50 points per game allowed by Dayton and 14.55 allowed by Western (‘81-’83) Hameline at WC (‘81-83) Kentucky. By an average of less than 1/2 yard per game, Monmouth ranks second •Coached at Brown (‘77) in NCAA Division I-AA for total defense since 2000. From 2000 and 2004, MU has •Master’s Degree from UA (‘77) allowed just 262.40 yards per game, ranking second behind St. Peter’s 258.95 yards allowed.

Central Connect. The Dots Tom Masella Paul Gorham Central Conn. St. Sacred Heart Central Connecticut State’s 27-6 win versus Sacred Heart on Sept. 4 gave the Blue Devils their first-ever conference win to open the season and first season-opening •First season as CCSU coach •First season as SHU coach •WC graduate (‘81) •Coach at Brown (‘94-’98) win since 2000 (Frostburg St.). The 27 points is the most for CCSU in a season •Played at WC while Hameline •Assistant coach at UMass beside opener since 1997 (33-26 win versus Albany) and six points is the fewest allowed was assistant (‘78-80) Masella (‘02-’03) at home since 1998 (12-0 win vs. St. Francis). It is also the first win for CCSU over •Assistant coach under Hameline at WC (‘82-’84) intra-state river Sacred Heart since 1999 and first win for head coach Tom Masella •Coach beside Callahan as at New Britain. Central’s 487 total yards is the most in a game since October 9, 1999 assistant at WC (‘82-’83) •Assistant coach at UMass beside (497) in a 35-13 win at St. Francis. Gorham (‘02-’03)

NEC Lands Nine Players On Preseason All-America Team Nine Northeast Conference football players were among the 26 named to the 2004 Sports Network Preseason I-AA Mid-Major All-America football team this after- Joe Walton Dave Opfar noon. The team includes competitors from the 22 mid-major programs of the Robert Morris St. Francis (PA) NEC, MAAC and Pioneer Leagues which play at a non-scholarship or limited schol- arship level. Two thousand and three NEC co-champions Albany and Monmouth, •RMU Head Coach ‘93-pres. •SFPA Head Coach ‘01-pres. •NEC coach since ‘96 •Played w/ along with Stony Brook, each had two players named to the squad, while Central •Coached against Opfar and while Walton coached NY Jets Connecticut State, Robert Morris and Wagner earned single spots on the team. Pittsburgh Steelers for NY Jets (‘86). Steelers beat Jets that (‘86). Steelers beat Jets that season, 45-24 season, 45-24 Albany was represented by a pair of senior offensive lineman in Geir Gudmundsen •Assistant coach for Pittsburgh and Brandon Shaw. The duo helped propel the Great Danes to 3,215 rushing Steelers (‘90-’91) yards and 292.3 yards per game on the ground in 2003, both NEC records. Gudmundsen is a three-time first team all-NEC offensive tackle and was selected as a Mid-Major All-American last season. Shaw, a center, has been tabbed to the all- Sam Kornhauser NEC second team two years running. Stony Brook

•SBU Head Coach ‘84-pres. Monmouth will handle kicking duties on the All-America team with senior Steve NEC coach since ‘99 Andriola (pictured) serving as placekicker and sophomore Sean Dennis tend- ing to punting. Andriola walked away with second team all-NEC honors in 2003 after converting a league-high 13 field goals, the second best single-season figure in league annals. His 49-yard field goal against CCSU last November 1 was the second longest in NEC history. Dennis was the lone freshman to earn all-NEC and Mid- Major All-America recognition in 2003. He led the conference by a wide margin with 41.6 yards per kick, placed 14 inside the 20 yard line and uncorked a league- record 84-yard punt versus CCSU. Stony Brook senior running back Clinton Graham and senior defensive end David Bamiro collect All-America accolades for the Seawolves. Graham fin- ished third in the NEC in yards per carry (6.3) and fourth in rushing yards (1,055) after missing the entire 2002 season with a ruptured Achilles’ tendon. The first team all-league pick became the first Stony Brook running back to reach the 1,000-yard mark since 1993 and tallied a school record 15 touch- downs, good for second in the conference. Bamiro was also chosen as a first team all-star after tying for the top spot on the circuit with 9.0 sacks. He added 15.0 tackles for loss, the fourth best mark in the league.

Central Connecticut State is represented by senior cornerback Chris Blackshear, who holds the NEC career record with 16 interceptions. A two-time first team all- conference award winner, Blackshear tallied 49 tackles, broke up nine passes and had five pickoffs, one off the league-high, in 2003.

Robert Morris senior James Noel earns a spot on the All-America team at linebacker. Noel, a former NEC Defensive Rookie of the Year, is a two-time all- conference performer. He earned first team all-NEC plaudits in 2003 after finish- ing the season as the league’s second-leading tackler with 107 stops. He also registered 9.0 tackles for negative yardage and had 3.5 sacks.

Wagner junior return specialist Mark Jepson is the final NEC honoree. Named to the all-conference second team a year ago, Jepson ranked second in the league with 24.5 yards per kickoff return. He brought back a kick 87 yards for a touchdown against Robert Morris last October 25.

Preseason Quick Hits • Albany has posted a 28-8 record (.778) since joining the league in 1999, the best winning percentage in league history. Robert Morris is a close second at 38-11 (.776). • The NEC captured three-straight I-AA Mid Major titles from 1999-01. In 1999 and 2000, Robert Morris finished the season ranked first in the nation in the Football Gazette poll. Sacred Heart topped the Sports Network poll, which origi- nated in 2001. • Monmouth had the nation’s stingiest defense in 2003, allowing a I-AA best 244.3 yards and 8.3 points per game. The Hawks gave up just 12 touchdowns, including one rushing. • Central Connecticut State running back and 2003 NEC Offensive Rookie of the Year Cory Harge rushed for a league-record 242 yards against Stony Brook on November 8, two weeks after Albany’s Gary Jones set the record against the same Seawolves. • St. Francis (PA) planted two receivers last season on the NEC’s single-game pass receptions list. Maurice Sales holds the No. 2 spot with 14 against Monmouth on November 15, while Michael Caputo is tied at No. 3 with 13 against Albany on October 11. Fittingly, former Red Flash standout Jeremy Nunamaker still holds the top spot with 18 grabs versus Sacred Heart on October 2, 1999.