Northeast Conference 399 Campus Drive • First Floor • Somerset, NJ 08873 (732) 469-0440 • Fax (732) 469-0744 • www.northeastconference.org

For Immediate Release August 4, 2010

CCSU First for First Time Ever in NEC Football Preseason Coaches Poll Blue Devils Picked to Repeat 2009 Title; Preseason All-NEC Team Announced

Somerset, NJ - The (NEC) has a different preseason football favorite for the first time in five years. Central Connecticut State halted Albany’s bid for a third consecu- Northeast Conference Football tive league title last season, and has followed up by ending UA’s four-year run atop the NEC’s 2010 Preseason Coaches Poll preseason poll. 1. Central Connecticut State (4) Coming off their best season in four decades, the defending NEC champion Blue Devils 2. Robert Morris (3) garnered four first-place votes to earn the No. 1 ranking in the annual summer survey of the 3. Albany (1) conference’s nine head coaches for the first time in program history. If the preseason prog- 4. Wagner (1) nostication holds true, CCSU will become the first NEC champion to earn the league’s newly- 5. Monmouth acquired automatic berth into the NCAA FCS playoffs. 6. Bryant 7. Duquesne Following a bullish finish to the 2009 season, Robert Morris has its eyes on the prize, too. 8. Sacred Heart RMU garnered three first-place votes to finish second in the preseason poll, the results of 9. Saint Francis (PA) which were announced by the NEC during a media teleconference on Wednesday morning. First place votes in parentheses ( ). Albany, which pulled in one first-place nod, took third. Claiming the lone remaining first- place vote, Wagner was fourth ahead of fifth-place Monmouth. Bryant earned the sixth spot followed by Duquesne in seventh. Sacred Heart (eighth) and Saint Francis (PA) (ninth) rounded out the predicted order-of-finish.

As a prelude to its 15th season on the gridiron, which kicks off on Sept. 3, the Northeast Conference also announced a 25-member Preseason All-NEC Team during Wednesday’s media call.

Team Capsules Central Connecticut State (9-3, 7-1 NEC) – The Blue Devils lost NEC Offensive Player of the Year James Mallory to graduation, but retained the respect of the league’s coaches as evidenced by their preseason standing. Regardless of who carries the football, CCSU has featured the conference’s top rushing offense every season since head coach Jeff McInerney joined the program in 2006. The ability to pile up more than 200 yards per game on the ground has translated into wins for the Blue Devils. The team owns a 19-9 NEC record in four years under McInerney, who was a finalist for the Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year award in 2009.

Senior running back Brian Fowler (Geneva, NY/Erie CC), the team’s top returning rusher, will likely get his share of carries. Complimenting Mallory, Fowler totaled 526 rush yards last season and averaged 6.9 yards per clip. Senior lineman Mike Allison (Marlboro, CT/RHAM) gives the Blue Devils a preseason all-NEC talent in the trenches. Central Connecticut returns a valuable weapon and preseason all-NEC selection in the form of senior wide receiver Josue Paul (Delray Beach, FL/Pope John Paul II) who doubles as the team’s kick

(2010 NEC Football Preseason Poll Release; 1-of-5)

Bryant University (2012-13) • Central Connecticut State University • Fairleigh Dickinson University Long Island University • Monmouth University • Mount St. Mary’s University Quinnipiac University • Robert Morris Unviersity • Sacred Heart University St. Francis (NY) College • Saint Francis (PA) University • returner. Paul has return at least one kick for a touchdown in each of his three seasons at the collegiate level and broke out as a top-tier receiving threat last year. He logged 56 receptions for 839 yards and five touchdowns as a junior, including a 69-yard score that capped a 20- point fourth quarter and lifted CCSU to a one-point victory over Monmouth in the next-to-last week of the regular season. With quarterback Aubrey Norris having graduated, Paul will have a new person throwing passes to him. CCSU has brought in four capable young arms who McInerney expects to compete for the starting job in training camp.

The defending NEC champion Blue Devils also have a pair of preseason all-NEC performers on defense, both of whom reside in the secondary. Senior safety Alondre Rush (Middletown, CT/Xavier) made 78 tackles and two interceptions one year ago, while senior cornerback Dominique Rose (Hartford, CT/Sports Sciences) broke up six passes, intercepted one, and was an effective blitzer who registered a trio of sacks. Although he didn’t claim preseason accolades, senior Jeff Marino (New Britain, CT/New Britain), whose 93 tackles were tops on the team, was a second team all-league pick in 2009 and returns to lead a linebacking corps that features exciting sophomore Lawton Arnold (Simsbury, CT/Simsbury). As a rookie, Arnold made 50 tackles, including 6.5 for a loss, in nine games of action.

Robert Morris (5-6, 5-3 NEC) – Robert Morris won at least a share of every NEC title from 1996 until the turn of the century, but has not last found itself atop the NEC since 2000. The Colonials dropped their first six games of the 2009 campaign, but rebounded to win their final five. RMU’s second-half surge and the return of 19 starting players have given the Moon Township faithful a reason to believe the Colonials can reclaim NEC supremacy.

Not only did the Colonials win their last five games of the season, but they never trailed during that stretch. Robert Morris out-scored opponents by a 110-36 margin in those contests, while posting a plus-10 turnover margin. RMU’s defense, which became stingier as the season progressed, held their last five opponents to an average of 7.2 points per contest. The Colonials bring back seven starters from that unit, two of whom are preseason all-NEC selections — senior linebacker Alex DiMichele (Pittsburgh, PA/Sto-Rox) and senior defen- sive back Rolf Bathold (Naples, FL/Lely). DiMichele, who ranks 10th amongst all-time leading tackles in RMU history, was one of three NEC players to record more than 100 tackles in 2009. He made 8.0 of his 109 stops for a loss, while logging six passes defended and four fumble recoveries. Bathold broke up 12 passes and intercepted another three during his junior season. He’ll roam the secondary along with senior safety Michael Landers (Springdale, PA/Springdale), who made 80 tackles in 2009 after being named to the All-NEC First Team in 2008.

The legendary offensive mind of Joe Walton, the only coach the program has known, has a preseason all-NEC weapon to use at halfback. With what could be a third consecutive 1,000-yard season, senior Myles Russ (Boca Raton, FL/West Boca) would surpass Sam Dorsett as Robert Morris’ all-time leading rusher. Russ ran for 1,255 yards as a sophomore and added another 1059 last season despite battling through minor injuries. He’ll be taking hand-offs from sophomore signal caller Jeff Sinclair (Natrona Heights, PA/Highlands) who was a pleasant surprise in 2009. After winning the starting job, he threw for 828 yards and nine touchdowns over seven games. The shifty Sinclair also logged 128 yards and three TDs on the ground.

Senior placekicker Garrett Clawson (Duncansville, PA/Hollidaysburg) earned preseason all-NEC status after claiming first team honors as a junior when he made a league-high 14 field goals. Converting 78 percent of his attempts, Clawson thrice earned the NEC Special Teams Player of the Week award. It was his field goal that dealt Albany a 13-10 loss as time expired. Senior punter Nick Schirtzinger (Hurricane, WV/Hurricane), who placed 21 punts inside the opponents’ 20-yard line in 2009, has made two appearances in three years on the All-NEC Second Team. Clawson and Schirtzinger form what is arguably the most potent one-two punch in the NEC since former All- American Piotr Czech held both the placekicking and punting duties at Wagner.

Albany (7-4, 6-2 NEC) – The Great Danes stretched their NEC win streak to 18 games last year until a two-point loss at CCSU. Albany lost eight all-NEC players from last year’s team to graduation, none more impactful than the third leading rusher in NEC history - David McCarty. In addition to the departure of the Walter Payton Award candidate, Albany will have a new man under center and will also miss the services of leading receiver Tim Bush. The good news is UA returns nine starters and its legendary head coach Bob Ford, who is first in victories amongst active Division I FCS coaches. The Great Danes also boast a great NEC track record, remaining within the top half of the standings every season since joining the league in 1999.

(2010 NEC Football Preseason Poll Release; 2-of-5) Sophomore Andrew Smith (Schenectady, NY/Guilderland) can play all three offensive skill positions as proven during his freshman campaign when he lined up at quarterback, tailback, and wide receiver. He rushed for five TDs, caught 10 passes, and threw a 31-yard TD pass. Senior tight end Jason Poore (North Hoosick, NY/Hoosick Falls Central), a huge target at 6’6", is first amongst the Danes’ returning pass-catchers after making 26 receptions for 243 yards and two scores. Senior Andy Sparano (Colleyville, TX/Grapevine), who has played both guard and center during his career, is one of Albany’s two preseason all-NEC selections. He is also one of four starters returning to the trenches.

Senior defensive tackle Trevor Anderson (Warnersville, NY/Cobleskill-Richmondville) is the other preseason all-NEC pick. He made 36 tackles last year, including 5.5 hits for a loss and is joined by two-year starter Eddie Delaney (Holtsville, NY/Sachem East) on the defensive front. Delaney, an all-NEC player as a rookie, made 6.0 tackles for a loss. With no difference from years past, the Danes will face a challenging non-conference slate. Albany will face 2009 NCAA quarterfinalist Stephen F. Austin, member Yale, and CAA powerhouse Maine, whom UA defeated last year.

Wagner (6-5, 5-3 NEC) — Wagner coach Walt Hameline stands five victories short of the 200-win mark, and his Seahawks have an offense more than capable of taking him there and beyond. The Seahawks averaged a conference-best 30.7 points last year on the way to their highest NEC win total (5) since 2000. Quarterback Nick Doscher ( NY/Moore Catholic), the reigning NEC Offensive Rookie of the Year, returns for second season on Staten Island after accumulating 2,099 yards of offense and claiming responsibility for 21 touchdowns (13 rushing, 8 passing). Fellow sophomore, and preseason all-NEC pick, Dominique Williams (Bridgeton, NJ/Milford Academy) will line up at running back. Williams was the team’s second-leading rusher as a freshman behind Doscher, totaling 642 yards, nine touchdowns, and a 5.7 yards per carry average. The two will run behind a veteran offensive line that features preseason all-NEC picks Cleveland Green (Hollywood, FL/MacArthur) and Joe Feriozzi (Margate, NJ/St. Augustine).

No NEC team scored more points than Wagner in 2009, but no team surrendered more either. Wagner’s leading tackler is back in the form of senior safety Chaz Legette (Syracuse, NY/Nottingham). A 6-foot-1, 230-pound second-year linebacker, C.O. Prime (Quebec, Canada/Kent School) flashed brilliance as a freshman. He made 48 stops and recovered three fumbles. Perhaps the Seahawks’ greatest defensive weapon is preseason all-NEC punter Kyle Muir (Spencerport, NY/Hudson CC) who experienced little difficulty handling the swirling winds of in his first season as a Seahawk. Muir’s 39.9 yards per punt led the league. Senior Frantz Placide (Miami FL/Archbishop Curley) is another one of Wagner’s special specialists. The 6-foot-2 defensive back blocked six kicks, returned two for touchdowns, and posted a NEC-high 26.8 yards per kickoff return average.

Monmouth (5-6, 4-4 NEC) – The Hawks have rarely found themselves in the lower portion of the preseason poll rankings and there is a good reason why that has been the case. Veteran head coach Kevin Callahan has established a perennial NEC title contender at the Jersey Shore and has led the team to a 58-33 league mark over the past 14 years. Since 1996, the Hawks have only twice finished the season with a losing NEC record. On the surface it looks like they have lost a lot with the graduation of Walter Payton Award candidate David Sinisi, the conference’s all-time leading rusher, amongst others, but the Hawks have four preseason all-NEC selections. Veteran offensive guard Shawn Wright (Fort Washington, MD/DeMatha) will attempt to live up to his preseason billing and become the first Monmouth Hawk to earn postseason all-NEC honors for a fourth straight year since current Miami Dolphin John Nalbone accomplished the feat in 2008. With Wright anchoring the right side, a pair of returning starters occupy the left guard and tackle positions. They’ll protect sophomore quarterback Kyle Frazier (Gaithersburg, MD/Damascus) who was forced into a starting role as a freshman when Andrew Mandeville went down with an injury. The rookie signal caller completed nearly 60 percent of his passes for 1,453 yards and 10 touchdowns to only four interceptions. Frazier will get an instant boost when veteran receiver Nick Romeo (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Hills) takes the field after missing all of 2009, except for the first half of the season opener, due to injury.

Monmouth’s three other preseason all-NEC selections lead a defensive unit that welcomes back nine starters. Reigning NEC Defensive Player of the Year Jose Gumbs (Queens, NY/Hebron) headlines the group. Gumbs earns preseason honors at linebacker, where he stepped up to fill an injury void midway through 2009, but will move back to his natural safety spot this season. Preseason all-NEC safety Kendall Haley (Olney, MD/Good Counsel), who made 86 tackles and three interceptions last year, returns to the secondary as well. Preseason all-NEC down lineman Dave Ogden (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Hills) comes off of his best collegiate campaign to date during which he made a team-high 10.0 tackles for a loss.

(2010 NEC Football Preseason Poll Release; 3-of-5) Bryant (5-6, 4-4 NEC) — Bryant is set for its second season of playing a full Northeast Conference schedule. The Bulldogs, who accepted an invitation to join the NEC in 2007, has encountered little trouble in their transition into the Division I FCS ranks. In two years since beginning the reclassification process, Bryant has won 12 games, including eight over fellow league members. Head coach Marty Fine is preparing his team for 2012, the season during which Bryant becomes eligible for postseason play. Fine welcomes back Michael Croce (Waterbury, CT/Holy Cross) under center, but the junior quarterback won’t be handing off to Jerrell Smith or Lindsey Gamble. The since- graduated Smith and Gamble are two of the top four rushers in program history. Still, Fine has confidence that senior Mike Canfora (Verona, NJ/Verona) and sophomore Jordan Brown (Glastonbury, CT/Glastonbury) can develop into a two-headed monster. Senior tight end Matt Tracey (Littleton, CO/Heritage), a preseason all-NEC selection who stands at 6’5" and 240 pounds, gives Croce a reliable target in the passing game. In 2009, he made a team-high 35 receptions for 476 yards and six scores.

On defense, the Bulldogs return their leading tackler and a battle-tested secondary. Senior linebacker Jason Riffe (Newton, MA/Newton North) made a team-high 75 stops last year, including 11.5 for a loss. As starters last season, junior cornerback Samad Wagstaff (New Rochelle, NY/New Rochelle) and senior safety Addison Lynch (Braintree, MA/Braintree) combined for four interceptions and five pass break-ups.

Duquesne (3-8, 2-6 NEC) — Duquesne hopes its third season in the Northeast Conference is a healthy one. Veteran head coach saw his roster ravaged by injury in 2009. It started in training camp when 2009 preseason all-NEC tight end Sean Bunevich (North Ridgeville, OH/North Ridgeville) was lost for the season. Junior wide receiver Akeem Moore (Pittsburgh, PA/Brentwood) was limited to three games due to injury and senior wide receiver/kick returner Dave Williams (Monroeville, PA/Michigan State), a 2010 preseason all-NEC pick, saw his season end in Week 7. All three will return to the lineup this fall along with sophomore tailback Larry McCoy (Wytheville, VA/George Wythe), who rushed for 807 yards (5.0 ypc) and eight touchdowns as a rookie. The Dukes’ defensive front features a pair of proven playmakers in senior linebacker Nathan Totino (Pittsburgh, PA/Seton-LaSalle) and senior tackle Thaimu Bangura (Lanham, MD/Eleanor Roosevelt), the latter of which is a member of the 2010 Preseason All-NEC Team. Totino has been Duquesne’s top tackler in each of the previous two seasons, while Bangura registered 6.5 tackles for a loss and three pass-break-ups as a junior starter. Schmitt made four additions to his coaching staff in the offseason. Among them is former Saint Francis (PA) head coach, and Penn State star, Dave Opfar who takes over as the defensive coordinator. Dwain Painter brings 30-plus years of coaching at the collegiate and professional levels as an offensive assistant.

Sacred Heart (2-8, 2-6 NEC) — The Pioneers would like to rediscover the recipe for success they used in when they finished third in the final league standings after being picked next-to-last in the preseason poll. Head coach Paul Gorham has the conference’s most-experienced signal caller. Senior quarterback Dale Fink (Swansea, IL/Althoff Catholic) has thrown for over 2,000 yards in each of the past two years and is responsible for a program-record 67 touchdown passes since starting under center as a red-shirt freshman. Now that Fink’s prime target Steve Tedesco has exhausted his football eligibility - the two hooked up on 32 scoring strikes the past three seasons – junior Rich Rossi (Moosic, PA/Milford Academy) will have a chance to be the team’s top receiver. The success of the offense will also hinge upon the health and development of veteran running backs Marcel Archer (Miami, FL/Aquinas) and Garry Coles (Southington, CT/Southington). The two offer an effective change of pace with Archer running with power and Coles displaying his elusiveness. The latter also has credentials as an all-NEC kick returner. The return of senior defensive end Bill O’Brien (Lafayette, NY/Lafayette), who was sidelined by injury in 2009, should provide an immediate boost to the defense and strengthen SHU up front where it also boasts preseason all-NEC end Justin Embler (Cinnaminson, NJ/Cinnaminson).

Saint Francis (PA) (2-9, 1-7 NEC) — Chris Villarrial has accomplished a lot on the football field, having been an All-Pro during his playing career with the National Football League’s and . His next challenge comes on the sidelines. Villarrial, a Pennsylvanian through and through, takes the reigns of a program that has struggled in recent years. The energetic Villarrial, who is determined to change the attitude of the team, has some tools to use in his first season at the helm. Sophomore running back Kyle Harbridge (Easton, PA/Easton) averaged 6.2 yards per carry as a rookie and broke a few big ones on his way to three scores. The Red Flash’s linebacking corps has been one of the league’s strongest since veterans Scott Lewis (South Fork, PA/Bishop McCort) and Matthew Parker (Darlington, PA/Blackhawk) arrived on campus, both of whom have earned all-NEC accolades in the past. Last year, the duo combined for 221 total tackles.

(2010 NEC Football Preseason Poll Release; 4-of-5) 2010 NEC Football Preseason All-Conference Team

Offense

Pos Name School Yr Ht Wt Hometown/High School QB Nick Doscher Wagner So. 6-1 220 Staten Island, NY/Moore Catholic RB Myles Russ Robert Morris Sr. 5-8 170 Boca Raton, FL/West Boca RB Dominique Williams Wagner So. 5-9 200 Bridgeton, NJ/Mildford Academy WR Josue Paul Central Connecticut State Sr. 6-1 190 Delray Beach, FL/Pope John Paul II WR Dave Williams Duquesne Sr. 5-10 185 Monroeville, PA/Gateway TE Matt Tracey Bryant Sr. 6-5 240 Littleton, CO/Heritage OL Mike Allison Central Connecticut State Sr. 6-6 300 Marlboro, CT/RHAM OL Joe Feriozzi Wagner Sr. 6-5 275 Margate, NJ/Saint Augustine OL Cleveland Green Wagner Sr. 6-1 290 Hollywood, FL/MacArthur OL Andy Sparano Albany Sr. 5-11 270 Colleyville, TX/Grapevine OL Shawn Wright Monmouth Sr. 6-2 295 Ft. Washington, MD/Dematha

Defense

Pos Name School Yr Ht Wt Hometown/High School DL Trevor Anderson Albany Sr. 6-2 295 Warnersville, NY/Cobbleskill-Richmondville DL Thaimu Bangura Duquesne Sr. 6-2 280 Lanham, MD/Eleanor Roosevelt DL Justin Embler Sacred Heart Jr. 6-3 225 Cinnaminson, NJ/Cinnaminson DL Dave Ogden Monmouth Sr. 6-2 260 Wayne, NJ/Wayne Hills LB Jose Gumbs Monmouth Jr. 5-11 205 Queens, NY/Hebron Academy LB Alex DiMichele Robert Morris Sr. 6-2 240 Pittsburgh, PA/Sto-Rox LB Scott Lewis Saint Francis (PA) Sr. 5-11 200 South Fork, PA/Bishop McCort DB Rolf Bathold Robert Morris Sr. 5-10 175 Naples, FL/Lely DB Kendall Haley Monmouth Sr. 5-11 205 Olney, MD/Good Counsel DB Dominique Rose Central Connecticut State Sr. 5-11 175 Hartford, CT/Sports Sciences DB Alondre Rush Central Connecticut State Sr. 6-0 190 Middletown, CT/Xavier

Special Teams

Pos Name School Yr Ht Wt Hometown/High School K Garrett Clawson Robert Morris Sr. 5-11 175 Duncansville, PA/Hollidaysburg P Kyle Muir Wagner Sr. 6-2 195 Spencerport, NY/Spencerport(Hudson CC) RS Frantz Placide Wagner Sr. 6-2 205 Miami, FL/Archbishop Curley

(2010 NEC Football Preseason Poll Release; 5-of-5)