Quick Gene L. Shirk Facts Stadium This is Albright About Albright Athletics Shirk Stadium, dedicated in 1925 and home to the Albright Lions for over 80 years, underwent major renovations in 2005, turning it into one of the top Division Location: Reading, Pa. III football stadiums in the nation. The athletics program at Albright College is geared towards student-athletes Year Founded: 1856 who love their sport and want the freedom to explore everything college life has The original home grandstand, built nearly a century ago, was replaced with a new building that seats 3,000 spectators while providing locker rooms, training Enrollment: 1,700 to offer. facilities, and a laundry room for the Lion football, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s lacrosse, and field hockey teams. A state-of-the-art press President: Lex O. McMillan III, Ph.D. box sits atop the home grandstand, giving both visiting media and VIP’s a first-class place to watch the game. The natural-grass playing surface was replaced Athletic Directors: Rick Ferry and Janice Luck Albright sponsors 23 sports teams on the varsity level, 11 for men and 12 for women, with more than 30 percent participation of the student body in intercol- with A-turf, an artificial turf surface that allows multi-sport play in the new stadium. The stadium also features top-of-the-line lighting poles that allow for night Assistant Athletic Director: Jeff Feiler legiate athletics. The college also supports varsity cheerleading, established games to be played throughout the year. Nickname: Lions club teams (including the 2011 NRU Division IV national finalist women’s rugby Colors: Red and White club) and a wide variety of seasonal intramurals. A new grandstand on the visitors’ side seats 2,000 spectators, giving Shirk Stadium a total seating capacity of 5,000. Standing room for spectators is also Affiliation: NCAA Division III, ECAC available at either end zone. Albright is a member of the 18-team Middle Atlantic Conference, one of the Conference: Middle Atlantic Conference nation’s strongest NCAA Division III conferences. Because of that, student- A new main entrance, concession stands, and restroom areas sit at the south end of the stadium. athletes at Albright have the rare opportunity to compete on a high level and History of Albright Football enjoy the benefits of the small-college environment. In addition to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and MAC, Albright is affiliated with the Founded: 1892 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC). Seasons/Record: 106/444-469-24*# *-No Team 1895-99, 1901, 1907-1911 Albright coaches ask for dedication both on the fields and in the classrooms. #-Did not play due to WWII 1943-45 Despite the challenge, many Lion athletes earn grade-point averages of 3.0 and above in a variety of pre-professional disciplines and distinctive programs. NCAA Tournament Appearances: 4 (09, 96, 76, 75) Albright is about academic excellence first and foremost. Middle Atlantic Conference Championships: 10 (08, 97, 96, 77, 76, 75, 72, 68, 60, 59) About Albright College ECAC Bowl Game Championships: 6 (12, 08, 04, 01, 97, 95) Best Finish in NCAA Tournament: Quarterfinal Round (09, 96, 76, 75) Welcome to Albright College. Founded in 1856, Albright celebrates more than a Most Wins in Program History: 11 (09) century and a half of a rich academic heritage in the liberal arts and a dynamic, TABLE OF CONTENTS welcoming and collaborative campus community. Sports Information With 1,700 traditional undergraduate students, Albright is able to offer a 13:1 Quick Facts 1 SID: Jimmy McCumber student/faculty ratio, close student/faculty relationships and an emphasis on the Gene L. Shirk Stadium 2 Office: 610-921-7786 whole individual. Classes are small and interactive, giving students extraordi- Season Preview 3-4 nary opportunities to get to know their professors and to engage in hands-on Fax: 610-921-7566 Coaching Staff 5-12 research and creative opportunities with them. Pressbox: 610-929-6754 Preseason Roster 13-14 Hotline: 610-929-6668 As a national liberal arts college, Albright offers 50 programs of undergradu- Returning Player Bios 15-22 Website: www.albrightathletics.com ate study, ranging from accounting to theatre, that are grounded in a common Opponent Profiles 23-28 curriculum instilling lifelong skills in communication, critical thinking, adaptability Season Review 29-32 and a love of learning. Albright is also a national leader in interdisciplinary Broadcasts education, offering a broad range of interdisciplinary programs including digital Individual Statistics 33-34 Home Games (Video): EZ-Stream media, information systems, optics, Latin American studies, psychobiology, bio- Defensive Statistics 35 Away Games (Audio): www.teamline.cc chemistry and environmental studies, as well as combined concentrations such Team Statistics 36 as music/business. More than half of all students at Albright opt for combined Play-by-Play Announcer: Bob McCool or interdisciplinary majors—and still graduate in four years. In fact, in any given Individual Career Records 37-38 year, students create more than 200 different combinations of majors. Individual Season Records 39-40 Sports Medicine Single Game Records 41-42 In addition, Albright’s long tradition of excellence in the natural sciences and Athletic Trainer: Rick Partsch, MS, LAT, ATC All-Time Longest Plays 43 pre-professional programs continues to prepare graduates for medical, dental Assistant Athletic Trainer: Danielle Belfanti, LAT, ATC and veterinary school. Team Records 44 Assistant Athletic Trainer: Ashley Care, MS, LAT, ATC Award Winners 45-47 Assistant Athletic Trainer: Lindsay Rice, MS, LAT, ATC An Albright liberal arts education—the foundation for which lies in a course of Coaching Records 48 study that combines breadth and depth—helps students to expand horizons, All-Time Series Records 49 Team Orthopedist: Stephen Soffer, M.D. discover new perspectives and connect the dots among disciplines. While it Team Physician: Josh Williamson, M.D. lays the foundation for a future career, it also produces well-rounded, well- Year-by-Year Results 50-54 Training Room Phone: 610-921-7827 informed graduates with a wide skill set, graduates who will thrive in today’s ever-changing world. Albright is about academic excellence first and foremost. 1 WWW.ALBRIGHTATHLETICS.COM WWW.ALBRIGHTATHLETICS.COM 2 A loaded defense, one that should be the best Shirk Stadium has seen in years, features nine returning starters from 2012 and returning medical-redshirt starters Season JT Harding and Don Gould. “It helps us grow a less experienced offense and Matt Pattison Preview help them settle in,” said Marzka. Matt Pattison, a two-time All-MAC selection and USA College Football Pre- season All-American, plays at defensive end and on the inside. Harding returns “The 2012 season for us was a tale of two halves,” says Albright football head coach John Marzka. to anchor the interior line, while junior nose tackle Quashon Mayes is also back. After a disappointing 3-2 start that all but eliminated Albright from NCAA contention, the Lions finished 5-1 down the stretch. The only defeat A loaded defensive end group could include Pattison (nine career sacks, 21 was a close five-point loss to eventual NCAA quarterfinalists Widener, and Albright won a big rivalry game over Lebanon Valley to close out the tackles for loss), Gould (6.5 sacks, 10 TFLs), Mark Capetola (school records with regular season and clinch an ECAC Bowl berth. four forced fumbles and 6.5 TFLs in one game) and Tyler Hamlet. That will allow Albright to rotate often on the defensive line to keep players fresh. In the most exciting game of the year, Albright fought back from 14 points down by scoring three quick touchdowns in the fourth quarter to beat Franklin & Marshall 38-34 in the ECAC Middle linebacker Paul Hobbs returns, as does starting WLB Matt Filosa. Others South-East Bowl. expected to see time at linebacker include sophomore Mike Walsh, who adds even more pass rushing threat to the defense, along with Sean Cunningham, Demonya Womack and Ethan Martin. “That’s the thing I was most proud about our players from 2012,” said Marzka. “They finished the season the best way they could, given our situation.” The entire starting secondary returns, including several exceptional athletes. Safety Drew Peterson was a first team USA College Football and third team BSN Preseason All-American, and has totaled eight interceptions and two national Defensive Player of the Week nods over the past “It gives us a lot of momentum heading into the offseason, and we capitalized on that momen- two seasons. The athletic, 6-foot-3 safety will be joined by fellow senior Matthew Hnatiuk. tum with the job we did in the spring.” Albright will have 31 seniors in 2013, including a record seven fifth-year players. Junior Chris Stephens earned All-MAC honors as a sophomore and is developing into a lockdown cover corner. Senior Levi Myers brings a massive physical presence to the other cornerback spot. The Lions lost both of their All-American selections on offense, wide receiver Scott Pillar and fullback Marty Reinhardt, along with several starters on the line (including All-ECAC guard “We have a lot of depth, a lot of returning starters, and a lot of maturity,” said Mar- Jake Bentsen). The six returning offensive regulars are all seniors however, lending some key zka. “I’m really excited about our prospects this year defensively.” TJ Luddy experience to the unit. Albright has consistently had outstanding special teams over recent years, and that Drew Peterson Fifth-year Josh Barndt will anchor the line as he returns for another year at center. Senior Matt trend should continue in 2013.