Sophomore Stephan Neville earned first team All-NE-10 honors as both a returner and cornerback. |
Neville headlines six All-Conference selections with first team honors on offense and defense; Gaines tabbed Co-Freshman of the Year, earns spot on All-Rookie team
EASTON, Mass. (December 15, 2009) - Seven members of the Stonehill College football team received postseason honors from the Northeast-10 Conference recently. The six All-Conference selections match a program high for the Skyhawks set last season.
Sophomore cornerback/kick returner Stephan Neville (Foxborough, Mass./Foxborough) led five first team All-Northeast-10 selections by earning the honors at both positions. Joining Neville on the first team are seniors Thomas Pfeifer (West Babylon, N.Y./West Babylon) and Andrew Lesko (Northampton, Mass./Northampton) as well as sophomore Chris Rooney (Quincy, Mass./Catholic Memorial). Junior running back Eddie Vachon (Newton, Mass./Blair Academy) rounded out the Skyhawks All-Conference selections with a spot on the second team, while freshman Jareed Gaines (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley) earned Co-Freshman of the Year honors as well as a spot on the NE-10's All-Rookie Team.
Neville |
Neville, who becomes the first Stonehill football player to earn first team All-Conference honors at two positions in the same season, posted the top return average in Division II this fall as he averaged 36.7 yards per return, piling up 881 yards on 24 returns including three for touchdowns. He also totaled 59 tackles (39 solo), including 2.0 for a loss of three yards, a team-best four interceptions (5th NE-10), eight pass breakups (3rd) and a forced fumble at cornerback.
Two of Neville's three kickoff returns for touchdowns came on the game's opening kickoff, including a season-best 94-yard return on the opening kick to set the tone for Stonehill's 23-21 victory over then 24th-ranked and rival Bentley University in the season finale. He earns All-NE-10 honors for the second-straight year after earning second team accolades as a kick returner as a freshman.
Pfeifer |
Pfeifer, a tri-captain for Stonehill this season, also earns All-Conference accolades for the second-straight year after collecting second team offensive line honors in 2008. Pfeifer spearheaded a Skyhawks offensive line that ranked fourth among NE-10 leaders in rushing offense with 132.1 yards per game Stonehill also averaged 280 yards of total offense and 23.7 points per game this past season.
Pfeifer was a four-year starter at left tackle for Stonehill. He started 34 games over his career.
Lesko |
Lesko earns All-NE-10 honors for the first time with his season with his selection to the first team defensive line. In nine games played, he totaled 49 tackles (21 solo), with a team-best 16.0 for a loss (4th NE-10) of 87 yards, including 8.5 sacks (3rd) for a loss of 61 yards, three pass breakups, two quarterback hurries and two forced fumbles (3rd). He finished the season tied for fourth on Stonehill's single-season list for tackles for loss and ranked sixth in program history for sacks.
Lesko appeared in 34 games over his career at Stonehill, totaling 118 tackles, including 16.0 sacks.
Rooney |
Rooney also earns All-NE-10 honors for the first time with his first team selection as punter. His 38.9-yards per punt led the Conference as he amassed 1,324 yards on 34 punts, including a career-long of 58 yards at No. 22 Glenville State College in week one. Rooney booted seven punts of 50-plus yards overall and placed 12 inside the 20, including an impressive seven inside the five yard line, with just two touchbacks. He also showed a knack for scrambling, picking up first downs on three fake punts during the season while averaging 12.7 yards per carry.
Rooney, also a fullback for Stonehill, has appeared in 18 games over his two year career. He ranked third among NE-10 punters as a freshman with his 36.7-yard average in 2008.
Vachon |
Vachon rounds out the All-Conference selections from Stonehill with his second-straight second team All-NE-10 honor. He finished the season ranked fourth in the NE-10 with 91.4 yards per game as he carried the ball 190 times for 914 yards (4.8/rush) with seven touchdowns. Vachon also racked up 1,357 all-purpose yards in ten games for 135.7 per game (5th NE-10), adding 25 catches for 202 yards and three touchdowns and a combined 25 kick and punt returns for 242 yards.
Vachon, who became Stonehill's all-time leader with 3,281 career all-purpose yards in the Skyhawks season finale against Bentley, also enters his final collegiate season with 1,902 career yards rushing (4th all-time at Stonehill) in 36 career games played. His rushing yardage this season is the fourth-highest single-season total in program history, while his ten touchdowns are tied for third.
Gaines |
Gaines made an immediate impact on the defensive side of the ball for Stonehill this season, earning NE-10 Freshman of the Week four times and Defensive Player of the Week once. He filled the stat sheet in his first collegiate season, posting 51 tackles (21 solo) with 7.0 tackles for a loss of 18 yards, including 3.0 sacks for a loss of nine, three pass breakups, two quarterback hurries, two fumble recoveries (both of which he returned for touchdowns), a forced fumble and two blocked kicks.
Stonehill finished its season with a 5-5 record overall, 4-4 in the Northeast-10 to finish tied for fifth in the Conference standings. The Skyhawks won their last three games, and four of their last five overall, including a dramatic 23-21 triumph over then 24th-ranked and rivals Bentley in the season finale.
