Click here for live audio only
Tickets:
Adults - $5.00
Senior Citizens - $3.00
BROCKTON ENTERPRISE: "Skyhawks rested, ready and rarin'" by Jim Fenton
| Coach's Corner with Robert Talley |
The Game: Stonehill closes out the regular season with a matchup against Pace University at Pace Field this afternoon. The Skyhawks are coming off their bye week and look to finish the season strong after dropping a hard-fought 45-41 decision to No. 3-ranked University of New Haven, in a game televised live on CBS Sports Network, 16 days ago. The Setters, who will not play in the NE-10 Championship Weekend next Saturday, look to close out the season on a winning note after falling to Assumption College, 59-31, last weekend.
Media Info: Today's game is being broadcast live on AM 1230 WFAS in Pleasantville, N.Y., with audio links available through www.pacesetters.com and www.stonehillskyhawks.com. Seth Cantor has the call of all the action.
Four Score: Stonehill has clinched the No. 4 seed for next weekend's inaugural Northeast-10 Conference Championship Weekend and will host seventh-seeded Southern Connecticut State University at W.B. Mason Stadium on Saturday, November 10, at 1 p.m. The Skyhawks and Owls are both locked into their seeds for next weekend regardless of this weekend's results based on head to head tiebreakers with teams around them should they finish tied. Stonehill claimed its first win over Southern in program history (13-0) in Easton back on September 8.
Against the Setters: This afternoon marks the 18th meeting all-time between these two programs. Pace holds a narrow 9-8 advantage in the series after the two teams split a pair of games in 2011. The Setters claimed a 23-20 overtime decision here at Pace Field in September, marking the last time they posted a win, while the Skyhawks got payback with a commanding 49-0 triumph in the NE-10 matchup in Easton, Mass., in October. Stonehill is 2-7 all-time here in Pleasantville, with its last win coming with a 27-0 victory here in 2010. The Skyhawks have won four of the last five and five of the last seven in the series and have not allowed a single point over the last nine quarters between the two teams in Conference play. Head Coach Robert Talley is 5-2 in his career against the Setters.
Stephen Grzywacz |
Grzywacz Recognized by The Fred Mitchell Award Committee: Freshman Stephen Grzywacz (Manchester, N.H.) is one of 31 placekickers nationwide recognized by The Fred Mitchell Award for their excellence on the field and in the community for the month of October. Grzywacz is among 12 placekickers from NCAA Division II football and just four freshmen recognized for the month of October. Grzywacz shared the team lead for Stonehill with 24 points during the month of October by converting 6-of-7 field goals and 6-of-8 extra points. He converted field goals from 20 (twice), 24, 26, 31 and 36 yards for the month. Grzywacz participated in Stonehill's "Into the Streets" program during freshman orientation by volunteering at a local unemployment office. He also continues to volunteer at a local soup kitchen in his hometown. The recipient of the Fred Mitchell Award will be announced in mid-December based on performances on the field and in the community.
They're Honored: Four Stonehill players were named to the Northeast-10's weekly honor roll following its setback to No. 3 New Haven two weeks ago. Seniors John Gomes (Hyannis, Mass.) and Ryan Hunt (Yonkers, N.Y.), junior Logan Meyer (Ventura, Calif.) and sophomore Nate Robitaille (Attleboro, Mass.) all posted standout performances against the Chargers. Gomes posted 141 all-purpose yards, catching touchdown passes of eight and 15 yards to go with 107 yards on three kick returns. Hunt posted a career-high ten tackles (seven solo), including 1.0 for a loss of four yards. Meyer completed 19-of-35 passes for 296 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions against the league's top defense. Robitaille posted a career-high 147 yards on seven receptions with two touchdowns.
Raise Talley's Tally: Fans can now vote for head coach Robert Talley for the NCAA Division II Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year program at coachoftheyear.com. The Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award recognizes college football coaches who demonstrate Sportsmanship, Integrity, Responsibility and Excellence both on and off the field. Endorsed by the College Football Hall of Fame, the program awards one winning coach from each NCAA division (I-FBS, I-FCS, II, and III) with $50,000 to donate to a charity of their choice, a $20,000 grant to each school's alumni association, and the Coach of the Year trophy. Remember to #votetalley every day!
A Winning Mark: Stonehill looks to post its first winning season in Northeast-10 play with a victory this afternoon. The Skyhawks last finished above .500 in NE-10 play in head coach Robert Talley's first season in 2007 when they finished 5-4. Stonehill will also be looking for wins over the next two weeks to post its first overall winning season since going 8-2 under Connie Driscoll in 1996.
It's Been A While: While Stonehill enjoyed a much needed bye last weekend, due to the nature of the schedule and its nationally televised game against No. 3 New Haven on Thursday night, the Skyhawks will take the field for the first time in 16 days this afternoon against Pace. That comes on the heels of a stretch of three games in a 14 day span leading up to the Thursday night game with New Haven on October 18.
John Gomes |
Movin' On Up: Several Stonehill players are marching up Stonehill's career and single-season leader lists in program history:
• Senior Jareed Gaines (Lumberton, N.J.) moved into third place on Stonehill's career tackles list with 301, becoming the third Stonehill player to record 300 plus career stops. He will likely finish his career there as he is currently 75 tackles behind Darren Shaughnessy's (1999-02) total of 376 tackles for second all-time.
• Gaines is currently fourth all-time with 159 career solo tackles.
• Gaines' 37.0 career tackles for loss rank fifth all-time - 1.5 behind Tony Pires (2003-06) for fourth.
• Senior Jermetrius Troy (Mattapan, Mass.) is tied for sixth in program history with 14 career rushing
touchdowns, one shy of moving into the top five.
• Troy ranks sixth all-time with 1,528 career yards rushing - 41 yards behind Rob Olivar (2000-03) for fifth place.
• Senior John Gomes (Hyannis, Mass.) became Stonehill's second 2,000 yard receiver in program history at
Bentley, joining Dan Cahill (1992-95) as the only two 2,000 yard receivers in program history. Gomes' 2,139
career yards are 116 yards behind Cahill's school-record total of 2,245.
• Gomes is fourth all-time with 16 career touchdown receptions - three behind Brian Adamson (1994-97) for third place.
• Gomes has also moved into the program's career top ten for all-purpose yards with 3,013, ranking sixth all-time. He is 98 yards from moving into the top three.
Nobody Beats the Grz: Freshman placekicker Stephen Grzywacz (Manchester, N.H.) broke the program's single-season record for field goals in a season with his first of two against No. 3 New Haven on October 18. His Northeast-10 leading ten field goals this season surpass the previous record of eight set by Pat Matthews in 1993 and matched twice by Joe Crowley in 2002 and 2003. Grzywacz ranks third among NE-10 leaders for kicker scoring with a team-high 49 points in his first collegiate season and ranks seventh overall in the NE-10 for scoring.
Turn 'Em Over: Stonehill enters tonight's game ranked 30th nationally in Division II for turnovers forced with a Northeast-10 leading 22. The Skyhawks rank second in the NE-10 with 12 interceptions (34th nationally) and ten fumble recoveries (41st) , while ranking second for fourth down defense (31st) at 31.6-percent (6-for-19). Senior Jareed Gaines (Lumberton, N.J.) leads the NE-10 with three forced fumbles (10th), while classmate Mickey Miela (Foothill Ranch, Calif.) and Kevin Anderson (Topsfield, Mass.) and junior Tim Bennett (Fillmore, Calif.) have all intercepted a team-high three passes.
Jareed Gaines |
In the Zone: Stonehill's defense ranks 27th nationally in Division II for Red Zone Defense holding its opposition to 68-percent scoring rate inside its 20 yard line (2nd NE-10). In 31 opponent drives inside its red zone, the Skyhawks have allowed 21 scores (124 points) on 115 touchdowns (eight rushing) and six field goals.
Defensive Gaines: Senior defensive back Jareed Gaines (Lumberton, N.J.) leads the Northeast-10 with 91 tackles (5th nationally) and 55 solo stops (3rd) this season. He also leads the NE-10 with three forced fumbles (10th) and ranks second with nine pass breakups, while ranking sixth with 7.5 tackles for a loss of 20 yards.
4,000 Club: Junior quarterback Logan Meyer (Ventura, Calif.) became the fifth player in program history to pass for over 3,000 yards in his career when he passed the milestone with his 162 yards at Saint Anselm in week three. In Stonehill's win over Assumption, he moved past Cruz Parsons (2005-08) for third place all-time and enters tonight's game with 3,939 career yards - 61 yards from becoming the program's third 4,000 yard passer and 268 yards behind Mark Drake (1988-91) for second all-time.
For Henry: The Stonehill football team keeps the memory of former teammate and friend, Henry Thevenin, '14, close to them once again this season after dedicating the 2011 season to him. Thevenin passed away on June 14, 2011, due to complications from a two-month battle with leukemia. The Skyhawks continue to maintain his locker in a place of prominence in the team lockerroom. In week one of last season against Curry, the team honored Thevenin by playing its first defensive play with ten players. Thevenin appeared in seven games for the football team, starting the last six, as a freshman in 2010. He totaled 18 tackles, eight solo, with a pass breakup for the Skyhawks. Thevenin was a 2009 graduate of nearby Brockton High School and prepped one year at Suffield Academy in Connecticut.
Aye, Aye, Captains: Head Coach Robert Talley named seniors Chris Bolte (OL) and Jareed Gaines (DB) as team captains for the 2012 season after a vote of the returning players last spring.
Back-to-Back-to-Back: Stonehill captured its third-straight Northeast-10 Presidents' Cup for the 2011-12 academic year, marking the eighth-straight year the Skyhawks have finished in the top three for the final standings. Stonehill captured its fourth Presidents' Cup overall by accumulating a program-best 189.5 points during the academic year to edge second place Southern Connecticut State University (177.0) by over 12 points.
Academic Success: Stonehill College has been recognized for its academic performance with regard to graduation rate by earning a 97-percent Academic Success Rating (ASR) as released by the NCAA last week. The ASR considers the academic success rate of the institution based on the graduation rate of student-athletes while also giving credit for any student-athletes that transferred from the institution while in good academic standing. In addition to Stonehill's overall ASR of 97%, nine of Stonehill's 16 athletic programs (cross country and indoor and outdoor track & field are combined by the NCAA) received perfect scores of 100%. Stonehill's 97% ASR ranks second among NE-10 institutions behind just Saint Michael's College (98%) and ranks fifth overall in NCAA Division II. The football team maintained an ASR of 95% - signifigantly higher than the federal rate of 80%.
Getting Social: Fans and media members of Stonehill athletics now have two social media outlets to get updates on all 20 varsity programs. The department's Facebook page is www.facebook.com/stonehillskyhawks, and you can also follow @SkyhawkTalk on Twitter!
On Deck: Stonehill will be seeded fourth and will host seventh-seeded Southern Connecticut State University for the inaugural NE-10 Championship Weekend next Saturday at W.B. Mason Stadium at 1 p.m.