Stonehill Ranked 6th in ECAC Lambert Meadowlands Poll


Head Coach Robert Talley has the Skyhawks off to their best start since 1996 and are ranked in the ECAC Lambert Meadowlands Poll for the first time in program history. (PHOTO BY Emily Reynolds)

Skyhawks move up two spots after making poll debut last week

EASTON, Mass. (October 22, 2013) – The Stonehill College football program, off to its best start in 17 years, has moved up two spots to No. 6 in the second Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) Lambert Meadowlands Division II poll of the season. The Skyhawks made their program debut in poll's first ranking of the year with a No. 8 ranking last week.

Stonehill (5-2, 5-1 NE-10) is one of three Northeast-10 Conference members to appear in the Lambert Meadowlands Poll for the second straight week and are coming off a 29-26 comeback win at 8th-ranked University of New Haven (5-2, 5-1 NE-10) on Saturday, creating a three-way tie for first place in the NE-10 standings along with American International College (5-2, 5-1 NE-10), ranked 5th in the Lambert Poll. Bloomsburg (Pa.) University, which defeated Stonehill 41-13 in week one is ranked first in this week's poll.

Click Here to View Full Poll

Stonehill earned a huge leg up on American International and New Haven to earn its first ever appearance in the upcoming Northeast-10 Championship Game on Saturday, November 16, with its win over the Chargers on Saturday. The Skyhawks would clinch a spot in the Championship by winning its remaining three games as New Haven and AIC still have their head-to-head regular season matchup remaining on November 2.

Stonehill, receiving votes in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II poll for the second-straight week and third week overall this fall, has its own work cut out for it, starting with a matchup with LIU Post (3-4, 2-4 NE-10) this Saturday at W.B. Mason Stadium at noon. The Skyhawks host Pace University (0-7, 0-6 NE-10) for its Purple & White Game and Senior Day on Saturday, November 2 (noon), before closing out the regular season at Merrimack College (4-3, 3-3 NE-10) on Saturday, November 9 (1 p.m.).

Established in 1936 as the Lambert Trophy to recognize supremacy in Eastern college football, the award has since grown to recognize the best team in the East in the Bowl Subdivision. In 1957, the Lambert Cup was created to recognize non-Division I-A teams, and in 1966 a Division III award was added. In 1983, the Lambert family decided the Meadowlands Sports Complex would be the best organization with a sincere and involved interest in college athletics to sponsor and manage the award, and since that time, the awards have been known as the Lambert Meadowlands Awards.

To be eligible for the Lambert Meadowlands Award, a school must be located in the East or play at least half of its schedule against eligible Lambert teams. The territory includes New York, New Jersey, New England and Pennsylvania, while teams in the bordering states of Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia and the District of Columbia qualify if at least half of their schedule features eligible teams.

Teams in Eastern-based football conferences, regardless of location, qualify if at least half their schedule is against Lambert eligible teams.

For the latest on Stonehill Athletics, follow the Skyhawks via social media on Twitter and Facebook. Fans can also download the Stonehill Skyhawks mobile app on iTunes and the Android Market.