Stonehill Tailgating Information
Tickets (Available game day at ticket booth):
$7.00 Adults
$4.00 (students & senior citizens)
12 and under are free
Stonehill students are admitted free.
| Student-Athlete Spotlight with Tim Bennett |
| Coach's Corner with Robert Talley |
The Game: Stonehill College, among teams receiving votes in this week's American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II poll and ranked sixth in the ECAC Lambert Meadowlands poll, returns home after a highly successful two game road trip to host LIU Post for a Northeast-10 Conference matchup at Timothy J. Coughlin (COG-lin) Memorial Field at W.B. Mason Stadium this afternoon. The Skyhawks are coming off a 29-26 signature win at the University of New Haven last Saturday. The Pioneers, who have returned to the NE-10 this season after a five year hiatus, are looking to build off a 58-0 win over Pace University last Saturday that put an end to a string of four-straight losses.
Media Info: Live video of today's game is available on a pay-per-view basis ($6.99) via www.stonehillskyhawks.tv. Matt Leite fills in for Charlie Bergeron, the voice of the Skyhawks, this afternoon to broadcast the action powered by Pack Network. WSHL 91.3 FM will also be broadcasting the game with Tim Culverhouse and Lee Greely calling the action for the radio broadcast.
Scouting LIU Post: The Pioneers enter today's game looking to finish the season strong and build off last Saturday's commanding 58-0 victory over Pace. Senior linebacker Rob Bright (East Meadow, N.Y.) leads the defense and ranks second in the NE-10 with 79 tackles (35 solo), including 9.0 for a loss of 22 yards with 1.5 sacks for a loss of 11 yards, four pass breakups and two quarterback hurries. Junior quarterback Steven Laurino (Boise, Idaho) is contributing 285.1 yards of total offense per game for Post, completing 141-of-229 passes (61.6%) this season for 1,603 yards (229.0/gm) and 13 touchdowns with eight interceptions and is the Pioneers' leading rusher with 393 yards (56.1/gm) on 89 carries for three more touchdowns. Senior Jeff Mack (Bronx, N.Y) has rushed the ball 76 times for 364 yards and two scored, while classmate Joe Botti (Holtsville, N.Y.) has 29 receptions for a team-high 399 yards and seven scores. Sophomore Julian Santiago (Selden, N.Y.) has contributed 57 tackles (29 solo), including 3.0 for a loss of four yards, an interception, forced fumble, fumble recovery, two breakups and two hurries. Senior Tommy Williams (Westbury, N.Y.) leads the team with three interceptions to go with 38 stops (18 solo) and three breakups.
Against the Pioneers: This afternoon marks the 12th meeting all-time between these two programs, but the first since 2007 before LIU Post moved to the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) for five seasons before returning to the NE-10 this fall. The Pioneers hold a 10-1 advantage in the all-time series that dates back to 1997, but Stonehill claimed a 12-7 triumph the last time these two teams met in Brookville, N.Y., in 2007. LIU Post is 6-0 all-time here in Easton, posting a 24-20 victory in its lone visit to W.B. Mason Stadium in 2006. Head Coach Robert Talley is 1-0 in his career against the Pioneers, with the 2007 Stonehill win coming in his first season at the Skyhawks helm.
History in the Making: Stonehill's 5-2 start is the program's best since it won six of its first seven in 1996 on the way to an 8-2 season, which also marks the last time Stonehill finished above .500. Saturday's 29-26 comeback win at New Haven clinched a second-straight winning record in the NE-10, marking the first time the Skyhawks have finished above .500 in back to back seasons since the NE-10 started sponsoring football in 2000 and the first time the program has posted back to back winning Conference records since 1995 and 1996.
Votes of Confidence: Stonehill appears among teams receiving votes in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II poll for the second-straight week and third time this season overall. The Skyhawks received votes for the first time in program history in the September 23 poll with five votes and have collected one vote in each of the last two weeks.
#VoteTalley: 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 once a day!
Polling Information: Stonehill moved up two spots to No. 6 in this week's Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) Lambert Meadowlands Division II poll released on Monday. The Skyhawks made its first appearance in the prestigious regional poll in program history in the inaugural poll of the season at No. 8 last week. Stonehill, tied with California (Pa.) University for sixth this week, is one of three NE-10 members in the poll with American International ranked sixth and New Haven eighth, while the Skyhawks also faced top-ranked Bloomsburg this season.
Codrington |
Defensive Player of the Week: Stonehill junior cornerback Sterry Codrington (Freehold, N.J.) earned Northeast-10 Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors for the first time in his career on Monday. He spearheaded a Stonehill defensive effort in Saturday's big 29-26 victory at New Haven as he matched his career high with ten tackles (seven solo) to go with a record two blocked kicks, a sack for a loss of 12 yards and a pass breakup. Codrington blocked a New Haven field goal attempt in the second quarter and an extra point in the third and then his sack came on a fake field goal attempt by the Chargers in the fourth quarter to set up the Skyhawks game winning touchdown drive. It marks the second straight week and fifth time in seven weeks this season a Stonehill student-athlete has collected the weekly honor with junior linebacker Brian Harrington (Rockland, Mass.) being named Defensive Player of the Week four times this fall.
They're Honored: Stonehill senior quarterback Logan Meyer (Ventura, Calif.), junior linebacker Brian Harrington (Rockland, Mass.) and sophomore running back Colin Markus (Monroe, Conn.) were all named to the Northeast-10 Conference's weekly honor roll on Monday for their efforts in Saturday's win at New Haven. Meyer engineered his third comeback win of the year as he completed 22-of-41 passes for 288 yards and three touchdowns on Saturday. Harrington matched his career-high with 17 tackles (eight solo) to go with a forced fumble in the win, while Markus racked up a career-high 255 all-purpose yards as he rushed the ball a career-high 23 times for a career-best 172 yards and a touchdown, averaging 7.5 yards per carry, and collected a two-point conversion reception for a three-point lead after the go-ahead touchdown with 27 seconds to play. The trio of Skyhawks, along with junior Sterry Codrington (Freehold, N.J.), were also all named to the NoontimeSports.com New England Football Weekly Honor Roll.
Team of the Week: Stonehill has earned New England Division II Team of the Week recognition from NoontimeSports.com for the second-straight week and fourth time this season for its efforts in Saturday's 29-26 comeback win at New Haven. The Skyhawks collected the recognition after their October 12 comeback win at Southern Connecticut State and also in back to back weeks after victories over Assumption and Bentley. Stonehill overcame a 12-point deficit entering the fourth quarter with two touchdown passes from Logan Meyer (Ventura, Calif.) to move into a three way tie for first place in the NE-10 standings.
What's On The Line: Stonehill has earned the inside track to its first appearance in next month's Northeast-10 Conference Championship Game on Saturday, November 16, with last weekend's victory at New Haven. The Skyhawks would earn a spot in the Championship by winning its remaining three games as New Haven and American International still have their regular season meeting coming up on November 2. Stonehill would host the Championship by winning out and having New Haven defeat AIC, while the Championship would be in Springfield, Mass., with an AIC win over New Haven and three Skyhawk victories.
Comeback Kids: Stonehill rallied from a 12 point (26-14) deficit at the start of the fourth quarter to claim its 29-26 victory at New Haven last weekend. It marks the Skyhawks third comeback win of the year, all on the road, as they erased three 14 point margins before claiming a 41-38 overtime victory at Assumption on September 20 and then dug out of a pair of 14 point holes in the first half at Southern Connecticut State on October 12 to win 23-21.
Elm City State of Mind: Stonehill completed a sweep of back to back trips to the Greater New Haven area with its 29-26 comeback win at the University of New Haven last weekend after erasing a pair of 14 point deficits on its way to a 23-21 win at Southern Connecticut State the weekend before. The Southern win marked the Skyhawks first ever road wins against the NE-10's two New Haven programs and Stonehill is now a combined 2-9 against the programs on the road.
Robitaille |
Top Target: Junior wide receiver Nate Robitaille (Attleboro, Mass.) surpassed the program's single-season record for receptions as his nine catches at New Haven last weekend give him a school-record 61 this season, surpassing the previous record of 58 receptions set by Brian Adamson, '98, in 1996. Robitaille enters this weekend just 54 receiving yards shy of former teammate John Gomes', '13, single-season record of 846 yards set last season. Robitaille's 792 yards this season is the fourth-highest total in program history and ranks second among NE-10 leaders, along with his reception total. His 8.7 receptions per game is on pace to shatter the previous record of 5.8 per game by Adamson in 1996, while his six touchdown catches is tied for tenth on the program's single-season list.
Movin' On Up: Senior QB Logan Meyer (Ventura, Calif.) ranks fifth on the all-time single season lists for pass attempts (258), 50 shy of the single-season record of 308 by John Darak in 1998. Meyer is fifth for completions (128), 38 shy of his own single season record of 166 last season. He is fifth for passing yards (1,766), 449 shy of his own single-season record of 2,215 in 2012.
Semifinalist Scholar-Athlete: Senior defensive back James Lanier (Westampton, N.J.) has been named one of a record 170 candidates for the 2013 National Football Foundation National Scholar-Athlete Awards, presented by Fidelity Investments. The nominees also comprise the list of semifinalists for the 2013 William V. Campbell Trophy, endowed by HealthSouth, which recognizes an individual as the absolute best scholar-athlete in the nation. The NFF Awards Committee will select up to 16 recipients, to be announced on October 31, to receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship and will vie as finalists for the Campbell Trophy to be announced at the 56th NFF Annual Awards Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. Lanier, a Capital One Academic All-District I selection as a junior, has earned a 3.43 cumulative grade point average as a criminology major at the College.
Tops in Tackles: Junior linebacker Brian Harrington (Rockland, Mass.) has totaled a Northeast-10 Conference leading 99 tackles (2nd nationally) this season, also leading the Conference with 50 solo stops (5th nationally), while his 49 tackle assists lead the NE-10 as well. Harrington's 99 stops has moved him into a tie for eighth on Stonehill's single-season list with Greg Sanzari, '00. Steve Sheeler, '04, made a program-record 128 tackles in 2003.
20/20 Man: Senior quarterback Logan Meyer (Ventura, Calif.) has tossed 20 touchdown passes for the second-straight year, marking the first player in program history to have two 20 touchdown seasons. He enters this afternoon's game just four touchdowns shy of Dan Field's, '96, single-season record of 24 touchdown passes in 1995.
Harrington |
All-Purpose Performer: Junior wide receiver Nate Robitaille (Attleboro, Mass.) ranks fifth among NE-10 leaders (25th nationally) for all-purpose yards per game (159.9). He is second in the NE-10 (15th nationally) with his team-high 792 receiving yards, 61 receptions (6th) and sixth in the Conference with six touchdown catches. Robitaille also leads the NE-10 (9th nationally) with his 31.1 yards per kickoff return. His 1,124 all-purpose yards is just ten yards from cracking the program's single-season top ten.
Don't Hurt Yourself: Stonehill leads the NE-10 and ranks 10th nationally for both fewest penalties per game (5.00) and fewest penalty yards per game (37.3).
In the Zone: Stonehill ranks second in the Northeast-10 and 37th nationally for red zone offense, scoring on 84-percent (21-of-25) of its trips inside the opponents 20-yard line this season. The Skyhawks have scored 18 touchdowns (6 rushing, 12 passing) and kicked three field goals for its 21 red zone scores this season.
For Henry: The Stonehill football team keeps the memory of former teammate and friend, Henry Thevenin, '14, close to them once again in what would have been his senior season. 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 Tim Bennett (DB), Logan Meyer (QB) and Justin Willis (RB) as team captains for the 2013 season after a vote of the returning players last spring.
Making an IMPACT: Prior to the start of spring ball, the Stonehill College football team welcomed Nick Claudio (Mattapoisett, Mass.) to its program during a draft ceremony through Team IMPACT (Inspire, Motivate, Play Against Challenges, Together). Team IMPACT is a New England based non-profit that aims at improving the quality of life for kids facing life-threatening illnesses by creating unparalleled team based support systems with area college athletic teams. Nick is the latest from Team IMPACT to join the Skyhawk family as the football team joins the men's and women's basketball, field hockey and ice hockey teams to be involved with the program. Nick, 12-years old, was diagnosed with a brain tumor on his optic nerve in July, 2010, that put so much pressure on his optic nerve that it led to losing his vision. He has remained upbeat, being quoted as saying in a recent news article, "A loss of sight is never a loss of vision, you need to be able to look forward and keep moving." After losing his vision, he has adapted to life being blind by teaching himself braille, learning to ski and graduating from his elementary school at the top of his class. In July 2012, doctors found two additional tumors, one on his auditory nerve. In an effort to save his hearing, doctors opted to treat it with chemo and radiation rather than doing surgery which carries the threat of him going deaf.
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 fall. 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%.
Leaders of the Pack: For the fourth-straight year, Stonehill College is partnering with Pack Network to provide live "Packcasts" of all home football and men's and women's basketball games along with other select athletic events. Fans can access the webcasts via www.stonehillskyhawks.tv. Viewers can opt to purchase single-game passes for $6.99 or purchase an "All-Access" pass for $59.99, however Skyhawks Fans who sign up for an All-Access pass before October 1 will receive a $10 discount. All-Access pass members can view all Stonehill webcasts for the entire year, while also gaining access to the archives and be able to watch the webcasts at any time.
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 is home again next Saturday when it hosts Pace University for its Purple & White Game on Senior Day at W.B. Mason Stadium at noon.