Cornwall, New York, junior linebacker helps lead Skyhawks to shutout win
EASTON, Mass. (October 21, 2014) – Stonehill College junior linebacker Peter Catal (Cornwall, New York/Cornwall) has been named the Northeast-10 Conference Rookie of the Week for football by the league office today.
Catal earns the weekly honors for the first time in his career after helping lead a Stonehill defense which posted its first shutout in over two years with a 33-0 victory at Pace University on Saturday. He posted six tackles (three solo), an interception and pass breakup as the Skyhawks defense limited Pace to 199 total yards with 126 passing yards and 73 yards on the ground, while intercepting four passes for the afternoon. It marks Stonehill's first shutout since a 13-0 win over Southern Connecticut State University on September 8, 2012. Catal's interception came at the Skyhawks one yard line to keep the game scoreless in the first quarter.
Catal has started all six games played for Stonehill this season and is tied for second on the team with 47 tackles (23 solo), including a team-high 7.5 tackles for a loss of 20 yards, with 1.0 sacks for a loss of eight yards, two pass breakups, an interception, blocked kick, fumble recovery and quarterback hurry. He has posted two double-figure tackle performances this season, including a season-high 11 tackles (two solo) at LIU Post on October 11. Catal ranks sixth in the NE-10 for tackles for loss.
The junior is seeing his first action over his career this season after missing his freshman and sophomore seasons to injury. Catal has been named to the NE-10 Commissioner's Honor Roll two semesters and the Athletic Director's Honor Roll once.
Stonehill (3-4, 3-3 NE-10) is back in action on Saturday when it returns home to host Southern Connecticut State University at W.B. Mason Stadium for an NE-10 matchup as part of Hall of Fame Weekend at the College at 1 p.m.
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