Saint Anselm Pregame Release & Notes
Tickets (Available game day at ticket booth):
$7.00 Adults
$3.00 (senior citizens)
12 and under are free
Faculty, Staff & Students free with valid college ID
The Game: Stonehill College hits the road for the final time during the regular season as it visits Saint Anselm College for the "Battle for the Ol' Bronze Hawk" at Grappone Stadium this afternoon. The Skyhawks are looking to post a strong finish to the season after a 1-3 month of October following last weekend's 17-14 setback to Southern Connecticut State University at W.B. Mason Stadium. The Hawks are looking to bounce back from three straight losses following last weekend's 31-7 loss at Assumption after opening the season with a 5-0 mark.
Media Info: Live video of this afternoon's game is available on a pay-per-view basis ($6.95) via www.saintanselmhawks.tv. Nick Anastos (PBP) and Rich Flerra (color) have the call of the game.
Against the Hawks: This afternoon marks the 16th meeting all-time between these two programs. Stonehill holds a 10-5 advantage in the all-time varsity series between the two which dates back to 1999, having won the last nine encounters and ten of the last 11 after a 52-24 triumph in Easton, Mass., last season. Stonehill is 5-3 all-time here at Saint Anselm, including a 35-20 decision here in 2012. Head Coach Robert Talley is 7-0 in his career against the Hawks.
Battle for the Ol' Bronze Hawk: Stonehill holds an 8-0 all-time record in the "Battle for the Ol' Bronze Hawk" entering this year's matchup with Saint Anselm on Saturday. The "Ol' Bronze Hawk" is given to the winner of the annual football matchup between the Skyhawks and Hawks and was unveiled in 2006. Stonehill has held possession of the valued hardware each of the eight years so far, outscoring Saint Anselm 309-122 in that time. A little repair work had to be done to the Bronze Hawk in 2009 as it had a wing clipped while being loaded into the team's equipment van after Stonehill's 35-0 win in Manchester, in 2008. Stonehill has won nine-straight meetings overall between the two and is now 10-5 all-time against the Hawks.
Codrington |
They're Honored: Stonehill seniors Sterry Codrington (Freehold, N.J.), Brian Harrington (Rockland, Mass.) and Nate Robitaille (Attleboro, Mass.) were all named to the Northeast-10 Conference's weekly honor roll on Monday for their efforts against Southern Connecticut State last weekend. Codrington posted a career-high 12 tackles (seven solo) to lead a Stonehill defense which surrendered just 10 points against the Owls, posting 1.0 tackles for a loss of a yard and a blocked field goal that was returned for a touchdown. Harrington posted a career-high 19 tackles (three solo), including 0.5 for a loss of one and a quarterback hurry. Robitaille registered a career-high 242 all-purpose yards as he caught six passes for 122 yards to go with 82 yards on three kickoff returns (27.3 yds/ret) and 38 yards on three punt returns (12.7).
Movin' On Up: Members of the Stonehill football team climbing the career record lists at Stonehill include:
• Colin Markus (Monroe, Conn.): 7th on career rushing list with 1,506 yards (63 shy of Rob Olivar for 6th all-time)
• Nate Robitaille (Attleboro, Mass.): 2nd on career receptions list with 172 (1 shy of John Gomes', '13 record of 173); 2nd on career receiving list with 2,420 yards (22 yards behind John Gomes, '13 school-record 2,442 yards); 3rd for total touchdowns scored with 25 (one shy of Rob Olivar for 2nd); 3rd for career all-purpose yards with 3,220 yards (171 yds behind Gomes for 2nd all-time)
• Gordon McLeod (Weymouth, Mass.): 6th on career receiving list with 1,311 yards (463 yards behind Kevin Adamson, '93 for 5th); 10th for career receiving touchdowns with 10 (one shy of Glen Lidstrom for 7th).
• Brian Harrington (Rockland, Mass.): 9th on career tackles list with 258 (six tackles behind Ed Brooks '96 for 8th all-time, 12 behind Jason McGilvery '93 for 7th, 14 behind Richard White, '98 for 6th all-time).
D-FENCE!: Stonehill leads the Northeast-10 and ranks 15th nationally for total defense, allowing just 299.0 yards per game. The Skyhawks also lead the NE-10 for passing defense (36th nationally) at 186.2 yds/gm, are ranked third for scoring defense (37th) at 20.1 yds/gm and fourth for rushing defense (27th) at 112.8 yards per game.
Stonehill football boasts a 90% ASR |
Academic Success: Stonehill College has been recognized for its academic performance with regard to graduation rate by earning a 96-percent Academic Success Rating (ASR) as released by the NCAA this 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 96%, 12 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 96% ASR ranks third among NE-10 institutions and ranks eighth overall in NCAA Division II. The football team has an ASR of 90% - signifigantly higher than the federal rate of 73%. Stonehill earned the NCAA Division II Presidents' Award all three years of its existence for having an ASR of 90% or higher.
Block Party: Stonehill senior Sterry Codrington (Freehold, N.J.) posted his seventh career blocked kick against Southern Connecticut State last weekend, breaking the previous program record of six set by former teammate and All-American Jareed Gaines '13. The block is the fifth of the season for Codrington, who ranks third nationally with the school-record total that surpasses the previous mark of three by Jabari Prince in 2006. Codrington blocked two extra points in back to back weeks earlier this season against Merrimack and American International. Stonehill's ranks tenth as a team in Division II with their six blocked kicks for the season.
Big Protection: Stonehill's offensive line has yielded just seven sacks so far this season, ranking second in the NE-10 for that category and 13th nationally. The offensive line is anchored by senior captain Lucas Brum (Farmingville, N.Y.) at center, with junior Jake Mikos (North Haven, Conn.) and sophomores Joe MacInnis (Raynham, Mass.), Anthony Siciliano (Monroe, N.Y.) and Christian Dyer (Seabrook, N.H.).
Ryan Handy |
Handy Ryan: Senior Ryan Handy (Howell, N.J.), a first team All-Northeast-10 selection last season, ranks sixth nationally with his Northeast-10 leading 44.0 yard punting average. He ranks second in the Conference with 14 punts inside the opponents 20 yard line, while his career-long 71 yard punt at American International in week three is tops in the NE-10 this season. His 40.6 career average is on pace to break Joe Crowley's, '04, record of 37.84 from 2000-03 after setting a new single-season program record with his 40.7 average last fall, which he is on pace to surpass again this fall. Stonehill ranks second nationally for net punting at 39.7 yards per punt.
Turning Points: Stonehill opponents have scored 71 points (out of 161) either directly off turnovers or on their possessions following turnovers this season. The Stonehill defense is allowing 11.3 points per game, otherwise. Opponents have turned Skyhawks turnovers into ten touchdowns and a field goal through eight games, with American International scoring 26 points on two interceptions and two fumble returns for touchdowns in a 33-5 Stonehill loss in week three. Southern Connecticut State scored a touchdown off an interception in the fourth quarter last week's 17-14 win over the Skyhawks that provided the winning points.
Remembering Coach Mac: The Stonehill football community was saddened by the passing of longtime Stonehill football coach Tom "Coach Mac" MacDonald, '53, at the age of 83 at his home in Nashua, N.H., in September. The Skyhawks are wearing commemorative black "MAC" stickers on their helmet for the remainder of the season in "Coach Mac's" memory. MacDonald was a member of the College's second graduating class and a student-athlete for the baseball and boxing teams before serving many years as a member of the coaching staffs of the baseball and football programs. "Coach Mac" was inducted to the Stonehill Athletics Hall of Fame in 1999.
For Henry: The Stonehill football team continues to maintain locker in a place of prominence in the team lockerroom for Henry Thevenin, '14, who passed away due to complications from leukemia in June 2011 after his freshman season. In week one of the 2011 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.
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 returns to W.B. Mason Stadium next Saturday when it rounds out the regular season against Assumption College on Senior Day at noon. The Skyhawks will then compete during NE-10 Championship Weekend on Saturday, November 15. Stonehill would host a game if it finishes with an odd-number seed, but would be on the road with an even number seeding.
