The Game: Saint Anselm returns to Grappone Stadium on Saturday with a Northeast-10 Conference game against the Chieftains of Stonehill College. Kickoff is slated for a rare 11:00 AM starting time.

Both teams enter the game at 0-3 with Saint Anselm bringing an 0-3 mark in conference play and Stonehill entering at 0-1 in the NE-10. In another rarity, both teams enter Saturday�s game after losses to Assumption.

Saint Anselm was defeated by the Greyhounds for the first time ever last week in Worcester, Mass. (26-24), and Stonehill suffered a 14-10 setback two weeks ago. The Chieftains have had two weeks to prepare for the Hawks after sitting out last week.

Series History: The Hawks are 4-0 in the all-time series against the Chieftains, who are now the only NE-10 team without a win against Saint Anselm.

The Hawks have scored at least 32 points in every game of the series, with an average score of 34-17. The closest game in the rivalry was in the first ever meeting, a 33-27 Hawk victory in 1999.

Last season, the Hawks benefitted from five Stonehill turnovers including four lost fumbles in a 33-14 win. The Hawks ran for 203 yards in the game, 157 of them by running back Derek DiMartino. Stonehill was led by Rob Olivar�s 70 yards on eight carries.

Inside The Numbers: Statistically speaking, Saturday�s matchup will be one of the two lowest scoring teams in the Northeast-10 Conference. The Hawks are averaging 12.3 points, while Stonehill is last at 10.7 ppg.

It doesn�t get much better for the Chieftains, as they are also last in scoring defense, at 38.0 ppg allowed. That number may be somewhat deceiving however, after a 78-6 season opening loss to high-powered I-AA opponent Northeastern.

Saturday�s game could be won or lost on the ground. Saint Anselm has struggled to run the ball, averaging just 80 yards per game but they will go against a Stonehill team that is allowing almost 298 yards on the ground. In contrast, the Hawk defense has been respectable, allowing 126 yards on the ground. They will look to continue that effort against a Stonehill team that runs 65-percent of its plays on the ground.

Northeast-Nine: Times have changed in the Northeast-10 Conference as they are with one less team at the start of the 2003 season after the University of Massachusetts-Lowell dropped its football program at the conclusion of last season.

As a result, Saint Anselm will play a non-conference game for the first time since the 2000 season in which the Hawks had a pair of non-league games. The Hawks will travel to Division I-AA member Siena College in November. The two last met in that same 2000 season, with the Hawks taking a 20-16 win.

Stonehill: Stonehill has had two weeks to prepare for the game after a bye week. The team has only played one league game this season (14-10 loss to Assumption), while suffering non-conference losses to Curry (Div. III) and Northeastern (1-AA).

The defense is led by two-time all-league linebacker Steve Sheeler. He had 14 tackles against Assumption and currently sits in second place on the school�s all-time tackles list with 298.

Also aiding in the defensive effort is the fact that the Chieftains can play the field position game. Punter Joe Crowley and the Chieftains are the top punting team in the league at 37.3 yards per punt.

Running back Bob Powell will lead the offense. He ran for a career-high 182 yards three weeks ago against Curry, and has run for 195 yards while not losing a single yard in 45 carries.

Saint Anselm: The Hawks were again hurt by the big play last week as the Greyhounds recorded scoring plays of 56, 65, and 84 yards. The team has allowed nine scoring plays of at least 35 yards in three games so far this season.

The defense is ranked third in the league in sacks with eight, and the unit continued to get into the backfield last week with eight tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

The Hawks have also been undone by penalties. They committed 10 for 117 yards last week, and are averaging almost nine whistles and 90 yards per game.
On offense, the team remains perfect in the Red Zone with five scores in as many chances. The Hawks are the lone NE-10 team to score on all its opportunities. The defense has also been stout in the Red Zone, allowing just five scores in 10 opportunities.

Against Assumption, the Hawks added their two longest scoring plays of the year themselves as DiMartino ran for a 43-yard score and sophomore QB Shane Dinagen hooked up with freshman Pat Turner on a 71-yard bomb. The touchdown was the first of Turner�s career while an earlier TD pass from Dinagen to Mike Smith marked the first throwing score of his career.

Turner caught four passes for 104 yards, becoming the Hawks� first 100-yard receiver or runner of the year.

Defensively, the Hawks were led by Aaron Jeanson, who recorded 11 tackles and one quarterback hurry. He also returned five kicks for 58 yards with a long of 38. James Ward also had a solid day on defense, with 10 tackles, 1.5 for a loss, and an interception that came off a deflected pass while laying on his back.

Freshman kicker Mike Garcarz leads the NE-10 with three field goals in five attempts. His two misses have come from distances of 47 and 52 yards.

The Hawks� leading tackler is linebacker Mike Smolski, who has 25 take downs on the season, good enough for ninth in the league.