COMPLETE GAME NOTES
MANCHESTER, N.H. – The Saint Anselm College football team will open its 2012 campaign when it travels to take on Kutztown University at University Field on Thursday, Aug. 30 at 6:05 p.m. Links to live stats and live video are available on the football schedule page.
This will be the fifth meeting – and the fifth straight season the two teams open up against each other – between the Hawks and Golden Bears, with Kutztown leading the series, 4-0. The Golden Bears have won two on the road and two at home, where they have not given up a single point to the Hawks. In the most recent meeting Sept. 3, 2011, Saint Anselm kept it close before Kutztown pulled away down the stretch to win it, 56-30, at Grappone Stadium.
Sophomore running back Keith Charles ran for 100 yards and three touchdowns as the Hawks fell to 0-1 to open the season, while the Golden Bears posted a season-opening win against Saint Anselm for the fourth consecutive year to move to 1-0.
Playing on a brand new synthetic Field Turf surface that was installed over the summer, the Hawks fell behind 14-0 midway through the opening quarter after a pair of touchdown passes from Kevin Morton to Chris McCormick.
Saint Anselm struck back, however, stopping a threatening Kutztown drive when redshirt-freshman Isaac Jorgensen came up with an interception at his team's 24-yard line. The Hawks then pieced together a 10-play, 67-yard drive over a span of 2:23 to slice the deficit in half. Sophomore WR Justin Bernard had three catches for 44 yards on the drive before Charles plowed his way into the end zone from two yards out with 1:18 remaining in the first quarter. Charles, a Northeast-10 All-Rookie Team member a year ago, racked up his yardage on just 15 carries (6.7 average), while Bernard finished with 13 catches for 92 yards.
The Hawks drew even closer with 8:32 to play in the second quarter on a 28-yard field goal from junior Shea Cerio that made it 14-10.
After Morton and McCormick hooked up for a third time on a 43-yard touchdown play to go up 21-10, the Hawks once again refused to go away as they moved the ball 67 yards over nine plays – capped by a 19-yard touchdown pass from junior QB Mike Pierce to senior WR Marc Wilson that made it 21-17 with 1:51 to go before halftime.
Over the next 53 seconds, however, Kutztown moved the ball 35 yards in just three plays following a 54-yard kickoff return from Josh Mastromatto. Robbie Frey capped the sequence with a one-yard run to make it 28-17 with 47 seconds remaining.
With the Hawks behind, 35-17 with under three minutes to play in the third quarter, Charles scampered 54 yards to pull his team back within 11.
Frey answered with a 42-yard touchdown run of his own to cap the third-quarter scoring before Charles opened the fourth quarter with a four-yard touchdown run to cap a nine-play, 60-yard drive just 24 seconds in that made it 42-30.
A Mastromatto touchdown run and Morton's sixth TD pass of the day capped the scoring and put the game out of reach midway through the fourth quarter.
Pierce was 28-for-52 with one touchdown and an interception, while Wilson caught four of those passes for 70 yards and a touchdown. Pierce also ran 15 times for 51 yards.
Saint Anselm amassed 438 yards of total offense, including 174 on the ground, which marked the first time since their 2008 meeting that the Hawks ran for 100-plus yards against the Golden Bears. Kutztown put up 697 yards of total offense, which set a new program record.
Despite the offensive outburst by Kutztown, the Saint Anselm defense did force three turnovers, with all three coming via the interception – two by Jorgensen and one from sophomore CB Trevor Jesse.
LAST TIME OUT
Senior Marc Wilson caught 11 passes for 139 yards and a touchdown, but the Hawks dropped a 59-17 decision to seventh-ranked New Haven on Nov. 12 at Grappone Stadium on Senior Day.
The Hawks wrapped up their season at 1-9 overall, including 1-7 in Northeast-10 play, while the Chargers became champions of the Northeast-10 with a record of 10-1, 8-0.
The game was close early on as the Hawks responded to Chris Scifo's 25-yard field goal by driving 79 yards in 13 plays to tie the game on a 19-yard field goal by junior K Shea Cerio.
New Haven went back on top on its next possession on a 1-yard touchdown run by QB Ryan Osiecki that made it 10-3 after Scifo's extra point with 3:39 to play in the opening quarter. The Chargers then opened it up to 17-3 just 47 seconds into the second quarter when Osiecki hit Kameel Lashley for a 54-yard touchdown on the first play of the drive. Scifo's point-after was good.
The Hawks answered with a nine-play, 53-yard drive that culminated in a seven-yard touchdown stroll by sophomore RB Keith Charles. Cerio's extra point sliced it to 17-10 with 11:07 on the clock in the opening half.
On the ensuing drive, New Haven charged 57 yards in five plays with Jason Thompson reeling in a 27-yard strike from Osiecki that made it 24-10 after Scifo's extra point. Scifo missed a 19-yard field goal with 34 seconds left in the half and New Haven kept its 14-point lead heading into the break.
After Cerio's kickoff went into the end zone for a touchback to start the second half, Osiecki aired out a deep ball to Thompson, who made the catch and raced to the end zone to complete the one-play, 80-yard drive that ate up 11 seconds of clock.
New Haven took the ball right back as Desmond Anderson intercepted junior QB Mike Pierce at the Saint Anselm 16-yard line and returned it three yards to the 13, where Osiecki hooked up with Chris Higgins for a touchdown on the following play. The Chargers held the ball for 18 seconds and scored two touchdowns 42 seconds apart to take a 38-10 lead.
It was 45-10 3:35 into the final quarter when Mike DeCaro capped off an 11-play, 72-yard drive with a 12-yard run. Scifo followed with the extra point.
The Hawks came back an engineered a 10-play, 85-yard drive, with Pierce hitting Wilson just inside the left pylon for a touchdown that Serio followed with an extra point to make it 45-17 with 8:20 to go.
A 24-yard pass from Osiecki to Lashley with 6:10 left finished off a five-play, 52-yard drive that made it 52-17 before the Chargers closed the scoring with a seven-play, 44-yard drive that ended in a Brian Alston five-yard touchdown run with 1:39 on the clock.
Pierce finished 28 of 49 for 256 yards and a touchdown, but was also intercepted three times, including once on a ball he threw up for grabs on the final play of the game. Pierce also rushed six times for 35 yards.
New Haven racked up 587 yards of total offense, including 421 yards through the air. Osiecki was 21 of 30 for 391 yards, five touchdowns and one interception. Thompson caught five passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns, while Lashley made five catches for 128 yards and two scores. Ronnie Nelson rushed 10 times for 107 yards.
Defensively for the Hawks, senior LB Shane O'Donnell recorded nine tackles, including three for a loss of 18 yards, two sacks for 16 yards and an interception. Junior LB Chris Bent made 10 tackles, including 1.5 for a loss, while senior Kyle Hayes tallied nine tackles, including 1.5 for a loss.
O'Donnell's interception gave the Hawks 18 for the season, which was one shy of tying the school record.
This marked the final game for seniors Wilson, O'Donnell, Hayes, OL Jake Smith, LB Garrett Hubert, OL Sean Morris and DL Dustin Mone, who were all honored in a ceremony prior to the start of the game.
SETTING THE SCENE
Despite a 1-9 season a year ago, the Saint Anselm College football team took some strides it will look to build upon in 2012. While the Hawks will need to do this without arguably the program's best player of all-time in the graduated Marc Wilson, fifth-year head coach Patrick Murphy has a number of returning veterans on the offensive side of the ball and a solid defensive nucleus back, to go along with a pool of talented newcomers.
The offense put points on the board as it's accustomed to, with a pair of Northeast-10 All-Conference players, including the All-American, Wilson. Defensively, the Hawks had 25 takeaways, including 18 interceptions, which was one shy of the program record. The unit gave up a lot of points, however, as it allowed too many big plays. Now, Murphy thinks his squad is more balanced.
Another recruiting class deeper and with leadership from captains OL P.J. Senatore (Norwell, Mass.), RB Keith Charles (Laurel, Md.), LB Chris Bent (Dracut, Mass.) and LB Ethan Sylvain (E. Montpelier, Vt.), the Hawks, who Murphy says are deeper than at any point during his tenure, have the experience to compete in the competitive Northeast-10.
Quarterback
The Hawks will have a new quarterback running the team this season as 2011 back-up, sophomore Stephen Cuipa (Merrimack, N.H.), and a junior transfer from Bryant University, Ray Doucette (Cambridge, Mass.), have battled it out in camp for the starting nod. Cuipa tossed six of the 11 throws that didn't come from starter Mike Pierce, completing five of them (83.3%), while throwing an interception. Doucette did not see any action with the Bulldogs.
Offensive Line
Senatore, the senior left tackle, will anchor an offensive line that features three sophomore starters and a freshman. One of those sophomores is Northeast-10 All-Rookie Teamer, Zach Lombard (Manchester, Conn.), who will line up next to Senatore at guard. Classmate James Gibbons (Brick, N.J.) will be snapping the ball at center, with the other sophomore, James Murphy (Nashua, N.H.), holding down the right tackle spot. Freshman Jared Anderson (E. Longmeadow, Mass.) will start the year at right guard, while 2010 NE-10 All-Rookie Team member, junior Dave Boardman (Westfield, Mass.), recovers from injury.
Running Back
The Hawks have plenty of consistency in the backfield with the junior, Charles, and classmate Greg Bell (Liverpool, N.Y.) back. A 2010 NE-10 All-Rookie Teamer, Charles is coming off a campaign in which he carried the ball 113 times for 349 yards and six touchdowns, running behind a banged up offensive line. He also reeled in 24 passes for 163 yards and a touchdown. Bell, who Murphy calls one of the best all-around players on the team, ran for 126 yards and a pair of scores on 35 touches.
Wide Receiver
With the departure of Wilson, who signed a contract with the NFL's Arizona Cardinals after the season, junior Justin Bernard (Cambridge, Mass.) will step into the top-target spot after missing most of last year with an injury. Bernard caught 30 balls for 270 yards and two TDs in just three games last season, after putting up an NE-10 All-Rookie Team campaign in 2010 that saw him nab 49 passes for 614 yards and three scores. Murphy believes that, while there are things Wilson did that Bernard can't do, the latter might be a better pure wide receiver than the former. Junior Eric Feehan (Bedford, N.H.) returns off a surprise campaign that saw him become the team's second leading receiver after Bernard went down. Feehan racked up 41 receptions for 561 yards and three touchdowns. Junior Brandon Gomes (Providence, R.I.) sat out last season after making seven catches for 141 yards and two TDs in 2010. Sophomore Ahkeen Williams (DeWitt, N.Y.), who Murphy says the sky is the limit for, is back off a nine-catch, 106-yard first year in a Saint Anselm uniform.
Tight End
With sophomore Brian DeAngelis (Peabody, Mass.) dealing with an injury, Mike Lombard (Pelham, N.H.), a 6-3, 235-pound freshman, has emerged as the starter, after putting together a great camp in which he showed tremendous physicality. Sophomore Jon Bak (So. Windsor, Conn.) will be the No. 2 tight end after playing on the defensive line as a freshman.
Defensive Line
Murphy believes that when healthy, the defensive line is the strength of the defense. Sophomore Andrew Lebowitz (Andover, Mass.), who was coming off a Northeast-10 All-Rookie Team campaign in which he played every defensive snap for the Hawks, played in only four games last year after suffering an injury. Lebowitz will be joined up front by seniors Mike Hobbs (Medford, Mass.) and Tyler Williams (Thousand Oaks, Calif.), as well as junior Lou Licciardi (E. Falmouth, Mass.) and sophomore Josh Cheever (Lynn, Mass.). A year after wreaking havoc in the backfield, Hobbs missed all of last season with an injury and is looking to make a big impact in his return. Williams recorded 26 tackles, including 3.5 for a loss and a pair of sacks, while Licciardi made 11 stops and had two tackles for a loss a year ago. Cheever, who Murphy believes could be a star in the conference, tallied 39 tackles, including five for a loss and a sack.
Linebacker
Despite losing their leading tackler in Northeast-10 First Teamer, Shane O'Donnell, the Hawks remain solid in the middle of their defense at linebacker. Bent, the team's second leading stopper from a year ago, will anchor the unit. Bent tallied 79 tackles, including 11 for a loss and 1.5 sacks, while also forcing a pair of fumbles and recovering one. Sylvain, a fellow captain, returns his 51 tackles, including 4.5 for a loss and a sack, as well as his team-leading five interceptions. Senior Brendan Timmons (Franklin, Mass.) will further bolster the linebacker corps. He was the team's third leading tackler last season with 71, including six for a loss and a sack, while recording both a forced and recorded fumble. Northeast-10 All-Rookie Team member, sophomore Isaac Jorgensen (Eldersburg, Md.), also returns after ranking fifth on the team with 54 tackles, including six for a loss. Jorgensen forced a fumble and impressively returned three interceptions for 36 yards, including in the season's opening game against Kutztown on Sept. 3. Jorgensen became the first Saint Anselm linebacker to intercept three passes in a season since senior Anthony Barese picked off three passes in 2004 and is the first freshman to amass three INTs since Sylvain tallied four in 2009. Sophomore Mike Harper (Methuen, Mass.), who did not see time last year, will also figure into the linebacking mix.
Safety
Junior Joey Polverini (Longmeadow, Mass.) returns as the most experienced member of the safety crew, after putting together a 2011 season that saw him make 29 tackles, including 1.5 for a loss, intercept a pass and break up four others. Polverini is joined at the other starting safety spot by Jack Hopkins (Brandywine, Md.), a 6-2, 190-pound freshman, who had an impressive camp. Sophomores Sam Walker (Cumberland, Md.) and Ian Lynch (Campbell, Calif.), who sat out all of last season, will also see time at safety.
Cornerback
The Hawks, according to Murphy, are the most athletic in the secondary they have ever been, and that is thanks in large part to a young and talented crop of cornerbacks. Junior Trevor Jessie (Cumberland, Md.) will hold down one of the corner spots after picking off four passes last season and breaking up four more, to go along with 33 tackles. Sophomore Tyrel McDonald (Leominster, Mass.) and freshman Tyler Lindsay (Temple Hills, Md.) are pushing each other for the other starting nod. McDonald made five tackles and broke up a pair of passes in limited action last season, while Lindsay is a 6-0, 190-pounder out of Bishop McNamara High School. Senior Tyler Crawford (Lamoine, Maine) and freshman Carroll Bailey (Clinton, Mass.) will also see plenty of action as they strengthen the depth at corner. Crawford made 46 tackles, intercepted two passes and forced a fumble a year ago. Bailey is 6-1 and 180 pounds out of Nashoba Regional High School.
Special Teams
Senior Shea Cerio (Canastota, N.Y.) will handle the punting duties this season and is being backed up by freshman Shane Grayson (Ormond Beach, Fla.), who is also pushing him for the kicking job. Last season, Cerio made 5 of 7 field goals and was 22-for-24 on extra point attempts. Cerio also averaged 36.8 yards on 61 punts, 11 of which wound up inside the 20-yard line. Junior Daniel Ruiz (Framingham, Mass.) will once again handle the long snapping duties, while Cuipa will hold for either Cerio or Grayson. Jessie will return both punts and kicks, and Charles will also be back deep on kickoffs. Jessie returned five kicks for an 18.2-yard average, as well as a punt for nine yards, while Charles brought back nine kicks for 17.2 yards per.
Coaching Staff
While Associate Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator Rob Eggerling, Defensive Line/Special Teams Coach John Trisciani and Running Backs Coach Allistair Sebastien are back, four new assistants join Murphy's staff for the 2012 campaign. Yon Boone will serve as the Defensive Backs Coach and Recruiting Coordinator, while Eric Yuen comes aboard to work with the offensive line and serve as Video Coordinator. Zach Dickson will coach the wide receivers and serve as the Director of Football Operations and Patrick Graham is the new Linebackers Coach after working with the Hawks in the spring.
PREDICTING THE FUTURE
The Hawks were picked to finish eighth in the Northeast-10 Preseason Coaches' Poll that was released Aug. 20. New Haven was chosen as the favorite to win the conference after collecting seven-first place votes and point total of 63 to beat out Southern Connecticut, which earned one first-place vote and 53 total points. AIC, which received the other first-place vote, came in third with 50 points. With 41 points apiece, Bentley and Merrimack tied for the fourth-place slot, as Assumption (29) edged out Stonehill (24) for sixth place. Saint Anselm (15) and Pace (8) rounded out the poll.
LIVE VIDEO STREAMING
Saint Anselm Athletics and Pack Network will once again team up for the 2012-13 season to offer an industry-leading streaming video solution. The service will feature live event productions that include multiple cameras, an on-screen scoreboard and graphics so that fans can still be part of the action even when they can't make it to the game. And starting this season, fans can stream games live on their ipad or iphone. This season, all football, men's and women's basketball, and men's and women's hockey games will be streamed live at SaintAnselmHawks.tv. The Hawks All-Access Pass, available for $69.95, gives fans the opportunity to watch not only all the live coverage of various Saint Anselm home athletic events, but also premium content not available to view without the All-Access Pass. The premium content includes an in-depth archive section of all video available. Single-event subscriptions for all live events will be available throughout the season for $6.95.
