Seahawks host Bridgewater St. in season opener

Bridgewater St.
vs.
Salve Regina 

Saturday, Sept. 7
Gaudet Field (Middletown, R.I.)
12:00 p.m.

Live Stats/Video
Live Audio
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Directions to Gaudet Field
Game Notes - PDF Version
Bridgewater St. Video Preview with Head Coach Kevin Gilmartin 

Setting the Scene:

The Salve Regina football team opens the 2013 season against Bridgewater St. for the first time in the series. The Seahawks come into to the contest after their season came to an end at the hands of Framingham State last season in the New England Football Conference title game.

Bridgewater St. opens the season in Middletown, R.I. after bowing out of the NCAA tournament in the opening round as Widener defeated the Bears, 44-14.

The Series

The Seahawks and Bears are resurrecting a rivalry that has been dormant for the last three seasons. The last time the two teams square off, Salve Regina came away with a 27-20 victory over BSU in Bridgewater, Mass in 2009. 

Bridgewater St. holds a 9-2 all time series lead over Salve Regina with the only two wins for the Seahawks coming in two of the last three meetings

Taking the Reins

Former offensive coordinator Kevin Gilmartin takes over as the fifth head coach of Salve Regina football. Before coming to the Seahawks, Gilmartin worked five seasons handling the responsibilities of offensive coordinator, recruiting coordinator, quarterbacks coach, running backs coach, and admissions liaison. He helped lead the team to three consecutive postseason appearances, advancing to the ECFC title game in 2009, as well as the ECAC North Atlantic Bowl in both 2010 and 2011.

Prior to Mount Ida, Gilmartin was a special teams/assistant running backs coach at Hofstra (Division I-AA) and a quarterbacks/defensive backs coach at Hamilton (Division III) for five years. Coach Gilmartin also spent two seasons at Nipmuc Regional High School where he became the school's all-time winningest head coach.

Seahawk Football History

Salve Regina added football in the fall of 1993 and is entering its 21st season on the gridiron. The Seahawks have  had 11 winning seasons since its inception and boasts a 106-83 all time record over the last 20 seasons.

The Seahawks have made a trip to the post season four times; most recently winning the ECAC North-West Bowl 26-6 over Worcester St.

For Openers

The Seahawks come out of the gate strong with a 12-8 overall record in their season openers. In fact, Salve Regina is riding a three-game winning streak to start the season dating back to a 6-3 (yes... 6-3) win over WPI to kick off the 2010 campaign.

I'll Take That

Junior Phil Terio (Trumbull, Conn.) is a proven threat to most quarterbacks in the league. Last season, Terio led the team picking seven passes out of the air and set an NCAA Division III record by returning four of them for a score. Graduated senior Maxwell Shubert was close behind Terio with six INTs and finished his career as a Seahawk with 14, second all-time at Salve Regina. 

Oh Captain, My Captain

Leading the Seahawks on and off the field this season will be a trio of senior captains, Joshua Burnett (Whitman, Mass.), Richie Edwards (Trumbull, Conn.) and Floyd Shaffer (Conshohocken, Pa.).

I'm Honored

Senior center Floyd Shaffer (Conshohocken, Pa.) and Junior Phil Terio (Trumbull, Conn.) have brought a lot of national attention to the Seahawks prior to the 2013 season as pair have combined for 12 preseason All-America selections with Terio earning a pair of spots on three different lists. Terio also was featured by Josh Buchanan as one of the top-10 Division III players heading into the season. 

Where They Rank

Several juniors have made quite the impact on Salve Regina's record book already and look to re-write the records as they continue their career in the Blue & Green.

Steven Wilken - Quarterback

Pass Attempts - 4th (301) - needs 298 to overtake 3rd

Pass Completions - 4th (171) - needs 65 to overtake 3rd

Passing Yards - 4th (2,285) - needs 1,426 to overtake 3rd

Passing TDs - 4th (20) - needs 14 to over take 3rd

Benjamin Barrett - Punter

Punt Yards - 2nd (3,936) - needs 447 to overtake 1st

Punt Attempts - 2nd (103) - needs 23 to overtake 1st

Phil Terio - Cornerback/Return Specialist

Punt Return Yards - 7th (134) - needs 62 to over take 6th

Punt Returns - T-10th (14) - needs 2 to over take 9th

Punt Return TDs - T-5th (1) - needs 2 to over take 2nd, 4 to over take 1st

Kick Return Yards - 3rd (557) - needs 571 to over take 2nd

Kick Returns - T-8th (20) - needs 3 to over take 7th

Interceptions - 4th (9) - needs 3 to overtake 3rd

A Whole New World

2013 will bring a new look to the New England Football Conference with the Massachusetts state schools leaving the conference to form its own, the former Boyd Division with the addition of Maine Maritime and Coast Guard and the loss of Plymouth St. and UMass. Dartmouth comprise the new-look New England Football Conference. The NEFC retains its automatic bid to the NCAA tournament without the need for a championship game at the end of the season.

Red Zone Offense

Salve Regina made it a habit of marching down the field to get into the red zone last season. Not only did they get inside the 20, the Seahawks found the end zone once there. Salve Regina converted 35 of 44 chances with 29 touchdowns.

Familiar Faces

After successful playing careers with the Seahawks, Gregory Gosselin and Daniel Kehew turn in their pads for whistles to help lead the Seahawks this season. New to Salve Regina, Nick Lynch is reunited with Gilmartin, his former coach at Mount Ida, to help guide Salve Regina.

Also joining the staff in the off season was Casey Goff, coming to Salve Regina after a successful three-year career with King's (Pa.). Goff had a connection to the Seahawks prior to arriving to Newport, R.I. as he coached with linebackers/special team coordinator Michael Weick.

A Win for Salve Regina Would ...

- Lift the Seahawks to 107-83

- Give Salve Regina its fourth-straight opening day win, tying the longest streak of wins to open the season at SRU

- Hand head coach Kevin Gilmartin his first win as a head coach at the collegiate level

- Give the Seahawks back-to-back wins over Bridgewater St. for the first time in the series