Seahawks travel to FCS-opponent Central Connecticut

Salve Regina

vs.
Central Connecticut State 

Saturday, Oct. 26
Arute Field (New Britain, Conn.)
1 p.m.

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Game Notes - PDF Version
Coach's Show Interview - Featuring Frank Musco, Troy Smith and Phil Terio

Setting the Scene:

Salve Regina enters this weekend's contest off an impressive 43-10 victory over Curry last Friday night. Sophomore Alex Hulme (Hopkinton, Mass.) blocked Curry's punt late in the first quarter that classmate Brad Kelly (Portsmouth, R.I.) recovered for a touchdown to help propel the Salve Regina football team to a victory under the lights. 

The Central Connecticut football  comes into the game after falling to Sacred Heart on Saturday afternoon by a score of 59-36.  Sophomore quarterback Nick SanGiacomo passed for a career-high 363 yards and fell just short of Keith Toolan's school record of 377 set in 1997.  SanGiacomo was 21-of-38 for two touchdowns in the game, but he also threw three interceptions. 

The Series

This is the first ever meeting between the Seahawks and the Blue Devils and the first time since 1997 Salve Regina will play a non-DIII opponent.

This Week in the NEFC

Oct. 26
Nichols at Maine Maritime 12 p.m.
Coast Guard at Endicott 1 p.m.
MIT at Western New England 1 p.m.
Salve Regina at Central Connecticut State 1 p.m.

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 111-84 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. 

October Baby

Salve Regina has played some of its best football in the month of October. The Seahawks boast a 56-33 all-time record in October and have won nine of their last 10 contests in the 10th month.

Home Sweet Home

The Seahawks have enjoyed two different home fields over their 21 years of football at Salve Regina and have always fared quite well in front of their home crowd. Over the years, the Seahawks are 61-35 (.635) at home and currently have a 13-game winning streak on their home field.

Out of the League

The meeting between Salve Regina and Central Connecticut is the first meeting for the Seahawks with a non-DIII opponent since the 1997 season. The last time Salve Regina played out of DIII was 1997 when the Seahawks defeated Assumption, 10-0, and Stonehill, 7-6. 

Traynor for 1,000

With 495 receiving yards this season, Traynor has eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for his career as a Seahawk with 1,310. Traynor ranks fifth all time in Salve Regina's record books. 

Junior running back Dan Buonocore (Mahwah, N.J.) is just 146 yards shy of 1,000 rushing yards in his career and is averaging 40.2 yards a game and should eclipse that mark by the end of the season. 

An Offensive Explosion

The Salve Regina offense is getting better each week and two weeks ago against Western New England, the Seahawks set a program record for total offense in a single game amassing 564 yards, breaking the previous record by 15 yards (at MIT • 09/26/98). 

Must Be Something He Said

Salve Regina has scored 93 of its 160 points this season in the first and third quarter and are out-scoring its opponents 120-48 after coming out of the locker room to open the game and after halftime. Last week against Curry, Salve Regina allowed its first points in the third quarter, a late TD run by the Colonels. In fact, the Seahawks are outscoring opponents 60-7 in the third. 

Taking it All the Way

Junior Phil Terio (Trumbull, Conn.) displayed his speed on homecoming as he took MIT's first punt of the game 61 yards into the end zone to give Salve Regina a quick 6-0 lead without an offensive series in the game. It was his second punt return TD of his career.

Among the Elite

Sophomore Hayden Stanton (Wallingford, Conn.) leads the NEFC with 7.5 sacks on the year. Stanton is ranked 12th nationally as well in sacks. Senior Joshua Burnett (Whitham, Mass.) is second in the league with two fumble recoveries while ranking 34th in the country after forcing and recovering a fumble on special teams against Nichols.

Junior Matthew Traynor (Secaucus, N.J.) is second in the league averaging 82.5 receiving yards a game and is 64th in the country.

Stone Wall Defense

The Seahawks boast one of the strongest defenses in the conference and DIII right now. Salve Regina has the 10th-best red zone defense in the country, allowing just four scores on eight chances this season.

Speaking of Defense

Not only are they first in the NEFC in 3rd down conversion and 4th down conversion defense, but they are 16th and first in the nation in those two categories. The Seahawk pass defense is one of the best in the nation allowing just 149.3 yards passing per game while the Seahawks are 10th in the country allowing just 253.3 yards of total offense per game.

Speaking of Defense - II

Not only are the Seahawks defenders troublesome for the quarterbacks and receivers, but Salve Regina has a way with stopping its opponents from gaining first downs. The Seahawks are  ranked sixth in the country allowing teams to earn 73 first downs on them this season. Salve Regina allowed five Montclair State first downs and just six against Nichols.  

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. 

Terio picked up right where he left off in Salve Regina's 36-7 victory over Bridgewater St. to open the season. The cornerback picked off an early second quarter pass for his 10th of his career. Terio put the game away for Salve Regina two weeks ago as he picked off MIT's quarter back for his 11th INT of his career late in the fourth quarter to end the Engineers final drive of the game.

Juniors Matt Conroy (Philadelphia, Pa.) and Frank Musco (Montvale, N.J.) each had a pick against MIT. Conroy ended MIT's opening dive of the second half and Musco kept six points off the board as he picked off MIT in the end zone in the third quarter. Musco picked off his second pass of the season against Nichols last week. 

Senior Joshua Burnett (Whitman, Mass.) picked up his second INT of his career late in the second quarter that set up a touchdown drive for the Seahawks.

Speaking of Turnovers...

Salve Regina has forced a turnover in 17 of its last 18 games, dating back to its 32-27 win over Nichols on Nov. 5, 2011. Of those 17 games, at least one of the turnovers in 15 games have come from an interception. In 2012, the Seahawks had at least one pick in every game except for one. 

Welcome Back, Richie

Senior Richie Edwards (Trumbull, Conn.) has played just three games so for in the 2013 season for Salve Regina and has already made his impact known. Edwards is leading the rush game with 488 yards on 84 carries so far. Edwards has found the end zone three times on the ground and caught a 10-yard pass from junior Steven Wilken (Ringwood, N.J.) in Salve Regina's 32-0 win over Nichols. 

Since his return to the field for Salve Regina, Edwards has led the Seahawks in rushing every game and has had at least 100-yards rushing. The senior is 392 yards shy of 2,000 for his career.

Double Trouble

Junior Dan Buonocore (Mahwah, N.J.) has become a true double threat on offense for the Seahawks. The junior is listed as a running back for Salve Regina, and with 247 yards on 68 carries and three touchdowns he is quite the force out of the backfield, but Buonocore is proving to be a threat down field as well. Buonocore has 330 receiving yards on 30 catches with three touchdowns on the season so far, including a 64-yard reception for a score against Western New England. 

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, but the Seahawks found the end zone once they were there. Salve Regina converted 35 of 44 chances with 29 touchdowns in 2012. 

The Seahawks picked up right where they left off a season ago and found their way into the end zone all five times they worked their way into the red zone against Bridgewater State. Against Montclair State, the Seahawks found themselves in the end zone four times and three of those times they scored. Salve Regina scored converted three of its five chances in the red zone against MIT. This season the Seahawks are 23-of-30 in the red zone.

Not Getting Through

Not only have the Seahawks scored once they have gotten to the red zone, but they have stopped their opponents from doing the same. Salve Regina's defense is ranked 10th in the nation (4-of-8) in red zone defense.

Safety Dance

One score you don't see all the time on the scoreboard at a football game is two points but the Seahawks did what four professional teams in the opening week and converted a safety in their season-opener. Salve Regina's safety came off a blocked punt by junior Alex Hennessey (West Babylon, N.Y.) midway through the third quarter. Hennessy recovered the football outside of the end zone to put up two points for Salve Regina. 

The Seahawks added its second two-point score of the year two weeks ago against Nichols on a penalty resulting in the ball being marked in Nichols' end zone.

Against Curry, Salve Regina took a 36-10 lead with a two-point score as junior Rory McEntee (Wakefield, R.I.) sacked the Colonels quarterback in the end zone for the Seahawks third safety of the year.

The Seahawks have converted a blocked punt of a safety before, last time was against Endicott on Oct. 10, 2003. Salve Regina lost 27-20 in overtime. 

The Boy Who Blocked the Punt

Junior Alex Hennessy (West Babylon, N.Y.) blocked three punts against Montclair State to tie an NCAA DIII record for blocked punts in a single game. Hennessy has blocked four punts this year and five in his career. 

Sophomore Alex Hulme (Hopkinton, Mass.) blocked two punts against Curry last week, both in the first quarter. Hulme's second blocked punt of the quarter was recovered by junior Brad Kelly (Portsmouth, R.I.) for a 26-yard punt returned touchdown. 

Speaking of Blocked Kicks

Sophomore Hayden Stanton (Wallingford, Conn.) has two blocked kicks to his credit so far this season. Against MIT, Stanton blocked a field goal in the third quarter and last week Stanton blocked an extra point attempt in the first quarter against Western New England to keep the score knotted at 6-6. Along with Stanton, Hennessy and senior Joshua Burnett (Whitman, Mass.) have all blocked a kick for Salve Regina this season as the Seahawks have nine on the year, leading DIII football. 

Have Yourself a Day, Kid

Junior Matthew Traynor (Secaucus, N.J.) enjoyed one of his best receiving days of his career in Salve Regina's 47-26 win over Western New England two weeks ago. Traynor caught eight passes for a career-high 195 yards, including two touchdown passes to tie a career-best. His 64-yard reception in the opening drive of the game set the record the longest reception of his career. 

Junior Dan Buonocore had a career day to open the season against Bridgewater St. Buonocore ran for 62 yards on a career high 21 carries while finding the end zone three times on the ground. The junior scored his career-best fourth touchdown of the game on a 2-yard pass from junior Steven Wilken (Ringwood, N.J.). 

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.) and Richie Edwards (Trumbull, Conn.) and Floyd Shaffer (Conshohocken, Pa.). 

I'm Honored

Sophomore Hayden Stanton (Wallingford, Conn.) is the third Seahawk to earn NEFC Player of the Week honors as the defensive tackle had a career-high eight tackles, including five for loss of yards and added two more sacks on the season.  

Junior Steven Wilken (Ringwood, N.J.) was named the NEFC Offensive Player of the Week after throwing for a season-high 324 yards, just two shy of his career record against Western New England. Wilken accounted for four touchdowns, three passing and a three-yard rushing score in the second quarter against WNE. He completed a career best 21 of 35 passes (60%), and his rushing yards came on just five carries for a 13.5 yard average. Wilken was also named the Corvais ECAC Northeast Co-Offensive Player of the Week. 

Joining Wilken with a weekly honor following the win over Western New England was junior cornerback Frank Musco (Montvale, N.J.). Musco recorded a career-high seven tackles, six solo, and broke up a career-best three passes.  

Wilken, junior Matthew Traynor (Secaucus, N.J.) and sophomore Danny Ives (Madison, Conn.) were named to the USA College Football Players of the Week honorable mention.  

Senior Joshua Burnett (Whitman, Mass.) was honored by the NEFC as the conference Defensive Player of the Week to open the season for his play against Bridgewater St. Burnett totaled 12 tackled (7-5) and one interception. Burnett blocked a punt and had 0.5 TFL. 

Junior Dan Buonocore (Mahwah, N.J.) was named to the NEFC honor roll for his four touchdown performance.  

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 (491) - needs 107 to overtake 3rd
Pass Completions - 3rd (268) - needs 150 to overtake 2nd
Passing Yards - 4th (3,567) - needs 148 to overtake 3rd
Passing TDs - 4th (33) - needs 1 to over take 3rd 

Benjamin Barrett - Punter
Punt Yards - 1st (4,591)
Punt Attempts - 1st (124) 

Phil Terio - Cornerback/Return Specialist
Punt Return Yards - 5th (229) - needs 51 to over take 4th
Punt Returns - 5th  (26) - needs 6 to over take 4th
Punt Return TDs - 5th  (2) - needs 1 to over take 2nd, 4 to over take 1st
Kick Return Yards - 3rd (724) - needs 386 to over take 2nd
Kick Returns - 4th (27) - needs 5 to over take 3rd
Interceptions - T-3rd (11) - needs 4 to overtake 2nd 

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. 

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 112-84
- Give Salve Regina its first win over a non-DIII school since 1997
- Push the Seahawk winning streak to five games