PDA

View Full Version : Albany Win Over Lehigh Highlights Big Opening Week For NEC On Gridiron



aceinthehole
September 2nd, 2006, 09:48 PM
http://www.northeastconference.org/News/fball/2006/9/2/fb-week1recap.asp?path=fball

9/2/2006 - The NEC made quite an impression on the gridiron on a wet and windy Saturday, concluding a first week of play that saw conference teams win five-of-eight games.

Albany turned in the marquee performance, downing perennial Patriot League power Lehigh, 17-16, in Bethlehem. In that game, the Great Danes' Omar Johnson scored on a one-yard run early in the fourth quarter and Jason Fralicker tied a school-record three field goals. "I loved our kids’ fighting spirit," said Albany head coach Bob Ford, whose team dropped a 44-14 decision to Lehigh in 2004.

Monmouth downed another Patriot League rival with a 23-9 triumph over Fordham in the Bronx. The win over the Rams - who are coached by former CCSU coach Tom Masella - was keyed by Brian Boland's three long touchdown passes in the first quarter.

In Jeff McInerney's head coaching debut, Central Connecticut State avenged a 2005 setback to Marist with a 34-6 romp over the Red Foxes in New Britain. CCSU's Jo Jo Freeman rushed for three touchdowns and the Blue Devils gained 288 yards on the ground in the win.

Saint Francis (PA) had no trouble in its opener, rolling to a 38-3 victory over St. Peter's in Loretto. The Red Flash's Todd Harris rushed for 203 yards and a career-high three touchdowns, while St. Peter's was limited to 155 total yards.

Sacred Heart took a 14-13 lead into the break against Lafayette and outgained the Leopards, but dropped a 25-14 decision in Fairfield.

Trailing 14-0, Dayton - ranked #2 in the Sports Network Preseason Mid-Major poll - needed a late touchdown to put away Robert Morris, 21-14.

On Thursday, Wagner broke out to a 24-0 lead at halftime en-route to a decisive 38-15 triumph over La Salle in Philadelphia and in a battle for Long Island bragging rights, Stony Brook gave Hofstra all it could handle before falling to visiting Hofstra, 17-8, in front of 5,626 fans in a game televised by Fox-NY at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium.

TexasTerror
September 2nd, 2006, 09:50 PM
Nice weekend for the NEC! Those wins over the Patriot League were huge for the conference as they try to gain some respect...

Good effort by Stony Brook against Hofstra, a game I saw parts of...

TheValleyRaider
September 3rd, 2006, 11:32 AM
Hats off to you guys this weekend. Progress is definately being made. We'll see how CCSU does down in a really big-time atmosphere soon enough. I believe in how good you guys are/can be :bawling: , and hopefully the rest of the country will soon too.

DetroitFlyer
September 3rd, 2006, 03:32 PM
Wow, this did not look like the Robert Morris team that lost to Division III Rowan last season. RM came to play and did not care about UD's reputation.... My Flyers had to work as hard as I have ever seen them work to win this one! RMU looked to be bigger and a touch faster than my Flyers. If it were not for the mistakes, a muffed punt, fumble and two interceptions, RM would have won. Of course Dayton is good at causing such things, but even so.... I will be curious to see how RM fares the rest of the season. I think they will give some teams fits. Just glad to be out of the opener with the win! And by the way, hats off to SFUP! A good start for my fantasy Gridiron Classic of UD vs. SFUP at the Pine Bowl!!

Dane96
September 3rd, 2006, 03:42 PM
Wow, this did not look like the Robert Morris team that lost to Division III Rowan last season. RM came to play and did not care about UD's reputation.... My Flyers had to work as hard as I have ever seen them work to win this one! RMU looked to be bigger and a touch faster than my Flyers. If it were not for the mistakes, a muffed punt, fumble and two interceptions, RM would have won. Of course Dayton is good at causing such things, but even so.... I will be curious to see how RM fares the rest of the season. I think they will give some teams fits. Just glad to be out of the opener with the win! And by the way, hats off to SFUP! A good start for my fantasy Gridiron Classic of UD vs. SFUP at the Pine Bowl!!

After seeing and listening to a majority of NEC games this weekend...I will say this: THIS WILL NOT BE AN EASY SEASON IN THE NEC....I can see a team winning this league with 3 losses. You can truly see the effect of scholarships already...even with SBU far and away doling out the most rides at 23 (over 40 guys), while the next closest is Albany at 8 to 19 guys.

Really interesting developments.

aceinthehole
September 4th, 2006, 09:26 AM
After seeing and listening to a majority of NEC games this weekend...I will say this: THIS WILL NOT BE AN EASY SEASON IN THE NEC....I can see a team winning this league with 3 losses. You can truly see the effect of scholarships already...even with SBU far and away doling out the most rides at 23 (over 40 guys), while the next closest is Albany at 8 to 19 guys.

Really interesting developments.

Dane,

I can't confirm this yet, but on the CCSU radio broadcast, they said CCSU was using the 30 rides allowed by the NEC. The announcers said just 4 players were issued full scholarships and the other 26 were spread to about 40 players.

Again, I can't confirm this, but it was what was said during the game.

DFW HOYA
September 4th, 2006, 09:32 AM
...even with SBU far and away doling out the most rides at 23 (over 40 guys)....

23? Well, sounds like Stony Brook has an edge over Georgetown in that category this weekend. Maybe the home field will help.

DetroitFlyer
September 4th, 2006, 10:05 AM
The number of scholarships the various NEC teams are using this season seems to be the best kept secret in all of college football. The numbers I have seen are all over the board. I'm sure the Temple QB that transferred to RMU got a scholly, but he did not even play.... Does anyone know for sure how many scholarship players lined up against UD this past weekend? At this point, I'm willing to accept your WAGs.

Calif_Colonial
September 4th, 2006, 03:54 PM
That number is not readliy available. RMU is still actively giving the need base funding for it's football players. I would say around 8 may have full scholly for football and the rest would be as "need" base of the remainig 22 split among many players. Robert Morris has added 5 sports in the last 3 years where many programs are being cut around the country. Men's and Women's ice hockey, Men's and Women's Lacrosse, and Women's Field Hockey. They make sure of Title IX requirements are satisfied at the university. I know that they have maintained their costs well with around $46 million per year on average the past five years. They bring in around $53 to $55 million in funding and donations per year. So the monies are there, they just keep to their business plan and operating costs to insure that they stay in the black. The $46 million is of course the school's entire operating budget. xcoffeex

JohnStOnge
September 4th, 2006, 06:26 PM
You know, I saw scores from the Albany/Lehigh game roll across the screen from time to time and thought, "Wow." But I assumed that Lehigh would win and wasn't aware of the final outcome until just now. That really is a big win for that league.

Pards Rule
September 5th, 2006, 08:37 AM
How much of the Danes' win could be chalked up to emotional play for the sudden recent death of UA's president?