By: by Joe Guster, Sports Information Director
Live Stats
THROGGS NECK, N.Y. (Sept. 8, 2011) – The SUNY Maritime football team (0-1) will take to the road in week two for a showdown with the Western Connecticut State Colonials (0-0) on Friday night, Sept. 9. The game is set to begin at 7 p.m. at WestConn's Westside Athletic Complex in Danbury, Conn.
Live Stats Available By Western Connecticut State
There will be live stats available for the contest Friday night between Maritime and Western Connecticut. They can be accessed by clicking here.
Privateers' Regular Season Winning Streak Comes To An End In Week One
With the week one loss to Division II Bentley, the Privateers 10-game regular season winning streak has come to an end. It was the longest winning streak in the modern era of Maritime football, which began in 2006 when the team became an NCAA Division III program.
The streak began with the season-opening 15-12 win over Mass. Maritime in the Chowder Bowl back on Sept. 2, 2010. The Privateers went on to two more non-conference wins over WestConn and Kings Point before running the table in the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference to capture the conference championship and an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, both program firsts.
Barnes Was A Beast At Bentley In Week One
In week one, the reigning ECFC Defensive Player of the Year, junior linebacker Keith Barnes (Westbury, N.Y./Westbury) (Westbury, N.Y./Westbury) picked up right where he left off in 2010 by leading every defensive player in tackles with 16 (nine solo and seven assisted). He also had one tackle for a loss of 11 yards.
Barnes also caused two Falcon turnovers on consecutive drives: forcing a fumble towards the end of the first quarter, when the game was close, which was picked up by sophomore Chris Klass (Nanuet, N.Y./Nanuet ) (Nanuet, N.Y./Nanuet) and intercepting a pass in the red zone in the second quarter and returning it 11 yards.
Maritime JV Squad To Travel To West Point To Take On Army's Sprint Team Saturday
A number of players on the Maritime roster will be making a trip up to West Point, N.Y. on Saturday to take on the sprint team of the U.S. Military Academy. It will be a good opportunity for the Privateer players to get some action against the reserves of a very competitive Division I-BCS program in Army. Game time is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Black Knights' Shea Stadium.
A Look Back At Last Year's Game Between Maritime And Western Connecticut
This will be the second meeting between the two schools in as many years as the 2010 Maritime football team also travelled up to Danbury, Conn. in Week Two last season and came out with a 41-28 victory. Then-freshman Thomas Davis (Westbury, N.Y./Westbury) (Westbury, N.Y./Westbury) had three touchdowns for Maritime and each was scored was a different way. The first was on a 44 yard pass play from Joe Dickey (Middletown, N.J./Middletown North (N.J.)) (Middletown, N.J./Middletown North) in the second quarter that gave the Privateers a 14-7 lead.
Then in the 3rd quarter, he returned the opening kickoff of the half back for an 80-yard touchdown. It was the program's first kickoff return for a touchdown. He scored his final touchdown of the season on a 29 yard run in the fourth quarter that served as an insurance TD and put the Privateers ahead, 35-21. Dickey was 3-for-14 for 44 yards and the TD to Davis, while then-junior Jamie Spanopoulos (Franklin Square, N.Y./H. Frank Carey) (Franklin Square, N.Y./H. Frank Carey) led the Privateer rushing with 65 yards. Then-sophomore Fritz Jean (Palm Coast, Fla./Palm Coast (Fla.)) (Palm Coast, Fla. / Palm Coast) recorded two run TDs and senior Greg McGough (Edgewater, Md./Blessed Trinity (Ga.)) had Maritime's other rushing touchdown.
For the Colonials, senior Tyler DeRosa had two receiving touchdowns on two catches for 28 yards and led all rushers in the game with 205 yards and one rushing TD. Senior quarterback Chris Sloat was 6-for-17 in completion for 140 yards with two scores.
Davis was named the ECFC Rookie and Special Teams Player of the Week after his performance.
Scouting The Western Connecticut State Colonials
WestConn had a rough season in 2010 under head coach John Burrell, going winless with an 0-10 overall record, including an 0-9 mark in New Jersey Athletic Conference action. Now, in his tenth season, Burrell will look to lead the Colonials to a better mark in 2011 with a brand new rookie quarterback in freshman Hime Rraci from Cross River, N.Y.
The wide receiving corps will also look new as incoming freshmen David Plaza and Mark Seward will be on the left, while freshman Gerald Kramer and sophomore David Plaskon start on the right for Western Connecticut this season. Sophomore Dion Small will take over as the tailback after rushing for 131 yards and one touchdown in 2011.
On defense, the Colonials return their top two tacklers in senior Greg Galasso and junior Tyrell Ballard. Galasso had 71 tackles, including eight for combined losses of 24 yards, while Ballard had 52 tackles, two for losses and one interception.
The special teams also features newcomers in freshman Nick Randles, who will take over the place kicking duties, and Ryan Falaguerra, who will be the squad's punter in 2011. Plaskon will be the primary punt returner and Small will take over the kick returning duties.
