Game Notes (PDF)
The Pioneers look to bounce back from a last-second loss when William Paterson (0-5, 0-2 NJAC) takes on The College of New Jersey (2-3, 0-2 NJAC) in a New Jersey Athletic Conference clash. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. at Lions' Stadium as TCNJ celebrates Homecoming.
SCOUTING WILLIAM PATERSON
The Pioneers are 0-5 overall and 0-2 in NJAC play following a 20-17 loss to Western Connecticut (4-1, 1-1 NJAC) Oct. 7 at Wightman Stadium. William Paterson has faced a daunting early-season schedule, already taking on three teams that advanced to the 2005 NCAA Championship.
Junior Calvin Johnson (Staten Island, N.Y./Curtis) leads WPU with 85.8 rushing yards per game and three touchdowns, registering 100-yard totals in each of his last two games (109 vs. Hobart Sept. 23, 121 at Cortland). He was forced to miss the Western Connecticut game due to an injury. Sophomore Mike Vicci (Clark, N.J./Arthur L. Johnson) has caught a team-best 24 balls for 111 yards, adding 99 yards on 30 carries, while junior Kareen Moon (Staten Island, N.Y./Susan B. Wagner) has hauled in 10 passes for a team-high 189 yards. Sophomore Sean Ryan (Rutherford, N.J./Rutherford), junior Dan Lamego (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace), junior Juan Garcia (Jersey City, N.J./Ferris) and freshman John Woodson (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield) have all taken snaps under center this season.
Sophomore Harold Green (Boonton, N.J./Boonton) has posted 40 tackles to lead the WPU defense and rank second in the NJAC. In addition to his tackle numbers, Green has also added two interceptions, seven passes broken up, one blocked kick, one fumble recovery, two sacks and 4.5 tackles-for-loss. Senior Todd Gorski (Howell, N.J./Freehold Twp.) is second for the Pioneers with 36 tackles, senior Dan Casasnovas (Belleville, N.J./Passaic Valley) has 20 tackles, one fumble recovery and two blocked punts, and senior All-American Shadee Davis (New Brunswick, N.J./New Brunswick) has added 28 tackles, including three for loss.
SCOUTING TCNJ
The Lions are 2-3 overall and 0-2 in NJAC play following a 14-6 loss against No. 11 Rowan Oct. 6.
Junior Jeff Struble leads the TCNJ offense, completing 27 of 62 passes for 242 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions. Senior Cory Schoonover is averaging 62.0 yards/game on the ground, while senior Ryan Ross has caught eight passes for 147 yards (29.4 yards/game).
Freshman Marc Fabiano has a team-best 29 tackles, including 3.5 sacks Junior Andrew Larkin has added 28 tackles for The College of New Jersey.
LAST TIME OUT
WAYNE, N.J. (OCTOBER 7, 2006) – A 22-yard field goal as time expired allowed Western Connecticut (4-1, 1-1 NJAC) to escape William Paterson (0-5, 0-2 NJAC) with a 20-17 victory Oct. 7 as the Pioneers celebrated Homecoming at Wightman Stadium.
Kevin March's kick split the uprights as the clock struck 0:00 to foil WPU's comeback bid, one that saw the Pioneers score 17 straight second-half points to force a deadlock at 17-17 five seconds into the fourth quarter.
Trailing 17-0 at the break, William Paterson sophomore Harold Green (Boonton, N.J./Boonton) picked off a James Williams pass midway through the third period and returned it 19 yards to the Colonial one-yard line, setting up a Mike Vicci (Clark, N.J./Arthur L. Johnson) touchdown plunge for the Pioneers' first score of the game (17-7, 7:08). On the very next WPU possession, freshman quarterback John Woodson (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield) connected with junior Kareen Moon (Staten Island, N.Y./Susan B. Wagner) for a 65-yard score, pulling William Paterson to within three points (17-14) with 4:10 remaining in the third quarter.
Senior Dan Casasnovas (Belleville, N.J./Passaic Valley) blocked a punt for the second straight week and Kyle Harkins (Milltown, N.J./Spotswood) returned it 17 yards to the WCSU three-yard line with 1:00 showing on the clock in the third. Four plays later, junior Ricky Krautman (Wyckoff, N.J./Ramapo) converted a 23-yard field-goal attempt, pulling the Pioneers even at 17-17 with 14:55 remaining in the contest.
Casasnovas came up big again, forcing a Colonial fumble and giving William Paterson possession four minutes into the final period. However, WPU was unable to convert the turnover into points, and the two teams traded punts to end the next five possessions.
Western Connecticut began its final drive at its own 44-yard line with 1:18 to play, and a 30-yard pass from Williams to Yvens Louis helped set up March's 22-yard game-winning kick.
Even though the Pioneers were held scoreless during the game's first 30 minutes, several individuals made impact plays. Senior all-American Shadee Davis (New Brunswick, N.J./New Brunswick) snuffed out a fake field-goal attempt with his tackle on the WPU one-yard line midway through the first quarter, and junior Stephon Anderson (Hoboken, N.J./Hoboken) intercepted Western Connecticut's Williams twice in the first half, including one in the end zone.
Woodson completed nine of 18 passes for 105 yards and one touchdown after both Sean Ryan (Rutherford, N.J./Rutherford) and Dan Lamego (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) were forced out of the game due to injuries. Freshman Kieron Gardiner (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield) had 41 yards on 15 carries, while sophomore Mike Vicci (Clark, N.J./Arthur L. Johnson) added nine rushes for 21 yards and eight receptions for 20 yards.
Green led the William Paterson defense with his team-high nine tackles (nine solo), one interception and two passes defensed. Casasnovas added 5.5 tackles, a fumble forced, one fumble recovered and a blocked punt, while Anderson picked off two passes for the Pioneer defense.
PIONEERS IN THE NJAC STATISTICS
Junior Calvin Johnson (Staten Island, N.Y./Curtis) ranks second in the NJAC in rushing yards per game (85.8) and eighth in total offense (85.8 yards/game). Sophomore Mike Vicci (Clark, N.J./Arthur L. Johnson) is second in receptions per game (4.80). Junior Kareen Moon (Staten Island, N.Y./Susan B. Wagner) is second in punt return average (9.0 yards/return) and 10th in receiving yards/game (37.8). Junior Ricky Krautman (Wyckoff, N.J./Ramapo) ranks fifth in punting average (36.2 yards/punt), field goals/game (0.60) and scoring/kick (3.6 points/game). Sophomore Harold Green (Boonton, N.J./Boonton) is second in tackles/game (8.0) and tied for second in passes defended (nine). Senior Todd Gorski (Howell, N.J./Freehold Twp.) is tied for 10th in tackles per game (7.2), while senior Kyle Harkins (Milltown, N.J./Spotswood) is tied for second in fumbles recovered (two).
PIONEERS IN THE NCAA STATISTICS
Sophomore Harold Green (Boonton, N.J./Boonton) is tied for 16th nationally this week in passes defended per game (1.8).
WPU vs. TCNJ
The Pioneers are 5-28-1 all time against the Lions, including a 13-7 TCNJ victory Oct. 8, 2005, at WPU's Wightman Stadium. TCNJ has won the last 12 games in the series.
COMMONALITIES
Both William Paterson and The College of New Jersey played at Muhlenberg earlier this season. The Pioneers dropped a 24-17 decision, while the Lions fell, 24-14.
EARLY TESTS
William Paterson was challenged early during the 2006 campaign, playing three teams in its first four outings that advanced to the 2005 NCAA Championship.
Wilkes, a first-round NCAA qualifier, defeated WPU 31-3 Sept. 2. The game, originally scheduled for Wilkes' home stadium, was moved to Wayne due to poor field conditions in Wilkes-Barre.
In Week Three, the Pioneers lost 31-27 to Hobart at Wightman Stadium. The Statesmen played in the second round of the 2005 NCAA Championship.
WPU fell 30-14 at No. 10 Cortland State Sept. 30. The Red Dragons advanced to the first round of last year's NCAA Championship.
In all, three of William Paterson's first five opponents this season are currently ranked among the nation's top 25 teams -- Cortland State in eighth, Wilkes is 15th and Hobart is 21st in this week's American Football Coaches Association Top 25 Poll.
2005 PIONEER RECAP
The 2005 Pioneers posted a 5-5 overall record under the direction of first-year head coach Mike Miello, a season highlighted by a dramtic 20-19 victory against then-No. 2 and eventual national semifinalist Rowan at WPU's Wightman Stadium Nov. 5.
William Paterson finished the season with three consecutive victories, including the win against the Profs that marked the Pioneers' first victory against Rowan since 1994.
Several individuals had outstanding performances during the 2005 campign, led by linebacker Shadee Davis (New Brunswick, N.J./New Brunswick), who earned nods to the Don Hansen Football Gazette All-America Honorable Mention Team, the All-New Jersey Athletic Conference First Team, the Don Hansen Football Gazette All-East Region First Team and the d3football.com All-East Region Third Team after finishing tied for 46th nationally in sacks per game (0.8). Overall, he compiled 55 tackles (14 for 64 yards in losses) along with 8.0 sacks, three interceptions, four pass breakups, two forced fumbles and a blocked kick.
Other current members of the WPU squad who earned 2005 postseason honors include defensive back Dan Casasnovas (Belleville, N.J./Passaic Valley), a member of the All-NJAC Second Team after registering 41 tackles (28 solos), four interceptions, six pass breakups, three fumble recoveries, a sack and a blocked kick; and wide receiver/kick returner Kareen Moon (Staten Island, N.Y./Susan B. Wagner), who caught 44 balls for 509 yards and two touchdowns to rank fourth in the NJAC in both receptions and receptions per game (4.4), and was second in the NJAC and 40th nationally with an 11.1-yard average on 35 returns while also scoring two touchdowns.
COMING UP
The Pioneers will return to Wightman Stadium to host Buffalo State Saturday, Oct. 21, at 1:00 p.m.
