FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 14, 2001

THREE HAWKS EARN PRESEASON ALL-NEC FOOTBALL HONORS

WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – Monmouth University had three players recognized as the Northeast Conference released its 2001 Preseason All-NEC football team and coaches poll during Tuesday afternoon’s media day conference call.

Senior offensive lineman Matt Herdman, junior defensive lineman Chris Ammacher and junior linebacker Joe Sentipal were each named to the team that featured seven players from defending league champion Robert Morris.

Herdman earned first-team All-Northeast Conference honors in 2000 as he led an offensive line that opened holes for Matt Merklinger as he enjoyed one of the finest seasons ever for a Monmouth running back.

Ammacher was selected to an All-NEC team for the first time in his career. Last season, Ammacher served as a vital cog on a Monmouth defense that led the nation, yielding just 234.7 yards per game.

Sentipal was also a first-team All-Northeast Conference selection in 2000 after he terrorized the league’s quarterbacks with a school and NEC record 15.5 sacks. He also booked 88 tackles and a league-high 24 tackles for loss last fall.

Robert Morris was chosen as the favorite to win the league in the preseason coaches poll. The Colonials garnered eight first-place votes. Upstart Sacred Heart, who finished 10-1 in 2000 after posting a 2-9 record in 1999, received one first-place vote and was picked to finish second. Wagner, Albany, Monmouth and Central Connecticut State were picked to finish in the exact same place they finished in 2000 as the were selected third throught sixth, respectively. The only place the coaches deviated from last year’s results were the seventh and eight spots where Stony Brook was selected seventh after finishing eighth last season and St. John’s was chosen eighth coming off a seventh-place standing in 2000. St. Francis (Pa.) was selected to finish in the league’s cellar.

Monmouth is coming off a 2000 campaign in which the Hawks posted a 5-6 record and finished fifth in the NEC with a 4-4 ledger in league play. After a 1-4 start, the Hawks rebounded to win four of six down the stretch. Monmouth led the nation in both total defense and rushing defense and averaged over five sacks a game for the season.

The Hawks open their season on Saturday, September 8 as Monmouth hosts NEC rival Wagner in a 1 p.m. contest at Kessler Field.