2017 WPI Engineers football team

2017 WPI Engineers football
New England Bowl, W, 17–3
ConferenceNew England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference
Record9–2 (6–1 NEWMAC)
Head coach
  • Chris Robertson (8th season)
Offensive coordinatorMatt Kelly (1st season)
Defensive coordinatorScott Sperone (1st season)
CaptainLou Garcia
Derek Pacheco
Black Rice
Brendan Hart
Sam Malafronte
Home stadiumAlumni Stadium
Seasons
← 2016
2018 →
2017 New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Springfield $^   7 – 0     10 – 1  
WPI   6 – 1     9 – 2  
MIT   5 – 2     7 – 3  
Merchant Marine   4 – 3     6 – 4  
Catholic University   3 – 4     5 – 5  
Coast Guard   1 – 6     3 – 7  
Maine Maritime   1 – 6     1 – 8  
Norwich   1 – 6     1 – 9  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant

The 2017 WPI Engineers football team represented Worcester Polytechnic Institute in the 2017 NCAA Division III football season.[1][2] It marked the Engineers' 128th overall season. The team played its home games at Alumni Stadium in Worcester, Massachusetts. They were led by eighth-year head coach Chris Robertson. This was the first season that WPI competed in the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) for football.

The Engineers finished the regular season with eight victories and two losses. The eight wins is the second most in school history (the Engineers posted nine wins in 1992), tying the 1983, 1989, and 1990 seasons.[3] WPI was selected to host a bowl game making it their third postseason appearance in school history. The Engineers defeated the SUNY Maritime Privateers 17-3 to win their first bowl game in school history.[4]

Personnel

Coaching Staff

Name Position Joined staff
Chris Robertson Head coach 2010
Matt Kelly Offensive coordinator 2014
Scott Sperone Defensive coordinator 2017
Brian Wehler offensive line 2016
Galen Holmes Defensive line / special teams coordinator 2007
Dan Ross Running Backs 2016
Zach Besaw Outside Linebackers 2016
Kyle Bernard Wide receivers 2017
Howard Bradley Assistant Defensive Backs 2017
Mike Kelly Assistant offensive line 2017
Brian Murtagh Defensive Assistant 2017

Roster

2017 WPI Engineers Roster

Quarterback

  •  3 Chris Hartford – Freshman
  • 10 Stuart Campbell – Sophomore
  • 12 Blake Rice – Senior
  • 14 Jack Hughes – Sophomore
  • 16 Eric Cosmopulos – Senior
  • 20 Julian Nyland – Sophomore

Running Back

  •  4 Sean McAllen – Sophomore
  •  7 Connor Field – Sophomore
  • 26 Zach Uglevich – Sophomore
  • 35 Jackson Brandin – Sophomore
  • 42 Stephen Peterson – Sophomore
  • 44 Connor Sakowich – Junior
  • 48 Lain Zembek – Junior

Fullback

  • 45 Greg Stanton – Sophomore

Receiver

  •  3 Alex Domond – Junior
  •  5 Mike Montano – Sophomore
  •  8 Spencer Hoagland – Freshman
  • 10 Jake Vanscoy – Freshman
  • 11 Mitjon Celaj – Senior
  • 13 William Kopellas – Sophomore
  • 15 Matt Nicholson – Junior
  • 21 Clark Ewen – Sophomore
  • 22 Romelle Jack – Junior
  • 23 Ben Emrick – Sophomore
  • 24 Skip Scott – Freshman
  • 25 Nate Grunbeck – Sophomore
  • 28 Tristan Carlton – Junior
  • 30 Corey Coogan – Senior
  • 39 Justin Coppolino – Senior
  • 80 Brendan Chipman – Sophomore
  • 81 Eric Fryer – Junior
  • 82 Billy Mitchell – Sophomore
  • 83 Zach Bellion – Junior
  • 85 Matt Bressette – Sophomore
  • 86 Nic Rossi – Sophomore
  • 88 Austin Pesce – Sophomore

Tight End

  • 19 Jacob Steinman – Freshman
  • 31 Marcus Pritchard – Junior
  • 87 Keeghan O'Leary – Junior
  

Offensive Lineman

  • 53 Connor Murphy – Sophomore
  • 56 Steven Dentato – Sophomore
  • 60 Kevin Moore – Freshman
  • 61 Ryan Michaud – Freshman
  • 62 Brendan Harty – Senior
  • 63 Anthony Wilkens – Senior
  • 65 Nick Day – Junior
  • 66 Reid Bailey – Sophomroe
  • 67 Paul DeMarco – Senior
  • 68 James Bonner – Sophomore
  • 69 Vince Lucca – Sophomore
  • 70 Peter Rakauskas – Sophomore
  • 71 Isaac Patry – Sophomore
  • 72 Troy Sullivan – Sophomore
  • 76 TJ Cooper – Freshman
  • 77 Jordan Hartely – Sophomore
  • 78 Sullivan Boyd – Freshman

Defensive Lineman

  • 48 Diego Gonzalez Villalobos – Freshman
  • 52 Max Murphy – Sophomore
  • 56 Matt Finn - Freshman
  • 75 Joe Kerkach – Sophomore
  • 79 Michael Laks – Freshman
  • 89 Tommy Feraco – Freshman
  • 90 Jack Gerulskis – Freshman
  • 92 Mike McGoff – Sophomore
  • 94 Dereck Pacheco – Senior
  • 95 Nabeel Tokatli – Senior
  • 97 Lou Duh – Freshman
  • 98 Brandon Malarney – Sophomore
  • 99 Luca Cerasani – Junior
  

Linebacker

  •  1 Blayne Merchant – Junior
  •  9 Larry Cafaro – Junior
  • 18 Nick Samuelson – Sophomore
  • 28 Zach Sasso – Freshman
  • 32 Mason Ocasio – Freshman
  • 34 Dan Hoag – Sophomore
  • 36 Michael Bahnan – Senior
  • 40 Francis Lubega – Junior
  • 41 Tim Bill – Senior
  • 46 Isaac Stilwell – Freshman
  • 47 Anthony Fusco – Sophomore
  • 50 Sam Malafronte – Junior
  • 51 Nick Ostrowski – Sophomore
  • 54 Carter McLellan – Sophomore
  • 55 Caleb Holmberg – Sophomore
  • 57 Brent Whitlock – Sophomore
  • 58 Greg Kaleshian – Freshman
  • 59 Stephen Lauro – Sophomore
  • 60 Jim Zickl – Freshman
  • 74 Sean Dandeneau – Freshman
  • 93 Matthew Elliott – Sophomore

Defensive Back

  •  2 Kyle Havey – Junior
  •  5 Adam Klosner – Freshman
  •  6 Collin Saunders – Junior
  •  8 Sam Casey – Sophomore
  • 10 Jordan Rosenfeld – Freshman
  • 14 Brian Mahan – Junior
  • 17 Lou Garcia – Senior
  • 19 Dominick Timpanaro – Sophomore
  • 20 Aaron Whitehouse – Freshman
  • 21 Chris Ferrari - Freshman
  • 24 Tim McQuade – Sophomore
  • 26 Hunter Lutte – Freshman
  • 27 Aaron Hartford - Senior
  • 29 Zach Ahrens – Sophomore
  • 33 David Barber - Sophomore
  • 37 Grant Gilbert – Sophomore
  • 38 Tim Ryan – Freshman
  • 43 Steven Mey – Sophomore
  • 45 Johann Bradley – Freshman

Kicker/Punter

  • 16 Bruce Wade – Freshman
  • 84 Spencer Herrington – Junior
Sources: [1]

Schedule

The 2017 schedule was officially released on June 29, 2017. WPI faced all seven NEWMAC opponents: Catholic, Coast Guard, Maine Maritime, MIT, Merchant Marine, Norwich, and Springfield. They also scheduled three non-conference games: Anna Maria of the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference (ECFC), Becker of the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC), and RPI of the Liberty League.

On November 13, 2017, the Engineers were selected to host SUNY Maritime of the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference (ECFC) as part of the 2017 New England Bowl Series.[5]

DateTimeOpponentSiteResultAttendance
September 17:30 p.m.Anna Maria*
W 48–02,504
September 91:00 p.m.RPI*dagger
  • Alumni Stadium
  • Worcester, Massachusetts (Transit Trophy Game)
L 14–362,645
September 166:00 p.m.Becker*
  • Alumni Stadium
  • Worcester, Massachusetts
W 38–01,640
September 232:30 p.m.at Springfield
L 10–423,574
September 3012:00 p.m.Maine Maritime
  • Alumni Stadium
  • Worcester, Massachusetts
W 45–0694
October 71:00 p.m.at Catholic
W 31–141,217
October 212:30 p.m.Merchant Marine
  • Alumni Stadium
  • Worcester, Massachusetts
W 41–7786
October 2812:00 p.m.at MIT
W 24–211,310
November 412:00 p.m.Coast Guard
  • Alumni Stadium
  • Worcester, Massachusetts
W 44–161,211
November 111:00 p.m.at Norwich
W 42–71,000
November 186:00 p.m.SUNY Maritime
  • Alumni Stadium
  • Worcester, MA (2017 New England Bowl Series Game)
W 17–31,199
  • On August 29, the Engineers placed third in the inaugural NEWMAC Preseason Coaches Poll[6]

Awards and honors

Weekly awards

NEWMAC Football Offensive Athlete of the Week

NEWMAC Football Defensive Athlete of the Week

NEWMAC Football Special Teams Athlete of the Week

D3football.com Team of the Week

D3football.com Play of the Week

Postseason awards

NEWMAC Special Teams Athlete of the Year[7]

  • Spencer Herrington, K/P

NEWMAC All-Conference First Team[7]

  • Luca Cerasani, DL
  • Corey Coogan, WR
  • Lou Garcia, DB
  • Brendan Harty, OL
  • Spencer Herrington, K/P
  • Sean McAllen, RB
  • Sam Malafronte, LB
  • Dereck Pacheco, DL
  • Austin Pesce, PR

NEWMAC All Conference Second Team[7]

  • Sam Casey, DB
  • Nick Day, OL
  • Erik Fyrer, WR
  • Nick Ostrowski, LB
  • Blake Rice, QB

NEWMAC All-Sportsmanship Team[7]

  • Aaron Hartford, DB

D3football.com All-East Region First Team[8]

  • Spencer Herrington, K/P

Worcester Area Football Association Co-Offensive Player of the Year[9]

  • Sean McAllen, RB

Worcester Area Football Association Steve "Merc" Morris All-Star Team[9]

  • Sam Casey, DB
  • Luca Cerasani, DL
  • Corey Coogan, WR
  • Nick Day, OL
  • Lou Garcia, DB
  • Brendan Harty, OL
  • Spencer Herrington, K/P
  • Sean McAllen, RB
  • Sam Malafronte, LB
  • Dereck Pacheco, DL
  • Austin Pesce, PR
  • Lain Zembek, FB

New England Football Writers Division II/III All-New England Team[10]

  • Sean McAllen, RB

CoSIDA Academic All-District Football Team (DIII)[11]

  • Nick Day, OL
  • Dereck Pacheco, DL

References

  1. ^ "WPI football schedule and results".
  2. ^ "2017 WPI Football Schedule - WPI Athletics - WPI Athletics".
  3. ^ "McAllen and Garcia Help Send Football to 42-7 Victory in Regular Season Finale at Norwich - WPI Athletics - WPI Athletics". athletics.wpi.edu. November 12, 2017. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  4. ^ "Football Earns First Postseason Win, Defeats Maritime (NY) in New England Bowl Series - WPI Athletics - WPI Athletics". athletics.wpi.edu. November 18, 2017. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
  5. ^ "Football to Host SUNY Maritime Saturday Night in New England Bowl Series Matchup - WPI Athletics - WPI Athletics". athletics.wpi.edu. November 13, 2017. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  6. ^ "Springfield Tabbed as Football Preseason Favorites for Inaugural Season". NEWMAC. August 29, 2017. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
  7. ^ a b c d "NEWMAC Announces 2017 Football Postseason Awards After Successful Inaugural Season". NEWMAC. November 15, 2017. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
  8. ^ "D3football.com 2017 All-East Region Team". D3football. December 5, 2017. Retrieved December 9, 2017.
  9. ^ a b Toland, Jennifer (November 28, 2017). "Jennifer Toland: Holy Cross men's basketball team excited for trip to Northern Ireland". telegram.com. Retrieved December 9, 2017.
  10. ^ Crosley, Roger. "2017 All-New England College Division Release" (PDF). New England Football Writers. Retrieved December 9, 2017.
  11. ^ "Academic Football 2017" (PDF). November 16, 2017. Retrieved December 9, 2017.