Football

The 2008 season welcomes in a new era for Saint Anselm football as the Hawks are under the direction of first-year head coach Patrick Murphy. Murphy comes to the Hilltop from Dracut High School (Mass.), where he directed the Middies to the school's first league championship in nearly 20 years and in 2005 was honored as the Lowell Sun Coach of the Year.

The Hawks welcome back 15 starters from 2007, including eight on the defensive side of the ball and seven players on offense. Combined with a number of newcomers that will receive significant playing time, coach Murphy enters the season excited about how his team is coming together.

"Our players, and coaching staff are working extremely hard to change the recent fortunes of the program," said Murphy. "The upperclassmen have provided outstanding leadership and are excited about the changes that have taken place. We are getting better daily and all the parties involved expect that trend to continue throughout the season. Our number one goal is to be the best team we can be."

Quarterbacks
The race at quarterback is a tight one as freshman Marc Wilson and senior Nick Barese both battle for the starting job. Wilson comes to Saint Anselm from Bridgton Academy and is a native of Farmington, Conn., and brings an element of speed to the quarterback position. Barese, the starter in 2007, started all 10 games for the Hawks and passed for 1,402 yards and eight touchdowns. In addition, he also ran for four scores.

Running Backs
The running back position has some depth this season as junior Luke St. Marie and seniors Frank Landino and Brian Bailey look to compete for playing time. In addition, sophomore Joe Tran has the opportunity to compete for time in the backfield. St. Marie came on strong late last season as he saw significant playing time vs. American International and Southern Connecticut and proved to be difficult to stop.

Offensive Line
The offensive line has some senior depth with Doug Kellogg, Mike Gustin and Paul Janoscak, along with a returning veteran in junior Anthony Murray. The Hawks will be counting on the offensive line to be a strength as the team looks to give their quarterbacks protection and try to establish a consistent running game in the challenging Northeast-10 Conference.

Wide Receivers
Seniors Geoff Stevens and Conor Cahill, along with sophomore Marcel Bouie and transfer Bryant Lane figure to be the starting four for the Hawks in the opener at Kutztown. Stevens moves to wide receiver from his tight end position last season and with his size should be a formidable threat. Cahill moves to receiver from running back and will use his speed to create some opportunities. Bouie is an athletic wideout who caught 18 passes as a freshman, including six for 55 yards at Merrimack last season. Lane comes to the Hilltop from Hofstra University and at 6-2 has an opportunity to be a threat in coach Murphy's offense.

Defensive Line
The defensive line is anchored by senior captains Conor O'Brien and Bill Fletcher, along with classmate Eric McKellick. O'Brien returns after a year off due to injury and moves to the line from his linebacker position. Fletcher and McKellick are both returning starters and they will be joined by junior Mike D'Angelo and freshman Justin Alexander.

Linebackers
The leader of the linebacker corps is senior Brian Tormollan, who finished third on the team in tackles last season with 45.5 stops. He posted 36 solo stops, 19 assisted tackles and a team-best two forced fumbles. Senior Chris McMillan was fifth on the team in 2007 with 31.5 tackles, including 6.5 tackles for a loss. Junior Kevin Flynn, who saw action in five games as a sophomore with three starts, finished with 14 tackles, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

Safeties
Junior Dan Bohenek and freshman Kyle Hayes have earned the starting spots at safety for coach Murphy's defense. Bohenek led the team with 58.5 tackles in 2007, including 48 solo stops, 21 assisted tackles, three tackles for loss, an interception return for 45 yards and one fumble recovery. His best game came in a loss at Stonehill where he had eight solo stops and three assisted tackles. Hayes is a 5-10 native of Merritt Island, Florida and has the chance to make an immediate impact against the deep threat.

Defensive Backs
Senior Rob Paradis leads the defensive backfield after starting seven games in 2007 with 28 tackles, including 27 solo stops. Sophomores Jason Nguyen and Mark Colantonio give the group speed as the Hawks look to eliminate some of the deep passes that opponents threw for last season. As a freshman, Nguyen appeared in two games, while Colantonio appeared in all 10 games, including four starts. He finished the season with 14 tackles, one interception and one pass breakup.

Special Teams
Sophomore Devin Kelley will handle all of the kicking duties this season for the Hawks on kickoffs, field goals and extra-point attempts. Senior Geoff Stevens will step in as the team's punter, while Mark Colantonio and Joe Tran will be the team's two kick returners.