ITHACA, N.Y. – A total of 16 members of the Ithaca College football team were named to the Empire 8 all-star team; the Bombers’ eight first-team all-stars were the most of any conference school. Senior linebacker Matt Scalice (North Tonawanda/North Tonawanda) was named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year and Mike Welch was a unanimous selection as Coach of the Year. Scalice was joined on the first team by junior running back Thomas Bergerstock (Webster-Thomas/Webster), junior defensive tackle Joe Goetz (New Hyde Park/New Hyde Park), senior offensive guard Chris Gray (Bethlehem Central/Delmar), senior offensive tackle Sean Mirkov (Staples/Westport, Conn.), junior offensive tackle Jake Queener (Geneva/Geneva), senior tight end Brian Weverbergh (Staples/Westport, Conn.) and senior Jason Chier (Chenango Forks/Binghamton), who earned first-team honors at two positions – cornerback and kick returner. Junior defensive lineman Adam Drescher (Christian Brothers Academy/Fayetteville), senior quarterback Dan Juvan (Dobbs Ferry/Yonkers) and senior offensive guard Eric Russo (Weston/Weston, Conn.) were second-team choices. Sophomore strong safety David Ahonen (Victor/Farmington), senior wide receiver Kyle Crandall (Herkimer/Herkimer), freshman kicker Andrew Rogowski (Canisius/East Amherst) and senior linebacker John Scanlon (Amity/Choate Rosemary Hall/Bethany, Conn.) received honorable mention.
A repeat selection to the first team, Scalice is the first Bomber to be named Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Year (the award was instituted in 2006). He’s started every game the past three years, and is Ithaca’s leading tackler this season. His 82 tackles (37 solo) include 10 for loss. He ranks third on the team with seven pass break-ups. A team captain, Scalice was named Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Week after the Utica win. He was named Ithaca’s Outstanding Lineman after that game and earned the honor again the following week after the Springfield win. He’s collected 260 career tackles (11th all-time at Ithaca) with 40 tackles for loss, 11 pass break-ups, five sacks and three forced fumbles in his career. Scalice was a first-team Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) and third-team D3football.com all-region pick as a junior.
Chier earns first-team all-conference honors as a kick returner for the second year in a row. He’s the nation’s seventh-leading punt returner (17.7 yards per return with one touchdown) after leading Division III in 2007. He’s also the Bombers’ top kickoff returner, with an average of 24.0 yards per return. In his career he’s run three punts back for scores and averaged 18.3 yards per punt return and 23.3 yards per kickoff return. He was named Ithaca’s Specialist of the Week after the wins over King’s and Frostburg State. Last year he was a first-team ECAC and East Region all-star and a third-team all-American as a return specialist. A three-year starter at cornerback, Chier is the team’s third-leading tackler (63). His seven interceptions are one short of the program’s single-season record and he leads Ithaca’s defensive backs with 33 solo tackles, seven tackles for loss and eight pass break-ups. He’s a two-time Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Week – earning the honor after the King’s and Cortland wins – and was named to D3football.com’s Team of the Week after both performances. His three interceptions in the Cortaca Jug win over the #7 Red Dragons tied a school record. Chier has 152 career tackles and his 10 interceptions puts him ninth on Ithaca’s all-time list. He’s been named the team’s Honorary Defensive Captain five times: after the wins over Lycoming, Norwich, Springfield, Alfred and Cortland.
Bergerstock earned a starting spot after the graduation on of Ithaca’s career rushing leader. He’s run for 1,240 yards and a school-record 20 touchdowns this fall despite missing three quarters of the Alfred win and carrying the ball once in the win over previously unbeaten Cortland. Bergerstock averages 5.7 yards per carry and his 120 points this fall is another school record. His 278-yard, five-touchdown performance in the Hartwick win earned him Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Week honors as well as a spot on D3football.com’s Team of the Week. His yardage total is Ithaca’s third-highest (and 68 yards away from the single-season record) and he ranks 19th on the Bombers’ all-time rushing list. Bergerstock was named Ithaca’s Honorary Offensive Captain after the win at King’s and was picked as the team’s Outstanding Back following the Hartwick, Utica and Springfield victories.
Goetz makes his first appearance on the all-conference team in his second year as a starter. Despite missing two games, he’s collected 30 tackles (15 solo), including 10 for loss and a team-leading six sacks. He’s forced a team-best three fumbles and knocked down two passes at the line. Goetz, who’ll join the Bomber wrestling team following the season for his third year as a heavyweight, has 31 tackles for loss and 10 sacks among his 94 career tackles. He was named Ithaca’s Outstanding Lineman after the King’s and Cortland wins and was selected the teams’ Honorary Defensive Captain after the win over Hartwick.
Gray (left guard), Mirkov (left tackle) and Queener (right tackle) all started every game on Ithaca’s offensive line; Russo has started eight times at right guard. The unit has been one of the nation’s best, earning a spot on D3football.com’s Team of the Week after the Alfred win and winning a milestone award from the Empire 8; the line’s collective honor as Offensive Player of the Week after the Frostburg State win marked the first time the conference has ever given that award to a team’s offensive line. Ithaca quarterbacks have been sacked just 16 times (while throwing 276 passes) and the team averages 200.2 rushing yards per game. Two running backs have both posted single-game efforts of at least 190 yards this fall. Gray and Mirkov are three-year starters and repeat selections to the Empire 8 all-star team; both were first-team picks in 2007 and Gray was a second-team selection as a sophomore. Queener is in his first year at Ithaca after transferring from Division I-AA Maine. Russo is a two-year starter. Mirkov was named Ithaca’s Outstanding Lineman after the St. John Fisher game; Gray earned that honor after the Hartwick win and Russo was picked after the victory at #7 Cortland. Mirkov has also been named the team’s Honorary Offensive Captain three times (after the Hartwick, Utica and Alfred wins).
Weverbergh is another repeat first-team Empire 8 all-star. He’s the team’s leading receiver and his 47 catches and 647 yards are both single-season records for a Bomber tight end. He’s caught four touchdown passes this fall and was honored by the Empire 8 (as Offensive Player of the Week) and D3football.com (on the Team of the Week) after Ithaca’s win at King’s. Weverbergh was named Ithaca’s Outstanding Lineman after the Frostburg State win. A first-team pick to the ECAC all-star team and a second-team selection to the D3football.com all-region team last year, Weverbergh holds school tight end records for career catches (117) and yards (1,500). He's a tema captain and his 13 touchdown catches rank seventh at Ithaca and his 117 receptions are fifth.
Drescher was a second-team all-star as a sophomore as well. A three-year starter, he’s made 28 tackles (13 solo) this season, with seven tackles for loss, four sacks, two pass break-ups and a pair of fumble recoveries. Drescher has been named the team’s Honorary Defensive Captain twice (after the St. John Fisher and Utica games) and was named Ithaca’s Outstanding Lineman after the season-opening win over Lycoming. He’s made 100 career tackles (26 solo), with 26 tackles for loss and six sacks. His six career blocked kicks include one this year and a school-record five last fall.
Juvan makes his third appearance on the all-conference team in as many seasons as a starter (he received honorable mention as a sophomore and junior). He’s thrown for 1,753 yards and 11 touchdowns in nine games, completing 125 of his 209 attempts. A team captain, he was named Ithaca’s Outstanding Back after the win at Norwich. Juvan ranks second all-time at Ithaca with 6,308 passing yards and also ranks among the program’s career leaders in completions (second, 465), completion percentage (second, 60.8), pass efficiency rating (third, 144.7) and touchdown passes (fourth, 48)
Ahonen moved into the starting line-up after two games and ranks fourth on the team with 48 tackles (27 solo). He’s tied for the team lead with eight pass break-ups and his three interceptions are second. Ahonen has recovered two fumbles and forced one. He was named the team’s Outstanding Back after the Homecoming win over Frostburg State. He’s also an Empire 8 all-star in baseball, earning the league’s Rookie of the Year honors last spring as a third baseman.
Crandall has caught 34 passes after missing the first two games of the season. His eight touchdown catches, 22.5 yards per catch and 766 receiving yards all lead the team. Crandall ranks second all-time at Ithaca with a career average of 21.7 yards per catch and also ranks among the program’s career leaders in touchdown catches (tied for eighth with 11), receiving yards (13th with 1,301) and receptions (23rd with 60). He’s been named Ithaca’s Honorary Offensive Captain after the St. John Fisher, Springfield and Cortland games.
Rogowski took over as Ithaca’s kicker after the team’s returning starter was injured during the season-opener. He’s made 47 of 51extra-point attempts and five-of-six field goals tries. Rogowski was named the team’s Specialist of the Week after the season-opening win over Lycoming, the win at Alfred that clinched the Empire 8 title and the Cortaca Jug win over the previously unbeaten Red Dragons.
Scanlon is a three-year starter and two-time Empire 8 all-star (he earned second-team recognition last year). He leads the Bombers with 14 tackles for loss and ranks second with 76 tackles. Scanlon has broken up three passes and was named the team’s Honorary Defensive Captain after the win at King’s.
Welch has raised his career record to 121-42; he’s won five Empire 8 titles and made six NCAA playoff appearances in 15 years.
The Bombers posted a regular-season record of 9-1 and won their fifth Empire 8 title, posting a 5-1 league record. Their stretch of 38 straight winning seasons is the second-longest streak at any level of college football. Ithaca opens NCAA playoff competition Saturday, hosting Curry at noon at Butterfield Stadium.