Hempstead, NY - The Hofstra football team will conclude its 2009 season this Saturday, November 21 when the Pride entertain the Minutemen of the University of Massachusetts in a CAA contest at James M. Shuart Stadium. Kick-off time is 1 p.m.
The game will be televised live on Verizon FiOS 1 with Ralph Bednarczyk (play-by-play), Joe Nolan (color) and Shannon Bennett (sideline) describing the action. WRHU-FM (88.7) will also air the contest live beginning with the pre-game show at 12:30 p.m. Audio and video streaming of the game can also be found on the Hofstra Athletics website at www.GoHofstra.com.
Hofstra will honor its football graduating seniors as well as graduating spirit support team members in pre-game ceremonies. The departing seniors are: DL Joe Akabalu; WR Derek Benson; LB Luke Bonus; DE Al Carmody; P Shane Casciano; QB Cory Christopher; DB Leslie Jackman; OL Jimmy Mangiero; DB Ray McDonough; FB Steve Prifte; DE Kevin Smith; OL David Spanich; and OG Mike Trice.
The Pride enter Saturday's 13th renewal of their rivalry with Massachusetts (5-5, 3-4) with a 4-6 overall record and a 2-5 mark in the CAA. Hofstra is on a three-game losing skid including last week's 14-13 loss in the rain at Northeastern. But the UMass clash will be the final contest for 13 seniors on the Pride football team including co-captains, linebacker Luke Bonus and quarterback Cory Christopher.
Bonus, a fifth-year senior from Medford Lakes, New Jersey, came to Hofstra as a walk-on in 2005, earned a scholarship after his red-shirt season, and has gone on to lead the team in tackles in 2006 and 2008 and was third in 2007. The two-time team captain, who was named to the All-CAA first team last season, leads the Pride in tackles with 78 in 2009 and will graduate as one of the great team leaders and linebackers in school history as his 356 career tackles will attest.
Christopher, who came to Hofstra from nearby Nassau Community College in 2007, unexpectedly stepped into the starting role in 2008 after red-shirting in 2007. The Miami, Florida native became the offensive leader in 2008 after an opening day injury to Bryan Savage thrust him under center. Christopher's first season was short-lived as a serious hip injury at Maine sidelined him after seven games. But he worked hard to return to health this season, became team captain and returned to the starting role. Christopher also continued his consecutive streak of contests with a passing completion percentage above 56%, which ended after 16 games at Northeastern last week. He has completed 154 of 241 passes for 1,604 yards and seven touchdowns this season and will graduate as one of the top 15 passers in school history.
Saturday's game is the 13th meeting between Hofstra and Massachusetts in a series that started in 1997. The series is tied at 6-6 but the Minutemen have captured five of the last six encounters. Hofstra is 4-4 against UMass in Amherst and 2-2 against the Minutemen in Hempstead. The two teams last met on November 22, 2008 in Amherst with the Minutemen downing the Pride, 28-14.
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