Order Live Webstreaming of Wagner-Iona Game

Game Notes

2008 Hall of Fame Inductees


There promises to be a charged atmosphere at Wagner College Stadium on Saturday when the Seahawks host local rival Iona at 1:00 pm on Homecoming/Hall of Fame Day.

A sea of Green and White is expected to be on hand as the Seahawks embark on their five-game 2008 home schedule. At halftime, five former Seahawk athletic greats will be inducted into the Wagner College Hall of Fame.

If you can't make it to the game, you can watch all of the live action via the first videostream of an athletic event in Wagner history.

The Seahawks (0-1) are eager to get back at it after dropping a tough 14-13 decision at Stonehill last Friday in their season opener. Iona (1-0) comes into the game following a 27-19 road victory over Delaware Valley last Saturday.

The series between the teams began in 1979 with Wagner coming up with a 28-0 home win. Of its 16 wins over Iona, eight have come via shutouts. The Seahawks lead the all-time series 16-2 and had won 10 consecutive games over the Gaels before Iona scratched out a 17-14 overtime win last season in New Rochelle.

In the opener at Stonehill, Wagner unveiled a trio of first-year offensive playmakers in junior #QB Adam Farnsworth (North Ogden, UT/ Snow C.C.)# a transfer from the University of Iowa, and the halfback tandem of freshman #Prince Young (Neptune, NJ/ Fork Union)# and junior #Shane Smith (Susquehanna, PA/Milford Academy)#. Farnsworth showed excellent poise in the pocket, good mobility and a strong arm. Facing intense pressure from the Stonehill defense all game, the 6-3, 200-pounder was sharp early and finished 11-of-23 passing for 76 yards.

The shifty 6-0,195-pound Young ran for 77 yards on 11 carries (7.0 yards/attempt) in his Seahawk debut, highlighted by a nifty 24-yard third quarter TD scamper. The bruising 6-2, 230-pound Smith is a different style runner than Young. Smith, who saw significant playing time at FBS program Central Florida as a redshirt freshman in 2006, displayed his power while steamrolling his way to a 13-yard first quarter TD run on a fourth-and-three situation.

Senior LB #Jason Haskins (Jackson, NJ/Matawan)# led the Seahawk defensive effort with 10 tackles while cornerback #Mika Padah (Kamuela, HI /Saddleback College)# and safety #Tavares Lee# (Miami, FL/St. Thomas Aquinas) registered nine tackles apiece. Unfortunately, Lee suffered a shoulder injury late in the game that will sideline him for an indefinite period. Senior DE #Robert Brown# (Rome, NY/ Rome Free Academy), a third-team All-American last season who was fourth in the nation in sacks (10), picked up where he left off by recording three sacks for minus 13 yards.


In last year's overtime defeat to Iona, Wagner won the toss in OT and elected to put its defense on the field. The Seahawks appreared to gain the advantage by holding Iona to a Chris Lefrese 19-yard field goal on the first possession of OT. With Iona now up 17-14, it was Wagner's turn to take over possession at the 25-yard line. But the Iona defense, aided by a first down holding penalty, stiffened and eventually forced the Seahawks into a four-and-11 at the Gaels' 26-yard line. Following an Iona timeout, Wagner placekicker Piotr Czech missed the potential game-tying 42-yard field goal field goal as the kick missed by just inches to the left.

The only previous win over Wagner in the series was in 1993 when the Gaels recorded a 30-23 win in Staten Island. Later in the season, Wagner avenged that loss with a 32-0 win in the ECAC-IFC Division I-AA Bowl.

Iona is led by 11th-year head coach Fred Mariani, Iona features a wide-open, spread-style offense with junior QB Nick Rossetti at the controls. In last year's overtime win over the Seahawks, Rossetti completed 23-of-33 passes for 212 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, the Gaels are adept at pressuring the quarterback. Given Wagner's struggles in the pass protection department in the opener vs. Stonehill, it's a good bet that Iona will be in blitz mode often during this contest.

The Gaels scored three TDs in the first half against DelVal and never trailed in a contest that was played in a driving rainstorm. Rossetti finished the day 11-of-18 for 82 yards and an interception. Rossetti added 50 yards on the ground on 14 carries. RB Craig Sutera led the Gaels on the ground with 13 carries for 59 yards and a touchdown. LB and captain Andrew Lipski had 17 tackles while fellow LB Paul Mohan had 16 stops.