Match Ups at New Hampshire, Northern Iowa Highlight 2009 Red Flash Football Schedule
LORETTO, Pa. (Feb. 24, 2009) – The Saint Francis football team has beefed up its non-conference schedule and will play two traditional Football Championship Subdivision teams, plus five homes games, in an 11-game 2009 schedule announced by head coach Dave Opfar on Tuesday.
The Red Flash will open the season against the University of New Hampshire Wildcats on September 5 at Cowell Stadium in Durham. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. UNH went 10-3 last season, and was ranked eighth by the The Sports Network and AGS in the final polls, and seventh in the Coaches Poll. The Wildcats advanced all the way to the FCS quarterfinals in 2008.
Saint Francis will also make a trip to Cedar Falls, Iowa, for a first time meeting with the Panthers of Northern Iowa in another 1 p.m. contest at the UNI-Dome on September 19. UNI went finished fourth in both The Sports Network’s FCS rankings as well as the Coaches Poll in 2008 with a record of 12-3. They ranked third in the AGS Poll. The Panthers eliminated New Hampshire, SFU’s season-opening opponent, in an FCS quarterfinal game. UNI made it to the national semifinals, where they lost to eventual national champion Richmond.
The Red Flash will play their first home game of the season against non-conference foe Morehead State in a 1 p.m. match up at DeGol Field. The two teams will meet for the fourth time in five seasons, with the Eagles owning the series 4-0.
The Flash are slated to kick off conference play with a 1 p.m. match up with Wagner in Staten Island, N.Y. (September 26). The team will also travel to Sacred Heart (October 10), Robert Morris (10/17) and future NEC member Bryant (11/14).
SFU will play host to fellow NEC members Albany (October 13), Duquesne (October 24), Monmouth (November 7) and Central Connecticut State (November 21).
Saint Francis will celebrate Family Weekend during the team’s game against Albany on October 13. Homecoming will be on November 7 when the squad hosts Monmouth.
The team’s contest versus the Dukes on October 24 will be a special 7 p.m. match up, and will be the program’s first game under the lights at DeGol Field. The match up against Central Connecticut will be the Red Flash’s annual Senior Day.
| Sept. 5 | New Hampshire | Durham, N.H.
| 1 p.m.
|
Sept. 12
| MOREHEAD STATE
| DeGol Field | 1 p.m.
|
Sept. 19
| Northern Iowa | Cedar Falls, Iowa | 1 p.m. |
Sept. 26
| Wagner * | Staten Island, N.Y.
| 1 p.m. |
Oct. 3
| ALBANY* | DeGol Field | 1 p.m. |
Oct. 10
| Sacred Heart * | Fairfield, Conn. | 1 p.m.
|
Oct. 17
| Robert Morris * | Moon Township, Pa. | 1 p.m. |
Oc.t 24
| DUQUESNE * | DeGol Field | 7 p.m. |
Nov. 7
| MONMOUTH * | DeGol Field | 1 p.m. |
Nov. 14
| Bryant * | Smithfield, R.I. | 1 p.m. |
Nov. 21
| CENTRAL CONN. STATE * | DeGol Field | 1 p.m. |
* Denotes NEC contest.