By Matthew Shaffer
Staff Writer
As the first week of classes comes to an end and the football season is right around the corner, head coach Casey Goff’s Lions looked to work off the rust of an arduous offseason as they traveled to North Jersey on Saturday, Aug. 31 to scrimmage Salve Regina University.
Having coached there for three seasons, Goff looked forward to meeting up with his former squad as they battled it out on the field.
He admits that “they are a very good program in terms of the guys on staff, and I give a ton of credit to (Salve Regina head) coach (Kevin) Gilmartin and the culture he’s built.” Both teams played at a neutral location, Mahwah High School, which, according to Goff, gave the team “the chance to increase our footprint in terms of recruiting.”
The competition would be tough, as Gilmartin of Salve Regina has amassed a 43-19 record in his short tenure there.
The College’s football team saw its first glimpse of the Commonwealth Coast Conference and expected similar, if not harder, competition than it would during the season.
“It is more important to show how hard you worked practicing, and establish leadership roles because team chemistry is vital to having a successful season,’’ said junior quarterback Andrew Donoghue.
He also added that all of the athletes were excited to see their hard work in the weightroom and team building finally take effect on the field.
The game was a test not only for the players but the coaching staff of both colleges, as it has been months since they’ve seen a live opponent. This chance to practice against new opponents served as a chance to see the progress the team had made.
It was also the first scrimmage of the year and the first time the team has faced off against Salve Regina University in program history.
The Lions take to the field in their 2019 season opener Saturday, Sept. 7 when they travel to Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
