Mercyhurst Game Notes
East Stroudsburg Game Notes

Live Stats
Live Audio
Live Video

EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. - The Mercyhurst University football team will wrap up the 2013 season on Saturday afternoon when the Lakers travel to East Stroudsburg University to take on the Warriors. Kickoff from Eiler-Martin Stadium is scheduled for 1:05 p.m.

Mercyhurst and East Stroudsburg have played just one time in the all-time series, with the Lakers claiming a 52-45 victory over the Warriors at Tullio Field to close out last season. That contest featured 97 points and 1,055 yards of total offense, including 796 yards through the air. Quarterback Anthony Vendemia established a career-high with 379 yards passing in the victory. Meanwhile, Matt Soltes threw for 394 yards and five touchdowns in the loss. However, Soltes was picked off three times by the Laker defense.

The Lakers (6-4, 4-3 PSAC West) enter the contest on a two-game winning streak, having knocked off Edinboro 19-6 on November 2 prior to last Saturday's 23-20 victory at California (Pa.). The win over the Vulcans was the first time the Lakers have defeated California on the road and also assured the Lakers back-to-back winning seasons for the first time under head coach Marty Schaetzle and the first time since the 1991 and 1992 campaigns under head coach Jim Chapman. Mercyhurst also had consecutive winning seasons from 1983 to 1989 under coaches Tony DeMeo and Ken Brasington.

Senior Steven Wakefield booted a 22-yard field goal with 40 seconds left in regulation to help the Lakers earn the victory last Saturday. It was Wakefield's third field goal of the contest, allowing him to establish new program records for most field goals in a season (13) and most points in a season by a kicker (76).

Senior Allen Jones II, who started in place of injured redshirt sophomore Brandon Brown-Dukes, rushed for 154 yards on 27 carries in the win. It was his second consecutive 100-yard game and his fourth 100-yard contest of the season. He needs 111 yards against the Warriors on Saturday to become the fifth Laker to eclipse 1,000 rushing yards in a season. Jones II added 13 receiving yards for a career-high 167 all-purpose yards.

Speaking of Brown-Dukes, his status for Saturday is up in the air, but, if he is able to play, the Lakers have a shot at having two 1,000-yard rushers in the same season - the first time that feat would be accomplished in program history. Jones II needs 111 yards while Brown-Dukes, who still leads the Lakers in rushing, needs 47 yards for his second consecutive 1,000-yard season.

Defensively, the Lakers allowed just 311 yards of total offense to the Vulcans last Saturday and picked off California quarterback Cody Schroeder three times in the win. Over the last 11 quarters of football, Mercyhurst has allowed just 581 yards of total offense against Indiana (Pa.), Edinboro, and California. That number includes just 148 yards by the Fighting Scots in the Lakers' 19-6 win two Saturdays ago. Last Saturday, senior defensive lineman Dustin Galich became the 28th player in school history to record 200 career stops. Meanwhile, redshirt junior linebacker Pat Behm earned the ECAC Division II Defensive Player of the Week with nine total tackles and his second career interception.

The Warriors (7-3, 4-3 PSAC East) enter Saturday's tilt on a three-game winning streak and have scored 161 points in the three-game stretch, including a 66-7 victory over Millersville last Saturday. East Stroudsburg is 4-1 in games played at Eiler-Martin Stadium this season with the team's only loss coming at the hands of PSAC East Champion Bloomsburg by a 52-38 margin on October 19.

Soltes, who had a huge freshman season a year ago, is a Harlon Hill candidate this season. Soltes, the reigning PSAC East Freshman of the Year, has completed 60.8% of his passes for 3,023 yards and 34 touchdowns in 2013. The redshirt sophomore has only been picked off three times, with two of those coming in the loss to Bloomsburg, despite throwing for 476 yards against the Huskies.

East Stroudsburg features two 1,000-yard gainers at both running back and at wide receiver this season. Redshirt freshman Robert Healy has rushed for 1,063 yards and five touchdowns while redshirt senior Robert Bleiler has reeled in 63 passes for 1,093 yards and 12 touchdowns. Healy is 46 yards shy of East Stroudsburg's single-season rushing record while Bleiler ranks third in the PSAC in catches per game (6.3), yards per game (109.3), and touchdowns (12).