Hounds GREG NOWAK honored as dfootball.com Special Teams Player of the Week

September 2, 2008

WORCESTER, Mass. --- Assumption College freshman punter GREG NOWAK (West Palm Beach, FL/Wellington) had a first collegiate game that most players just dream about.

Nowak punted for a Greyhound team-record 50.3 yards-per-kick---outdistancing the previous mark set by Mike O'Donnell '78 (48.6) set versus Lowell, November 5, 1977. He boomed his first-career kick 50-yards and the ensuing fumble and recovery led to his team's first touchdown. He also had a 67-yarder---the seventh-longest punt in Greyhounds history.

The Greyhounds were defeated by Division I-A Sacred Heart University (42-21).

Nowak was named the Special Teams Player-of-the-Week by d2football.com and was named the Freshman-of-the-Week by the Northeast-10 Conference for his effort.

Also singled out was captain/defensive back CHRIS MARTINO (Lincroft, NJ/Middletown South) finished with a game-high 8-3--11 tackles . . . his career tackles total now stands at 108-103--211. Martino was named to the Northeast-10 Conference weekly honor roll.

The Greyhounds visit Northeast-10 Conference rival Pace University (Pleasantville, NY) this Saturday (12 noon kickoff).

GREYHOUND NOTES: junior linebacker DUSTIN ZITZMANN (Pinellas Park, FL/Dixie Hollins) ended with 6-4--10 tackles and a forced fumble . . . Zitzmann now has an amazing 14 career games with 10 or more tackles in the 21 he has participated . . . he has 85-142--227 career tackles . . . sophomore defensive back KEITH BATES (Holden, MA/Wachusett) ended with 3-5--8 tackles and a fumble recovery . . . senior linebacker DAN HICKEY (Auburn, MA/Auburn) had his first career interception in the first period to stop a Sacred Heart drive inside the 10 and nearly had a second moments later . . . sophomore quarterback JOSH RATACIK (Manchester, NH/Central) finished 19-for-38 for 190 yards in his first start . . . despite rushing for just 35 yards, Hounds' sophomore HERBERT WOODARD (Salem, NJ/Salem) went over the 1,000-yard mark for his career and now has 1,001 . . . he needs seven carries for 200 in his brief career . . . postgraduate tight end JAKE LONGENECKER (Fernandina Beach, FL/Manchester, NH West) now has 78 receptions (only three Greyhounds have caught 100 career passes!) for 980 yards (he will become the eight Greyhounds with over 1,000 yards receiving). . . senior wide out JOEY FABIANO (Westwood, MA/Westwood) has 66 receptions for 790 yards . . . junior wide out DAVID CANNEY (Templeton, MA/Narragansett, who missed the game, has 94 receptions for 1,188 yards . . .