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NEC Offensive Player of the Week: Ethan Shine (Robert Morris)
NEC Defensive Player of the Week: Jack Stoll (Central Connecticut)
NEC Special Teams Player of the Week: Nicholas Romero (Wagner)
NEC Rookie of the Week: Nicholas Romero (Wagner)

Previous NEC Releases: Week 9 | Week 8 | Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1 | Preseason Poll Release 

NEC/ATLANTIC TOMORROW'S OFFICE OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Ethan Shine, Robert Morris
Running Back, Junior, 5-10, 215 lbs., Doylestown, PA/Central Bucks East
Week 10 Stats: 122 rushing yards, 28 rushes, 4.4 yards per rush
For the second time in as many weeks, Shine ran for 100-plus rushing yards on Saturday to lead Robert Morris past Stonehill by a 20-17 final. The junior from Doylestown, PA, who ran for 123 yards in a Colonials’ win at Saint Francis last month, racked up 122 more yards on 17 carries in his team’s second-straight victory against an NEC squad. In nine games this season, Shine has rushed for 520 yard to rank fifth in the league rankings with 57.8 rushing yards per game. In addition, his four rushing scores this season are good for fifth in the conference. This is his first NEC/Atlantic Tomorrow’s Office Offensive Player of the Week award this season, and the first for a Colonial.

NEC/ATLANTIC TOMORROW'S OFFICE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Jack Stoll, Central Connecticut
Linebacker, Senior, 6-0, 230 lbs., Lafayette, NJ/Pope John XXII
Week 10 Stats: 12 tackles (8 solo), 2.5 tackles-for-loss, blocked potential game-tying 18-yard field goal in final seconds
Stoll saved the day for Central Connecticut on Saturday. With the game-tying field goal lined up from 18 yards for LIU, the senior linebacker hurdled over the line and blocked Will Johnson’s attempt as time expired to seal the 10-7 victory and preserve the Blue Devils’ undefeated record in NEC play (4-0). In addition to his end-of-game heroics, Stoll had a stellar outing on the defensive side of the gridiron. Registering 12 tackles to match a season-best effort, including eight solo stops, he pushed the Sharks back eight yards on a season-high 2.5 tackles-for-loss. A native of Lafayette, NJ, Stoll became the third Central Connecticut player this year to win NEC/Atlantic Tomorrow’s Office Defensive Player of the Week honors.

NEC/ATLANTIC TOMORROW'S OFFICE SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Nicholas Romero, Wagner
Kicker, Freshman, 5-9, 165 lbs., Pembroke Pines, FL/St. Thomas Aquinas
Week 10 Stats: 3-for-3 FG (37, 44, walk-off 28), 2-for-2 PAT, 1 kickoff, 63 kickoff yards
Romero’s 11-point outing and end-of-game heroics propelled Wagner past Saint Francis for the Seahawks’ second-straight NEC victory on Saturday. With the game tied at 20-all in the final seconds, the Floridian walked it off for Wagner with a 28-yarder to seal the victory. On the afternoon, Romero enjoyed a perfect outing after he converted on each of his three field goal attempts and both PATs. Putting Wagner on the scoreboard and sparking a 13-0 run with a 37-yarder with 1:45 left in the first half, Romero converted on a season-long 44 yard field goal with 10:56 left in the third to pull the Seahawks within four. He also split kickoff duties on the afternoon, booting his lone attempt a season-best 63 yards. Romero is the first player this season to pull off the NEC/Atlantic Tomorrow’s Office Special Teams Player of the Week and Rookie of the Week double this season. He is also the first player since 2022 to sweep the league’s Special Teams Player of the Week and Rookie of the Week awards. In addition, he is the first Wagner player to garner NEC Special Teams Player of the Week honors this year. 

NEC/ATLANTIC TOMORROW'S OFFICE ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Nicholas Romero, Wagner
Kicker, Freshman, 5-9, 165 lbs., Pembroke Pines, FL/St. Thomas Aquinas
Week 10 Stats: 3-for-3 FG (37, 44, walk-off 28), 2-for-2 PAT, 1 kickoff, 63 kickoff yards
Romero became the first NEC player this season to double up on a weekly award as the NEC/Atlantic Tomorrow’s Office Special Teams Player of the Week was also pegged the NEC/Atlantic Tomorrow’s Office Rookie of the Week. The first-year kicker from Pembroke Pines, FL provided the heroics on Saturday when he converted on a 28-yard field goal as time expired to lead Wagner past Saint Francis by a 23-20 final. On the season, Romero leads the conference with a 90.0 percent conversion rate on field goals after going 9-for-10. His 1.0 field goals per game are good for second in the league. Romero is the second Wagner rookie to take home a weekly award from the NEC, joining Alim Parks Jr.


#NECFB PRIME PERFORMERS (Week 10)

Jack Stoll, CCSU (LB, Sr)
Stoll, a senior linebacker, did a little bit of everything to help the Blue Devils maintain their undefeated record in NEC play against LIU on Saturday. In addition to racking up a game-best 12 tackles with eight solo stops and 2.5 tackles-for-loss, he saved the game by blocking the potential game-tying field goal — an 18-yard attempt — as time ran off the clock at Arute Field. Stoll was also named the NEC/Atlantic Tomorrow’s Office Defensive Player of the Week.
 
Scoop Gardner, Jr., LIU (DL, So)
Posting seven tackles, including six solo stops, Gardner contributed a career-best 2.5 tackles-for-loss to an LIU defense that held unbeaten Central Connecticut to a season-low 10 points in a hard-fought, three-point defeat. The sophomore defensive lineman added one sack for the Sharks.
 
Jalen Smith, NHVN (RB, Sr)
Smith ran for 100-plus yards for the second time this season in New Haven’s defeat at in-state opponent Sacred Heart on Saturday. The senior running back racked up a game-high 102 rushing yards after he carried the ball nine times for an average of 11.3 yards per rush.
 
Ethan Shine, RMU (RB, Jr)
Shine put up game-best numbers in rushing yards for the second-straight outing for Robert Morris, which made it back-to-back wins after defeating Stonehill on the road by a 23-20 final on Saturday. Running for 124 yards last week at Saint Francis, the junior running back racked up 122 more yards against the Skyhawks to lead all NEC rushers in Week 10. Shine was also named the NEC/Atlantic Tomorrow’s Office Offensive Player of the Week.
 
Trey Woods, RMU (DL, Sr)
Woods matched a team-high in tackles on Saturday after he posted eight, including four solo stops, in Robert Morris’ 23-20 triumph at Stonehill. Adding a season-best 2.0 tackles-for-loss, the defensive lineman has averaged 6.5 tackles per game in the Colonials’ last two outings, both of which have been wins against conference squads.
 
Colin Douglas, SFU (S, So)
Coming off a nine-tackle performance against Robert Morris a week ago, Douglas registered his first double-digit tackle game on Saturday after coming away with 11 in Saint Francis’ 23-20 setback to visiting Wagner. The sophomore safety, who has registered 47 of his 55 stops in his last five games, also recorded a forced fumble, one fumble recovery and an interception against the Seahawks.  
 
Jordan Theodore, SFU (RB, R-So)
After entering Saturday’s game with 15 rushing yards on 11 carries, Theodore became the first NEC rookie to rush for 100-or-more yards in a game this season when he ran for 121 on 24 carries in Saint Francis’ three-point defeat to Wagner. The redshirt sophomore added 37 receiving yards on a pair of receptions, including a 29-yard touchdown catch that gave the Red Flash a 17-13 advantage with 9:53 remaining in the game. 
 
Charles Battaglia, STO (LB, Jr)
Battaglia racked up double digits in tackles for the second time this season after he led all players with 10 in Stonehill’s home defeat to Robert Morris. The Skyhawks’ leading tackler, who ranks third on the circuit with 68 total, added one tackle-for-loss in the contest.
 
Jayden Brown, WC (DB, Sr)
Brown picked off a pass with 4:43 remaining in the third and ran it back 25 yards to the end zone to give Wagner its first lead of the game against Saint Francis at 13-10. In addition to his first career pick-6, the senior defensive back added three tackles in the 23-20 win, which marked the Seahawks’ second in as many outings.
 
Jordan Johnson, WC (LB, Sr)
Martin put together one of his finest outings of the season in Wagner’s walk-off 23-20 win at Saint Francis on Saturday. The senior linebacker stuffed the stat sheet with eight tackles, one sack, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble.
 
Akil Lampley, WC (DB, Gr)
Lampley posted a game- and season-high 12 tackles, including seven solo stops, to lead Wagner to its second-straight victory by way of a walk-off 23-20 final at Saint Francis on Saturday. Adding 1.0 tackle-for-loss, the graduate defensive back forced a fumble on a 1st-and-10 at the Seahawks’ 21-yard line in the second quarter that was recovered by teammate Jordan Johnson.
 
Nicholas Romero, WC (K, Fr)
Romero booted home a 28-yard field goal as time expired to propel Wagner to its second-straight NEC win at Saint Francis on Saturday. The freshman kicker contributed 11 points to the 23-20 triumph after going a perfect 3-for-3 on field goals and 2-for-2 on PATs. Romero was also named the NEC/Atlantic Tomorrow’s Office Special Teams Player of the Week and the NEC Rookie of the Week.

  
AROUND THE NEC IN 8 SENTENCES

CENTRAL CONNECTICUT: The Blue Devils have knocked off eight-straight NEC opponents dating back to last season’s 24-14 win against Wagner (Nov. 2, 2024), a rally that is tied for the sixth-longest active conference in streak in the FCS.

DUQUESNE: Graduate quarterback Tyler Riddell is second among all active FCS signal callers with 9,554 passing yards while his 75 touchdown throws are tied for 15th in the nation.

LIU: Quarterback Luca Stanzani has had a hand in each of the Sharks’ last seven touchdowns with four rushing scores and three touchdown throws in that stretch.

MERCYHURST: Senior Brian Trobel contines to top the NEC charts in rushing touchdowns, as he is tied with LIU’s Luca Stanzani with seven.

NEW HAVEN: Combining for eight touchdown catches with four apiece, senior Kevonne Wilder (66.6 receiving yards per game) and classmate Joshua Tracey (55.9) are two-three, respectively, in receiving yards per game.

ROBERT MORRIS: Chaz Middleton leads all FCS tight ends with 336 receiving yards and 17.68 yards per reception. 

SAINT FRANCIS: Jordan Theodore became the first NEC rookie this season to rush for 100-or-more yards on Saturday when he racked up 121 on 24 carries against Wagner.

STONEHILL: Finishing with eight carries for 75 yards in Saturday’s three-point defeat to Robert Morris, rookie running back Aidan Garrett had a 62-yard touchdown run, the longest of the season for Stonehill.

WAGNER: For the first time since 2023, Wagner has strung together back-to-back wins after taking down then-unbeaten Duquesne in Week 9 and beating Saint Francis in Week 10 action on Saturday. 


2025 NEC FOOTBALL WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS:

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sept. 1: AJ Duffy (New Haven)
Sept. 8: Luca Stanzani (LIU)
Sept. 15: AJ Duffy (New Haven)
Sept. 22: Elijah Howard (Central Connecticut)
Sept. 29: Tyler Riddell (Duquesne)
Oct. 6: Brady Olson (Central Connecticut)
Oct. 13: Brian Trobel (Mercyhurst)
Oct. 20: Ness Davis (Duquesne)
Oct. 27: Luca Stanzani (LIU)
Nov. 3: Ethan Shine (Robert Morris)
Nov. 10:

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sept. 1: Geno Calgaro (Saint Francis)
Sept. 8: Rafael Fasolino (LIU)
Sept. 15: Christopher Jean (Central Connecticut) & Liam Godwin (New Haven)
Sept. 22: Christopher Jean (Central Connecticut)
Sept. 29: Charles Battaglia (Stonehill)
Oct. 6: Tyson Meiguez (Duquesne)
Oct. 13: Malachi Wright (Central Connecticut)
Oct. 20: Avery Morris (Duquesne)
Oct. 27: Trey Watkins (LIU)
Nov. 3: Jack Stoll (Central Connecticut)
Nov. 10:

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sept. 1: Will Lynch (LIU) & Jayson Jenkins (Robert Morris)
Sept. 8: Jayson Jenkins (Robert Morris)
Sept. 15: Brayden Hall (Central Connecticut)
Sept. 22: Logan Chenette (Stonehill)
Sept. 29: Jadon Turner (Central Connecticut)
Oct. 6: Jack Hennessey (Central Connecticut)
Oct. 13: Joel Kpassou (Duquesne)
Oct. 20: Matt Clark (Duquesne)
Oct. 27: Domenic Scalese (Stonehill)
Nov. 3: Nicholas Romero (Wagner)
Nov. 10:

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Sept. 1: Jack Hennessey (Central Connecticut)
Sept. 8: Jameir Gamble (Mercyhurst)
Sept. 15: Naquan Johnson (LIU)
Sept. 22: Alim Parks, Jr. (Wagner)
Sept. 29: DJ Maultsby (Saint Francis)
Oct. 6: Ryan Petras (Duquesne)
Oct. 13: Ryan Petras (Duquesne)
Oct. 20: Zach Bonini (Central Connecticut)
Oct. 27: Jayden Simpson (LIU)
Nov. 3: Nicholas Romero (Wagner)
Nov. 10: