NEC RELEASE 

LORETTO, Pa. (Nov. 21, 2012) – The Saint Francis University football team earned several honors from the Northeast Conference as the league announced its yearly awards, Wednesday.  
 
Jakob DeMedal and Josh Thiel (Leesburg, Va./Heritage) both earned first-team all-conference selections as the pair led the Red Flash to its best season since moving to Division I. Anthony Abeid (Youngstown, Ohio/Youngstown Christian) earned the NEC's Offensive Rookie of the Year, as the first-year student-athlete stepped up in a big way after injuries depleted the SFU backfield. William Houston (Easton, Pa./Wyoming Seminary Prep) and Thurston Kino (Honolulu, Hawaii/Punahou) earned second-team all-conference honors and anchored an offensive line that paved the way for the most rushing yards in the league and also allowed the fewest sacks. Terrace Bourne (Wilmington, Del./Alexis I. Dupont) picked up second-team all-league honors on the defensive line and ranked as one of just five underclassmen honored out of the 50 student-athletes named to the first or second teams. Grant Price (Fort Wayne, Ind./Carroll) also picked up second-team all-conference honors at the punter position.  
 
Abeid rushed for 258 yards, posted 122 receiving yards, completed a pass for 21 yards and recorded 219 kickoff return yards in his first season with the Flash. The Youngstown, Ohio native started the season deep on the depth chart, but after injuries to Kyle Harbridge (Easton, Pa./Easton Area) and Khairi Dickson (Cleveland, Ohio/Cleveland Central Catholic), Abeid stepped into a starring role. The true freshman posted a breakout game against Robert Morris racking up 116 receiving yards with a touchdown. Against Monmouth, Abied posted 119 yards on the ground with just 18 carries and he finished the season with a 69-yard rushing effort and picked up a score against Sacred Heart. Abeid earned Northeast Conference Rookie of the Week three times, more than any other student-athlete. He finished his first season in Loretto with a 5.7 yard per carry average and a 17.4 yard per reception average.
 
DeMedal led the Red Flash in tackles with 88 and forced a league-high three fumbles, while also recording four pass break ups and five tackles for loss. The junior strong safety registered eight or more tackles in six games and recorded 59 of his 88 tackles solo. The 59 solo tackles by the New Wilmington, Pa. native gives him the 23rd best solo tackle per game average in the nation overall and six among defensive backs.
 
Josh Thiel (Leesburg, Va./Heritage) posted the best season by a kicker in school history in 2012 by going 11-for-12 on field goal attempts and registering the longest kick in school history. The native of Leesburg, Va. went 9-of-10 on field goals from 30 or more yards and connected on a school-record long 50-yard field goal against CCSU. Thiel also saw some time on kickoffs for the Flash and posted a 59.8 yard average with five touchbacks, while also pulling off a successful onside kick.
 
William Houston (Easton, Pa./Wyoming Seminary Prep) and Thurston Kino (Honolulu, Hawaii/Punahou) picked up second-team honors for SFU by clearing the way for the best rushing attack in the NEC. SFU rushed for a school record 2,600 yards on the ground and ranked as the only team in the NEC to average more than 200 yards a game rushing. SFU finished the regular season ranked 12th nationally in rush yards per game but the Flash offensive line also excelled at protecting quarterback John Kelly (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora). Saint Francis allowed just 12 sacks in 11 games a mark that ranked first in the Northeast Conference and tied for 14th nationally.
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Bourne finished the season with 32 tackles for the Flash and seven for loss. The sophomore also picked up a sack, three fumble recoveries and a forced fumble. The sophomore ranked as one of just five underclassmen to earn all-conference honors.
 
Grant Price (Fort Wayne, Ind./Carroll) also picked up second-team honors for SFU in the punter position. Price finished the season as one of the top punters in the Northeast Conference. The native of Fort Wayne, Ind. dropped 16 of 49 punts inside opponents' 20-yard lines and forced 10 fair catches. Price also booted five kicks for 50 or more yards.