Marlborough, Mass.- Salve Regina football has claimed the second place spot in the NEWMAC preseason coaches poll coming off a 6-4 overall season last year with conference wins over MIT, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, U.S. Coast Guard Academy, WPI and Norwich University.

Springfield College has been tabbed to win its fifth-straight NEWMAC title, collecting seven first-place votes in the 2025 NEWMAC Football Preseason Coaches Poll. Mike Cerasuolo returns for his tenth season as Head Coach for the Pride after leading the Pride to the NCAA quarterfinals for the first time since 2000. 2024 NEWMAC Rookie of the Year Aaziah Scott returns after producing the most tackles for a Springfield College freshman since 2016 with 54.  Craig Connell returns after an All-American season in which the offensive lineman cleared the way for Springfield to have the nation's top rushing offense with 427.5 rushing yards per game. Fellow first team All-Conference honoree Ian Wernik also returns, as he led NEWMAC kickers in scoring with 91 points on 73 extra points and six field goals.    
  
Salve Regina enters the poll in the second spot, claiming the final first-place vote. Head coach Kevin Gilmartin will lead the Seahawks, who return their leading rusher in Justan Luzzi, who amassed 896 yards last season and earned second-team All-Conference honors. Fellow all-conference honoree Nathan DiRado also returns after converting four field goals and 18 of 19 extra points.

"It's always interesting to see how the coaches pick the preseason poll-- and you never know how its going to shake out," said coach Gilmartin. "The fact that one team voted for us as the No.1 team in the conference and the coaches as a whole picked us to be second is flattering; but every player and coach knows that preseason talk is just that, talk. What really matters is how we play and the fact that we are getting really close to actual game time is the most exciting thing."

Merchant Marine takes the third spot. The Mariners, coached by Jameson Croall, will return defensive lineman Zatyk Holub, who earned first-team all-conference honors with 51 tackles and two interceptions last season. Quarterback Gervy Alota will also return after throwing for 1283 yards with 10 touchdowns and rushing for 539 yards and 12 touchdowns, earning second-team All-Conference honors.

Coast Guard, coached by C.C. Grant, claims the fourth spot. Highlighting the returners is wide receiver Broock Desta, who enters the 2025 season with the second-most receiving yards among active players (2,633). He led the Bears in receiving touchdowns with nine and was a First Team All-Conference selection. Fellow first-teamer Jay Martin also returns at offensive line, and will pave the way for first-team all-conference running back James Wheeler IV, who totaled 1074 rushing yards in 2024.

SUNY Maritime enters the poll in the fifth spot after winning the inaugural Fusion Bowl a season ago. First-year head coach Anthony Trotta leads the Privateers and will look to Vinny Fundaro to make an impact on defense. The defensive lineman was a first-team All-Conference honoree in 2024 after totaling 40 tackles, six sacks, and three forced fumbles. Jack Kellner will also help shore up the defense, as the linebacker returns after earning second-team all-conference honors last season.

WPI, coached by Chris Robertson, comes in at the sixth spot. Ryan Hannigan will look to make an impact on the defensive side of the ball, as he led the Engineers with six pass breakups to go along with a forced fumble and an interception last season.

MIT lands in the seventh spot. The Engineers will be under the direction of eighth-year head coach Brian Bubna and will return defensive back Lucky Deignan, who posted 37 tackles, two interceptions, and 11 pass breakups in 2024, earning first-team All-NEWMAC honors. The Engineers' leading rusher, Carson Phelps, will also return after totaling 705 yards and earning second-team all-conference honors.
 
Norwich rounds out the poll in the eighth spot. The Cadets will be led by head coach Bill Russell and return second team All-Conference honoree, Maddox Reed, who was fourth in the NEWMAC in sacks with five.

Football conference play kicks off on Saturday, September 27.
 
2025 NEWMAC Football Preseason Coaches Poll

1. Springfield (7) 
2. Salve Regina (1)
3. Merchant Marine
4. Coast Guard
5. SUNY Maritime  
6. WPI
7. MIT
8. Norwich

About the NEWMAC
The NEWMAC is an association of 12 selective academic institutions: Babson College, Clark University, United States Coast Guard Academy, Emerson College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mount Holyoke College, Salve Regina University, Smith College, Springfield College, Wellesley College, Wheaton College, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, that are committed to providing high quality competitive athletic opportunities for student-athletes within an educational and respectful environment that embodies the NCAA Division III Philosophy. The conference also partners with four Associate Members: Norwich University (Football), Simmons College (Rowing), SUNY Maritime College (Football), and United States Merchant Marine Academy (Football), while sponsoring 20 sports.