The Sacred Heart University football team faced off against Long Island University in their final home game of the 2024 season on Nov. 9, where they were defeated 28-7.
“This is not the way we wanted the season to go, but there were definitely some positives I took out of it,” said senior Maximus Mongelli. “Compared to other seasons, we’ve made strides in some areas, even though we didn’t get the results we were hoping for.”
This loss concluded the last home game of the season, a day where the Pioneers bid farewell to their 26 seniors, celebrating their time and achievements with the program.
The Sacred Heart football team rally together at Campus Field.
“Senior day is very emotional for players and coaches. I am extremely happy for them to finish what they started as college football players, but I am also sad to see them go,” said Head Coach Mark Nofri. “All these seniors have given their all for four years and have grown both on and off the field. I am very proud of them.”
SHU was able to bounce back on Nov. 16 with a season finale victory, defeating Merrimack 31-20, and claiming the Yankee Conference Championship.
“The Yankee Conference was a conference from 1946 to 1996, it was all the northeast teams back then. They are trying to start it back up, and us and Merrimack were two FCS [Football Championship Subdivision] teams playing independent,” said senior Jake Walsh, a member of the football team and the Assistant Photo Editor for the Spectrum. “It gave us something to play for with a opportunity to join that conference if it starts up again.”
SHU finished the season with a 5-6 record, an improvement from last year’s 2-9 record. Reflecting on a rather unsuccessful season, the Pioneers’ focus shifts to improvements moving forward.
“As we look back on this season, it’s clear that improving our consistency and focus on execution in high-pressure situations would make a big difference,” said Mongelli. “We’ve shown we can compete, but we need to finish stronger and make adjustments faster when things aren’t going our way.”
The Pioneers look to the break as an opportunity to polish their game and improve on this season’s performance.
“I think the results of this season will make the team even hungrier in the offseason, pushing everyone to put in the work needed to come out strong when camp starts in August,” said graduate student Jalen Madison. “The experience this year showed us what we’re capable of but also where we can improve.”
This year also marked the Pioneers’ first season as an independent program after leaving the Northeast Conference (NEC), bringing the additional challenge of facing unfamiliar opponents.
“Playing out-of-conference opponents definitely brought us some challenges this year,” said Mongelli. “Whenever you face teams for the first time, there’s always an element of the unknown, and you don’t really know what to expect. But it also gave us valuable experience in adapting to new schemes and styles of play.”
The Pioneers aim to build a more cohesive group in preparation for next season, in hopes of a more successful outcome.
“Heading into next year, I think the main focus needs to be staying close as a team and setting a standard that everyone can hold to and maintain throughout the offseason,” said Madison. “Building strong bonds and keeping that team chemistry intact will help going into next season with the right mindset.”
Despite the overall result of this season, many fans remain hopeful, looking forward to the Pioneers’ potential for next season.
“It has been a tough season for them, I hope they can bounce back and show what they are capable of accomplishing next year,” said sophomore Henry Hirsch.
