CENTERVILLE, Mass. – The Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) announced today that West Chester University has been named the 2013 ECAC Division II Team of the Year. This is the sixth time West Chester has been selected for this award as they were previously named Team of the Year in 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009. The Golden Rams were chosen as the most outstanding team by coaches within the ECAC Division II membership and members of the media.
West Chester will be honored on March 27, at the Eastern College Football Awards Banquet, hosted by the ECAC at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. The Eastern College Football Awards Banquet will feature the presentation of the ECAC Football Awards as well as the Lambert Meadowlands Awards. The Golden Rams were recently named the recipient of the Division II Lambert Meadowlands Award.
"It is always rewarding to be recognized for the hard work and dedication that this year's football team put into the 2013 season, "West Chester Head Coach Bill Zwaan said. "The leadership on this team was outstanding and every player took ownership and bought into what the coaching staff was teaching. We would like to thank the ECAC for this recognition. It means a great deal to our program."
The Golden Rams had one of the most successful seasons in school history reaching the NCAA Division II National Semifinals and posting an overall record of 13-2. The 13 victories set a new school record for wins in a single season and in total, broke or tied 33 school records over the course of the 2013 campaign. They won a share of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East Division title and captured the Super Region 1 Championship with a 28-7 victory over Shepherd University in the NCAA Quarterfinals. It also marks the first time since 2008 West Chester was ranked nationally, and they closed out the season ranked fourth in the American Football Coaches' Association (AFCA) poll. In the second round of the NCAA Tournament, West Chester avenged their only regular season loss against Bloomsburg University, eliminating the Huskies by a final score of 40-38.
West Chester's offense averaged 37.6 points per game and 461.5 yards per game in 2013 due in large part to the teamwork of junior quarterback Sean McCartney (Doylestown, Pa.) and senior running back Rondell White (West Chester, Pa.). McCartney completed 63-percent of his passes throwing for 3,569 yards and 34 touchdowns. White, the ECAC Division II Offensive Player of the Year, set an NCAA Division II record by rushing the ball 406 times and amassed 1,989 yards on the ground and 21 touchdowns. He also caught 75 passes for 843 yards and three touchdowns. White rushed for over 100 yards nine times this season, including a career high 245 yards in a win over Gannon.
The Golden Rams' defense was led by ECAC Defensive Player of the Year, junior linebacker Ronell Williams (Chester, Pa.). Williams made 110 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 quarterback sacks. He also totaled a team-high 60 solo tackles and had two interceptions. Defensive back Al-Hajj Shabazz (Philadelphia, Pa.) helped anchor the defense with four interceptions and eight pass break-ups, including an interception return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter of the NCAA Quarterfinals to break open a close game against Shepherd to lead the Golden Rams to the national semifinals.
About the ECAC
The ECAC is the nation's largest athletic and the only multi-divisional conference in the country with more than 300 Divisions I, II, and III colleges and universities. The ECAC stretches from Maine to North Carolina and westerly to Colorado. Established in 1938, the ECAC, a non-profit service organization, sponsors nearly 100 championships in 37 men's and women's sports and assigns more than 4,400 officials in 12 sports. The ECAC also administers nine affiliate sports organizations and six playing leagues, and through the public relations arm of the conference, more than 2,500 student-athletes in 23 sports are recognized annually. Finally, the ECAC serves as the primary conference for select members in the sports of men's and women's ice hockey and men's lacrosse.
