Complete All-PSAC West Release
Complete All-PSAC East Release

ERIE, Pa. – A record eight Mercyhurst College football players have earned postseason honors from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, as announced by league officials today. 

Fred Hale, Tim Herbener and Dave Hetrick were selected as First Team All-PSAC West honorees in voting conducting by the coaches while Josh Szeluga, Andrew Salamon, Bryan Boyce, Julius McCormick and Ian Wild were second-team selections. 

Clarion running back Alfonso Hoggard earned West Offensive Player of the Year honors, and California defensive lineman took home the honors on the defensive side of the ball. The Vulcans also own the Freshman of the Year honoree in defensive back Rontez Miles. Selected by his peers, Clarion's Jay Foster is the PSAC West Coach of the Year. 

Hale, who earns his first conference honor, made a significant impact on a stingy Laker defense from his spot at defensive end. The junior started all 11 contests for Mercyhurst and ranked seventh on the team in tackles (41). He also ranked second on the squad with 13 tackles for loss (-50 yards), including 5.5 sacks. The Mentor, Ohio native was one of the league's best in those categories, finishing the regular season ranked sixth in the PSAC for tackles for loss and eighth in sacks, collecting a tackle in every game but one. In Hale's breakout season, he set a new personal best with six stops on two occasions (vs Cheyney 9/5 and vs Edinboro 10/24) and recorded the team single-game season highs in tackles for loss (4) and sacks (2) against Gannon. 

Also earning his first all-conference honors is Herbener, a linebacker from Chagrin Falls, Ohio. Herbener started all 11 games for the Lakers and helped guide Mercyhurst to be one of the best defenses in the PSAC, finishing the regular season as the fourth-best rushing defense (118.5 yards per game). The Chagrin Falls native led the team in tackles (87) while also leading the squad in tackles for loss (16- -60 yards and sacks (6.5- -41 yards). In addition to his ability to pressure, Herbener was effective against the pass, tying for second on the squad with two interceptions. He posted 10 or stops on three different occasions (Wayne State, Bloomsburg, Clarion) while adding four or more tackles in every game. Furthermore, Herbener had a tackle for loss in every game but two and a sack in every game but four. One of his best stretches this season came against Cheyney and then-ranked No. 5 Bloomsburg as he recorded seven solo tackles in each contest. 

Hetrick, a senior offensive tackle from Northfield, Ohio, is now a two-time First Team All-PSAC West selection. His strong blocking helped pave the way for the Lakers ground game that averaged 120.7 yards per game and a passing game that averaged 157.2 yards per contest. Hetrick began his career as a defensive lineman before switching to offense in 2007. 

Representing the Second Team Offense is two-time honoree Szeluga and Salamon. For the second straight season, Szeluga earns an All-PSAC West second-team accolade at tight end while Salamon records his first postseason honor at offensive guard. 

A senior, Szeluga had one of his best seasons at the 'Hurst to finish his storied career in fourth-place all-time for receptions (117) and sixth-place for receiving yards (1,391). This season, Szeluga was a consistent and reliable target for Laker quarterbacks, hauling in a team-best 44 catches for 497 yards while ranking second with three touchdown receptions. Against Wayne State in the opener, Szeluga posted six catches for 100 yards in a preview of what would be a recurring theme in the Lakers offense. He had at least two catches in every game and recorded four games with 50 or more yards receiving. Against nationally-ranked Edinboro and California, Szeluga combined for 13 catches and 126 yards and two touchdowns. A versatile and an athletic receiver, Szeluga also added strength to the Lakers blocking scheme. Also excelling in the classroom, Szeluga was a CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine All-District II selection and is on the national ballot for Academic All-America honors. 

Salamon, a senior offensive guard from Mentor, Ohio, was part of an offensive line that had all five members start every game for the Lakers. After playing three games on the line in his freshman season, Salamon has increased his playing time each year and has started 21 of the last 22 contests. His experience this season helped to guide the right side which featured a true freshman at right tackle. As a unit, the Lakers were the least penalized team in the league and allowed the fewest sacks of any of the 16 members. 

A native of Hubbard, Ohio, Boyce earns his third overall conference honor after recording a First Team All-PSAC West nod a year ago and an All-GLIAC Honorable Mention in 2006. He started the final eight games of the 2009 season after missing first three with an injury en route to a seventh-place ranking on the squad with 41 stops (29 solo). Boyce also finished third in tackles for loss (7- -32 yards) and sacks (2.5- -19 yards). His play from middle linebacker helped the Lakers to the league's fourth-best rushing defense, allowing just 118.5 yards per game. The senior posted a tackle in every game, including his season-high of 11 stops in a 17-16 loss at Slippery Rock, while also recording a double-digit effort against West Chester (10). A 2008 CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American, Boyce again is on the national ballot. 

Lastly, a pair of defensive backs in McCormick and Wild round out the 2009 All-PSAC West Second Team selections, as both earn their first all-conference certificates. 

McCormick, a native of Columbus, Ohio, started all 11 contests for the Lakers secondary for the second straight year while playing in all Mercyhurst games for the third year. The junior finished sixth on the squad in tackles (44 TT, 27 solo) and ranked second on squad with two interceptions. A standout defender, he had more than double the next player's total in pass breakups with eight as he provided consistent play against some of the league's top wide receivers. McCormick posted seven tackles on two different occasions, falling one short of his career-best, and registered a tackle in every game but one. 

A sophomore from Pittsburgh, Pa., Wild started 10 games for the Lakers, missing only the Lock Haven contest with a leg injury. He finished second on the team with 74 stops, including 50 solo, while ranking fourth with seven tackles for loss, including a sack. He just missed tying his career-high of 14 tackles with a 13-stop effort in a 17-16 loss at Slippery Rock but provided solid, consistent play in the Lakers stack defense, recording at least five tackles in every game. Wild posted a career-best three tackles for loss in a 27-17 win over rival Gannon and finished the regular season ranked 13th in the PSAC with 7.5 tackles per game. A standout on the field, Wild also excels in the classroom, earning his first CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Second Team All-District II selection this season with a 3.9 grade point average in international business.