Football | 8/3/2018 12:00:00 PM

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University football team was voted second in the 2018 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division Preseason Coaches' Poll released Friday by the conference office.

The 2018 Red Raider Football regular season features six road games and five home games. This year's scheduled conference crossover opponents are Slippery Rock (Week 2), California (Week 3) and IUP (Week 11) – the Top 3 Western Division teams last season (30-7 combined record). SU also picked up a game against LIU Post to replace an opening that was created after Cheyney discontinued its football program.
 
"The schedule this year is a tough one, but we welcome those tough schedules, and we're going to take it one game at a time," Head Coach Mark "Mac" Maciejewski '92/'96M said. "We're going to work hard. Our guys understand that every play matters, and every rep matters. So we're excited about this opportunity and we can't wait to get going."
 
Maciejewski, the 2017 AFCA Division II Region 1 Coach of the Year, enters his eighth season as the head coach at his alma mater and holds a 56-24 career record. He is the only head coach in school history with seven consecutive winning seasons; SU's current streak is its longest since recording eight straight winning seasons from 1950-57 under coaches Vinton Rambo (1950-54) and Jack Roddick (1955-57).
 
SU's preseason begins Tuesday morning when players report to Lackhove Hall for check-in.
 
"Any coach will tell you how important the preseason is because it's about building family, building confidence, and getting these young guys reps," Maciejewski said. "We have a lot of talent on this team, but it's a matter of time in the driver's seat for these young guys."
 
Shippensburg posted its fifth 10-win season in school history last season, achieving a 10-2 record and its sixth NCAA postseason appearance. The Red Raiders return 40 letter-winners – including 14 starters – and also added a couple of offseason transfers.
 
SU returns eight defensive starters to a unit that posted the top red-zone defense in NCAA Division II (.556) last season. The 2017 SU defense led the PSAC in numerous statistical categories, including turnover margin (1.33; second in D2), scoring defense (13.0; third in D2), team pass efficiency defense (89.55; third in D2), total defense (268.8; fourth in D2) and defensive touchdowns (5; eighth in D2).
 
"Our older guys are great leaders," Maciejewski said. "They've really led the charge here since December, after the season was over. We got right to work and our guys have done a great job of leading."
 
West Chester received all but one of the East's first-place votes and sits atop the 2018 preseason poll. New this season is a conference stipulation that coaches are not allowed to vote for their own team in the preseason polls. Kutztown received one first-place vote and ranked third. Completing the preseason poll, in order, is: Bloomsburg, East Stroudsburg, Millersville and Lock Haven.
 
On Saturday, August 18, SU Football will be holding a Fan Appreciation event at SU Student Association Field at Seth Grove Stadium. Fans will have the opportunity to interact with players and coaches, pose for pictures, and pick up free schedule posters. 
 
Shippensburg opens its 2018 season at 1 p.m. on Saturday, September 1 against Clarion University. The game will be played in Pittsburgh at Highmark Stadium in an effort to celebrate Clarion's 150th anniversary.
 
2018 PSAC Preseason Football Polls
(First-place votes are indicated in parentheses; teams are not allowed to vote for themselves)
 
EAST
1) West Chester (6)
2) Shippensburg
3) Kutztown (1)
4) Bloomsburg
5) East Stroudsburg
6) Millersville
7) Lock Haven
 
WEST
1) IUP (7)
2) California (1)
3) Slippery Rock
4) Edinboro
5) Gannon
6) Mercyhurst
7) Clarion
8) Seton Hill