2018 Preseason Camp Preview: Special Teams

STONY BROOK, N.Y. -- The 2018 Special Teams unit leads off the Preseason Camp Previews. Throughout the 2018 preseason camp we will have video previews of each position, including today's special teams feature. The Stony Brook special teams, directed by special team's coordinator Tony Thompson, is led by a trio of kickers. Senior punter Marc Nolan (Woodstock, Ga./Blessed Trinity Catholic), senior kicker Alex Lucansky(Orange Park, Fla./The Bolles School) and junior kicker Nick Courtney (East Meadow, N.Y./WT Clarke)were a big part of the success in 2017. Nolan's 76 punts went for an average of 37.7 yards that included three for over 50 yards and 34 that were downed inside the 20. Lucansky punched seven field goals and 19 extra points through the uprights, including four FGs in the home win over Towson. He also averaged 58.1 yards and had seven touchbacks on kickoff duty. Courtney was perfect on kicks with all five field goals and 25 extra points going through. A main stay on all of Stony Brook's kicks is junior snapper Billy Barber (Sound Beach, N.Y./Rocky Point). The Seawolves also bring back their top punt returner from 2017 and their top kickoff returner from 2017 in Donavin Washington (Glendora, Calif./Charter Oak) and Donald Liotine (Medford, N.Y./The Stony Brook School), respectively. Washington was one of the best punt returners in the nation and fifth in the CAA Football Conference with a 7.9 average, while Liotine was fourth in the league in kick returns with his average of 23.4. In addition to the kicks and returns, the Stony Brook special teams unit is among the best in defending the kickoff and punt. In 2017, the Seawolves blocked two punts for touchdowns and ranked first in the conference and fifth in the nation after they allowed just 16.65 yards per kickoff return.