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READING, Pa. - The Albright Lions open the 2017 season Friday against the Salisbury Sea Gulls at 7 p.m. Both teams enter the regular season receiving votes in the D3Football.com Top 25 Preseason Poll.

Albright is coming off an 8-3 record in 2016 after winning eight of its last nine games. That stretch helped the Lions to a second-place finish in the MAC and a berth in the Centennial-MAC Bowl Series. Albright hosted Franklin & Marshall in that game, earning a 28-23 win. 

Salisbury also finished 8-3 last year, capping the season with a 52-20 victory over Carnegie Mellon in the ECAC Legacy Bowl in Philadelphia. 

LAST SEASON
The teams met in the season opener last year, a 34-18 home victory for Salisbury. The Sea Gulls carried a 14-10 lead into the half, but they scored the first three touchdowns of the second half to pull away from the Lions.

Alec Vignola came in relief to throw the team's lone touchdown pass to Kyle Dickerson. Malik Jackson led the receiving effort with eight catches for 96 yards, and Dickerson finished with four grabs for 55 yards. David Sanchez led the defense with a season-high 12 tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss.

RETURNING ALL-CONFERENCE SELECTIONS
Albright returns six All-MAC performers from last season. On the offensive side, wide receiver Kyle Dickerson earned All-MAC First Team honors as a returner. Quarterback Alec Vignola and lineman Kensey Davis were named All-MAC Second Team.

On the defensive side, linebacker Grant Boehler earned All-MAC First Team honors while lineman David Sanchez was named to the Second Team. Kicker Kevin Goetz was also an All-MAC First Team selection.

OPENING WEEK SUCCESS
Last season's loss to Salisbury snapped a five-game winning streak for the Lions in season openers. The Lions won those games by an average of nearly two touchdowns. Albright also owns a season-opening win over Salisbury in 2015 at Shirk Stadium. Albright won that game, 24-23.

LIONS PICKED SECOND IN PRESEASON POLL
Albright earned a tie for second place in the annual MAC Coaches' Preseason Poll. Albright tied with Stevenson for second place in the poll. Both teams finished with 72 points, just three points behind favorite Delaware Valley. Of the 10 first-place votes, Delaware Valley picked up five, Stevenson had three, and Albright had two.

CENTENNIAL-MAC BOWL SERIES CONTINUES
The Centennial Conference and the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) will continue with its postseason bowl series in 2017 for a third-straight year. 

The Centennial-MAC Bowl Series will involve the top two teams from each conference that are not selected to the NCAA Division III Championship. The top team from each conference that is not selected to the NCAA Division III Championship will host the second-best team from the opposing conference.

The MAC has won all four bowl series games to date. Delaware Valley has picked up two of the victories over Moravian (2015) and Muhlenberg (2016), while Stevenson defeated Muhlenberg in 2015 and Albright defeated Franklin & Marshall in 2016.