The Eskimos edged the Montreal Alouettes 37-14 at Commonwealth Stadium in their final regular season game and it was Schiavone's first Canadian Football League start after spending the season on the practice roster.

The Fort Erie resident was good on all three of his field goal attempts, his longest coming from 28 yards out. He also got off three punts averaging 36.3 yards.

"I wasn't nervous. I felt pretty good because I played infront of those crowds in preseason," said the 23-year-old.

Schiavone signed with the Eskimos as a free agent in May.

Before that, he kicked for the University of Western Ontario Mustangs where he played for four years, achieving several awards including Ontario University Athletics first all-star punter in 2005, 2006 and 2007 and first all-star kicker in 2006. He was also named all-Canadian first team punter in 2006 and 2007 and first team all-Canadian kicker in 2006.

Days after his father, Veto, 51, died suddenly last year, Schiavone overcame his emotions to kick five field goals, helping the Mustangs clinch a playoff spot.

The Mustangs went on to win the Yates Cup in November as Schiavone gave Western a 17-14 lead with 27 seconds left in the third quarter and later kicked a 30-yard field goal on way to a 34-21 victory over the University of Guelph Gryphons.

Schiavone's 97 points in 2005 were the second highest season total in Western history.

In three seasons at Western, Schiavone made 61 of 79 field goals.

Living in Fort Erie, Schiavone attended Our Lady of Victory and played football for Lakeshore Catholic High School in Port Colborne. He grew up a few houses down from former Edmonton Eskimo Sandy Annunziata, a former CFL all-star and now a Fort Erie councillor. Annunziata won his second Grey Cup with the Eskimos in 2005 and he is also Schiavone's agent.

"I have so many family and friends there," he said. "I go back in the off-season to work out and spend time with them."

Despite all Canadian honours as a punter at the University of Western Ontario, Schiavone went undrafted.

"Growing up, I played a lot of soccer and my dad always sent me to soccer camps in the United States," he said. "To get better I just need to keep doing what I've been doing and stay sharp."

He's the understudy to Noel Prefontaine, the Eskimos veteran kicker -- who missed the final two practice sessions last week and the tilt with Montreal due to illness.

Prefontaine is expected to be healthy for the Eskie's Eastern semifinal against the Winnepeg Blue Bombers.

-- With files from Alison Bell.