No. 22 Football Faces SUNY-Brockport In NCAA Tournament
SPRINGFIELD, Mass., Nov. 17, 2002 – No. 22 Springfield College will travel to the State University of New York (SUNY)-Brockport for a first-round game in the NCAA Division III Football Championship. The game is scheduled for Sat., Nov. 23 at 12 p.m. at Brockport’s Special Olympics Stadium.
The 28-team field was announced at 4 p.m. on Sunday afternoon.
The winner of the Springfield-Brockport match-up will face Rowan-N.J. (10-0) in the second round in Glassboro, N.J., on Sat., Nov. 30.
“We’re excited to be playing in the tournament,” said SC head coach Mike DeLong, who has led the Pride to three NCAA Tournament bids in five seasons. “Brockport is an outstanding team, and it’s a great facility up there, so we’re looking forward to it.”
This is the second time in three seasons that the Pride (8-1), which won the Freedom Football Conference with a 6-0 record, and the Golden Eagles (8-2) meet in the NCAA Tournament. SC topped Brockport, 13-7, in a second-round contest in Brockport, N.Y., on Nov. 25, 2000.
The Pride is 2-2 in two appearances in the NCAA Tournament. SC lost to Buffalo State, 38-35 in 1998 at Benedum Field. In 2000, the Pride became the first Division III New England team to reach a regional final. SC topped Montclair (N.J.) State, 31-29 in the first round at home then defeated Brockport, 13-6. In the East Region Final, the Pride lost to Widener (Pa.), 62-20, at Benedum Field.
SC enters the tournament riding a five-game winning streak, including a 55-27 win over Union (N.Y.) on Saturday. In that game, the Pride established a school record with 668 yards of total offense, and tied a school record with 586 rushing yards.
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Head Coach Mike DeLong
Michael C. “Mike” DeLong ’74 enters his 31st season as a head football coach in the fall of 2012. He enters his 29th year at Springfield College alone. For the past 28 years, he has been the head coach at Springfield, his alma mater. Mike had also been the head coach at Maine Maritime in Castine, Maine in 1979 and 1980.
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Contact Head Coach Mike Delong
E-Mail | Phone: 413.748.3156
