First time magic
| Western New England is making
its playoff debut after winning the NEFC in dramatic
fashion. WNE photo by Ken Cerino |
Western New England and Norwich University took the field against one another for the season opener on Sept. 3 with big dreams. WNE won the game 28-24, but both teams realized the dream: the first NCAA playoff berth in the history of their programs.
The Western New England players and coaches squeezed into their Hall of Fame room to watch the selection show on Sunday night and the Cadets watched the show in their locker room.
They both knew they were in the 32-team field as the result of winning their conference championship. Still, there was suspense and excitement. This isn't old hat. This isn't Mount Union or Whitewater.
"It was exciting. There were butterflies before the announcement and there were butterflies after," Norwich coach Mark Murnyack said.
It marked the end of a whirlwind weekend for the Golden Bears. They won their first New England Football Conference title by edging Framingham State 20-13 when Bryce Brown ran one in from 12 yards out in overtime.
"It was the first time I have been involved in an overtime as coach," WNE's Keith Emery said.
Brown had 104 rushing yards and 160 more passing in picking up the game's MVP plague.
Now, they go into a place where teams in their program have never gone. The Golden Bears get to go to Salisbury and the Cadets to Delaware Valley.
Emery knows what is coming at him. He sees it each year when WNE plays Maine Maritime. It's the triple option attack and Salisbury was the scourge of the Empire 8 by deploying that offense.
"Salisbury runs the same offense as Springfield and Maine Maritime," Emery said. "They execute it very well."
Emery was caught off guard when the brackets came up showing Salisbury as the opponent. "I was half expecting to be playing Kean," Emery said. "I was thrown off a little."
The Golden Bears take a school-record nine wins into the game.
"It was exciting to see Western New England pop up on the screen," Emery said. "I was just disappointed personally because I thought we would be a higher seed."
The stirring overtime win and the soccer team hosting an NCAA playoff...
