MARC Semis Set

The MARC Conference semifinals are set after a dramatic weekend of games.

Rowan and IUP had already secured places by previous clinching the South and North divisions, respectively. And to emphaize their strength, the two won comfortably, IUP 102-0 over College of New Jersey, and Rowan 20-0 over East Stroudsburg. So it all came down to the fortunes of five teams playing for the final two spots. It wasn't a case of finishing second in the divsion, the MARC uses a Wild Card system where the two additional semifinalists could come from one division. And that's what happened. York (3-2 going into the weekend) faced off with 2-3 Scranton, and won 38-22, taking a bonus point and clinching one semifinal place.

Then Drexel (3-2) faced winless Bloomsburg, while 3-2 Lehigh played 3-2 Slippery Rock. Lehigh or Slippery Rock needed to win and also needed Drexel to slip up against Bloomsburg. Lehigh beat Slippery Rock 17-7, but it wasn't enough, as Drexel won 48-12 over Bloomsburg to take the 4th semfinal spot.

So that sets up next weekend's semis, with York playing IUP and Drexel taking on Rowan. 

Earlier this fall Drexel played Rowan and lost 48-0. York and IUP have not played each other.

The semifinal winners will both go into the national playoffs, with the MARC #2 taking on the NECRC (likely either Coast Guard or Vermont) for the right to play the Capital champion in the Round of 16.