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DII College Latest

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DII College Latest

Illinois State moves on. Emma Horath photo.

We know almost all of the teams that will play in the Men's National DII College quarterfinals, after results this weekend; here's the rundown:

The NECRC conference as the only conference that hadn't finished its season. Saturday Middlebury played Rhode Island Friday with a final national playoff place on the line for URI. A win for Rhode Island would put them in Sunday's playoff game at Plymouth State. A Middlebury win would vault Middlebury to 3rd, and clinch 2nd and a playoff sport for Vermont - however Middlebury would take the #2 seed. Playing in the snow in Vermont, Middlebury got multiple tries from their all-everything Jake Feury, and multiple tries from Henry Kremer to win 42-13. That dumped Rhode Island to 4th in the conference. However, even though Middlebury finished 3rd, the NECRC is having Middlebury play Sunday's playoff game

Also playing Sunday is Bentley at SUNY Cortland.

Illinois State led 15-12 at halftime over Great Lakes champs Grand Valley State, and then exploded for four second-half tries and the win, 41-17. ISU will take on MARC champs Rowan next week in Pittsburgh.

In a wild, back-and-forth game, UNC-Charlotte defeated VMI 45-34. VMI led 31-21 just before halftime when center Michael Basnett ran from behind his own goal line and went the distance to pull the 49ers within three points at 31-28. That spectacular try changed the momentum, and Charlotte, behind a stalwart forward effort, clawed their way back. Charlotte's second-half defense, and their pack handling a bigger VMI front eight, were the major factors in the 49er comeback. Flyhalf Brandon Sorkin put his team ahead to stay with an excellent individual effort. UNC-Charlotte plays the Coast Guard Academy next week in Pittsburgh.

The Colorado School of Mines put in an excellent effort to defeated Principia 34-12 and set up a date with Minnesota-Duluth next week at Wayne State College in Nebraska. 

North Dakota State found themselves in a battle with Wisconsin-Milwaukee at the Metropolis Men's Club field in Minneapolis. NDSU ran out to a 17-0 lead, but Milwaukee came back and made it 17-12 at the break.

In the second half, however, NDSU scored three tries with no reply from the Panthers. Wing Chase Rosby was NDSU's player of the game. North Dakota State now faces Western State next week at Furman University.

And finally, in a knock-down, drag-out thriller, Southern Connecticut came back to edge York 31-29. York led 17-0 at halftime, but SoConn kept at it and worked their way back into the same. Seimou Smith scored three tries for Southern Connecticut, incuding the game-winner, while wing Sean Grenier scored two tries. Flanker Louie Ortiz and prop James Hink led the defensive effort. SoConn needed all 80 minutes for this one. With the win Southern Connecticut gets to play North Carolina State next week at Furman University.

 

On Sunday, Bentley defeated Cortland 31-19 to advance, behind two tries from John Tascione. And Middlebury completed an improbably run. After learning that Vermont did not plan to take the #2 seed from the NECRC, Middlebury beat Rhode Island on Friday, and then, with all 26 points from Jake Feury, beat Plymouth State on Sunday 26-19 to move on to the next round. Bentley will face Norwich, and Middlebury plays UW-Whitewater, both in Pittsburgh. 

 

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Men DII Brackets Nov 12-13