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Norwich Takes ECFC Title and Automatic NCAA Bid With 16-9 Win at SUNY Maritime
- Details
- Created on Sunday, 06 November 2011 02:45
- Written by George Commo
Cadets ride defense, QB Sabourin and kicker Long Ding to win
Throggs Neck, NY --- The Norwich University Cadets have advanced to the NCAA Division Three Football Tournament for the first time ever. Quarterback Kris Sabourin broke free for a 55 yard touchdown run and place kicker Long Ding booted field goals of 51, 37 and 38 yards Saturday afternoon as the Cadets topped SUNY Maritime 16-9. The win, along with Gallaudet's loss to Mt. Ida, clinched the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference title and an automatic NCAA bid for Norwich.
After a Norwich turnover set up a short Maritime field goal that gave the host Privateers their only lead of the afternoon Norwich responded, as Sabourin pulled a beautiful ball fake out of the arms of running back Andrew Fulford and scampered untouched 55 yards into the end zone with 6:44 left in the first quarter, giving NU a lead they would never relinquish.It would be the only touchdown of the day.
Ding extended the Cadets lead to 10-3 on the second play of the second quarter, booming home a career long and Norwich record 51 yard field goal. After a Privateer field goal cut the lead to 10-6 Ding struck again, booting a 37 yarder with two seconds remaining in the half. His Norwich record tying third filed goal of the day, from 38 yards with six minutes left in the third quarter, ran the lead to 16-6, and while the Privateers added a field goal early in the fourth quarter to cut the lead to 16-9 they could get no closer.
That was in large part due to a stout Norwich defense, which held the high scoring Maritime offense without a touchdown for only the second time this season. Time and again the Cadets "D" turned the Privateers potent offense away, including limiting the home team to two field goals on three trips into the red zone.
Norwich's win was it's seventh straight. They end the regular season at 7-3 ... 7-0 in ECFC play. They willl meet an as yet to be determined opponent in an NCAA game, likely on November 19th.
