UMD to host Emporia State

NSO-NEWS RELEASE

November 17, 2013

FOOTBALL BULLDOGS TO HOST EMPORIA STATE THIS SATURDAY IN NCAA II PLAYOFF OPENER


For the sixth year in row, the University of Minnesota Duluth has secured a spot in the NCAA Division II playoffs and for the fifth time in the last six seasons the Bulldogs will start the postseason at home.

UMD drew the No. 4 seed in the Super Regional Three and a first-round date with No. 5 Emporia State University this Saturday (Nov. 23) at James S. Malosky Stadium (time TBA).  The Bulldogs closed out the 2013 regular season with a 10-1 overall record and finished second in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference overall standings (also at 10-1) while claiming their sixth consecutive NSIC North Division title (7-0). Emporia State is 9-1 in all games and in Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletic Association play (second place).

The Bulldog-Hornet winner will visit No. 1 Northwest Missouri State (11-0) of the MIAA a week from Saturday. In the other first round Super Regional Three matchup, No. 4 Henderson State University (11-0) of the Great American Conference will host No. 6 St. Cloud State University (10-1) of the NSIC with the victor moving on to play at No. 2 Minnesota State University-Mankato (11-0) of the NSIC on Nov. 30.

The quarterfinals are scheduled for Dec. 7 at the site of the highest-seeded team while the two nationally-televised semifinal-round games will be held the following week. The NCAA II championship is set for Dec. 21 at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Ala.

The Bulldogs have now qualified for the NCAA II playoffs on eight ocassions in their 81-year history — all coming in the past 12 seasons — and have an 11-5 record to show for it (6-2 in Duluth). Under direction of head coach Bob Nielson, UMD laid claim to its first NCAA II title in any sport five years ago and repeated that feat in 2010, ending both seasons with a perfect 15-0 mark. Last fall, the Bulldogs were ousted by host Missouri Western State in the opening round (57-55 in three overtimes) after advancing to the quarterfinal round of the playoffs one year earlier by posting successive triumphs over both Saginaw Valley State University (30-27in overtime in Duluth) and then-No. 1 ranked Colorado State University-Pueblo (24-21 on the road), before succumbing to Wayne State University (Mich.) 35-21 at Malosky Stadium.

The Bulldogs went 1-1 in the 2009 NCAA II postseason, upending the University Nebraska-Kearney 42-7 at home in the second round before dropping a 24-10 decision to visiting Grand Valley State University.  In 2002, Nielson and UMD went a perfect 11-0 during the 2002 regular season, but then fell 45-41 at Northwest Missouri State in the first round of the playoffs. Three years later, head coach Kyle “Bubba” Schweigert and his Bulldogs were ambushed 23-12 by the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, N.D., in another opening-round contest.
Emporia State has made only one previous NCAA II playoff appearance — in 2003, when they lost 10-3 at Winona State University — but qualified for the NAIA playoffs three times (1987, 1988 and 1989, when they were national runners-up).

Bob Nygaard