Brockport Falls to RPI in 2nd Round of NCAA Championship
Engineers Outscore Golden Eagles 14-0 in Upset Win
BROCKPORT, N.Y. – No. 3 Brockport saw their season end in disappointing fashion earlier today, as they were upset 21-13 by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The Golden Eagles finish their season with a record of 11-1, while the Engineers improve to 10-1 and advance to the National Quarterfinal Round.
RPI opened up the scoring with a touchdown five minutes into the first quarter, but the Green and Gold defense held steady, not letting up another score in a first half that saw steady wind and rain fall throughout. Neither team was able to get the offense rolling until the Golden Eagles caught their stride in the second quarter.
Matt Arita helped jumpstart the Golden Eagles with his eighth interception of the season. Junior quarterback
Joe Germinerio led Brockport on a 13-play, 68-yard drive down the field. Germinerio hit
Joe Benedict for a key third-down conversion, before later running 10 yards on fourth-down to keep the drive moving. A nine-yard touchdown toss to
Joseph Ortiz put the Golden Eagles on the board. After forcing a three-and-out, Brockport was able to move 41 yards down the field on seven plays and took the lead on another Germinerio touchdown pass to Ortiz. The Golden Eagles took a 13-7 lead into halftime.
The Engineer's answered after the break with a touchdown that put them up 14-13. In the final frame, RPI put another seven points on the board to make the score 21-13. The Green and Gold made a valiant effort in the final drive, pushing the ball to the RPI ten-yard line, but couldn't complete the comeback, ultimately falling to the Engineers.
Tyree Brown led the offensive efforts, racking up 147 rushing yards on 21 carries, while also catching four passes.
Alex West led the defense with 11 total tackles. The Green and Gold capped another historic season, with several Golden Eagles setting program records, as well as the team improving their regular season winning streak to 22. Germinerio was one of 12 Borckport student-athletes named First Team All-Conference.
About the Empire 8 Conference
The members of the Empire 8 are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and aspire to be regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership seeks to distinguish itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the Empire 8.