The News Journal from Wilmington, Delaware • Page 15

THE NEWS JOURNAL B3 MONDAY, NOV. 20, 1995 Division I-AA championship Home teams in bold. All times Eastern Standard Time. Quarterfinals DECEMBER 2 First round SATURDAY 1 McNeese State (11-0) Tourney rookie Hofstra oozing with confidence Hens' first-round foe still bitter over '94 snub (w) 8 P.M. 15 Idaho (6-4) 8 Delaware (10 1) 11 HofStra (10-1) 12:30 PM 4 Murray State (11-0) 2 PM.

16 Northern Iowa (7-4) 5 Marshall (9-2) 12 Jackson State (9-2) 1PM. 2 Appalachian State (11-0) 1PM. 13 James Madison (8-3) 7 Stephen F. Austin (9-1) 9 Eastern Illinois (10-1) 2 PM. 3 Troy State (11-0) 2:30 PM.

14 Georgia Southern (8-3) 6 Montana (9-2) 2 PM. 10 Eastern Kentucky (10-1) By KEVIN TRESOLINI Staff reporter Bravado has long been part of the game plan at Hofstra University, and Sunday was no different. Coach Joe Gardi went on the offensive immediately, after the Flying Dutchmen were awarded an at-large bid to the 16-team NCAA Division I-AA football tournament. They'll visit Delaware at 12:30 p.m. Saturday.

Hofstra thought it should have gone last year, when it went 8-1-1, including a 41-41 tie at Delaware. One of those eight wins was over New Hampshire, a I-AA tournament team. There was no ignoring 10-1 record this fall, blemished only by Saturday's 30-28 loss at Marshall. "They the NCAA selection folks slammed the door in our Nichol Is State 34-10 at Holy Cross 9 Lafayette 0 at Illinois State 0 Liberty 36-10 at Cal-State Sacram. 55-15 atFordham 36-15 Charleston Southern.

6 at Buffalo 17-14 at Rhode Island 3 at Marshal I 28-30 "If we were a perennial national championship contender, it might have been different. But this is our first time in the tournament." The new kids on the block have created quite a stir since moving into the Division I-AA neighborhood in 1993. Gardi's troops have gone 24-5-1 in those three seasons. Prior to that, Hofstra was a Division III power, qualifying for the NCAA playoffs six years from 1983-90 five times under Coach Mickey Kwiatkowski, a former Delaware player, and under Gardi, in 1990. That 1990 team reached the NCAA semifinals.

The 56-year-old Gardi, a former New York Jets assistant, boasted last year that he'd be wearing three NCAA championship rings if Hofstra had remained in Division III. Gardi was recently quoted as saying Delaware thought Hofstra "ought to feel privileged" to play "big ol' Delaware" last year. The team Gardi brings to Newark for the rematch has few discernible weaknesses. Brown has accounted for a remarkable 2,837 yards of total offense 977 as Hofstra's leading rusher and 1,860 on 152-for-320 passing with 17 touchdowns but just two interceptions. Hofstra's defense has allowed an average of only 10.2 points per game.

I-AA tourney field packed with power Bowl lineup starting to; take shape By RICK WARNER Associated Press Colorado and Oregon are going to the Cotton Bowl and UCLA is headed to the Aloha Bowl. Washington is bound for the Sun Bowl, while Nebraska and Notre Dame have earned spots in the Fiesta-Orange-Sugar alliance. The bowl picture is coming into focus, although many pieces i of the postseason puzzle still aren't in place. The Cotton Bowl became tbe first New Year's game to set tJs matchup. No.

8 Colorado earned its berth Saturday with a 27-7 victory over No. 10 Kansas Stat, while No. 12 Oregon gained tae other invitation with a 12-10 wfn over Oregon State. UCLA's 24-20 win over No. 7 Southern Cal sent the Bruins -Jo the Aloha Bowl, where they may play No.

11 Kansas. No. 20 Washington got a Bowl bid after defeating Washington State 33-30. Top-ranked Nebraska didti't play Saturday, but the Cornhufck-ers clinched the Big Eight titje and a spot in the alliance when Colorado beat Kansas State. The Huskers will play for the national championship in the fiesta Bowl if they beat Oklahoma on Friday.

Their opponent should be the winner of Saturday's gaue between No. 3 Florida and Ne.6 Florida State. No. 7 Notre Dame, whih locked up an alliance bid by beating Air Force 44-14, appears to: be headed to the Orange Bowl to play No. 25 Miami or No.

13 Virginia Tech. Miami will get the bid if it beats No. 22 Syracuse. If the Hurricanes lose Saturday, Virginia Tech should be Notre Dame's opponent. That would leave the Sugar Bowl with a matchup between the Florida-Florida State loser and the Southwest Conference champion (No.

9 Texas, No. 15 Texas or Baylor). Of course, the Orange and Sugar lineups could change if Florida State beats Florida and the Gators defeat No. 23 Arkansas the following week in the Southeastern Conference title game. Then the Orange might take home-state favorite Florida, leaving Notre Dame in the Sugar.

There's also the remote chance of Florida losing to Arkansas and dropping completely out of the alliance, which awards berths to the SEC, SWC, Atlantic Coast, Big Eight and Big East champions along with Notre Dame if it finishes in the Top 10. Despite its loss to UCLA, Southern Cal is going to the Rose Bowl as Pac-10 co-champion. The Trojans finished with the same league record as Washington, but they earned the Rose Bowl trip with a better overall record. i Southern Cal's Big Ten opponent in Pasadena will be 2 Ohio State or No. 4 Northwestern.

It will be Ohio State if tJte Buckeyes beat No. 18 Michigan. If the Buckeyes lose, Northwestern goes to the Rose Bowl for the first time since the 1948 Hens: Could face McNeese next Sizing up Hofstra Location: Hempstead, N.Y. Enrollment: 12,100. Nickname: Flying Dutchmen.

Conference: Independent. 1995 record: 10-1. Coach: Joe Gardi (6th year, 48-14-2). Record vs. Delaware: 3-5-1.

Prior to last year's 41-41 tie, the other eight meetings were in the 1960s. NCAA playoff appearances: This is Hofstra's first in Division I-AA, but it competed in the Division III playoffs six times from 1 983-90, reaching the semifinals in 1990. faces last year, but this year we're going to knock it off the hinges," Gardi said Sunday. Ouch! The Flying Dutchmen were also hoping to play the first round at artificially turfed Hofstra Stadium. But they were diplomatic about that disappointment, realizing Delaware's history of hosting NCAA games and its stadium, not to mention its 10-1 record, were convincing reasons for the Hens to get the home game.

"We would've liked the home berth," senior quarterback Kharom Brown said. figured last year's tie and the two team's matching records would be looked upon as a natural lead-in. One Blue Hen mentioned that the game probably will be used to decide the Lambert Cup, symbolic of I-AA superiority in the East. Defensive Mark Spinelli, whose questionable roughing-the-punter call, gave Hofstra a chance to tie the game with a field goal, was delighted by the matchup. Halfback Pat Williams described it as "a great motivational game after last year." But most of all, the Blue Hens, who remember watching last year's tournament from afar, are simply delighted to be back for what will be Delaware's fourth tournament appearance in five years, even if powerful McNeese is next door in the upper bracket.

for the Blue and Concord Matt Glauner for the White. Sidebottom leads Blue win DAGSBORO Kate Sidebottom of St. Andrew's scored both goals as the Blue beat the White 2-1 in the Senior All-Star Field Hockey game on Sunday at Indian River High. Sidebottom scored one goal unassisted and Indian River's Mary Wilgus assisted on the other. Mc-Kean's Katie Norris tended goal for the Blue.

Tatnall's Tracy Jacobs was in goal for the White. Schott, Schroll spark N.C. WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. Susannah Schott scored three goals and Kim Schroll had four assists, leading North Carolina to the NCAA Women's Division I field hockey championship with a 5-1 victory over Maryland on Sunday. Tower Hill graduate Abby Keller and A.I.

du Pont graduate FROM PAGE B1 What bothered Raymond was that assuming Delaware wins Saturday, the Hens face the prospect of playing No. 1 seed McNeese (11-0) paired against 6-4 Idaho in the second round. "Hofstra's fine. What's disconcerting is being placed so close to McNeese," Raymond said. "They say they don't go by scores when seeding the teams, but we only lost to Navy, a I-A team, and we wind up with a situation like this." Josh Mastrangelo, a Blue Hen defensive end, put it another way.

"I'm a little surprised," he said. "The Navy loss that wasn't supposed to hurt us really hurt us." That Delaware was paired against Hofstra came as no major surprise to many Blue Hens, who Semifinals DECEMBER 9 Championship DECEMBER 16 Marshall University Huntingdon, W. Virginia Semifinals DECEMBER 9 loss and No. 6 Marshall (9-2) is a perennial force in postseason play, winning the title three years ago and reaching the final in three of the last four years. No.

10 Eastern Kentucky (10-1) has won two national I-AA titles, and No. 14 Georgia Southern (8-3) has won four. Delaware (10-1), the 1982 runner-up, has defeated four top-25 teams this season, including a 48-19 win over James Madison, who five weeks earlier squandered a sizable halftime lead before losing 30-24 to McNeese. Delaware's only loss is to Division I-A Navy 31-7 two weekends ago. That Navy team defeated Tu-lane 35-7 two days ago.

But the Hens have struggled the last three weeks, sandwiching the Navy loss between lackluster victories over William Mary (23-20) and Rhode Island (24-19), each time lapsing offensively and having to thwart late rallies. Delaware's victory over Rhode Island came a week after Hofstra, the Blue Hens' first-round tournament foe, drubbed the Rams 37-3. "Our team has spent a lot of emotion getting here," Coach Tubby Raymond said Sunday, only hours after watching his Hens hold on to defeat Rhode Island on film. "1 blame the team, but I completely can understand why they've softened up the last couple of weeks. "I suspect that the letdown is related to the fact that they knew they were going to be in the tournament.

As late as Friday, I heard a couple of players before the Rhode Island game talking about who they might be going against in the playoffs." You NT also net: ByTOMTOMASHEK Stall reporter NEWARK When two-time defending champion Youngstown State lost its opener to Kent State, the Penguins tumbled from the top of the Sports Network's Division I-AA poll and McNeese moved up to the top. The juggernaut from Lake Charles, never looked back from that day, holding the No. 1 spot the rest of the regular season. On Sunday, in an official vote by the NCAA Tournament committee, McNeese received the No. 1 seed in the I-AA playoffs.

But though McNeese (11-0) is the favorite, the Cowboys can't expect an easy ride through the tournament. The field has three other undefeated teams in Appalachian State (11-0), Troy State (11-0) and Murray State (11-0). Appalachian State defeated Division I-A Wake Forest early in the season, and Murray State has outs-cored its opponents 421-114, trailing briefly in only one game. Five other teams have only one cord Soccer League's Under-8 Cheetahs posted a 5-0 record to win the Kirkwood Soccer Tournament on Sunday. Today's Local Schedule High schools Field hockey State championship game At Seaford High Cape Henlopen vs.

Tower Hill, 1 p.m. Area Sports Shorts "The NCAA can make everybody happy with the poll," co-captain Shannon Trostle said. "It's their choice. They obviously had their reasons, I'm not going to complain, we're back in the tournament. "We have a home game to start with and that helps.

It's always nice to play at home." Delaware's chances of playing another game at home, should the Blue Hens get past Hofstra, appear slim but not out of the question. Should Delaware win and No. 15 Idaho upset McNeese, the Blue Hens almost certainly would remain home on the basis of having a higher seed. Home sites for the second round will be announced almost immediately after Saturday's opening-round games. Jana Withrow started for the Tar Heels, who finished 24-0.

Penn State puts Hens on ice NEWARK Aaron Sterba scored on a power play for Delaware's only goal as the Blue Hens lost 9-1 to highly-regarded Penn State on Sunday in an American Collegiate Hockey Association hockey game. Bobcats remain unbeaten NEWARK Ginny Martino had two goals and one assist and B.C. Bessinger added one goal and two assists as the Delaware flobcats (3-0) defeated the Washington Wolves 5-1 in a Mid-Atlantic Women's Ice Hockey League game at the University of Delaware Sunday. Concord Cheetahs win title NEW CASTLE Craig Tun-nell scored four goals as the Con UH. l.

A LI A You'll get a $25 JCPenney catalog certificate when you Hofstra women top UD for NAC volleyball title HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. Behind NAC Player of the Year Heleen Hilhorst, Hofstra defeated the University of Delaware 3-1 Sunday to win the North Atlantic Conference volleyball championship. Hilhorst had 27 kills and 14 digs as the Flying Dutchmen (21-12) won 14-4, 11-15, 15-7, 15-12. The Blue Hens finished their season 25-13. For Delaware, Karen Kunsel-man had 17 kills, Sue Diener 11 kills and 13 digs, and Nikki Bras-Sell 40 assists and 8 digs.

Brassell and Emily Rome of UD made the all-tournament team. "They played better than we did," Delaware Coach Barb Viera said simply. Delaware (25-13) Hofstra (21-12) 4 15 7 12 14 11 15 15 KILLS Delaware (Kunselman 17, Diener 11, Rome 9, Bockius 8, Cangiano 4, Brassell 3, Dusza 3); Hofstra (Hilhorst 27, de Haan 14, Oostrom 9, Parr 5, Boilers 5). DIGS (Cangiano 13, Diener 13, Dusza 9, Brassell 8, Kunselman 7, Rome 6, Bockius 4, Van Rvper 4, Pekar 2); (Parr 16, Hilhorst 14, de Haan 13, Bullers 12, Nlssen Oostrom 6). BLOCKS (Bockius 2, Kunselman 2); (Bullers 9, Oostrom 7, de Haan 6).

ASSISTS (Brassell 40); (Parr 45). Soccer all-star games split WILMINGTON The White edged the Blue 6-5 in the first game before the Blue beat White 5-1 to split a doubleheader in the Blue-White All-Star Soccer games Sunday at Frawley Stadium. The Blue's Jeff Barnett of Tat-nall and the White's Morton Zed-erkof of Sussex Central earned MVP awards for their respective teams in the opener. The MVP recipients in the second game were Christiana's Bobbi Timble TONIGHT SfcLtl, tKJN UN TAf'E 40 J03J Ml) ff SFcnNnrriAAirv rtiATAxrrr! HI I.IH .11 ,111 Discharged Bankruptcies School Loans Past Due Medical Bills Repo's Divorce Problems No Credit order nsm now. TCI Cablcvision of New Castle Couniy We'rt taking telrvuion into tomorron Movies, Just Bring: Every home Flyers game Every home 76ers game comedy music specials Entertainment with a local flavor Take advantage of this limited time offer.

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