Empire 8 Conference (E8)
2014 Empire 8 Conference Standings
Looking back: After an intensively competitive eight-game schedule, the Ithaca Bombers emerged as the automatic qualifiers of the NCAA Division III playoffs out of the Empire 8 Conference for 2014. They knocked off the St. John Fisher Cardinals, 19-8, on November 8, to advance to the D-III dance. But the Bombers lost back-to-back games to close out the 2014 season, losing to archrival Cortland State, 23-20, as well as to Hobart, 22-15, in the first round of the playoffs.
Ithaca was one of five teams from the E8 to advance to postseason play in 2014, with four other teams: St. John Fisher, Utica, Buffalo State, and Salisbury all advancing to ECAC bowl games. That quartet split four of those contests, with Salisbury and SJFC both coming out on top.
Looking ahead: The "new-look" Empire 8 Conference takes the field this fall, as Cortland State and Morrisville State, respectively, move into the league from the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC), while Frostburg State and Salisbury have left the E8 to join the NJAC. Those moves make the Empire 8 an entirely all-Upstate New York group for 2015 and beyond, with nine teams in it. While Cortland brings a solid winning tradition to the E8, Morrisville is a relative newcomer to the D-III ranks, having clinched their first-ever winning season just last year.
Predicted order of finish (2014 overall record in parentheses):
1. St. John Fisher (9-2): Coming off of their 12th straight postseason appearance, which ended with a 28-14 win over Western Connecticut State in the ECAC Northwest Bowl, the Cardinals will look to earn their second trip to the NCAA Division III playoffs in three years, and third in five years. In order to do that, however, they must replace two players that made the d3football.com All-East Region Team in quarterback Tyler Fenti, and center Zach Shipley on offense, as well as safety Bryant Moore on the defensive side, as three players have graduated. The Cardinals will quickly find out how good they are on September 5. That's when they'll hit the road to open the 2015 season against Thomas More.
2. Ithaca (7-4): Thanks to their late-season win over SJFC, the Bombers advanced to the D-III dance with the automatic bid from the E8. They'll face Hobart in a re-match of last year's playoff clash on September 19.
3. Buffalo State (8-3): The Bengals ended the 2014 season with three straight wins, including a season-ending win over Waynesburg in the ECAC Southwest Bowl. They hope to carry that momentum from that victory into the 2015 season.
4. Utica (7-4): The Pioneers hope to take another step towards respectability after finishing 5-3 in E8 play last season.
5. Morrisville State (9-2): Something that the Mustangs hope to achieve in their inaugural season in the Empire 8 after winning a three-way share of the NJAC crown 6-1 in league play last fall. If that wasn't enough, they also downed soon-to-be E8 foe Utica, 52-41, to win the ECAC North Central Bowl crown, which just happened to be their first-ever postseason win.
6. Cortland State (5-5): Despite a so-so showing in their NJAC swan song, the Red Dragons did manage to knock off arch rival--and future E8 member--Ithaca, 23-20, in their annual battle for the "Cortaca Jug". Still, their rookie season in their new league could be prove to a challenge at best.
7. Brockport (5-5): The Golden Eagles will look to bounce back after a season-ending three-game skid.
8. Alfred (5-5): While the Saxons ended the 2014 campaign with back-to-back losses.
9. Hartwick (2-8): The Hawks face an uphill battle after their third losing season in the last five years.
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5 years ago
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