A wild sports weekend in the Capital District.

In addition to high school state competition, RPI and Union meet in the Dutchman Shoes football game, while also taking the ice for a home-and-home in men's hockey. (Update: RPI won 31-28 to reclaim the Shoes)

Siena is in Philadelphia to take on La Salle, at a soldout arena for homecoming.

The UAlbany basketball team is in Connecticut, to take on Quinnipiac.

Here at home, the UAlbany football team takes on New Hampshire, in coach Bob Ford's final home game.  

In addition to Ford's final home game, it's also Military Appreciation Day at UAlbany and below are the helmets the team will wear. 

For the first weekend of the season, most of the local college football excitement is happening outside of the Capital District.

Here are the game capsules Union, RPI and the University at Albany.

The Great Danes head south to take on its first ever FBS opponent, in Old Dominion.

Here is a link to live stats for the WPI/RPI game, which is a battle for the coveted Transit Trophy. 

The past two years have started slow for the Union College football team.

Back-to-back 0-3 starts have ultimately turned into respectable 6-4 seasons and strong Liberty League play. .

This year's team is hoping for a quick start and a even stronger year.

Here is the story from Thursday's paper, following Wednesday's Media Day event.

Jeff Couch - The Record

The game is just two days away.

Check out my story on the annual Dutchman Shoes, one of the longest rivalries in college football and the longest in New York State.

Union and RPI meet for the 110th time, on Saturday.

The home team has won the past four meetings, including last year's 38-28 Dutchmen victory, at Frank Bailey Field.

Here's what the teams are playing for.

Mike McMahon/The Record

While I was out of town this weekend, at a wedding, there was a lot going on for the first weekend of November.

The UAlbany football team got hammed, losing 30-0 to Wagner on Saturday. The loss makes it very difficult for the Great Danes to win the Northeast Conference and earn the bid to the NCAA tournament. Here is a link to the story from Brien Bouyea.

The loss should also knock UAlbany out of the Top 25. I just cast my ballot for The Sports Network poll and didn't include the Great Danes, who I previously had at No. 16.

This is a big week. College basketball starts with UAlbany and Siena playing home games on Friday evening. Also, Saturday is the big Union/RPI football game, for bragging rights and possession of the Dutchman's Shoes.

Make sure to check back here many times this week as there will be plenty of updates.

For the third consecutive year, I am voting for the Top 10 in the ECAC Lambert Meadowlands poll. I will be voting for both the FCS (formerly Division I-AA) and Division III.

Here are my rankings for this week

The number in (xx) is where the team is located on the poll, if different from my ballot.

FCS
1. Lehigh
2. Stony Brook (T3)
3. Old Dominion (2)
4. New Hampshire (T3)
5. James Madison
6. UAlbany
7. Towson (9)
8. Richmond (7)
9. Harvard (8)
10. Delaware (RV)

Division III
1. Hobart
2. Wesley
3. Widener (T2)
4. Johns Hopkins
5. Cortland
6. Salisbury (7)
7. St. John Fisher (10)
8. Waynesburg (8)
9. Trinity (6)
10, Utica (RV)

Here are my ballots for the ECAC Lambert Polls.

The number in the (x) is if the team appears elsewhere on the actual poll. 

FCS
1. Lehigh
2. Towson
3. Old Dominion
4. New Hampshire
5. Harvard
6. Maine
7. James Madison
8. Delaware
9. UAlbany
10. Stony Brook (NR)

In poll, but not on my ballot
10. Georgetown

 Division III
1. Wesley
2. Salisbury (3)
3. Delaware Valley (T1)
4. Kean
5. St. John Fisher
6. Thomas More (8)
7. Hobart (6)
8. Montclair State (10)
9. Cortland State (NR)
10. Amherst (9)

In poll, but not on my ballot
7. Johns Hopkins

RPI junior quarterback Mike Hermann has tons of talent and raw skills.

He turned in some terrific performances during the 2011 season and for that he was named the Liberty League's 2011 Offensive Player of the Year, on Wednesday.


Hermann (above) threw for 2,054 yards and 14 touchdowns, while also being RPI's top runner, finishing with 648 yards on the ground and 15 more scores.

His average off 300.2 yards of total offense, per game, was tops in the conference.

Hermann joins three other Engineers on the first team - offensive lineman Joe Stenz, defensive back Nick Herrera and punter Mike Grubbs.

Lansingburgh native Justin Gallo (below), a senior wide receiver for Union College also earned first team honors. Gallo finished an incredible season with 67 receptions for 1,178 yards and 16 touchdowns. Gallo also became the all-time leading receiver, finishing his career with 3,288 receiving yards, while also setting a new single-season receiving touchdown record.


Wide Receiver Austin Caswell, defensive lineman Ted Abriel, linebacker Matthew Day and defensive back Zach Scruggs represented RPI on the second team.

The Engineers also placed tight end Joe Cozzolino, offensive lineman Joe Luks and kicker Andrew Franks on the honorable mention list.

Here are my ballots for the ECAC Lambert Poll.

The playoffs are here for Division III and this upcoming weekend is the final regular-season weekend for FCS.

The number in the (x) is if the team is somewhere else on the poll.

FCS
1. Lehigh
2. Maine (3)
3. Towson (2)
4. Old Dominion
5. Harvard
6. New Hampshire
7. James Madison
8. Delaware
9. UAlbany
10. Duquesne (NR)

Team in poll, but not on my ballot.
10. Brown

Division III
1. Wesley
2. Salisbury (3)
3. Delaware Valley (2)
4. Johns Hopkins
5. Kean
6. Thomas More
7. Montclair State
8. Cortland State (9)
9, Amherst (8)
10. St. John Fisher (NR)

Team in poll, but not on my ballot.
10. Hobart

Here is are my ballots for the ECAC Lambert Meadowlands poll.

The number in (x), is if the team is somewhere different on the poll than on my ballot.

FCS
1. Lehigh
2. Maine (4)
3. New Hampshire (2)
4. Old Dominion (5)
5. Towson (3)
6. Harvard
7. James Madison (9)
8. Brown
9. Delaware (7)
10. UAlbany (NR)

Team in poll, but not on my ballot
10. Georgetown


Division III
1. Wesley
2; Salisbury (4)
3. Delaware Valley (2)
4. Johns Hopkins (3)
5. Kean
6. Montclair State (7)
7. Thomas More (6)
8. Cortland State (T10)
9. Widener (8)
10, Amherst (T10)

Here is my ballot for the ECAC Lambert polls.

The number in (x), is if where I ranked a team is different than where they stand in the actual poll.

FCS
1. Lehigh
2. Maine (1T)
3. New Hampshire
4. Old Dominion
5. Harvard (6)
6. Towson (7)
7. James Madison (5)
8. UAlbany (NR)
9. William & Mary (NR)
10. Massachusetts (8)

Ranked, but not on my ballot
T9. Brown
T9. Delaware


Division III
1. Wesley
2. Thomas More
3. Salisbury (5)
4. Delaware Valley (3)
5. Johns Hopkins (4)
6. Kean
7. Montclair State (8)
8. Hobart (7)
9. St. John Fisher (NR)
10. Cortland State (NR)

Ranked, but not on my ballot
T9. Trinity (CT)
T9. Widener

SCHENECTADY - It was a great game at Union's Frank Bailey Field.

The Dutchmen grabbed the Dutchman Shoes back from RPI, with a 38-28 victory that gives Union its fourth win in its last five games.

Justin and Connor Gallo (above) combined for five receiving touchdowns, as the Union passing game was terrific on Saturday.

This marked the highest scoring Dutchman Shoes game since, Union's 49-42 victory in 2005.

Down on Staten Island, the University at Albany continues to roll right along.

A huge snowstorm slowed them down in the first half, but the Great Danes emerged with a 24-0 victory over Wagner.

UAlbany has now won six games in a row and is 5-0 in Northeast Conference play, with three games remaining.

The Great Danes host Bryant next Saturday, at 1 p.m., at University Field.

RPI coach Tim Landis talks about the Dutchman Shoes rivalry, from the Nott Building on Union's campus on Wednesday afternoon.



Union coach John Audino talks about the rivalry.

Here is my ballot for the ECAC Lambert Meadowlands poll.

The number in the (x) if it's different from the actual poll.

FCS
1. Lehigh (2)
2. Maine (1)
3. New Hampshire (5)
4. Towson (3)
5. James Madison (4)
6. Old Dominion
7. William & Mary (T9)
8. Harvard (7)
9. UAlbany (T9)
10. Massachusetts (8)

Not on my ballot, but in poll.
T9. Brown

Division III
1. Salisbury
2. Thomas More
3. Wesley
4. Delaware Valley
5. Johns Hopkins
6. Montclair State (8)
7. Kean (6)
8 . Hobart (7)
9. St. John Fisher
10. Cortland State (T10)

Not on my ballot, but in poll.
T10. Widener

TROY - The defense was the story for RPI on Saturday.

The Engineers defense turned in its best performance of the season, in a 14-7 victory over St. Lawrence.

It was a huge Liberty League victory for RPI, which is now 2-1 in conference play and 3-3 overall.

The old cliche is the next game is the biggest of the season.

That really is the case this upcoming week, as RPI and Union (2-1, 3-4) will meet for the coveted Dutchman Shoes.

The Engineers won the game last year. This season the winner will still have a shot at the league crown and a spot in the Division III NCAA tournament.

Out in Connecticut, the University at Albany made another huge statement.

Dan Di Lella set a school record with five touchdown passes, as the Great Danes routed the Blue Devils of Central Connecticut State, 63-35.

UAlbany is still the only undefeated team in the Northeast Conference, at 4-0, and they have won five straight games, to improve their record to 5-2.

Here is my second ballot for the ECAC Lambert poll.

The number in the (x) is if it's different than the actual ballot which can be found here.

FCS
1. Lehigh (2)
2. Maine (1)
3. William & Mary (T8)
4. New Hampshire (5)
5. James Madison (3)
6. Towson (4)
7. Massachusetts (6)
8. Delaware (7)
9. Old Dominion (T8)
10. Harvard

Division III
1. Wesley
2. Thomas More
3. Montclair State (4)
4. Salisbury (3)
5. Delaware Valley
6. Johns Hopkins
7. Kean
8. Hobart
9. Cortland State
10. St. John Fisher

Not on my ballot, but in poll
T10. Endicott

For the second year, I will be voting for the ECAC Lambert Meadowlands polls.

Here is my first ballot.

The number in the (x) is if the team is ranked different in the poll than in my ballot.

FCS (UAlbany's classification)
1. New Hampshire
2. Lehigh (T2)
3. Maine (T2)
4 Delaware
5. James Madison
6. William & Mary (7)
7. Towson (6)
8. Massachusetts (NR)
9. UAlbany (NR)
10. Yale (T8)

Not on my ballot
T8. Richmond
T8. Old Dominion
T8. Harvard

Division III (RPI & Union classification)
1. Wesley (2)
2. Thomas More (3)
3. Kean (1)
4. Montclair State
5. Delaware Valley (6)
6. Johns Hopkins (8)
7. Salisbury (5)
8. Alfred (10)
9. Hobart (7)
10. St. John Fisher (NR)

Not on my ballot
9. Cortland State

Since I wrote about the local college football teams struggling, over on 1045theteam.com, Union, RPI and the University at Albany are a combined 5-1.

I did mention that was time for a turnaround, but even I'm shocked at how fast these teams have turned the corner.

I was at RPI's come-from-behind victory over Rochester on Saturday.

Man, it was cold, but the Engineers overcame an 11-point deficit to post a 28-24 victory.

UAlbany has won two in a row, including their conference opener, at St. Francis (Pa.).

The team I'm most surprised about is Union. When I wrote the above blog, the Dutchmen were 0-3.

Since then, they are 2-0 and on top of the Liberty League.

Union has a huge matchup, with Hobart this Saturday, at Frank Bailey Field.

Former La Salle Institute football player Kevin Flike was injured overseas after the solider suffered a gunshot wound.

The 27-year-old, who also played football at Union College, is a member of U.S. Special Forces unit, who was injured in Afghanistan on Saturday evening.

Flike has undergone multiple operations and the reports say it could take up to a year to fully recover.

La Salle will host a fundraiser in Flike's name at their home football game vs. Shaker, on Thursday, Oct. 6.

Flike graduated from La Salle in 2002.

Here's more in a link from WXXA Fox-23.

Union falls 2-0 to Minnesota-Duluth in the first round of the men's hockey NCAA tournament.

New Haven Register