For Real Now: In-Division Games Help Launch Liberty Conference

For Real Now: In-Division Games Help Launch Liberty Conference

A look at the Liberty Conference latest results and upcoming games.

Sep 14, 2017 by Alex Goff
For Real Now: In-Division Games Help Launch Liberty Conference
The Liberty Conference still has some work to do to get some respect within D1A, but that will have to come with time.

As it is, the teams in the conference now just have to worry about respect from their peers. Right now, Binghamton might be the team everyone's looking at. After a 41-17 defeat of a solid Stony Brook team last Saturday, the Bearcats have certainly made something of a statement.

"The team put a lot of effort in preparing themselves for this match, especially coming off last season's successes against our old Empire Conference rival," BU assistant coach Brian Grills said. "We have a very veteran side this season, with few new players on the starting 15, and the experience made a big difference.  Our forwards put in a ton of effort at the breakdown to control possession."  

Among the players who showed well was lock Spencer Stanulis, who broke out with three tries.

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We've only seen two results between two Liberty teams (and those were crossovers, not in the same division), but other results are worth noting. Delaware lost 41-40 to West Chester in a bit of a weird warmup for both teams last weekend. Delaware head coach Struan Murray benched a starting prop, flanker, and wing because they were late to the road game. Preseason games are good for setting this kind of tone, and Murray did exactly that.

Iona has already shown plenty of power and early results have put the Gaels on top as favorites. Colgate has also shown some strength, albeit against not quite as strong opposition. Last weekend, Raiders flyhalf Ben Moore scored two tries and lock Will Baker, No. 8 Pete Berton, hooker Billy Bingo, and center Adrian Heath scored one try each in a 40-5 win over Cornell last Saturday. Colgate scrumhalf Cris Kushner also converted five in the season opener.

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This Saturday, Colgate and Binghamton clash in an in-division matchup that could go a long way in telling us where everyone stands in the Liberty Conference's Empire Division. Also in the Empire, Syracuse takes on Brockport, and Albany, close winners in its first two games, faces Cortland. 

Paced by some good work from Conor O'Brien at scrumhalf and flankers Brian Mahon and Clinton Olaniyi, Albany has a really strong defense.

"The guys seem to be grasping what we have been teaching and starting to put it into play during games," Great Danes coach John Durant said. "It has been a tough last three years for the squad but they have hung tough."

The I-95 Division could well be the toughest in the Liberty Conference. Fordham beat Columbia over the weekend, and Rutgers is no pushover. On Friday night, Delaware is at Fordham, while Iona is at Rutgers.

This weekend's Liberty Games:

Friday
Delaware at Fordham (I-95)
Iona at Rutgers (I-95)
Saturday
Colgate at Binghamton (Empire)
Syracuse at Brockport (Empire)
Albany at Cortland