MONTANA STATE-NORTHERN LIGHTS
Location: Havre, MT
Division: NAIA
Conference Affiliation: Frontier Conference
Comment: MSU-Northern cleverly decided to call their sports teams the Lights because of the “Northern” at the end of their university’s name. An unfortunate side effect is that people often mistakenly think their teams are called the “Northern Lights” and that they Continue reading
Filed under Cool Helmets
With 2013 just getting underway Balladeer’s Blog unveils its first college hockey rankings of the season for D3 hockey and NJCAA hockey. In my usual oddball way I do a Top 11 list for D3 and a Top 6 list for the NJCAA because of their lower number of hockey teams.
NCAA Division 3 – 1. NORWICH CADETS ### 2. HOBART STATESMEN ### 3. EAU CLAIRE BLUGOLDS ### 4. ST NORBERT COLLEGE GREEN KNIGHTS (defending champions) ### 5. BOWDOIN POLAR BEARS ### 6. ADRIAN BULLDOGS ### 7. OSWEGO STATE LAKERS ### 8. Continue reading
Filed under college hockey
CHAPARRALS RULE THE WORLD – Readers familiar with Balladeer’s Blog’s college football coverage are well aware of the tendency of NAIA teams to upset teams from NCAA Division 2. That tendency extends to basketball season at times, too. Yesterday the LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY CHAPARRALS (logo above) took it on the road and upset D2’s NEW MEXICO HIGHLANDS UNIVERSITY COWBOYS in a 90-88 game that Chaps fans will be talking about for years to come.
CENTURY CLUB – Among the teams scoring 100 or more points yesterday: The INDIANA UNIVERSITY SOUTHEAST GRENADIERS improved to 11-3 with a 108-75 road thrashing of the POINT PARK PIONEERS. The Grenadiers (love that name) led 59-34 at halftime and glided through the 2nd half to remain unbeaten in conference play. ### The LINDSEY WILSON COLLEGE BLUE RAIDERS clipped the wings of the HAMILTON HARRIERS by a score of 100-69 ### The UNIVERSITY OF THE CUMBERLANDS PATRIOTS held serve by taking down the TENNESSEE WESLEYAN BULLDOGS 100-83 ### In the Chuck Daly Tournament the NORTHWOOD (FL) UNIVERSITY SEAHAWKS slammed the VALOR CHRISTIAN COLLEGE WARRIORS by a score of 106-73 ### The OLD WESTBURY PANTHERS topped the MISERICORDIA COUGARS in a 100-97 catfight ### … And the GREENSBURG BOBCATS devoured the WRIGHT STATE LAKERS in a Continue reading
Filed under College Basketball
The votes are all in for the 3rd edition of Balladeer’s Bowl in which my readers get to vote on who would win if the NAIA college football champs played the NCAA Division 3 football champs. D3 needed a Joe Namath moment for this 3rd go-round but none materialized as the NAIA champs made it 3 Balladeer’s Bowl victories in a row.
The MARIAN UNIVERSITY KNIGHTS came in as the NAIA title holders with the storied MOUNT UNION PURPLE RAIDERS carrying the banner of D3 football. 263 voters felt the Knights would defeat the Purple Raiders with just 212 voting for Mt Union. D3 can take solace from the fact that this was the most votes their team has gotten thus far in this hypothetical matchup.
Here’s a look at the winners and losers of all 3 Balladeer’s Bowl games:
Balladeer’s Bowl 3: MARIAN UNIVERSITY KNIGHTS defeated the Mount Union Purple Raiders
Balladeer’s Bowl 2: Continue reading
Filed under college football
TOP 25 ACTION: The (6) WHITEWATER WARHAWKS pummeled the EDGEWOOD EAGLES by a score of 75-48 ### At number 11, the WHITWORTH PIRATES won a much closer 77-69 game against the SIMPSON COLLEGE STORM ### The 12th-ranked ADRIAN BULLDOGS topped the LAWRENCE TECH BLUE DEVILS in a commanding 72-52 performance ### The FDU-FLORHAM DEVILS fell to the (16) ST MARY’S (MD) SEAHAWKS by a score of 73-64 ### The (17) ILLINOIS WESLEYAN TITANS edged the HOPE FLYING DUTCHMEN in a 68-67 Instant Classic ### … And the number 21 OHIO WESLEYAN BATTLING BISHOPS manhandled the ANDERSON RAVENS in an authoritative 87-71 victory.
INSTANT CLASSICS – In an Overtime donnybrook the MESSIAH FALCONS eked out a 72-71 win over the EASTERN CONNECTICUT WARRIORS in the Game of the Day ### The PACIFIC LUTHERAN LUTES fell to the RIVER FALLS FALCONS in a 57-54 defensive struggle ### The HEIDELBERG STUDENT PRINCES (love that name) topped the WILMINGTON QUAKERS by a score of 73-71 ### The CAMDEN SCARLET RAPTORS outlasted the CENTENARY (NJ) CYCLONES 68-62 ### … The Continue reading
Filed under College Basketball
BACONE COLLEGE WARRIORS
Location: Muskogee, OK
Division: NAIA
Conference Affiliation: Central States
Comment: Even if you’re not an Okee from Muskogee you’ve got to love these thoroughly intimidating helmets! Regular readers of Balladeer’s Blog are familiar with the tendency of the Bacone Warriors to Continue reading
Filed under Cool Helmets
Balladeer’s Blog regularly chronicles the intense gridiron rivalry between the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) and the NCAA Division 3. Each year I allow my readers to vote in Balladeer’s Bowl about who would win if the NAIA champions played D3’s title winners. This year that means the MARIAN UNIVERSITY KNIGHTS from the NAIA and the MOUNT UNION PURPLE RAIDERS from D3. Will it be 3 victories in a row for the NAIA team? As always, to avoid multiple votes by the same people you can cast your vote by emailing me at Continue reading
Filed under college football
The college football season in the divisions covered by Balladeer’s Blog has come to a close. Here’s one final round of congratulations to the champions of those six divisions.
NAIA
(National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics)
Champions: MARIAN UNIVERSITY KNIGHTS
Runners-up: Morningside College Mustangs
2011 Champions – St Xavier University Cougars
NCCAA
(National Christian College Athletic Association)
Champions: GREENVILLE COLLEGE PANTHERS
Runners-up: Northwestern (MN) College Eagles
2011 Champions – Campbellsville University Tigers
NCAA Division 2
(National Collegiate Athletic Association)
Champions: VALDOSTA STATE UNIVERSITY BLAZERS
Runners-up: Continue reading
Filed under college football
Three down and three to go! That is, three of the divisions of college football covered by Balladeer’s Blog already have crowned their 2012 champions leaving just three more title games to go! Those games will be played today tomorrow and Saturday.
*** NAIA CHAMPIONSHIP ***
THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE ROME – Rome, GA was the site of tonight’s (Dec 13th) heart-stopping NAIA championship game between the MARIAN UNIVERSITY KNIGHTS and the MORNINGSIDE COLLEGE MUSTANGS. For the bulk of the game the Mustangs seemed to be in control, leading 14-7 after 1 quarter, 14-10 at halftime and 20-10 to start the 4th quarter. A missed extra point in the 3rd quarter came back to haunt Morningside when the Knights outscored them 17-7 in the 4th to tie the game at 27 all. A 26 yard field goal in Overtime won the game for Marian, giving them their very first national championship in football. CONGRATULATIONS TO THE MARIAN KNIGHTS!
*** D2 CHAMPIONSHIP ***
THE HUBRIS BOWL – The NCAA D2 championship game on the 15th saw the final game of the 2012 college football season for the divisions covered here at Balladeer’s Blog. The VALDOSTA STATE UNIVERSITY BLAZERS took on the WINSTON- SALEM STATE RAMS for the title. The Rams had hubristically bragged about having the superior athletes in this matchup, but those athletes couldn’t stop the Blazers, couldn’t catch the Continue reading
Filed under college football
*** NAIA CHAMPIONSHIP ***
The NAIA championship game between the Marian University Knights and the Morningside College Mustangs will be played this Thursday December 13th, at 6:30pm ET in Rome, GA.
*** CCCAA CHAMPIONSHIP ***
THE STREETS OF BAKERSFIELD – The BAKERSFIELD COLLEGE RENEGADES completed their fairytale postseason run today in the CCCAA championship game. Compared to last year’s CCCAA title game the 2012 edition lacked a certain amount of drama with the Renegades dominating from start to finish. Bakersfield dethroned the reigning champs, the CITY COLLEGE OF SAN FRANCISCO RAMS, in a 35-14 spanking. After compiling a 28-14 lead by halftime the Renegades coasted through the rest of the game to become the 2012 CCCAA champions!
*** NCAA D2 PLAYOFFS ***
BLAZING A TRAIL TO THE TITLE GAME – The first semifinal in Division 2 today was played between the VALDOSTA STATE UNIVERSITY BLAZERS and the homestanding MINNESOTA STATE MAVERICKS. The first half was a tightly contested affair with the Blazers leading at half-time 14-10. The second half saw the Continue reading
Filed under college football
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