Dave’s Alma Mater May Stand Between Utica and a National Title

The Utica College Pioneers are vying for a national championship in hockey this year. Great news.

Just one small problem: So is my alma mater.

Now, I go way back with UC’s head coach Gary Heenan. But I go further back with my college—Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut—where I graduated in 1981. Yeah, I know, hard to believe; I actually have a college degree.

And that may not make me REAL smart, but I’m sharp enough to connect the dots in the 2020 NCAA Division III National Championship Hockey Tournament bracket and see that it includes a potential match-up between OUR Utica College Pioneers and MY Wesleyan University Cardinals. It's not a sure thing, because Wesleyan needs to knock off Babson in order to get to UC, which has a first-round bye.

The potential collision at Utica's Adirondack Bank Center is March 21st. It could be the college whose games we cover on the radio (and which sponsors a portion of my program) vs. the college where I spent four years drinking beer. Tough call. Here's the tale of the tape:

FOUNDED
-Utica College: 1946
-Wesleyan: 1831

COLORS
-Utica College: Navy & Orange
-Wesleyan: Cardinal & Black

BEST NAME ON CURRENT ROSTER
-Utica College: Gianluca Baggetta
-Wesleyan: Go Uemura

FAMOUS ALUMNI
-Utica College: Former U.S. Congressman Sherwood Boehlert
-Wesleyan: New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick

If this battle does come to fruition, I'll have a dilemma: Root for my alma mater, and I may risk angering the regular radio listeners who help pay my salary by increasing the ratings; Pull for UC, and I've got NO SHOT at passing Belichick on the famous Wesleyan alum list.

I’ll be there at the game, of course, cheering on _______. Unless coronavirus precautions call for an empty stadium.

Dave Coombs covers middays (10AM-3PM) on 96.9 WOUR. Write and/or bribe him here.