UMC Football Announces 2013 Slate

CROOKSTON, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Crookston football team officially released their 2013 football schedule Mon. April 15 as announced by UMC head coach Paul Miller and Golden Eagle athletic director Stephanie Helgeson.

The 2013 slate features six games to be played at home at Ed Widseth Field while the Golden Eagles will hit the road for five Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference games next season. UMC is coming off a 2-9 season last year in Paul Miller’s first season at the helm. The Golden Eagles are set to return six starters on offense and seven starters on defense. UMC returns three All-NSIC Honorable Mention selections as Jeremy Kelly (Jr., OL, Somerset, Wis.), Tevin Kellum (Sr., DB, Detroit, Mich.) and Ricky Jacobs (Sr., LB, Junction City, Kan.) are all set to return to the fray for 2013.

UMC will open the season at home at Ed Widseth Field with a Friday night battle Sept. 6 against Upper Iowa University. The game will commence at 6 p.m. and will pit the North Division of the NSIC versus the South Division as will be the case for UMC’s first four games of the season. The Golden Eagles and Peacocks last met Oct. 8, 2011 in Crookston with Upper Iowa winning a close one 31-21. Upper Iowa went 2-9 last season.

The next weekend, UMC will head to 2012 NCAA Division II playoff participant Minnesota State University, Mankato for a road contest Sat., Sept. 14. The time is still to be determined. Minnesota State is currently under the leadership of Interim Head Coach Aaron Keen, the 2012 Division II National Coach of the Year according to American Football Monthly. The two schools last played in Mankato, Minn. Sept. 17, 2011 with the Mavericks winning 42-0 over the Golden Eagles. Minnesota State finished the 2012 season as the NSIC Champion after going 11-0 overall.

UMC will return home Sat., Sept. 21 to face Wayne State College (Neb.) at 1 p.m. at Ed Widseth Field. The Golden Eagles and Wildcats last played Sept. 10, 2011 in Crookston, Minn. with Wayne State coming up on the winning end 35-24. The Wildcats finished the 2012 season with a 6-5 mark.

The Golden Eagles will hit the road the next weekend to round out the NSIC South portion of their schedule with a meeting Sat., Sept. 28 against the University of Sioux Falls at 1 p.m. It will serve as the first meeting between the two new NSIC opponents. Sioux Falls went 9-2 in their first season as a member of the NSIC in 2012.

UMC will return the following weekend for their Homecoming Sat., Oct. 5 at 1 p.m. against Bemidji State University. The day will begin with a soccer game against University of Sioux Falls at 11 a.m. Saturday. The Golden Eagle volleyball team will play following the football game at 4 p.m. at Lysaker Gymnasium versus Minnesota State University, Mankato. The UMC football team fell to Bemidji State last season 35-2 in Bemidji, Minn. The Golden Eagles did win their homecoming game last season as they ended a 39-game NSIC losing streak with a 33-28 win over Southwest Minnesota State University.

The game against the Beavers will be the 10th edition of the Battle for the Hub Cap Trophy between BSU and UMC. The two teams developed a traveling trophy in 2004, a Hubcap, to signify their Highway 2 rivalry. Bemidji State went 7-4 last season.

Sat., Oct. 12 UMC will head to St. Cloud State University for a NSIC North road battle. The game is set for 1 p.m. in St. Cloud, Minn. St. Cloud State beat the Golden Eagles at Ed Widseth Field last season 36-24. St. Cloud State finished the 2012 season with a 7-4 record.

The Golden Eagles will host Minnesota State University, Moorhead Sat., Oct. 19 at 1 p.m. in the second annual “Red River Valley Showdown” Presented by State Farm Insurance. The Dragons brought home the State Farm Traveling Trophy last season with a 35-13 win over the Golden Eagles in Moorhead, Minn. MSU Moorhead was 1-10 last season overall.

Sat., Oct. 26, the Golden Eagles will host another home game as Minot State University comes to town for a 1 p.m. showdown at Ed Widseth Field. UMC fell to Minot State last season 38-14 in Minot, N.D. in the Beavers’ first season in the NSIC. Minot State went 3-8 in 2012.

Sun., Nov. 2, the Golden Eagles will hit the road for a meeting against University of Minnesota Duluth at 1 p.m. UMD won last seasons’ meeting 38-14 at Ed Widseth Field. The Bulldogs will enter their first season under new head coach Curt Wiese in 2013. The Bulldogs went 10-1 last season.

UMC will conclude their home slate Sat., Nov. 9 at 1 p.m. versus Northern State University at Ed Widseth Field. The game will serve as “Senior Day” for the Golden Eagles. Northern State defeated UMC 52-20 in Aberdeen, S.D. last season.

The Golden Eagles’ schedule will conclude Sat., Nov. 16 against the University of Mary at 1 p.m. in Bismarck, N.D. UMC defeated the Marauders in a thrilling game last season at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks, N.D. as Richard Haley scored a game-winning extra point with no time on the clock to send the UMC seniors off with a win. U-Mary went 4-7 last season.

For more information, visit the Golden Eagle Athletics Web site at www.goldeneaglesports.com.

Follow the Golden Eagles on Facebook at Golden Eagle Sports and on Twitter at @UMCAthletics.

The University of Minnesota Crookston is an NCAA Division II Institution and a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). The Golden Eagle Equestrian team is a member of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA).

2013 UMC Football Schedule

Sept. 6 Upper Iowa 6 p.m. Ed Widseth Field (Crookston, Minn.)

Sept. 14 at Minnesota State TBD Mankato, Minn.

Sept. 21 Wayne State 1 p.m. Ed Widseth Field (Crookston, Minn.)

Sept. 28 at Sioux Falls 1 p.m. Sioux Falls, S.D.

Oct. 5 Bemidji State 1 p.m. Ed Widseth Field (Crookston, Minn.) *Homecoming

Oct. 12 at St. Cloud State 1 p.m. St. Cloud, Minn.

Oct. 19 MSU Moorhead 1 p.m. Ed Widseth Field (Crookston, Minn.)

Oct. 26 Minot State 1 p.m. Ed Widseth Field (Crookston, Minn.)

Nov. 2 at Minnesota Duluth 1 p.m. Duluth, Minn.

Nov. 9 Northern State 1 p.m. Ed Widseth Field (Crookston, Minn.)

Nov. 16 at U-Mary 1 p.m. Bismarck, N.D.