Football team ends season 7-3;
players stress strengths

Michael McIntyre
Norwich Guidon Reporter

Norwich University football players received recognition throughout the Freedom Football Conference (FFC) league for their stellar performance during the 2000 season.

After completing a 7-3 regular season record, the team finished with its most successful season in recent years.

Unlike recent years, Norwich is a main contributor in the making of this year's Freedom Football Conference first and second all-star teams.

"This is the most amount of players we have ever had on the all-star team," said Mark Murnyack, inside linebackers coach who has been with the team for the last four years.

The team this year had nine players, both offense and defense, selected for first and second all-star teams.

"Well, for us it was a nice surprise, and it was very rewarding for us as a staff to see that many people on the all-conference team," Murnyack said.

The players are selected for the FFC all-star team by receiving votes from the coaches throughout the league.

"When you are looking at an all-conference team, the coaches in the league vote on it, they are going to look at teams on the top," Murnyack said.

Players were fortunate to have goals that they set in pre-season become reality.

"It was very rewarding to be able to achieve my personal and team goals that I set for myself in the beginning of the season" said Steven Hare, 20, a junior communications major from Saratoga Springs, NY.

For co-captain Henry Van Orman, who has been selected for the last three years, seeing all of the hard work for the team pay off in the end is rewarding.

"It is a great honor; it really goes to show that all the hard work we put into the season, to have some guys stand out in the conference the way we did and be recognized for it, it is a great thing for Norwich football," said Van Orman, 21, a senior communications major, from Bennington, Vt.

For the staff, it is also a great honor to be able to see their players enjoy the benefits of playing hard every week.

"Well, for us it was a nice surprise, and it was very rewarding for us as a staff to see that many people on the all-conference team," Murnyack said.

There were many players that stood out in the league, but only the very best were selected for the FFC all star team.

"There [are] some good players in the league; it is good for the kids to get recognized for the hard work that they have done," Murnyack said.

"I think the past two or three years we could have had some more people on there, but we finally got some wins to go along with that," said Zack Dyer, 22, a senior communications major from Mechanicsville, NY.

The Cadets' winning season is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the off-season.

Since Coach Mike Yesalonia took over the team four years ago, the strategy for his team has always been the same. This year's positive attitude is that extra edge that the team needed to have a winning season.

"I think that our program has kind of stayed the same, but what has changed is the intensity with which we do it," Murnyack said.

"The team next year is going to be a force to reckon with," said Steve Martin, 21, a senior business management major from Scituate, Mass.

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