INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The NCAA Division III Football Committee has announced the field of 40 teams which will compete in the 2024 NCAA Championship and UMass Dartmouth has been matched up against Springfield College in the Second Round and will travel to the Western Massachusetts on Saturday, November 30 at 12pm. It marks the Corsairs third appearance in the NCAA's and first in the Second Round.
The Corsairs, who earned the automatic qualifier after winning the MASCAC title following an unbeaten 9-0 mark among conference opponents, are making their third trip in program history to the NCAA Tournament. UMass Dartmouth faced Ithaca in 2022 and squared off against Muhlenberg in their first appearance in 2002.
Led by second-year head coach Josh Sylvester, the Corsairs enter this year's tournament with a perfect 10-0 mark, having won their third straight conference title. They rank among Division III's best in a number of categories. Currently, the squad ranks first overall as one of 11 teams with a perfect winning percentage. The Corsairs are second overall in team passing efficiency defense (90.92) and are third overall in scoring offense (54.2). Additionally, UMass Dartmouth ranks sixth in total offense (515.3) and turnover margin (1.60), while ranking eighth in rushing offense (251.8).
Among the MASCAC leaders, the Corsairs are first overall in 23 different categories, including total offense, total defense (256.7), team tackles for loss (7.5), team passing efficiency (175.60), team passing efficiency defense, scoring offense, scoring defense (15.4), defensive touchdowns (3) and completion percentage (.656).
Individually, the Corsairs are led by graduate student quarterback and captain
Dante Aviles-Santos, who has thrown for 2,462 yards during the 2024 campaign. In 10 contests, he went 190-of-286 in completions with four interceptions for a 66.43 percentage. Aviles-Santos – who is a three-time MASCAC Offensive Player of the Week this season – has thrown 38 touchdowns, including a long of 73, with an average of 246.2 yards per game.
Aviles-Santos, who is the defending and two-time MASCAC Offensive Player of the Year, has thrown at least two touchdowns in all 10 games this season, including a season-high six for 342 yards in a win over Worcester State. On the season, he leads all MASCAC quarterbacks in passing touchdowns, passing yards, passing yards per game, points responsible for (236) and points responsible for per game (23.6). He also ranks fifth in Division III in passing TD's and is eighth in both points responsible for and points responsible for per game.
In the air, the Corsairs are led by senior wide receiver and captain
Angel Sanchez, who has played in all 10 games with 14 touchdowns to his credit. Making 72 catches thus far, he has compiled 944 yards, averaging 13.1 yards per catch and 94.4 yards per contest. He was named the conference's Offensive Performer of the Week in early September after boasting 139 yards with two touchdowns in just two quarters of play in a victory over Nichols. Sanchez ranks ninth amongst Division III receivers in receiving TD's, while also ranking 15th in receptions per game (7.2). He is the MASCAC leader in receiving TD's, receiving yards, receiving yards per game and receptions per game.
In addition to Sanchez, the Corsairs have seen junior wide receiver
Jael Cabrera post 544 yards on 38 catches over 10 contests, recording nine touchdowns, while classmate
Naseim Harrison has 397 yards on 22 catches with nine scores so far.
On the ground, senior running back
Jalyn Aponte has paced the way through all 10 games, amassing 692 yards on 104 carries. He has posted six touchdowns, averaging 6.7 yards per carry and 69.2 rushing yards per game. The Corsairs pack a 1-2-3 punch on the ground as junior rusher
Kevin Brown has posted 637 yards on 86 carries through 10 contests. He has punched in 12 touchdowns, averaging 7.4 yards per carry and 63.7 yards per game.
Rounding out the rushing threat for the Corsairs is graduate student
Marvens Jean, who has posted 538 yards on 54 carries with six touchdowns. Overall, seven different players have recorded a rushing touchdown this season, while nine different receivers have found the endzone for UMass Dartmouth.
Defensively, the Corsairs are paced by senior linebacker and captain
Mike Henricksen, who has posted a squad-high 75.0 total tackles, including 29 solo. He has recorded 6.5 tackles for a loss of 15 yards with 0.5 sacks for a loss of one yard. Henricksen also has two interceptions on the season. Fifth year linebacker
Jackson Wellman has netted 45.0 total tackles, including 18 solo, while graduate student defensive back and captain
Shane Meerbott has 44.0 tackles, including a team-high 29 solo with a squad best five interceptions on the season.
Senior defensive edge
Josh Lacerte has notched 34.0 tackles, including a squad-high 9.5 for a loss of 37 yards, while classmate, captain and fellow edge
Sam Alicea has 33.0 total tackles, including 4.5 for a loss of 15 yards with a sack, two pass breakups, three quarterback hurries and a fumble recovery.
UMass Dartmouth will face nationally-ranked Springfield College, who is appearing in the NCAA Tournament for the 10th time in program history. The Pride, currently 10-0, finished the regular season with an unblemished record for just the fourth time in the 134-year history of the program.
Head coach, Mike Cerasuolo led the Pride to its fourth-straight New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Championship on Saturday afternoon with a 55-20 win over Maritime.
Springfield has strung together 26-straight conference wins and have put together a historic season thus far. The top rushing offense in all of college football, Springfield is averaging more than 450 yards per game on the ground and just wrapped up the highest-scoring regular season in program history as it has produced 48.6 points per game this year.
