The streak is halted , Danes upset by Cortland

Cortland, N.Y. The dead silence in the Albany State lockerroom told the story. If the 4-2 Great Danes are to receive their first NCAA playoff berth since 1977, they will have to sweep their remaining four games. And even that might not be good enough. Saturday, the Danes saw their playoff hopes slip away in the mud and muck covering Chugger Davis Field, as the Cortland Red Dragons halted Albany Stare's four-game winning streak with a 21-16 victory. "We were brought back to earth today." whispered a somber Bo Murphy. Afterwards, Coach Bob Ford stood in the middle of the lockerroom, his voice breaking the silence. "We're at a crossroads right now," he softly told his players. "We could do one of two things; we could feel sorry for ourselves, and give up right nc v. Or we could come back on Monday and itart preparing for Norwich. "This one hurts me deeply, and I'm sure it hurts you the same," he continued. "But don't think that next Saturday, Norwich is going to be feeling sorry for you." What hurt the Danes the most in Saturday's game was the wet weather, which induced Mike Milano to fumble seven times (three of them resulting in turnovers) and hindering the effectiveness of the wishbone attack. "With our kind of offense, because we're small and rely on quickness, we always are praying for a dry track," Ford said. "Last night when we got into Cortland it was raining, so I went with some coaches to check out the field and it was like a sponge. At our field the drainage is so good it wouldn't have mattered." Despite the slippery surface, the Danes maintained a 16-14 lead heading into the fourth quarter thanks-nainly to the expert kicking of Scott Reagan. The Hudson Palls native booted field goals of 40, 47 ^ . ALBANY „ T2:JLWk