West Chester Gets Shippensburg In Playoff Opener

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The season continues for the West Chester University football team on Saturday as the Golden Rams open the NCAA Division II playoffs on the road against Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference rival Shippensburg.

The Golden Rams have had a very good season, going 8-3 and advancing to the PSAC title game, but the news of a playoff berth did come as a bit of a pleasant surprise to the Golden Rams.

"After the game on Saturday," West Chester head coach Bill Zwaan tells KYW Newsradio, "I didn't really think we were going to get in. So when our name came across the board, I think our kids were more excited this year than they have been in the past when they were expecting to get in. Because, truthfully, a lot of us had basically made our minds up that that was our last game Saturday. So we lucked out a little bit, couple of things broke our way, teams lost that needed to lose, so it's pretty exciting when it comes to you that way."

That game this past Saturday was that PSAC title game and West Chester lost to now 11-0 IUP, 24-7.

"They're a team that you can't make mistakes against," Zwaan says. "We had a couple turnovers and some penalties, bad snap, just things that just stop drives. They are the type of team that you need to just need to keep moving against. When you go backwards against them, it really hurts you."

West Chester played Shippensburg during the regular season and the Golden Rams won that match-up on the road, 37-27. It's the only blemish for the 10-1 Red Raiders.

"[Quarterback] Paul Dooley played really well," Zwaan says of that first meeting. "We made some big plays. Our field goal kicker Andrew Chegia knocked [three] big ones down for us. We were able to move the ball a little bit and our defense played well."

Dooley threw for 276 yards and two scores in that win.

Zwaan expects a great game in this playoff opener.

"We've had great battles with them, we always have great battles out there," he says.

The winner on Saturday gets IUP in the second round.

Saturday's game kicks off at noon.