Chad Pieri, a former Cal-Mum football player, is one of the Saxons' team captains this fall.

ALFRED — Chad Pieri knows all about winning.

The former Caledonia-Mumford football star helped the Red Raiders capture the 2003 Class C state title while playing for head coach Mike Monacelli.

Pieri, a 5-foot-10, 220-pound junior linebacker is also playing a huge part for Alfred University as the Saxons clinched their first berth to the NCAA’s in 28 years with their 56-30 victory over Utica College last Saturday.

Pieri, one of the team captains, led the Saxons’ defense against Utica with six tackles and one sack.

“It’s great to win our conference (Empire 8),” said Pieri. “We’ve been close so many times. This is overly emotional — I don’t know if I should smile or cry.”

The Saxons will host Albright in a first round NCAA championship game Saturday at noon.

If the Saxons (8-1, 4-1 Empire beat Albright, they would play the winner of the Delaware Valley-Susquehanna game Saturday, Nov. 28.

AU has played in the NCAA Division III championship tournament only once before, in 1981. That year, the Saxons went 10-0 in the regular season before losing their first-round game at Merrill Field, 13-12, to Montclair State.

— Look for the complete story in this week's LCN