UNE fans travel to Connecticut to cheer on Nor’easters in opening football game

The Nor’easters kicked off their first full season of NCAA Division III varsity football against Coast Guard Academy.

Quarterback Brian Peters (Business Administration, ’21) threw for 242 yards and a touchdown for the Nor’easters in a 33-7 loss to the Bears.

UNE President James Herbert, along with many UNE fans, made the trip to New London, Connecticut for the game.

“What’s also absolutely fascinating is just how many fans we have here. I mean we’re three hours away from campus and we filled this stadium up with Nor’easter fans,” Herbert told the Journal Tribune. “It’s really impressive.”

Despite the loss, UNE made things tough for Coast Guard most of the night. Herbert said he’s proud of the team.

“I’m very, very proud," Herbert said. "This is the culmination of years of work and it’s just a really wonderful moment for UNE." 

The focus now turns towards Husson University and the team's home opener.

Last year UNE played a sub-varsity schedule with eight games on the road to prepare for this season.

“Between long-distance travel and tough opponents, we learned a lot about who we were and who we need to be,” says UNE head coach Mike Lichten. 

The team features a mix of players from across the country. Some traveled long distances to play for UNE. Others are close to home.

Cornerback Joey Curit (Medical Biology, ’21) played high school football for his dad Brian, head coach of the Biddeford Tigers.

“We both have a love for the game and always talked football," says Curit. "He was on me a little bit more than other players, but I appreciated it."

Curit wants a career in the medical field. He says once UNE announced it was starting a football program, his choice to come here was an easy one.

“Right at the perfect time they announced they would be having a team. I started looking into it and everything fell into place,” he says.

Football is a big deal in Biddeford, but much more so in Texas.

Wide receiver Brandon Crawford-Adams (Pharmacy, ’22) played against some big names in San Antonio, including the sons of NFL hall of famer Deion Sanders and New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton.

“In Texas, high school football is massive," says Crawford-Adams. "It’s a really big thing."

At UNE, Crawford-Adams says, he can combine his two passions, football and achieving his career goals.

“The family atmosphere here is wonderful," he says. "I was looking for a school that had the combination of pharmacy and football."

Coach Lichten says it was his goal to recruit high-character players.

“We want to recruit players and students who are interested in being successful academically first,” he says.

The Nor'easters host their first home game on September 8 at Blue Storm Stadium against in-state rival Husson.

Coach Lichten is hoping an enthusiastic crowd greets his players when they take the field.

“This is their program,” Lichten says. “We want to represent them with the utmost integrity and we’re excited for the opportunity to make them proud.”

Read the story in the Journal Tribune,  Portland Press Herald, on WGME