From the Nashua (NH) Telegraph: "Rivier, DWC hoop teams try a little Midnight Madness"By Tom King, Staff Writer

Original story link and video here

NASHUA – Sometimes passing comments in an informal conversation can create quite a stir.

When Rivier University and Daniel Webster College men's basketball coaches Dave Morissette and Dave Faucher were discussing a date to play for this upcoming season on the phone, Morissette casually threw out the idea of playing a game just after midnight on the first possible date to play, Nov. 15.

"He mentioned it, and as I listened to it, I immediately told him to hold on," Faucher said. "I dropped the phone and went down the hall to my AD (Robin Seidman), and said, 'Can we do this? Could we possibly play at midnight?' And he said, 'I don't see why not.'

"I said, 'Dave, are you serious about this? Let's do it.'"

And thus on Thursday at 12:01 a.m. at DWC's Mario Vagge Gym, the two teams will tip off, the first Division III men's game to be played in the country for the 2012-13 season. It'll be the 37th meeting between the two programs, dating to 1992.

"We're trying something new," Morissette said. "If it works, it works. If it doesn't, we won't do it again. "I just hope it's a great event for the kids, for the schools, for the community. I hope it's a great event."

Usually schools, mainly in Division I, have their first practices of the season at midnight of the first possible time allowed by the NCAA to take the floor, usually Oct. 15. This is just a variation of that, trying also to put a spark in a rivalry that has been diminished a bit with the two teams no longer playing the in the same conference. The Eagles left a league they helped start, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) , to be a charter member of the New England College Collegiate Conference (NECC) some five years ago.

During that time, the two teams didn't even play, as Rivier's non-conference schedule was booked. They finally resumed the rivalry last December, with the Eagles winning a tight 67-65 struggle at Riv's Muldoon Center.

"I think it's a great story, a great thing for school spirit," Faucher said. "It's kind of interesting to know we'll be the first results of any Division III game to be played in the country. The big schools do this for their first practice, we figured we play on that. "

In addition to wanting to create interest, both teams are looking to recover from sluggish seasons a year ago. The Eagles finished 9-16 overall, but a respectable 8-8 in the NECC before losing in the quarterfinals. The Raiders, with a very young team, went 5-20 and were hoping to take a big step this season.

That step may be limited. Both programs were hoping this game would feature two local point guards, Rivier junior Jake Nelson and Eagle freshman Ryan Gauthier, both Nashuans.

But Nelson tore up his knee in the second practice of the season and is done for the year, while Gauthier is out, but only briefly. He suffered a groin injury and is questionable for, uh, Thursday morning. He's a big factor as he scored 25 in a scrimmage against Colby Sawyer.

Nelson's absence, though, is something the Raiders know they have to bounce back from, whatever the hour they play at.

"It's a tough loss," Morissette said. "We've got everyone back from last year, and a good freshman class. We lost a pretty big piece."

But they also still have a pretty big piece, 6-foot, 5-inch junior Tom Poitras, who will be the focal point of their offense. "He's gotten a lot better," Morissette said. "It's no secret, we have to work from Poitras (inside) on out."

The Eagles meanwhile will have second leading scorer John Hickson (6-2 senior) back as well as Second Team All-Conference junior forward (6-3) Daris Crosby.

"We're pretty skilled," Faucher said. "But one thing we've been able to do well so far that we were really weak in last year is rebounding."

So will the late time affect play? Faucher doesn't think so, but he can't be sure.

"It's a new experience, so I don't have all the answers," he said. "We may have a 6 a.m. practice to see how that works. We're instilling this attitude: It's anytime, anyplace, under any conditions. They got that idea when we ended a practice late Friday and were back at a 9 a.m. practice Saturday morning."

"They're college kids, they're up till two in the morning anyway," Morissette said. "I'm not worried about them as much as I'm worried about me and Coach Faucher. We may need a nap before the game."

In any event, it'll be a first in the country.

"It's a first for everybody," Faucher said. "Maybe it'll catch on. Maybe 10 years from now there will be games (at 12:01) all around the country."