Blaine Bursey of Middleburg, Fla., Tabbed Liberty League Football Special Teams Player of the Week

2015 Sep 8

WPI junior Blaine Bursey pocketed Liberty League Football Special Teams Performer of the Week accolades for his contributions to the team win on Friday night.

Bursey nailed what proved to be the game-winning field goal in the "Battle of the Engineers" when he booted a 26-yarder with 9:58 to go. The junior also successfully connected on all four of his PATs.

Dan Eckler, the league's offensive performer of the week, threw for two touchdowns and ran for another as WPI opened the season by defeating 2014 NCAA tournament second round participant MIT 31-28 on Friday evening. The junior signal caller was an efficient 18-for-23 on the night for 197 yards and rushed 13 times for 58 yards. His 15-yard scoring strike to Brandon Eccher with three seconds to go in the first half capped an impressive 8-play 72-yard drive.

The last time WPI had two Liberty League Players of Week was late last October when Trey Pierce was selected Offensive Performer of the Week and Brian Murtagh named Co-Defensive Performer of the Week.

The Crimson and Gray are back in action Friday when they head down Park Ave. to Chandler St. to face city rival Worcester State. Kickoff is slated for 7pm.

About Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Founded in 1865 in Worcester, Mass., WPI is one of the nation's first engineering and technology universities. Its 14 academic departments offer more than 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science, engineering, technology, business, the social sciences, and the humanities and arts, leading to bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees. WPI's talented faculty work with students on interdisciplinary research that seeks solutions to important and socially relevant problems in fields as diverse as the life sciences and bioengineering, energy, information security, materials processing, and robotics. Students also have the opportunity to make a difference to communities and organizations around the world through the university's innovative Global Projects Program. There are more than 40 WPI project centers throughout the Americas, Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Europe.