by DANIEL O'LEARY
STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE -- Fordham and Columbia will get together Saturday evening for a football game played in memory of the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
"Both schools lost many alumni on that day," said Fordham coach Tom Masella, a former New York City firefighter and a Tottenville HS and Wagner College grad. "And this is something, the Liberty Cup, that we hope will carry on for a very long time."
The Liberty Cup game will be played for the sixth time at Saturday night at 6 at Fordham's Bronx campus. The cup is dedicated to the memory of members of the FDNY, NYPD, EMS and Port Authority who gave their lives in the attack.
"When you watch the tributes," said Masella. "You can't help but think of all of those people."
In addition, each school has set up a scholarship fund and the host school donates the proceeds to that fund each year.
"We want people to come out to this game," the coach said. "We want all the cops, firemen and anyone who wants to come out and see a heck of a college football game."
Columbia has won the last two games, taking last year's contest at home, 37-7, but Masella and the Rams will be looking to change that.
"It's always been a good game," said Masella. "Even last year, when it was 37-7, it was a good game. They just made some plays down the end that put it away.
"Hopefully this year, we can even up that series."
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