9:09 a.m., July 8, 2008--Former University of Delaware defensive lineman Joe Minucci and the Cleveland Gladiators have advanced to the Arena Football League National Conference championship game following a 73-70 victory over the host Georgia Force on Monday night at the Gwinnett Center in Atlanta.

Cleveland will travel to face the top-seeded Philadelphia Soul in a game to be played at 1 p.m., Saturday, July 12, at the Wachovia Center. The game will be televised on ESPN.

The winner of the Cleveland-Philadelphia game will advance to the Arena Bowl XXII title game, to be played at 3 p.m., Sunday, July 27, at the New Orleans Arena.

In Monday night's victory over Georgia, Cleveland quarterback Raymond Philyaw threw for 295 yards and eight touchdowns. Minucci had one solo tackle.

Minucci is in his first season with Cleveland and his fourth in the AFL, having spent the first three with the Nashville Kats. He earned a spot on the AFL All-Rookie team in 2005 and was second team All-AFL in 2006 with Nashville.

Minucci played at Delaware from 1999-2002, earning All-Atlantic 10 Conference honors and helping lead the Fightin' Blue Hens to the 2000 NCAA Division I-AA semifinals.

For more information on UD athletics, see [www.udel.edu/sportsinfo].