Freeze Come Up Short Against the Legends
May 2, 2005 - American Indoor Football Association (AIFA)
Erie Freeze News Release
The Erie Freeze visited the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday afternoon. On Saturday night, after two nearly perfect weeks of Indoor Football, a physical and mental meltdown combined with some stellar Canton play gave the Legends a 45-32 victory over the previously unbeaten Freeze.
On the game's first play, Canton QB Dan Larlham found Randall Knapp for a 30-yard strike and a 6-0 Canton lead. The Larlham/Knapp connection would combine for four major scores on the evening. After missing an extra point kick, Canton led 6-0.Erie answered with a David Dinkins pass to Martino Theus and with J.R. Cipra's extra point, the score was in favor of the Freeze at 7-6. The Freeze were unable to contain Knapp and he scored again, this time from 20-yards. Eminger's kick and ensuing point on kickoff, gave the Legends a 14-7 lead. A lead they would not relinquish for the remainder of the game.
After an Erie drive culminated in a 1-yard Jon Frazier touchdown, Knapp scored again on a hook up with Knapp with another 1-play drive. The missed Eminger extra point left the score 20-14 in favor of the Legends at the end of a wild first quarter.
Larlham was legendary in his play on Saturday night finishing 16-27 on passing for 194 yards, five touchdowns, 1 rushing and no interceptions.
The Legends turned the momentum of the game around when they forced a fumble from the Freeze's Josh Liddel and turned that mistake into a 14-play, 21-yard drive that was assisted by two of the Freeze's many penalties on the night. On a fourth and goal play from the Freeze one yard line, Larlham spun through the Freeze defense for a 26-14 lead for Canton.
The Freeze answered with another Frazier rushing touchdown, but could muster no more and went into the half trailing 26-21.
Erie's offensive woes continued in the third quarter as all the team could produce was 3-points on a 26-yard Cipra field goal. Dinkins was under tremendous pressure all game long from the Legends defense and seemed out of sync for the remainder of the game. Freeze receiver Donte Pimpleton had to leave the game with a knee injury, and the Freeze could only score 8-points in the final quarter despite some great defensive plays by the Freeze.
Knapp scored two touchdowns in the final quarter to ice the Freeze by a final score of 45-32.
Head Coach Mike Esposito remarked, "We just have to regroup and get ready for Johnstown on the 14th. As good as Canton was on Saturday, we didn't do anything to help our own cause. After only having one penalty called on us last week (against Richmond) and to come out and collect almost two dozen yellow hankies is unacceptable."
Esposito continued, "We missed some assignment, and had some physical miscues. Not one facet of the game can go without some improvement whether it's offense, defense, and special teams."
The Freeze go into the Mother's Day bye week with a 2-1 record in the Atlantic Indoor Football League, but don't think that bye week means an "off" week.
"We started working on things on the bus ride home on Saturday," stated Esposito. "Why sit around and sulk? I told the guys before the game to not believe everything that was written or said about them and let it go to their heads. After the loss, I tell them the same thing. We'll regroup and come back strong in front of the Erie fans on the 14th of May."
The Freeze return home on May 14 to take on the Johnstown Riverhawks. Fans can purchase tickets by logging on to: http://www.ticketmaster.com/venue/180226.
American Indoor Football Association Stories from May 2, 2005
- Freeze Come Up Short Against the Legends - Erie Freeze
- Riverhawks June 18th Game Changed - Johnstown RiverHawks
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