Blizzard Report
June 1, 2004 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Green Bay Blizzard News Release
Green Bay 54, Louisville 59
The Blizzard couldn't quite pull this one out of the fire. With three tenths of one second remaining and a last chance to come from behind and take the game, a Chris Greisen pass rebounded as planned live off the end zone net but was batted away from Blizzard hands.
Green Bay and Louisville engaged in a back-and-forth shoot-out for most of the first three quarters of the game, with the crowd wondering if any defense at all would be displayed by either team. The Blizzard appeared to be in position to knock off their second highly-rated opponent in two weeks and move a step up in the Midwest Division, but a series of penalties and turnovers allowed the Fire to move ahead by twelve points with just 3:20 left in the game.
From there, it got exciting all over again. Green Bay pulled to within five with a 25-yard strike to Robert Garth, and got the ball back with just 23 seconds remaining when Louisville kicker Marc Samuel missed on a field goal attempt. That normally would be plenty of time for the Blizzard to find the end zone, but the Fire defense rose up and pressured Greisen just enough to keep him from connecting for a score.
Extra Points
Game awards
Baby Ruth Real Deal Offensive Player of the Game : Fire quarterback Matt Sauk.
ADT Defensive Player of the Game : Blizzard fullback/linebacker Joe Rivard.
U.S. Army Ironman of the Game : Blizzard wide receiver/defensive back DeRonn Finely.
The thirsty masses
Two home wins in a row and $1.00 beer night combined to draw a record crowd of 4,544 to the Resch Center Saturday night against Louisville. Attendance for the year is significantly ahead of last year's per game average.
Arena Football Rules & Strategy
Coin toss winner doesn't always take the ball
In the NFL, you rarely see a team that wins the coin toss decline the opening kickoff. In Arena Football, however, it is not unusual for a team that wins the toss to "defer," or choose to receive the kickoff to start the second half. According to Blizzard coordinators Rod Miller and James Kerwin, that is because momentum is so important in the second half, that teams will take a chance that their defense will make a stop in the first half and create an advantage for their offense.
Next Up: Blizzard Looks to Tame Wolves
Blizzard (3-4) vs. Manchester Wolves (3-4)
Green Bay travels to Manchester, New Hampshire to take on the Wolves Friday, May 28th. The Wolves are in the American Northeast Division and are coached by Rik Richards.
For more information, contact the Blizzard office at (920) 405-1264.
Next home game is Saturday, June 5
Doors open at 6:30 pm
See you there!
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