Blizzard To Take On Conquest In Rematch Of 2006 Season Opener
May 25, 2006 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Green Bay Blizzard News Release
The Green Bay Blizzard opened the 2006 season to the largest crowd in franchise history, but the night was spoiled by a 48-40 home loss to their division rivals, the Albany Conquest. 7,256 fans turned out to see a see-saw battle between the two teams, one that was ultimately decided by a single score.
When they first met, it was the first game of the season for both teams, and both were looking for a fast start to the 2006 season. When the two meet up again this Saturday, May 27th at Pepsi Arena in Albany, New York, the circumstances will be remarkably similar: the Blizzard is 4-4, and the Conquest is 4-3, but the teams are not necessarily going in the same direction.
The Blizzard has won their last two games, one a blowout 53-19 win over the Macon Knights, and the other a jaw-dropping 40-35 win over the Quad City Steamwheelers punctuated by a last-second goal-line stand by the Blizzard D. The Conquest, however, dropped their last game to the Louisville Fire by a score of 51-38. The Blizzard looks to continue their winning ways and get back above the .500 mark for the first time since week 3, when they were 2-1 coming off 2 road wins over the Manchester Wolves and Quad City Steamwheelers.
The Blizzard enjoyed a very successful home stand over the last 2 weeks, and not just on the field. Fans have been turning out in record numbers. As of last Friday, the Blizzard had already passed the 25,000 mark in attendance in only 4 games, the fastest in team history. With crowds of 7,256 (Albany), 6,576 (Oklahoma City), 5,104 (Macon) and 6,234 (Quad City), the Blizzard is averaging 6,293 fans per game, which is currently 2nd in the af2 in attendance.
This game will feature a matchup of coaching philosophies, with Green Bay's top-ranked rushing offense against Albany's 7th-ranked rushing defense, and Albany's 2nd-ranked offense and Green Bay's 9th-ranked defense. It will also showcase a number of the league's top performers: Conquest QB Ryan Vena is 2nd in the league in passing, and Blizzard FB/LB Peter Lazare is 2nd in the league in rushing yards with 128, a gaudy average of 32 yards per game.
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