Brigade Primed for the Playoffs

Published on August 2, 2002 under arenafootball2 (af2)
Rochester Brigade News Release


(Rochester, NY)-This weekend the Rochester Brigade will travel down the I-90 NYS Thruway to face bitter rival and Northeast Divisional Champion, the Albany Conquest, in the first post season game in franchise history.

This is the second time the Brigade will travel to the Pepsi Arena to face the Conquest this season. The team defeated the Conquest on their home turf back on April 27, by a score 32 to 24, which has proven to be a confidence builder.

These two clubs developed an intense rivalry throughout the year. During the regular season the teams competed for the first ever "NYS Lottery af2 Cup," where the Conquest came out on top to win the series at two games to one. The "Cup" will not be in contention during the playoffs, as agreed upon prior to the start of the season, but the rivalry will be just as intense. These two clubs both have something to prove, with the advancement to the next round of Arena Cup 2002 on the line.

The prime match-up will be between the two top receivers in the af2 this season, as Conquest OS Corey Hill caught 161 receptions on the season to surpass Brigade OS Martino Theus in the final week of the regular season to take the reception record in all of football and the league. Theus followed with 160 to close the regular season. This will be a key battle in the game with the two receivers competing to prove who is better and prove their worth to their respective teams.

The Brigade will look for WR/DB Vonkeith Spencer, the League IRONMAN for week 18, to have a comparable performance to that of last week when he returned six kickoffs for 134 yards including a 50 yard touchdown, two forced fumbles, two recovered fumbles including a 23 yard touchdown return and two key interceptions. Spencer was also named Built Ford Toughman in week five, when these two teams met in Albany. In that game, Spencer registered another stellar performance registering four tackles, one interception and five pass breakups, catching two passes for 51 yards including a 45-yard touchdown, while keeping Hill in check all night to help lead the Brigade to victory.

One other key addition, who has yet to face the Conquest, is WR/DB Derek Baker. With Baker in the lineup, the Brigade has registered five wins out of seven games and he's come away with the game IRONMAN award in three of those games and the league IRONMAN on one occasion.

Kickoff is set for 7:30 pm at the Pepsi Arena in Albany, NY, on Saturday, August 3. This is do or die for both teams, as the winner advances to play the winner of the Cape Fear vs. Richmond in the next round. For more information on how to attend the Brigade's first playoff game, check out the team's website at www.rochesterbrigade.com or call 585-292-1530. Don't miss this game! Catch all of the action on WASB 1590 AM, WRSB 1310 AM, WMJQ 105.5 FM, with the voice of Brigade JC DeLass.

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