McNew's Kick Wins it for Knighthawks

July 1, 2002 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Norfolk Nighthawks News Release


Norfolk, VA - Norfolk Nighthawks kicker Matt McNew nailed a 19-yard field goal with :32 seconds to play to give Norfolk a 50-48 victory over the New Haven Ninjas. It was the Nighthawks third straight win and sixth in a row at home.

New Haven (4-8) had one last chance to win when Chris Boden's pass was intercepted by Desmond Washington at the Nighthawks' goal line on third down. Washington, the game's ADT Defensive Player of the Game, finished with 2.5 tackles and five breakups to go along with his first interception of the season.

Norfolk (6-6) got the hard fought victory in spite of 282 total yards from New Haven OS Terrence Quattlebaum. He returned a kickoff and a missed field goal each for touchdowns and caught a team-high five passes for 77 yards and one score. His 205 return yards were more than the Ninjas' offense could manage (201) against a stingy Nighthawks' pass defense.

Chris Wallace earned Game MVP honors for what was his best performance since arriving in Norfolk, completing passes to six different receivers. Wallace ran for one score while completing 23-of-35 pass attempts for 301 yards and five touchdowns. OS Gary Briggs led all receivers with nine catches for 141 yards and two touchdowns. Nighthawks WR/LB Travis Burns was held out of the end zone for the first time in six weeks, but did throw his first career touchdown pass in the third quarter.

Boden finished the game 13-for-34 for 154 yards and three touchdowns. af2 top ten rusher Kerry Taylor had 51 yards rushing and two touchdown runs (12 and 10 yards).

McNew, the most accurate PAT kicker in af2, missed two extra points for the first time all season, came through with his eighth field goal on the season when the game was on the line.

(6/29/02) K Matt McNew earned his fourth Built Ford Tough Player of the Game award. McNew came into the game as the most accurate PAT kicker in af2 (90.7%). After missing two extra points for the first time all season, McNew drilled a 19-yard game-winner with :32 seconds on the clock. The Notre Dame soccer standout had never attempted a field goal in a game prior to this season with the Nighthawks. He served as the Irish's kickoff specialist for the 2001 season and came to the af2 to get some film and practice on uprights half the size of one's he had ever seen before. McNew proves that kickers must have a short-term memory and he is mentally Built Ford Tough.



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