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Pittsburgh RiverRats Announce Schedule for 2008 Season

November 6, 2007 - American Indoor Football Association (AIFA)
Erie Explosion News Release


(Belle Vernon, PA) - The Pittsburgh RiverRats of the AIFA announced their football schedule for the 2008 season. The slate includes eight games against division opponents, and a challenging six-game non-division schedule. Eleven of the fourteen contests will be played against playoff participants from last season. Once again, the RiverRats will host seven games at home at the Rostraver Ice Garden Arena, in Belle Vernon, PA.

For 2008, the North Division will consist of the Pittsburgh RiverRats, the Reading Express, the Canton Legends, and the Baltimore Mariners. The Mariners are a first-year participant in the AIFA. Reading and Canton were divisional rivals with the RiverRats last season. Erie and Johnstown will not be returning to the AIFA in 2008.

The RiverRats will open their schedule at home on Friday, March 7, 2008 against the Carolina Speed in the first matchup between the two franchises. Similar to Pittsburgh, Carolina made the playoffs in its first year of existence finishing the regular season with an 8-7 mark losing in the first round of the playoffs to eventual league-champion Lakeland.

Pittsburgh will be challenged quickly in the month of March with two consecutive road games against Canton on March 15, and the Columbus (GA) Lions on March 22. Columbus is another first-time matchup for the RiverRats, having moved to the AIFA from the WIFL where they finished last season with a 10-4 mark and appearing in that league's champion game. The month will end for Pittsburgh at home on March 29 with the first of three games scheduled against the defending North Division champion Reading Express.

The RiverRats will have a bye week the first week of April and will travel to Huntington Heroes on April 11. The Heroes will be led by Teddy Keaton, who was the head coach last season for the league champion Lakeland Thunderbolts. Following that game, Pittsburgh will play a home-and-away series against Baltimore, home on April 18 and away on April 25.

In the month of May, the RiverRats will host Canton twice, on May 3 and on May 31, and will face off against Huntington again in a home-and-away series starting at home on May 9 and away on May 17. Pittsburgh will then embark on another long road trip on May 24, when they return the game played at home last year against Florence.

Pittsburgh concludes their regular-season with another home-and-away series, this one against the Reading Express, at home on June 7 and in Reading on June 14. These two teams faced off in the playoffs last year, and these two games are expected to have playoff implications for the North Division once again.

The first round of the AIFA playoffs will match the top two teams in each of the four divisions. The North and East champions will then meet in the next round for the right to play in the league championship game against the winner of the South and West. The championship game will be hosted by the North vs. East winner.

Season ticket packages and individual game tickets for all Pittsburgh RiverRats games will go on sale starting next Wednesday, November 14, 2007 exclusively online at www.pittsburghriverrats.com. For general information on tickets as well as information on sponsorship opportunities with the Pittsburgh RiverRats for the upcoming 2008 season, please call (888) RIV-RATS or visit www.pittsburghriverrats.com.

2008 Pittsburgh RiverRats Schedule (schedule subject to change)

All home games scheduled to start at 7:00 PM

Date Game

Friday, March 7, 2008 Carolina at Pittsburgh

Saturday, March 15, 2008 Pittsburgh at Canton

Saturday, March 22, 2008 Pittsburgh at Columbus (GA)

Saturday, March 29, 2008 Reading at Pittsburgh

Friday, April 11, 2008 Pittsburgh at Huntington

Friday, April 18, 2008 Baltimore at Pittsburgh

Friday, April 25, 2008 Pittsburgh at Baltimore

Saturday, May 3, 2008 Canton at Pittsburgh

Friday, May 9, 2008 Huntington at Pittsburgh

Saturday, May 17, 2008 Pittsburgh at Huntington

Saturday, May 24, 2008 Pittsburgh at Florence

Saturday, May 31, 2008 Canton at Pittsburgh

Saturday, June 7, 2008 Reading at Pittsburgh

Saturday, June 14, 2008 Pittsburgh at Reading

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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