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PIFL Lehigh Valley Steelhawks

Round Two of Keystone Classic Continues in the Valley

April 30, 2014 - Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL)
Lehigh Valley Steelhawks News Release


Bethlehem, PA: The Lehigh Valley Steelhawks (3-0) and the Harrisburg Stampede (2-2) square off in round two of the newly minted Keystone Classic this Saturday, May 3rd at 7:05 pm. The Steelhawks took round one in Harrisburg earlier this month, with a 35-27 victory that came down to the last series of the game. This time it's the Stampede traveling to face the Steelhawks inside Stabler Arena.

The Harrisburg franchise was established in 2009. After having success in other leagues, the Stampede made the move to the PIFL for the 2014 season. Both the Stampede and the Steelhawks were placed in the National Conference within the PIFL; and the schedule saw the teams facing off three times during the season. With the teams being located only about an hour from one another, both franchises knew a great rivalry was under way. It was dubbed the Keystone Classic prior the teams' first meeting.

"When the Harrisburg Stampede made the move to the PIFL this season, we knew instantly that this would turn into a top rivalry for both our organizations and the league itself," stated Steelhawks General Manager Mike Clark. "The newly minted Keystone Classic between both of our squads brings additional intrigue for our fan bases, and allows them to see games in other venues as well due to the proximity of our markets. The Stampede are a top tier professional organization run by Marques Colston, and these series of games promise to be intense and fun to watch. There is a lot of familiarity between our two franchises, which we are thrilled to build on for years to come."

"We have looked forward to being in a league with Steelhawks for a long time," remarked Marques Colston, President/GM of the Stampede. "I have watched them run a great organization from a distance, with Mike Clark leading the way. This rivalry is one that I am excited to be a part of, as it breeds competition between two very similar organizations, while helping to build a larger fan base through family-friendly entertainment. The synergistic goals from both organizations to field highly competitive football teams as well as impact their respective communities in a positive way, will help to build the brand of indoor football in Pennsylvania and beyond. Our inaugural game in this "Keystone Classic" was a very exciting preview of things to come, as we continue to build something special together."

Lehigh Valley has battled their way to a 3-0 record, their best start to a season in franchise history. Their defense have been the stars early in the season. The team is currently the number two scoring defense in the league, only allowing 36.7 points per game. Last week the Steelhawks defense only gave up two touchdowns and had a goal line stand to keep Trenton out of the end zone to preserve the win as time expired. DB Dwayne Hollis (19.5 tackles, 3 pbu's) has been clutch late in games, three of his four interceptions coming in the fourth quarter. K Michael Barnard was named Week Five VidSwap.com Player of the week after his performance last week; scoring 16 points, including four uno's, three field goals, and going 3 for 3 in PAT attempts. WR Matt Coston had a great game when the Steelhawks were in Harrisburg last, tallying two touchdowns on five catches for 113 yards.

Both teams are led offensively by veteran quarterbacks. The Steelhawks' Adam Bednarik has thrown for 501 yards, 11 touchdowns and rushed for another while only throwing three interceptions. E.J. Nemeth leads the Stampede with 139 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on top of his passing stats, 826 yards 11 touchdowns, eight interceptions.

Harrisburg's game this past weekend in Alabama was postponed due to the severe weather in the area. The Stampede's defense has proven dangerous, leading the league in fumbles gained with four. Their front five has been strong, racking up nine sacks (2nd in the league) - LB Amara Kamara (13 tackles, 4 tfl, 1 int) has four of those. In the teams' first game, DB Armar Watson (8.5 tackles, 4 pbus) recorded two of his four interceptions on the season.

Kickoff for this Saturday's game is slated for 7:05 pm. It is "Family Fun Night," presented by Highmark Blue Shield. The first 500 fans through the door will receive a thermometer from Highmark Blue Shield. Don't forget that at each Steelhawks' home game, every time the Steelhawks score a touchdown, one lucky season ticket holder will be entered into the Boscov's Travel drawing to win a Free Vacation.

All Steelhawks home games are viewable on Service Electric, TV2 Sports. This weekend is the second of a four home game home stand for the Steelhawks. The next game is a special Sunday afternoon game on Mother's Day, May 11th, 4pm game. It will be a Pink-Out Breast Cancer game presented by St. Luke's University Health Network.

Keep checking for the latest news and events from the Steelhawks! For further information please call Lehigh Valley Steelhawks Executive Vice President and General Manager Mike Clark at (610) 282-3100, or visit our website at www.LVSteelhawks.com for the latest Steelhawks news!

Flex season ticket packages will be on sale after the home opener. It's not too late to get discounted tickets to every 2014 Lehigh Valley Steelhawks game. You can reserve your seats by calling the Steelhawks front office at 610-282-3100. Individual game tickets for each home game are now available as well!

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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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