Soul Shuts Down Valor, 49-31
April 23, 2017 - Arena Football League (AFL)
Philadelphia Soul News Release
SOUL SHUTS DOWN VALOR, 49-31
Strong Soul Defense Holds Valor to Scoreless Second Half
WASHINGTON- The Philadelphia Soul (2-0) defeated the Washington Valor (1-1), with the final score 49-31 in front of 12,122 fans at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. on Saturday night.
"Tonight was not one of our strongest performances," said Soul head coach Clint Dolezel. "We held the Valor to a scoreless second half but there is still some more work to do."
Soul WR Shaun Kauleinamoku led the receivers with 12 receptions for 125 yards and two touchdowns. WR Darius Reynolds added six receptions for 76 yards and three touchdowns and WR Ryan McDaniel tallied five receptions for 46 yards. Washington WR Mike Washington led the Valor receivers with nine receptions for 125 yards and two touchdowns.
Philadelphia QB Dan Raudabaugh completed 23-of-36 passes for 247 yards and five touchdowns. Washington QB Erik Meyer completed 21-of-34 passes for 268 yards and two touchdowns.
The Soul won the coin toss and elected to kick off to the Valor. The Valor got their first touchdown of the night on a 2-yard run by QB Bernard Morris and they jumped out to a 7-0 lead. The Soul tried to get on the board but Raudabaugh's pass was intercepted by Tracy Belton for another Valor touchdown. Steven's kick was good and the Soul trailed 14-0. The Soul fired back with a 34-yard touchdown from Raudabaugh to Reynolds. Trevino's kick was good and with 8:27 to go in the first quarter, the Soul closed the gap 14-7. Meyer responded with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Washington and at the end of the first quarter, the Soul trailed 21-7.
The Soul opened the second quarter with a quick 5-yard touchdown pass by Reynolds. Trevino's kick was good and the Soul remained behind 21-14. The Valor opted for a 23-yard field goal and were successful, increasing their lead 24-14. Soul FB Mykel Benson contributed his first touchdown of the night with a 4-yard touchdown. Kick was good and with 7:31 to play in the half, the Soul were behind 24-21. An unsuccessful field goal attempt by the Valor was returned for a touchdown by James Romain and with 56 seconds left in the half, the Soul took the lead 28-24. Unfortunately the lead did not last long as Meyer found Washington for a 12-yard Valor touchdown and at the end of the first half, the Soul trailed 31-28.
The Soul capitalized on a slow third quarter with a 13-yard touchdown pass from Raudabaugh to Kauleinamoku. Trevino's kick was good and the Soul finished out the quarter with a 35-31 lead over the Valor.
To kick off the final quarter, Raudabaugh connected with Reynolds for his third touchdown of the night. The Soul stretched their lead, 42-31 with 9:51 remaining in the game. The Soul ran down the clock and in the final minute, Raudabaugh found Kauleinamoku for his second touchdown of the night and at the end of the game, the Soul defeated the Valor 49-31.
Next week, the Soul will host the Baltimore Brigade in their home opener, presented by Independence Blue Cross on Saturday, April 29 at 7:00 p.m. The game will be broadcast on CBS Sports and 97.5 The Fanatic.
Offensive Player of the Game: Washington WR Mike Washington Defensive Player of the Game: Philadelphia DB James Romain MVP of the Game: Philadelphia QB Dan Raudabaugh
ABOUT PHILADELPHIA SOUL
The 2016 World Champion Philadelphia Soul are entering their 12th season in the Arena Football League. In the first 11 seasons, the Soul have won four Division Championships, four Conference Championships and two World Championships. Since the inaugural season in 2004, the Soul are the winningest professional sports team in Philadelphia. Season memberships and Group tickets for the Soul's upcoming 2017 season are on sale now. For tickets, contact the Soul sales department at (215) 253-4900 ext. 3, or request contact from a Soul representative by filling out the form on www.philadelphiasoul.com. Follow the Soul on Facebook at facebook.com/soul and Twitter at twitter.com/soulfootball.
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