IFL Lehigh Valley Steelhawks

Steelhawks Fall in Overtime Thriller

Published on March 20, 2011 under Indoor Football League (IFL)
Lehigh Valley Steelhawks News Release


Bethlehem, PA: The Lehigh Valley Steelhawks seem to have an early knack for close games. Each of the teams three contests in their short existence have come down to the last play of the game. Unfortunately in the team's Home Opener, in front of a crowd of nearly 3,000 screaming fans, the Steelhawks (1-2) fell 48-45 to the Richmond Revolution in the first Overtime time in the IFL in 2011.

The Steelhawks began the game with an early 15-0 lead courtesy of the running power of Isaiah Grier. The Steelhawks Running back consistently penetrated the Revolution Defensive Line on his way to 101 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Quarterback AJ Roque also stood out, throwing for four scores and rushing for over 50 yards. A last second touchdown pass at the end of the second quarter to Quintin Lopez had the Steelhawks up 25-14 at halftime.

The Revolution, led by Quarterback Dennis Brown and Running Back Bernard Payton, made a feverish come back in the third quarter. The Steelhawks allowed the tandem to rush for over 150 yards combined and a late Payton rushing score with 1:30 left in the contest gave the Revolution the lead at 42-39. Roque got the Steelhawks to midfield with five seconds left to give Kicker Paul Stoltz a chance to force overtime. Richmond attempted to ice Stoltz with a timeout, but that did not deter the rookie as he drilled a 35 yarder as time expired.

By rule, both teams received an overtime possession, and Stoltz again drilled a deep field goal to put Lehigh Valley ahead 45-42. But, Brown and Payton once again were able to break thru a tired defensive line and lead the Rev's to a score and victory by a score of 48-45.

"This one is a tough one to swallow," stated Head Coach Rich Britt. "The crowd was rocking, and not one of them left until the end of the game. We really wanted to bring home a victory in front of our 9th man and had plenty of opportunities to put this game away. I truly want to thank all the fans for their support tonight. The coaches will break down this film and we'll learn from our mistakes. We'll get this turned around."

The team will now receive a week of rest before gearing up to take on Atlantic Division rival Reading Express on Friday, April 1st. The game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at the Sovereign Center in Reading, PA. The team will return home on April 9th against the Bloomington Extreme for the first of three straight home contests. Individual tickets are available online at www.LVSteelhawks.com or by calling the Stabler Arena Box Office at 610-758-6611. For flex pack season tickets for the remaining home games call the Steelhawks Home Office at 610-282-3100

Season ticket flex packages, starting as low as $8 per game, are still available but great seats are limited, so reserve your seats close to the action and call the team's front office at 610-282-3100. Don't miss out on the fun and exciting atmosphere that is Steelhawks Professional Indoor Football! For further information on the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks please contact Executive Vice President Mike Clark at 610-282-3100.

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Indoor Football League Stories from March 20, 2011


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