Wolves hope to chill Blizzard on the road this weekend

Published on June 10, 2005 under arenafootball2 (af2)
Manchester Wolves News Release


MANCHESTER, N.H. (June 10, 2005) – The Manchester Wolves face their toughest road test of the season this Saturday (June 11) when they travel to Green Bay, WI for an East Division showdown against the Green Bay Blizzard (6-3). The No.1-ranked Wolves (8-1) are looking to win their ninth straight game and improve to 9-1 on the season. Tomorrow night's game kicks off at 8:00 p.m. at the Resch Center.

Fans who want to cheer on the Wolves from their homes in New Hampshire can listen to the action live on WFEA AM 1370. Local radio veteran Dick Lutsk will provide the play-by-play. Also, thanks to TEAMLINE, fans from around the world can listen to the Wolves on the internet for FREE. It doesn't matter where you are, anyone with internet access can hear all the live action of a Wolves game by visiting manchesterwolves.com and clicking on the TEAMLINE link at the lower left corner of the page. It's that easy. Fans can also access the Wolves' game broadcasts using any telephone for a minimal fee by calling TEAMLINE at 1-800-846-4700 and entering Team Code: 4084.

Saturday's match up at a glance – Manchester Wolves (8-1) at Green Bay Blizzard (6-3)

The Blizzard currently sit in second place in the East behind the Wolves and are ranked No.6 overall in the latest league coaches poll. After an early loss to the Wolves on April 16, Green Bay got hot, winning five games in a row. After seven weeks, the Blizzard were 6-1 and tied for first place with Manchester . Lately, however, Green Bay has struggled a bit, losing its last two contests. The Blizzard offense may be part of the reason why as they've scored just 50 points in the two games combined. Offensively, QB Johnny Turman leads the team with 1,978 yards passing and 37 touchdowns. Turman, the 2003 af2 Rookie of the Year, has also proven to be a little loose with his throws, which has resulted in 11 interceptions. Troy Mason leads a well-balanced receiving corps with 41 catches for 591 yards and 13 touchdowns. Green Bay's best defender is Ryan Bowers, who is tied for the league lead in interceptions with eight. He also ranks fifth in the af2 in tackles (55.5). The Wolves defeated the Blizzard 59-41 in their first meeting this season at the Verizon Wireless Arena. Manchester leads the all-time series, 2-0. The Wolves are driven on offense by the stellar duo of QB Jake Eaton and WR/LB J.J. McKelvey. Eaton has been on target all season, connecting on a league-leading 73.0 percent of his passes. The former University of Maine signal caller is also among the league's top quarterbacks in passer rating (1st – 132.0) and passing touchdowns (3rd – 48). McKelvey has been Eaton's favorite target and leads the league with 80 receptions. He's also among the league leaders in scoring with 164 points on 27 touchdowns and one 2-pt conversion. On defense, William "Roc" Haith and Allistair Sebastien are impact players in the secondary. Haith leads the league in tackles with 73.5 and is among the top-5 in passes defended with 19. Sebastien is currently tied for third in the af2 in interceptions (6).

Wolves Game Nine Recap – 6/4/05 – After three quarters of back and forth action, the Manchester Wolves took over in the fourth to pull away from the Macon Knights, 74-49, in front of 6,528 fans last Saturday night at the Verizon Wireless Arena. The Wolves' 74-point outburst set a franchise record for most points scored in a game. Manchester's victory was the team's eighth in a row, improving their record to 8-1 overall. The Wolves now own a two-game lead in the East Division standings. Macon kept pace with the favored Wolves over the first three quarters thanks to the strong offensive play of QB Lionel Hayes (20-of-34, 261 yds, 4 TD passes, 1 TD rush) and OS Kendrick Lee (3 catches, 50 yards, 2 TDs). Manchester countered with their all-star combination of QB Jake Eaton and WR/LB J.J. McKelvey. Eaton tossed six scoring passes, five of which went to McKelvey. At the start of the fourth, Manchester led by just seven, 48-41. The fourth quarter was owned by Manchester, as the Wolves exploded for 26 points. Four different Manchester players scored in the final 15 minutes, including McKelvey, WR/LB Marc Bacote and FB/LBs Kelvin Fuller and Mark Kimener. Bacote's 6-yard fumble recovery run for a touchdown broke open the game for good for Manchester with 13:13 to play, upping the Wolves advantage to 62-41. McKelvey broke two team records in the win, one for most touchdown catches in a game (6) and one for most points scored in a game (36). His impressive effort earned him the Offensive Player of the Game award. William "Roc" Haith won the Defensive Player of the Game honor with eight solo tackles and one assist. Kelvin Fuller (two tackles, one TD run) and Marc Bacote (four catches, 68 yards, one fumble recovery TD) shared the title of U.S. Army Ironman of the Game for their efforts.

The Wolves next home game will be Friday, June 24 against the Quad City Steamwheelers at the Verizon Wireless Arena. Fans, come join us for "Not Your Typical Team Photo Night," presented by Citizens Bank. All fans through the doors that night will receive a FREE team photo. The 168 Magazine pre-game concert series begins outside on the plaza at 6:00 p.m. Kick-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

To get in the game, purchase your tickets today at the Verizon Wireless Arena box office or through Ticketmaster at 603-868-7300, at Ticketmaster outlets or online at www.ticketmaster.com. Adult seats start as low as $14.25 in the upper bowl while youth (12-and-under) and senior (65-and-over) tickets start at just $9.75. The Wolves also have great group offers and birthday party packages available. Contact the Wolves at 603.627.WOLF (9653) or visit them on the web at www.manchesterwolves.com and make your plans with us today!

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



arenafootball2 Stories from June 10, 2005


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.

OurSports Central