INTENSITY IMPROVES TO 5-0 WITH ROAD VICTORY OVER HURRICANES

MEDWAY, MA - The New England Intensity, of the Independent Women's Football League (IWFL), dominated an undermanned Holyoke squad Saturday, posting 21 first quarter points on their way to a 53-0 victory, improving their season record to 5-0. 

Holyoke's effort and heart was noteworthy, but they simply could not compete with New England.  Defensive Coordinator Peter Brown and Assistant Coach Eric Shi had the Defense hold Holyoke to 6 yards passing and 5 yards rushing, amassing 9 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries and 3 interceptions.  Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator Jason Fernald's Offense trampled ahead for 248 rushing yards and 83 passing yards.  The play at the line of scrimmage was especially dominated by the Intensity, so a nod is due to Line Coach Jim Callahan and Assistant Coach Nuri Barlas. 

The evening tilt (7pm kickoff) brought with it the threat of heavy rain that, fortunately, never materialized to much more than an occasional drizzle, though the winds were steady.

Holyoke would receive the opening kickoff, intentionally shanked by rookie Kerri Richardson.  In a foreboding stroke of bad luck for the home team, the ball took a high bounce right off the facemask of one of the second line players in the return team and ricocheted back to the advancing kickoff team for New England, allowing LB/FB Kate Miechkowski to recover the ball at the Holyoke 42, where the Intensity would begin their first offensive possession.

Wasting no time in asserting their punishing running attack, New England called on Captain RB Steph Samuelson on the first play . . . as per tradition, she delivered, with a 29 yard scamper and a first down inside the Hurricanes 30 yard line.  She would follow this up with runs of 3 and 8 yards, earning another first down.  After an incomplete Samuelson produced an 18 yard TD run to put New England up 6-0.  Richardson's PAT was good and the score became 7-0 very early in the 1^st quarter.

Another short kick by Richardson was well defended as DE/QB Bridget Cambria tackled the returner after only 2 yards.  Seeking to make a statement of their own, the NE Defense sacked the QB on first down (Captain DT/OTs Maia Goodall and Jennifer ?Coco' Edwards combining for it).  Unfortunately, an unrelated facemask penalty gave Holyoke a first down (one of only four they had all game?three of which were via New England penalties).  Not to let that penalty slow them down, the D came out strong again, this time Edwards dropping the Holyoke QB two yards behind scrimmage (Edwards would finish the game with 2.5 sacks).  Clearly rattled at the early onslaught, Holyoke false started on 2^nd down and burned a time out to try and settle down.  Attempting a pass on the next snap, CB Andrea Covelli was whistled for a Pass Interference penalty, serving up another first down for the home team.  She shook off the questionable call by defending the next play (as the Holyoke O tried to pass right back at her).  DT Torrance Brown tackled the ball carrier for a one yard loss on the 2^nd and 10 rush play, bringing up 3^rd and long for the Hurricanes.  CB Stacey DeLuca and LB Stacey Martin brought down the receiver after only 6 yards to force Holyoke into a 4^th and 5 from the NE 45.  Lined up to punt, the home team tried to catch their opponents off guard with a fake punt (pass) that fell incomplete, turning over the ball on downs.

Picking up right where they left off, the Intensity attack was spearheaded by Samuelson, who dashed her way to an 8 yard gain on first down.  After a false start by Edwards, Samuelson ran 23 yards to the H 29.  QB/WR Tricia Donovan connected with DB/WR Jojo Gauthier for a 10 yard pass that an illegal man downfield penalty brought back to the 34 yard line of Holyoke.  Samuelson finished the job behind some outstanding blocking of DE/FB Suzanne Dubey, TE/QB Erica Statkus and FB Miechkowski, darted her way in for her 2^nd touchdown of the evening.  With Richardson's PAT good, the Intensity went up 14-0.

The Intensity kickoff coverage team held the Hurricane returner to another short return, this one only 5 yards thanks to Covelli's kick return coverage and Covelli came up big again with an interception on the first down pass attempt by Holyoke, giving the offense the ball back just the other side of midfield.

Sameulson ripped off an 18 yard run on first down to advance inside the H 35.  Statkus' pass attempt on the next play sailed through Gauthier's hands, bringing up 2^nd and 10.  Samuelson moved the ball 4 yards forward before a declined false start on the next play left the visiting team staring 4^th and 6.  Statkus took to the air again, this time linking up with Donovan for a 30-yard TD (her 4^th touchdown reception of the season) and a 20-0 lead (21-0 after Richardson converted the PAT). 

The first quarter ended right after the New England kickoff covered by Miechkowski and Captain OL/LB Kim Herrig.  The first play of the 2^nd quarter was an inauspicious one for the Hurricanes, who, trying to run the ball, were met two yards on their side of scrimmage by rookie DE Bri Giarrusso (tied for team lead in this game with 4 tackle assists) and Gauthier.  A pass interference penalty on LB Toni Cann gave Holyoke what would be their last penalty-related first down, this one on their 34.  DL/OL Lisa Paulson, returning from a hand injury sustained during the preseason, stepped up big with a 7-yard sack on the 1^st down pass attempt.  The Hurricanes took another false start to bury themselves in a 2^nd and 22 hole.  Martin and DL/OL Nancy O'Louhglin (who, along with Giarrusso and DeLuca shared the lead for tackle assists in this contest) stuffed the Holyoke RB for a one yard loss.  On the 3^rd and 23 pass attempt, rookie LB Samantha Thacker (team leading 2 interceptions in this game to go along with a solo tackle and a tackle assist) intercepted the Holyoke pass and returned it 18 yards to the H12. 

On the first play of the drive, NE O Line (C Bettyann Perry, Guards Herrig and Rookie Lamia Bouhallel, and Tackles Edwards, Brown and Goodall) helped Samuelson find paydirt behind some monstrous blocking. 

Richardson's PAT was wide left and the score would stand at 27-0.

Cambria was in on her second solo tackle of the game (again on special teams), which not only led the team this evening, but held the run back to a scant 3 yards.  Thacker met the home team's RB one yard beyond where the ball was snapped on first down and DL/OL Pam Curtis shed her blocks and took down the QB for a sack, the first of her career!  This 6 yard loss brought up 3^rd and 15 and Paulson delivered again, with her 2^nd sack of the game for another 6 yard loss, forcing the Hurricanes to punt.

The punt went unreturned and the Samuelson show was brought back out for another act.  Following Dubey through the hole, she punched ahead for 7 yards.  Dubey, the ball carrier on the next play, fumbled and Holyoke won the race to the loose ball.

O'Loughlin and Thacker tag teamed the RB for a two yard loss on first down.  The next play had the Hurricanes recover their own fumble and result in a 3^rd and 23 from their 39.   DB/LB Lizz Vogel stepped up huge with a sack for a 7 yard loss and putting the home team in a 4^th-and-a-mile situation.  The NE D made Holyoke pay for the decision to go for it, with Dubey, looking to atone for the fumble that gave Holyoke this possession in the first place, sacking the QB for a two yard loss and a turn over on downs.

In what would be her last run of the game, Samuelson juked her way in from 30 yards for her 4^th rushing TD of the game (a new franchise record).  Her line was 10 carries for 157 yards and 4 TDs, not bad for 2 quarters of work.  The missed PAT kept the score at 33-0 just beyond the halfway point of the 2^nd quarter.

DeLuca and Miechkowski stuffed the returner at the H 33.  Holyoke, continuing to hurt their own cause, was whistled for another false start.  Their 1^st and 15 run was stopped 3 yards behind scrimmage by Giarrusso, who, along with Vogel, sacked the QB on the next play, for 7 more yards of loss.  On 3^rd and 25, Holyoke tried running and ended up with a 2 yard loss courtesy of Paulson and Goodall.  Cambria came within inches of blocking the ensuing punt that Donovan fielded and run back to the H 29. 

In her first game at RB, Lisa Close slashed expertly ahead for an 11 yard gain as the first half ended with NE up 33-0.

It would be an uphill battle for the home team, down 33-0 and having to open the 3^rd quarter by kicking off.  After a 16 yard return by Samuelson, Close battled for 3 yards, though a holding call resulted in 1^st and 16.  She got 5 of those yards pack on the next play.  A four yard pass play from Donovan to Gauthier was stretched 15 yards by a late hit foul on Holyoke.  Then Close, looking like a taller version of Samuelson, snaked her way patiently behind blocks, exploded to the daylight and ended up with a 24 yard run down to the H 13.  A one yard run by Dubey and a 4 yard run by Close made it 3^rd and 5 from the 8.  Keeping those strong legs churning, Close sliced into the endzone for her first career TD and a 39-0 lead.  Another PAT flew wide left by Richardson.

The 28 yard kickoff by Richardson was extended by 3 yards by Herrig and DeLuca chasing the returner down for a 3 yard loss.  Edwards tallied another sack, making it 2^nd and 17 for the Hurricanes.  She and Brown then hit the ball carrier on the next play, knocking the ball free and giving Gauthier the opportunity to dive on it at the H 27.

Lisa Close then rattled off runs of 7 and 5 yards, with Miechkoski taking the fullback dive to the 12 yard line.  Three straight runs by Close, culminating in an acrobatic (and probably painful) dive over a defender on the goal line for her second touchdown (she finished the day with 12 carries for 85 yards, 2 TDs and 3 1^st downs, earning her first Game Day MVP honors) put NE up 45-0.  Richardson connected on the PAT so it was 46-0 late in the 3^rd. 

Rookie LaKia Hendricks' kickoff sailed down to the H 26 and Gauthier was quick to stop the returner after only 3 yards.   Richardson, in at DB, stepped up and made a tackle on the Hurricane RB after a short gain on first down.  Cann sniffed out the run play on 2^nd down and gobbled up the RB for a 3 yard loss.  The 3^rd quarter came to close on the next play, on which Holyoke recovered their own fumble.

The 4^th and 11 punt was fielded by Hendricks, who was a bit confused as to which direction to run?she started running towards the NE endzone but was fortunately wrapped up by a Holyoke player and the play whistled dead.

Rookie Deb Elek, in her first carry of the season, tallied 2 yards.  Miechkowski lunged forward for one yard and Elek followed suit, bringing up 4^th and 6^th.  Hendricks' punt was well-covered by DeLuca and Bouhallel, holding the return to 5 yards.

Giarrusso and O'Loughlin shut the gate for the Holyoke RB right at scrimmage and Gauthier recovered her second fumble of the day (and franchise-leading 6^th of her career). 

Close added 6 yards to her total and Donovan threw a 25-yard TD strike to Gauthier up the right side for a 52-0 lead.  Richardson made her 5^th PAT of the day to push the score to 53-0.  Cambria and Dubey were tackled the kickoff returner after a 6 yard return. 

O'Louhglin and Giarrusso, combined for the tackle, this time after a 4 yard gain.  Hendricks and Giarrusso did the same on 2^nd and 6.  On 3^rd and 2, Holyoke attempted a pass that sailed incomplete.  Elek and Cann managed to bring down the RB after an 8 yard gain (and the first non-penalty first down of the game for the home team) at the N 49.  DL/OL Lesley Lopes and Gauthier made the first down tackle on the Hurricane run.  Consecutive incomplete passes, due in large part to some pressure by rookie DL Kelly Hebert brought up 4^th and 6 from the N 45.  Thacker got her 2^nd pickle of the day, sealing the game as time expired with the final score New England 53 (a franchise record), Holyoke 0.