MEDWAY, MA - The New England Intensity of the Independent Women's Football League (IWFL), in perhaps their most entertaining and satisfying win to date, avenged a 49-8 loss (back on the 17^th of May) versus the Manchester Freedom.  The home squad prevailed 14-7 and the win not only pushed the Intensity's record to 5-3 but also gave them a berth in the post-season?for the second time in franchise history (the first being in 2006).   The Freedom, last year's Division champion, fell to 3-4 and officially eliminated from playoff contention.

New England, entering the game on a high note, having beaten Southern Maine 44-0 the previous week, spent the entire week working on ways to slow down the punishing rushing attack of the Freedom (which burned the Intensity for over 430 yards on 40 carries including 15 first downs and 6 TDs in their first meeting this season).   Whatever they did, it worked, as Manchester gained fewer than 125 yards on 28 carries for only 5 first downs and 1 touchdown. 

This improved defensive play, along with improved play on Offense (going from barely 100 yards on 28 carries with 7 first downs on May 17^th to over 250 yards on 47 carries with 14 first downs in this game), were the two keys of the game for Head Coach Bob ?Twitch' Twitchell, who stressed since after the first meeting between these two teams that New England, if they want to win, must contain the running attack of Manchester and put more points on the board themselves.

The Intensity's ability to consistently win the battle at the line of scrimmage made all of the difference?as any football purist will attest.  Spirited play by Maia Goodall, Captain Anita Barnes, Kate Miechkowski, Captain Jennifer ?Coco' Edwards, Bridget Cambria, Suzanne Dubey, Torrance Brown and Captain Kim Herrig systematically frustrated and wore out the opposing line and allowed the backs and backers to make plays.  Of note, Brown and Herrig were both extremely limited in their playing time and effectiveness on May 17^th due to previous injuries and these two players, healthy for this game, made a big impact.  Reserves Lesley Lopes, Nancy O'Loughlin, Stacey Martin and PJ O'Brien ably filled in when called on and kept the O and D lines fresh and effective all game. 

The great work by the line allowed Captain Steph Samuelson, nursing a banged up knee?aided by treatment form Athletic Trainer Cliff Ashley, to rush for a career- and franchise-best 169 yards on 24 carries with a TD (the 8^th of the season and franchise-leading 20^th of her career) and a 2Pt conversion run.  She broke the record for rushing yards in a game that she set last season (incidentally, also versus Manchester) and has eclipsed the Intensity single season rushing record she established in 2006?and there is still more football to play this year!  Steph earned Game Day MVP honors (for the second time this year?the only player to do so thus far) and the first words out of her mouth were thanks to her O-Line; she truly is a class act in every sense of the word. 

The Freedom tried their best to psych out the home team, showing up early, setting up camp in the parking lot, blaring loud music, and wearing their 2007 playoff t-shirts from last season (though last year they were ousted by the New York Sharks in the first round).   None of this would have any perceptible effect on New England as they only had one penalty and one turnover all game and certainly did not back down at any point in the match.

Manchester would receive the opening kickoff and be held to only a 6-yard return on solid downfield coverage by Tricia Donovan.  Edwards (1 solo and 9 tackle assists) combined with Barnes (6 assists) to stuff the Freedom's first play from scrimmage for only a 2 yard gain.  Edwards followed up that play by sharing a sack with Miechkowski (4 assists), dropping the visitor's QB for a 13 yard loss, bringing up 3^rd and long.  A pass attempt was well-defended by Jojo Gauthier, who would have 2 passes defended on the day before leaving the game early due to a badly dislocated finger.  Manchester was then forced to punt and Donovan returned it all the way to the Freedom 47 yard line.

In what could have suggested another disappointing match against Manchester, Dubey unfortunately fumbled the first play from scrimmage for NE and Manchester recovered the ball on their 44.  However, the Intensity Defense came quickly back out onto the field.  Kelly Kraynak was in on almost every stop on this drive?she finished the game with a team leading 3 solo and 10 tackle assists?and, along with Samuelson (who added 2 solo and 5 assists, forced a 4^th and long from the Intensity 27.  Gauthier was tight on the coverage again, causing a turnover on downs and giving the ball back to the home squad.

What began in very promising fashion (14 yard first down run by Samuelson), soured quickly and NE was forced to punt three plays later.  Gauthier got off a 29 yard punt that was not returned, pushing the Freedom back to their own 30.  Kraynak and Miechkowski were very active on this series, in on several stops each.  Stacey DeLuca (2 assists and one pass defended) also was very effective on this defensive stand.   Brown (1 solo, 2 assists), on 1^st and 10 from the Intensity 39, alertly recovered a Manchester fumble at the 40 yard line and the New England offense marched back out onto the field.

The first quarter ended with the score still 0-0, neither team's Ooffense having really found much traction.  That was about to change . . .  New England, 60 yards from the Endzone, would dominate the line of scrimmage and pave the way for 12 straight runs (9 of which for 5 yards or more) eating up over 8 minutes and culminating in a Samuelson TD run from 3 yards out giving NE a 6-0 edge with just under 7 minutes to play in the 1^st half.

The lone penalty of the day for NE (too many men on the field) pushed the 2pt conversion attempt back to the 7 yard line and Donovan's pass to Samuelson was incomplete.

The Freedom were unable to take advantage of another short kickoff as Kraynak and DeLuca stopped the return after only 7 yards.  Rookies Andrea Covelli and Lisa Vincent (both with 2 assists each) and Lopes helped ensure that the visitor's running game would remain ineffective (they did not gain more than 5 yards on any attempt during this series).  The nail in the coffin on this drive was on 4^th and long, Goodall (2 assists, .5 sack) and Vincent (2 assists) tackled the receiver well short of the necessary first down yardage and Manchester turned the ball over on downs once again.

With time running out in the first half, NE strung together a quick series of plays, highlighted by an 11 yard run for a first down by Vincent (44 rushing yards) on 3^rd and 10 and an 18-yarder by Samuelson.  Time would run out on the drive and New England took the 6-0 lead ?into the locker room'?or under the stairs, as it were--for the intermission.

During halftime, Coach Twitchell commended the team for its effort and execution and implored the team to not let up and not to quit.

Donovan helped set the tone as the 3^rd quarter started, ripping off a 22-yard kickoff return after a colossal 50 yd kickoff by Manchester.   The Intensity running attack wasted no time getting back to work, as Samuelson, Vincent and Gauthier kept the ball moving with solid runs, moving the ball all the way down to the Manchester 10.  On 4^th and 3 from the Manchester 8, Donovan was sacked on an offensive miscue at the 12 yard line, squandering a phenomenal opportunity to put more points on the board.

The Freedom, determined to score, would put together a 16-play drive of their own.  Starting 88 yards from the Endzone, Manchester impressively moved between rushes and passes to march all the way down to the 17 yard line of New England.  Defensive standouts on this series included Samuelson (2 solo and 5 assists for the game)  with a solo and 3 assists on this drive alone, a pass defended by Lizz Vogel, and solid play from Dubey (4 assists) and Donovan (2 solo, 1 assist).  The best play of the drive, came on 4^th and 7 from the NE 17 when Cambria (who did an admirable job containing as a DE) and Goodall sacked the visiting QB causing yet another turnover on downs! 

The Intensity was not able to do much with the momentum gained by the tough defensive stand, as they had three short runs that left them facing 4^th and 2 from their own 30.  With Punter Gauthier on her way to the hospital to get her finger reset, the staff gambled and tried a fake punt.  Sadly, this was stopped just short and Manchester would get the ball back on the NE 31.

Capitalizing on this failed attempt to gain a first down, Manchester was able to rip off a 27 yard TD run on 2^nd and 6 to tie the game, due largely to poor defensive tackling.  The XPA was good and the visitor's suddenly had a 7-6 lead with just under 11 minutes left to play.

Before Manchester kicked off, Coach Twitchell called all the players over.  He very directly and very quickly reminded them that they have been playing well the entire game and that there was 10:41 left on the clock.  He said ?Get out there, march down the field, eat up the clock, score a touchdown, then let's hold them and win this *%&#$ game!!'

Samuelson was able to return another long Manchester kickoff back out to the Intensity 38.  Three plays later, on 3^rd and long, she had what was arguably the offensive play of the game, a 40-yard run up the left sideline that was keyed by a great downfield block by Lisa Close.  That block by Close was a great snapshot of the effort put forth by the team as a whole and, in particular, by the players that are not in on every down stepping up, making big contributions when called upon and, just as important, keeping positive and supportive when they are not out on the field.  This was one of the most important factors that resulted in a win for The Intensity.

With the ball now on the Manchester 20, the offense switched gears and gave the ball to Dubey, who, on three consecutive bruising runs, brought the home team all the way down to the 1 yard line.  Donovan would score on the QB sneak and put NE back on top 12-7 with 4:42 left in the 4^th.  Samuelson, behind superb blocking, plowed in for the 2Pt conversion and New England now led 14-7.

Covelli and Close came up big on the kickoff coverage, stopping the return (on another short kickoff by NE) before too much damage was done.  Kraynak and Edwards stuffed the 1^st down run play for a one yard loss before Manchester dug themselves into a huge hole with an illegal forward pass on an option attempt to the left with the  penalty negating a 15-yard first down pickup.   It would only get worse as Donovan successfully defended a pass attempt on 3^rd down. And then on 4^th and 10 from their own 46, the Freedom, unable to even hear their QB because of the cacophony coming from the New England fans and bench, false started.  On 4^th and a mile, the Manchester squad, under the pressure of the Intensity crowd, fumbled the ball on the exchange and, though they recovered it, Edwards tackled the ball carrier for a 4 yard loss and another turnover on downs.

Steph Samuelson, was called on to ice the game and she did not disappoint.  With consecutive runs of 3, 9, 7, and 4 yards behind relentless run-blocking of the O line, NE picked up two first downs and wound enough time off the clock to allow Donovan to take a knee twice at the Manchester 14 yard line and end the game with the final score 14-7, New England.   

This win was sweet on many levels:  Qualifying the Intensity for Post-season play; Disqualifying rival Manchester from any post-season play;  Earning retribution for the 49-8 loss to Manchester earlier in the year and last seasons' 41-12 loss in the last game of 2007 for New England (though that game was over early as then-QB Val Halesworth tossed three early pickles and NE was down 27-0 with barely 5 minutes into the 2^nd).

Additionally, ABC World News was on-hand for almost two days gathering footage of the game, interviewing some the Intensity staff and players, and even chronicling the busy morning at the Donovan household the day of the game (filming everyone up early for breakfast and to a soccer tournament all BEFORE heading to Medway for this game)!!  Rumor has it that a special grocery store run was made the night before so there was actually some fresh fruit and other healthy foods around, just in case the camera crew really got a good look at what was in the Donovan kitchen!  We are told that this segment will hopefully air in a few weeks time, ideally coinciding with the league playoffs.

Later that evening, NE found out that they would be playing the Clarksville [Tennessee] Fox, who finished their regular season 7-1 atop their division with their only loss coming at the hands of the undefeated Tier 1 Chicago Force.   This game will be at 7pm on Saturday, June 28th, a Conference semifinal game as the winner will qualify for the Championship game to be held two weeks later in Chicago versus the Montreal Blitz/Carolina Phoenix winner.