MEDWAY, MA - The New England Intensity of the Independent Women's Football League (IWFL) got back to their winning ways on Saturday with a come-from-behind, upset win versus the division-leading Manchester Freedom 24-15.  The win extended the Intensity's home win streak to 7 games,  having not lost at Joseph P Hanlon Memorial Field in the two years since making it its new home field. 

Summer is all but upon us and the heat Saturday afternoon was almost stifling (low-80's, hardly any breeze).  In fact, thermometer readings of the field's surface temperature routinely exceed 30-40 degrees Fahrenheit more than the ambient temperature.  Fortunately for New England, they came prepared and it showed as they wore down their visiting foes.   Of particular note were the performances of Game Day Co-MVPs RB Steph Samuelson (146 yards on 23 carries, a 6.3 yards per carry average) and LB Kelly Kraynak (18 total tackles, 4 solo).

After suffering two tough road losses in the last two weeks, New England was hoping to rebound back in the friendly confines of their home stadium.  However, with the then 4-1 Manchester Freedom coming to town with a guaranteed playoff berth almost within their grasp, it would not be an easy task for the Intensity.

The Freedom, renowned for their smash-mouth style of football, would begin the game receiving the opening kickoff.  They wasted no time establishing their style of play and setting the tempo of the game.  Their punishing running back, #25 Katia Pashkevitch, led a steam-rolling rushing attack that had 4 runs of 9 yards or more in a drive that culminated in a 5 yard TD run with a successful PAT. 

Not to be pushed around in their own house, New England's offense took the field on their own 35 yard line.  In very unselfish fashion, The Intensity had used three different ball carriers and two different receivers in a 12-play drive that saw FB Charlene Casey punch in a touchdown run from the 1 yard line to open the second quarter and bring the home team to within 1.  The PAT sailed wide left and the scored remained 7-6.

Manchester was still playing very strong on their second possession of the game, rattling off runs of 7, 5, 7, and 35 yards in the first four plays of the drive.  Fortunately for New England, when the Freedom tried to mix things up with a pass, CB Lizz Vogel came up with an interception in the end zone and The Intensity would take over on their 20.  Sadly, New England was unable to capitalize on the turnover and had an uneventful three-and-out.

The visitors found themselves with great field position (at the NE 47) and the chance to put some distance between them and The Intensity on the scoreboard.  Quickly advancing the ball on 5 plays, the Freedom was 2^nd and 3 from the 10 yard line.  It was then that fatigue began to set in and the wheels began to fall off of the Manchester wagon.  A 10 yard touchdown run was called back with a holding call, followed by a 5 yard penalty (ineligible receiver downfield) on the next play.  Two incomplete passes, one of which being defended by Vogel, and two ineffective runs later and The Freedom surrendered possession on downs to The Intensity.  Kraynak and LB Missy Marmorale each had three tackles on that defensive series.  Rookie DT Cathy Sears is really growing into the position and this week was a very opportune time to do so with the absence of DTs Taj Corvino and Jess Szyszka.

Intent on not wasting the defensive effort of their teammates, the New England offense came back onto the field deep in their own territory (their 11 yard line, to be exact) with a sense of purpose.  A 12-yard run by Samuelson followed by an 11-yard run by Casey provided some breathing room, and made it apparent that the Manchester defense was tiring just as their offense was.  QB Val Halesworth (7 for 9, 72 yards, 2TD) connected on consecutive plays with CB/WR Val Monaco for 14 and 33 yards, respectively, and then hit TE Kate Slack for an 11 yard touchdown pass with less than a minute to go in the half.   Calling on a little home-field magic, the Intensity faked the PAT and Slack rolled out and threw a laser to WR Tricia Donovan to complete the 2 point conversion and put the New England up 14-7, where the two teams would be when the half ended shortly thereafter.

Manchester, having elected to receive the ball to start the game, was forced to kickoff to open the 2^nd half, and New England seamlessly carried their momentum into the 3^rd quarter.  A 13-play drive by the Intensity offense that had first down runs by Halesworth and Samuelson was capped off by a 1 yard TD pass to Slack from Halesworth for the tandem's second such connection of the afternoon.  Kicker Michelle Hicks' PAT was good and New England went up 21-7 with six minutes remaining in the 3^rd. 

There was concern, with the halftime break and a long opening drive by The Intensity offense, that the Manchester offensive machine would be firing on all cylinders on their opening possession of the 2^nd half.  However, despite averaging 7 yards per run for the game, the Freedom offense did not have a run of greater than 6 yards on this possession (including a run for -3 yards courtesy of DL Jennifer "Coco" Edwards (6 total tackles) and Marmorale, who ended up with 11 total tackles, 4 solo.  Other standouts on this series, and for the game, were LB Stacey Martin (5 total tackles) and Casey, who, playing both sides of the ball, finished the day with 23 hard-fought rushing yards and 3 tackles.

The last thing the Manchester defense wanted to do was face the Intensity offense the way it was churning out yards.  Unfortunately for the weary visitors, that is exactly what they had to do.  Once again starting deep in their own half of the field (20 yard line), New England's much-improved offense went to work.  The offensive line of Center Bettyann Perry, Guards Anita Barnes and Kim Patterson-Herrig, and Tackles Maggie Koosa and Maia Goodall continue their upward rise, allowing no sacks and only committing one penalty as a unit (it is worth noting that The Intensity, as an entire team, had only 25 total penalty yards against them all game, an area they have made tremendous strides in).  The O-line dominated the line of scrimmage more and more the further the game went along and it was never more evident than on this drive. 

Fourteen plays that saw runs of 6, 7, 10, and 11 yards by Samuelson and a few other hard-nosed runs by Halesworth and RB/DB Lauren Manfred (31 rushing yards on the day), ended in a 32 yard field goal by Hicks, that one expert noted would have been good from over 40.  The home team was up 24-7 deep into the 4^th quarter.

But not for a broken play allowing a 3- yard run by Manchester, the Freedom offense was not effective.  Their first 3 runs were for 4, 2, and 2 yards.  The 35-yarder came on 4^th and 2 from the Freedom 44 and an unsportsmanlike penalty on DT Lesley Lopes (who, incidentally, had her helmet ripped off on the play but received no call for that) moved the ball all the way to the NE 6.  Two plays later, the visitors scored and subsequently converted the 2 point attempt to pull within 9, 24-15.  LB Anita Barnes, another two-way warrior, had a big stop on this drive and finished the game with 3 tackles.

Donovan, who tallied 5 tough tackles?mostly against Pashkevitch who is, literally almost twice her size-- gathered the on-side kick attempt, Samuelson rushed for the necessary 1^st down to allow QB Bridget Cambria to respectfully run the clock out and seal The Intensity's big win at home.