2006 ArenaCup Preview

August 25, 2006 - arenafootball2 (af2) News Release

CHICAGO - This Saturday, August 26, the American Conference Champion Green Bay Blizzard will battle the National Conference Champion Spokane Shock in the first-ever Arena Football game played in Puerto Rico. The 2006 ArenaCup, the championship game of arenafootball2 (af2), kicks off at 7:00 PM at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Doors open for the event at 5:30 p.m. ET.

The following is a quick game preview that features a profile of the head coaches as well as important position players that will be making an impact in Saturday's showdown.

Head Coaches

Chris Siegfried (Spokane) - Siegfried's first year with the expansion Spokane Shock really couldn't have gone any better, as he guided the Shock to an impressive 14-2 regular season record en route to the franchise's first-ever National Conference Championship. So far in the postseason Siegfried's winning ways are continuing as he is a perfect 2-0 with wins over Bakersfield (50-47) and Arkansas (48-30). Siegfried is in his fifth season, and is 56-26 overall with a 5-3 postseason record. His 56 head coaching victories are the most of any head coach in af2 history.

Bob Landsee (Green Bay) - Landsee has quickly made his mark as the head coach for Green Bay by bringing his Blizzard to the postseason for the first time ever in 2005 and then back again this year. Landsee's 2006 season didn't start off the way he would of liked (2-4), but has changed its course rather quickly, winning eight of their last 10 regular season games to finish 10-6 and capture the Blizzard's first-ever American Conference Championship. The Blizzard have been anything but cold in the postseason as well, going a perfect 2-0 with wins over the defending ArenaCup champion Memphis Xplorers (67-50) and the #1 seeded Florida Firecats (60-47). Landsee is 21-14 overall at the helm, with a 2-1 postseason record.

Quarterbacks

Kyle Rowley (Spokane) - In seven games with the Shock at quarterback during the regular season, Rowley was an impressive 7-0, finishing the regular season 5-0 as their starter, throwing for 29 touchdowns and 1,248 yards on a 72.7 completion percentage. The Brown University graduate has continued his winning ways into the postseason, leading the Shock to ArenaCup7 in their first franchise attempt after winning both postseason match ups. He's thrown for 464 yards, nine touchdowns and no interceptions, bringing his record to 7-0 as starter and 9-0 overall.

James MacPherson (Green Bay) - MacPherson's security as the Blizzard starting quarterback has been shaky all year long, as he started in the first two games for Green Bay only to see action once in the next seven games. Overall, the Blizzard were 6-4 with MacPherson seeing action at QB in the regular season and 5-4 as a starter. He finished with 36 touchdowns and nine interceptions for 2,241 yards while completing 67.1 percent of his passes. The Wake Forest graduate has turned it on in the postseason in the Blizzard's two wins, throwing for 11 touchdowns with just one interception, while completing 80 percent of his attempts for 605 yards.

Offensive Specialists

Antwone Savage (Spokane) - This training camp pick up from the South Georgia Wildcats played in all 16 games regular season games for the Shock, catching a team-high 85 passes for 952 yards and 21 touchdowns. Savage, from the University of Oklahoma, is also the Shock's leading kick returner, as he collected 760 yards on 40 attempts. So far in postseason play Savage has hauled in 10 receptions for 91 yards and two touchdowns.

Brent Holmes (Green Bay) - Holmes has established himself as the Blizzard's main target. In just 10 games played during the regular season, Holmes collected a team-high 59 catches for 983 yards and 12 touchdowns. Holmes also returned 17 kicks for 318 yards. In the postseason, Holmes has continued the trend of being Green Bay's top receiver, collecting 264 yards and four touchdowns on just 18 receptions. The Texas A&M Kingsville graduate has also racked up 124 yards and one touchdown on just four kick returns.

TOP TWO-WAY PLAYERS

Charles Frederick (Spokane) - The rookie from the University of Washington has definitely made an impact for the Shock during the regular season, leading all receivers in catches (85), yards (973) and touchdowns (22). Frederick also poses as a threat running the ball, collecting 10 touchdowns on just 17 attempts. On the defensive side of the ball, Frederick was tied for fourth on the team in total tackles with 31.5, while also collecting one interception and three fumble recoveries. In the postseason Frederick has continued the trend of being Kyle Rowley's go-to-guy, leading all Shock receivers with 13 catches for 169 yards and five touchdowns.

Luke Leverson (Green Bay) - Leverson played in all 16 regular season games for the Blizzard, providing a steady dose of offense with 842 receiving yards for 11 touchdowns on just 56 catches. The rookie from the University of Minnesota is the Blizzard's main threat on kick returns as well, tallying 1,087 yards and one touchdown on 52 attempts. On defense, Leverson tallied 33.0 total tackles, one interception, two fumble recoveries, and one forced fumble. In the postseason, Leverson has dropped off in production on offense, as he only has six receptions for 50 yards, but has picked up his defensive output as he hauled in two interceptions.

TOP RUSHERS

Raul Vijil (Spokane) - The Shock don't run the ball much except for near the goal line, and at that time the ball is most likely going into the hands of Vijil, who carried the ball a team-high 30 times for 68 yards and 10 touchdowns. Defensively, Vijil collected 21.5 total tackles. In the postseason the rookie from Eastern Washington, has rushed for two touchdowns on two attempts while catching one touchdown on five receptions.

Peter Lazare (Green Bay) - The Blizzard love to run the ball, especially when it's in the hands of their 275-pound fullback Lazare. The second-year veteran from C.W. Post rushed for 251 yards and 17 touchdowns on a team-high 62 attempts during the regular season. Defensively, Lazare was fourth on the team in tackles with 35.0, while also collecting two fumble recoveries while forcing one. In the postseason, Lazare has rushed for two touchdowns on six attempts while collecting 3.5 total tackles on defense.

Defensive specialists

Rob Keefe (Spokane) - The third-year man from Mercyhurst is the backbone of the Shock defense, tallying a team-high 86.5 total tackles, 10 interceptions, and 13 pass breakups, while also recovering two fumbles. He started all 16 regular season games. So far in the postseason, Keefe has collected 7.5 total tackles and one pass breakup.

David Crocker (Green Bay) - Providing the Blizzard's stormy attack on defense is the second-year threat from Stephen F. Austin. Crocker tallied a team-high 92.0 total tackles and 15 pass breakups, while also grabbing one interception in 14 regular season games. In the postseason Crocker leads all team tacklers with 18.0.

Kickers

Jon Koker (Spokane) - The rookie from San Diego University has kicked in all but one game for the Shock, connecting on 89-of-114 PATs, while also knocking home 4-of-9 field goal efforts during the regular season. In the postseason Koker has provided a steady foot, connecting on 11-of-14 PAT attempts, along with hitting 1-of-4 field goal tries.

Dallas Pelz (Green Bay) - The rookie from University of Buffalo was Green Bay's third kicker of the regular season. Pelz earned and kept his job with consistency, hitting 43-of-51 PAT attempts and 7-of-14 field goal attempts in nine regular season games for the Blizzard. In the postseason Pelz has connected on 13-of-19 PAT attempts, while missing his only field goal try.

STRONG Linemen

Neil Purvis (Spokane) - Leading the Shock's defensive attack is their rookie defensive line specialist Neil Purvis. Purvis, from Virginia State, collected 13.5 total tackles (five for loss), a team-high 3.0 sacks, one fumble recovery and the team's only safety. In the postseason, Purvis has tallied 3.0 total tackles (2.5 for loss), 1.5 sacks and one forced fumble.

Robert Boss (Green Bay) - Robert Boss is just that for the Blizzard - the boss. The rookie from Northern Michigan roped up 22.0 total tackles (7.5 tackles for loss), 4.5 sacks, one interception, one fumble recovery and one forced fumble while also blocking one kick. Boss' presence in the postseason has not been as influential though, as he has not collected any tackles thus far.

ARENACUP ON TV

The 2006 ArenaCup will be televised nationally on Comcast SportsNet. The game will appear both live and on tape delay on Comcast SportsNet's family of regional sports networks, which includes: Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia, Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, Comcast SportsNet Chicago, Comcast SportsNet West, SportsNet New York, Comcast Sports Southeast, and Comcast Local in Detroit. Combined the networks reach over 23 million viewers.

Shock fans in Spokane, Wash. and Blizzard fans in Green Bay, Wisc. will also be able to watch the game live locally as well. Spokane's local Fox affiliate, KAYU-TV, will carry the game live while Fox Sports Northwest will show the game on a tape delay basis. Green Bay's Time Warner Cable station will also broadcast the game live locally in the Green Bay and Fox Valley markets.

For the first time in league history, this year's ArenaCup championship game will be decided outside of the continental U.S.

Tickets for the 2006 ArenaCup are available by logging on to www.ticketpop.com or by calling (866) 994-0001.

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