New England Intensity Quiets the Roar

After a disappointing loss in Toledo in Week 2, the Intensity returned to the road in Week 3 to regain their momentum against another tough opponent—the Empire State Roar.

Despite the back-to-back 400+ mile-away road games, the Intensity arrived in East Rochester, NY pumped and hungry for a win.

The first quarter proved to be a productive one for each team’s defense. The defensive squads dominated, shutting down the opposing offenses and leaving the score 0-0.

In the second quarter, the Intensity offense struck first with a 49-yard rushing touchdown by Steph Samuelson. Kicker Sara “Smushy” Sermuksnis booted the extra point to give New England the lead, 7-0. The New England defense held strong throughout the second quarter preventing Empire State from reaching the end zone. The score remained 7-0 going into the half.

Determined to retain their lead over Empire State, the New England offense rallied with the Halesworth to Donovan connection for 2 touchdowns. The first was a 41-yard pass for 6 points, with a failed PAT by Sermuksnis. The second was a shorter 20-yard pass for a touchdown, with Sermuksnis successfully booting the extra point. The Intensity defense continued to shut down the Roar, keeping the score 20-0 into the 4^th quarter.

The fourth quarter, much like the first, was dominated by the defensive units of both the Intensity and the Roar. While the Empire defense prevented the Intensity from putting “insurance” points on the board, the New England defense denied the Roar completely. The final score was 20-0 New England, bringing the Intensity’s 2006 record to 2-1.

Despite being sacked 3 times and intercepted once, New England’s QB Val Halesworth had 10 completions in 18 attempts and racked up a total of 134 yards on the day. The Intensity offense rushed for 125 yards in 35 attempts against the Roar.

The New England defensive unit had many shining moments during the game, with Vicky Eddy recording 11 tackles, and Jennifer Edwards and Kate Slack sacking the Empire State QB once each.

The New England Intensity will be traveling to Shelton, CT in Week 4 to battle the Connecticut Cyclones. For more information on the New England Intensity, please visit www.newenglandintensity.com