Post by Banana Cat on Jan 30, 2011 8:33:00 GMT -5
www.lfl360.com/articles/los-angeles-goes-for-two-tempation-beat-bliss-31-14-in-western-conference-semifinals/
LOS ANGELES GOES FOR TWO. TEMPATION BEAT BLISS 31-14 IN WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS
The rematch of last year’s LFL finals lived up to all the expectations tonight in Jacksonville, as the Los Angeles Temptation defeated the Chicago Bliss 31-14 in one of the most physical games ever played in the LFL.
Chicago set the tone early, implementing a run-heavy gameplan featuring Tasha Pryor that was capped off by a 2-yard touchdown sneak by quarterback Heather Furr with 15:00 left to play in the first half. Unfortunately, that would be the last we would see of Furr, as she went down with a right knee sprain that left the Chicago offense in the more than capable hands of All-LFL linebacker Deborah Poles.
The Temptation answered the score with an effective running drive of their own, bruising the Bliss with two big runs by Zipporah Chase up the middle that setup a 5-yard bootleg touchdown by quarterback Ashley Salerno at the 6:00 mark. But the Temptation could not stop the Bliss on Chicago’s ensuing possession. Tasha Pryor and Deborah Poles methodically ran the ball down the field, setting up another quarterback sneak for a touchdown by Deborah Poles with 2:17 left in the half. The Temptation could not answer on their next offensive possession, as Yahshi Rice and the Bliss defense pressured Salerno into throwing an errant pass at the goal line, leaving the score 14-6 Chicago at halftime.
The Temptation came right back at Chicago in the second half with an electrifying opening kickoff run by Melissa Margulies that was followed by a successful conversion throw by Ashley Salerno to Tessa Barrera that brought the Temptation within one point, 14-13. The Temptation’s defense tightened up on the next possession, as the physicality of LA’s Zipporah Chase rattled the inexperienced Poles and slowed the Bliss offense to a crawl. The Zipporah Chase show wasn’t over, though. On the Temptation’s next offensive possession, Salerno completed a beautiful deep pass to a tightly covered Chase to score with 11:20 to play that put the Temptation up 19-14.
The Temptation stifled the Bliss offense in the second half, as Chicago was unable to convert any of their second half possessions into points. And Ashley Salerno began to heat up, putting the nail in the coffin with her second touchdown throw of the game to receiver Stephanie Psick with 3:13 left to play that put the Temptation up 25-14. A fumbled lateral from Poles to Pryor with less than a minute left in the game was picked up and taken to the house by Zipporah Chase to put the finishing touches on a game that was much closer than the final score of 31-14 would show.
The rematch of last year’s LFL finals lived up to all the expectations tonight in Jacksonville, as the Los Angeles Temptation defeated the Chicago Bliss 31-14 in one of the most physical games ever played in the LFL.
Chicago set the tone early, implementing a run-heavy gameplan featuring Tasha Pryor that was capped off by a 2-yard touchdown sneak by quarterback Heather Furr with 15:00 left to play in the first half. Unfortunately, that would be the last we would see of Furr, as she went down with a right knee sprain that left the Chicago offense in the more than capable hands of All-LFL linebacker Deborah Poles.
The Temptation answered the score with an effective running drive of their own, bruising the Bliss with two big runs by Zipporah Chase up the middle that setup a 5-yard bootleg touchdown by quarterback Ashley Salerno at the 6:00 mark. But the Temptation could not stop the Bliss on Chicago’s ensuing possession. Tasha Pryor and Deborah Poles methodically ran the ball down the field, setting up another quarterback sneak for a touchdown by Deborah Poles with 2:17 left in the half. The Temptation could not answer on their next offensive possession, as Yahshi Rice and the Bliss defense pressured Salerno into throwing an errant pass at the goal line, leaving the score 14-6 Chicago at halftime.
The Temptation came right back at Chicago in the second half with an electrifying opening kickoff run by Melissa Margulies that was followed by a successful conversion throw by Ashley Salerno to Tessa Barrera that brought the Temptation within one point, 14-13. The Temptation’s defense tightened up on the next possession, as the physicality of LA’s Zipporah Chase rattled the inexperienced Poles and slowed the Bliss offense to a crawl. The Zipporah Chase show wasn’t over, though. On the Temptation’s next offensive possession, Salerno completed a beautiful deep pass to a tightly covered Chase to score with 11:20 to play that put the Temptation up 19-14.
The Temptation stifled the Bliss offense in the second half, as Chicago was unable to convert any of their second half possessions into points. And Ashley Salerno began to heat up, putting the nail in the coffin with her second touchdown throw of the game to receiver Stephanie Psick with 3:13 left to play that put the Temptation up 25-14. A fumbled lateral from Poles to Pryor with less than a minute left in the game was picked up and taken to the house by Zipporah Chase to put the finishing touches on a game that was much closer than the final score of 31-14 would show.