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2000 Season Game 4 (5/5/00): Albany @ New England |
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Mistakes cost 'Birds game, winning streak
HARTFORD, Conn. -- The Albany Firebirds' 10-game winning streak went up in smoke Friday night, snatched away by 6-foot-3 Damian Harrell and bungled away by several uncharacteristic mistakes from the Firebirds' offense.
Harrell caught three bombs for touchdowns in the second half, including a 37-yarder for the game-winner with 7:06 remaining, and the New England Sea Wolves held on for a 52-49 victory when Albany rookie kicker Nelson Garner missed a 25-yard field goal attempt with 59 seconds left.
The defending Arena Football champion Firebirds turned the ball over three times, including two fumbles inside the New England 10, and lost for the first time since a 77-76 defeat to Iowa on June 26 of last season.
"There's a formula to win and that's don't turn the ball over, don't make mistakes and don't have penalties,'' Firebirds coach Mike Dailey said. "We didn't do enough to win tonight. The Sea Wolves played hard enough to win, and I congratulate them.''
New England and Albany are now both 3-1, tied for first in the Eastern Division.
Firebirds quarterback Mike Pawlawski completed 28 of 33 passes for 350 yards and three touchdowns, including 24 completions in a row at one point. But he threw his first interception of the season and criticized the offensive unit.
"New England is a good team and plays extremely hard, but we lost the game,'' Pawlawski said. "They've got an excellent scheme, but we didn't play very well, we didn't execute very well and we didn't know our assignments. That's probably as sloppy as I've ever seen the team play.''
Garner, the rookie from James Madison, said he'd let the team down. Trailing 52-49, the Firebirds marched to the New England 10. Garner, in his first clutch attempt as a Firebird, barely missed it wide left.
"Everything was pretty much normal,'' Garner said. "It was a good snap, good hold, real good job by the line. I just hooked it. I thought it was kind of close. It was the call of the (referee), but it should have been down the middle. It was all me.''
Firebirds defensive specialist Evan Hlavacek was also clearly upset after the game. He was the defender who was beaten by Harrell, who finished with 9 catches for 151 yards and five touchdowns, on all three of his second-half touchdown catches.
Harrell, who is five inches taller than the 5-10 Hlavacek, outleaped him for a 28-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter for a 31-28 lead. Hlavacek fell down on the play.
Harrell ran under another bomb from rookie quarterback Chad Salisbury (317 yards passing, 7 TDs) for a 31-yard score for a 45-35 lead in the third quarter. After Albany's Jay Jones scored on a 31-yard catch and fullback Leroy Thompson had a 1-yard touchdown plunge to give the Firebirds a 49-45 lead, Harrell answered again with his superb catch between Hlavacek and Derek Stingley for the 37-yard game-winner.
New England's victory avenged a 41-34 loss to the Firebirds two weeks ago. Just like their last meeting, the Sea Wolves held Albany scoreless in the first quarter, jumping out to a 10-0 lead.
For second-year New England coach Mike Hohensee, who coached with Albany in various capacities for seven seasons, it was his first victory over the Firebirds after losing three in a row to Albany.
"It's a great feeling,'' Hohensee said. "That's the best team in Arena Football right there. It's my best friend over there (Dailey).''
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