Blaze travel to Los Angeles for first round

Tuesday June 26, 2007

Re-match of Week 17 Slated at STAPLES  Center on Monday, July 2

SALT LAKE CITY – With the Dallas Desperados' 77-58 victory over the Colorado Crush on Monday night, the Utah Blaze (8-8) will travel to play the Los Angeles Avengers (9-7) in the first round of the 2007 Arena Football League Playoffs on Monday, July 2.  Kickoff at STAPLES Center is set for 8 p.m. (MT) and will be televised live on ESPN2.

Tickets can be purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets, online at ticketmaster.com or laavengers.com, or by calling 888-AVENGERS.

Last week, WR SIAHA BURLEY became the first player in United States professional football history to reach 2,000 receiving yards in a single season. The Offensive Player of the Year and All-Arena candidate finished the 2007 regular season with 166 receptions (No. 1 in AFL) for 2,129 yards (No. 1 in AFL) and 49 touchdowns (No. 2 in AFL).

Blaze QB JOE GERMAINE, who is an Offensive Player of the Year and All-Arena candidate, surpassed San Jose SaberCats QB MARK GRIEB’s record of 4,841 yards set in 2006. Germaine reached 5,000 yards when he again connected with Pace on a 10-yard pass with just over one minute remaining in last week’s victory. He finished the 2007 regular season by completing 422-of-617 passes for 5,005 yards (No. 1 in AFL) and 107 touchdown passes (Tied-No. 2 in AFL).

Twelve of the AFL’s 19 teams advance to the playoffs, six from each conference.  The league’s four division winners earn the top two seeds in each conference and first-round byes.  ArenaBowl XXI will be played on Sunday, July 29, in New Orleans.

2007 AFL PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE

WILDCARD ROUND
Friday, June 29 – Orlando Predators at Philadelphia Soul, 5:30 p.m. (MT), ESPN
Saturday, June 30 – Columbus Destroyers at Tampa Bay Storm, 10 a.m. (MT), ESPN
Saturday, June 30 – Colorado Crush at Kansas City Brigade, 1 p.m. (MT), ESPN
Monday, July 2 – Utah Blaze at Los Angeles Avengers, 8 p.m. (MT), ESPN2

DIVISIONAL ROUND
Saturday, July 7 – TBD at San Jose SaberCats, 1 p.m. (MT), ESPN
Saturday, July 7 – TBD at Dallas Desperados, 6 p.m. (MT), ESPN
Sunday, July 8 – TBD at Georgia Force, 5 p.m. (MT), ESPN2
Monday, July 9 – TBD at Chicago Rush, 6:30 p.m. (MT), ESPN2

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Saturday, July 14 – Conference Championship Game, 10 a.m. (MT), ESPN
Saturday, July 14 – Conference Championship Game, 1 p.m. (MT), ESPN

ARENABOWL XXI
Sunday, July 29 – ArenaBowl XXI in New Orleans, noon (MT), ABC