Soul lose to Power in division matchup, 53-48
Sunday May 12, 2013
Falls Short With 12 Seconds Remaining In Fourth
PHILADELPHIA (May 11, 2013) – The Philadelphia Soul fell short in the “Keystone Collision” against division-rival Pittsburgh Power, 53-48, in front of 8,098 fans at the Wells Fargo Center. The Soul surrendered the lead late in the fourth quarter and was stopped by the Pittsburgh defense with 12 seconds remaining.
“I wanted to win this game,” said Soul head coach Clint Dolezel. “I’m kind of disappointed. We executed well the whole game, and then we fell apart at the end. I want to improve on everything. It’s a lot of simple things that we need to work on. Things don’t always go your way in these games, but it doesn’t matter, sometimes we need to win, and that’s all.”
J. Lewis Small Playmaker of the Game Tiger Jones led Philadelphia receivers with eight receptions for 124 yards and one touchdown. Ryan McDaniel had seven catches for 90 yards and two touchdowns, while Andrae Thurman recorded five receptions for 49 yards. Larry Brackins hauled in two catches for 21 yards and a touchdown.
Soul QB Dan Raudabaugh connected on 23-of-41 passes for 288 yards and four touchdowns.
On the ground, Derrick Ross finished the game with 21 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.
Riddell Defensive Player of the Game DL Bryan Robinson recorded six tackles, five tackles-for-loss and two sacks. LB Joe Goosby had 7.5 tackles on the night, while DB LaRico Stevenson had the only interception. DB James Romain returned a 55-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, earning the AFL Highlight of the Game.
Pittsburgh’s QB Steven Sheffield connected on 19-of-35 passes for 272 yards and six touchdowns. Russell Athletic Offensive Player of the Game WR Mike Washington led the Pittsburgh receivers with two touchdowns on eight catches for 142 yards and two rushing touchdowns, including earning the Cutters Catch of the Game. WR James Robinson hauled in four touchdowns on six catches for 84 yards. DB Sergio Gilliam led the defense with six tackles and three pass breakups.
The Philadelphia Soul opened the game with 14 unanswered points with touchdown passes to WR Ryan McDaniel and WR Larry Brackins. Pittsburgh scored their first touchdown on a pass to WR Mike Washington. Before closing out the first quarter, FB Derrick Ross punched in a 9-yard rushing touchdown to put Philadelphia up 21-7.
In the second quarter, Pittsburgh outscored Philadelphia 20-14. The Power scored on a 7-yard and 14-yard catch by WR James Robinson and a 5-yard run by Washington. The Soul scored on a 30-yard touchdown catch by WR Tiger Jones and a 5-yard touchdown run by Ross. Philadelphia led at the half 35-27.
Both teams scored two touchdowns in the third. Pittsburgh’s Robinson made a 15-yard touchdown catch and Washington caught a 38-yard touchdown pass late in the third quarter. Philadelphia’s James Romain returned a 55-yard kickoff for a touchdown, while McDaniel brought in a 8-yard touchdown pass.
Pittsburgh scored 14 unanswered in the fourth to take the lead on a 3-yard run by Washington and a 8-yard catch by Robinson. On fourth and one, Pittsburgh defense stopped Philadelphia at the one. Philadelphia stopped Pittsburgh, and got the ball back with 31 seconds left in the game. Pittsburgh defense sealed the win for the Power by intercepting QB Dan Raudabaugh in the end zone.
The Philadelphia Soul will host the Orlando Predators next week on Saturday, May 18 at 7:05 p.m. ET at the Wells Fargo Center. The game will be aired on CBS Sports Network.
Russell Athletic Offensive Player: Pittsburgh WR Mike Washington
Riddell Defensive Player: Philadelphia DL Bryan Robinson
J Lewis Small AFL Playmaker: Philadelphia WR Tiger Jones
Cutter’s Catch of the Game: Pittsburgh WR Mike Washington
Spalding Highlight of the Game: Philadelphia DB James Romain
ABOUT PHILADELPHIA SOUL
The Philadelphia Soul are presented by Parx Casino. They capped their seventh Arena Football League season by capturing the 2012 American Conference championship. The Soul will play their next game on Saturday, May 18 at 7:05 p.m. ET against the Orlando Predators on CBS Sports Network. For 2013 season tickets, contact the Soul sales department at (215) 253-4900 ext. 3, or request contact from a representative by filling out the form on www.philadelphiasoul.com. Follow the Soul on Facebook at facebook.com/soul and Twitter at twitter.com/soulfootball.
