IFL opens its regular season this weekend
June 6, 2007The Ironman Football League will open its 12th season this weekend featuring 5 games Saturday night and another 2 on Sunday. With the competition getting better every year, this promises to be a very interesting opening weekend.
Muskego Hitmen vs. Lake Country Cyclones
Hall of Fame Game
7pm Saturday, June 9th, Milwaukee County Sports Complex
The Hitmen will take on the Cyclones of Lake Country in a National Conference showdown. A win here is important for both teams as neither of them wants to start the season behind the eight ball. The Hitmen lead the head to head series against the Cyclones 3-0. Also on this day, the league will officially induct two Hall-of-Famers into the IFL Hall of Fame. The inductees are Tommy Roach and Stan Peplinski.
Madison Mustangs vs. Milwaukee Venom
7pm Saturday, June 9th, Madison
The Mustangs open the season at home against the Milwaukee Venom. It will be interesting to see if the Venom will pick up where they left off last year going into the National Conference title game. If not, they might be in trouble. Here is an interesting fact; during the Venom's five years of existence, they have never beaten a team from Madison. The Madison Mustangs have a lot of talent on their roster and have won the National Conference Championship the last two years (under different team names Seminoles 2005, Trojans 2006). The last time these two teams met was in last years National Conference title game with the Mustangs coming out ahead 21-7. This game should be a good one!
Fond du Lac Crusaders vs. Milwaukee Panthers
3pm Saturday, June 9th, Fond du Lac
The Panthers will have a chance to get revenge this Saturday against the Crusaders for last year's opening day loss. In 2006, the Crusaders defeated the Panthers 20-14 in a nail biter. This year the Panthers will have to try to beat the Crusaders on their home turf, in front of a hostile sea of fanatic Crusader fans. With the Crusaders at home and the revenge factor, this should be a great game to watch.
Franklin Outlaws vs. Roscoe Rush
7pm Saturday, June 9th, Roscoe
Both the Outlaws and Rush are championship-caliber teams and both represent the American Conference. This should be an all-out war, with opening the season 1-0 as the prize. The Rush will have the luxury of playing at home while the Outlaws will go into this game confident, as they defeated the Rush twice last year, once in the regular season and another in the playoffs.
McHenry Pirates vs. Windy City Buccaneers
6pm Sunday, June 10th, Windy City
The Battle of Illinois will take place when the Buccaneers host the Pirates, an American Conference showdown. Both teams are new additions to the IFL and both seem to be very competitive. Since both teams are new to the league, this game will give IFL fans the opportunity to see the caliber of both teams.
Milwaukee Maniacs vs. West Allis Predators
5pm Sunday June 10th, Ameche Field (Kenosha)
The Predators have made improvements to their roster and hope to start the season on the right foot. The Maniacs are on a mission to prove they are a contender and would love to open the season with a win. When these two teams play it always turns into a hard hitting game. The series head to head is tied (1-1).
Oak Creek Cyclones Vs. Burlington Blue Devils
7PM Sunday, June 10th, Ameche Field (Kenosha)
It's always a great game when the Burlington Blue Devils square off against the Oak Creek Cyclones. The Blue devils lost last year's match-up with the Cyclones but hope this game will be different. Either way it should be interesting as both teams are heated rivals.