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Throughout the month of October the Manchester Freedom have been holding events in order to speak to people about the upcoming 2010 season. With an enthusiastic fan base, we are looking forward to the coming months. A warm thank you goes out to Sky Lounge, Jillian's, and the YMCA for opening their doors to us. Our table at the Health and Wellness fair in Nashua, was a great success and you can see photos from that event below. We look forward to seeing you again soon and if you have any questions please contact headcoach@manchesterfreedom.com.
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2010 season planning is currently underway and Owner Ray Simoneau would like to announce that as of today, August 12, 2009, Head Coach Dave Sarvis (2006-2009) has decided to be a permanent member of the Board stepping down as the Head Coach for the Manchester Freedom. Coach Sarvis has brought the Freedom to two Division Championships in his years of coaching and will continue to build franchise hopes behind the scenes. With that said, a new era is upon us as CJ Perez has decided to take on the honor of Head Coach for the Manchester Freedom.
Perez has been involved with coaching since he was 16 years of age. When his football career ended at Rancho Santiago College in Santa Ana California he started coaching football at the High School level, which left a lasting impression on him that fed a need to be involved with football year round. Coach Perez has been involved with community outreach programs while sitting on the board of United Families and C.O.P.C. He is also a core participant in Warmth From the Millyard, a UNH directive. During the Manchester Freedom off season, Perez is the head coach of the Manchester Cobras youth arena football team. Perez consistently works with the STAY program of the YMCA at Hillside Middle School and continuously expresses the importance of education and social skills with the young men of the Manchester Storm.
Now at age 38 after being a member of the 2009 Freedom coaching staff, Coach Perez takes on a new roll of leading the Women of the Manchester Freedom and its coaching staff. Looking ahead to 2010, the members of the Manchester Freedom and Independent Women's Football League embrace the goals Coach CJ Perez has set forth and we look forward to Dave Sarvis leading the Football Operations off the field.
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2009 Allstar Game in Texas
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Each year the IWFL All Stars Teams get announced at the end of the season. The All Stars teams were selected based on the votes submitted by IWFL Team Delegates, Coaches and Players. The All Star Game was held during the Championship Weekend on July 26, 2009 in Round Rock, Texas. Go to http://www.iwflsports.com/ssp/allstar09 to see other players throughout the league chosen for such an honor. (Photos courtesy of Christopher Otte Photography, see link to the left side of this page). Looking for just pictures of Freedom members? Simply click on our photo section to the left to see photos courtesy of Jes Quesada.
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Gearing up for 2010 starts with PFG-TV
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Saturday July 11, Freedom members attended Scorch's (Host on Rock 101 WGIR FM and PFG-TV) Inflation Disintegration Beer-B-Que. The event went from Noon til 8 with great live bands! All while enjoying free Burgers and Hot Dogs. The Freedom were on hand throughout the day and grateful for the opportunity to recruit while meeting members of our community. Thanks Scorch and we look forward to your next event. Good people, great food, and a lot of fun!
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The Manchester Freedom season ended Saturday June 27, after suffering a heart-wrenching loss to the Montreal Blitz, thereby ending hopes to continue on in the play-offs. This game marks a monumental moment in franchise history as this is the second time the Freedom have shown success by making it to the post-season. Owner Ray Simoneau, proudly shook Freedom members hands after the game in order to exemplify the pride he takes in his ownership. As always, we would like to give our sincere appreciation to our family, friends, sponsors, media, and fans who support us during each gridiron battle. We look forward to all future encounters in the upcoming months. Looking ahead to 2010, there will be some exciting news to announce, so please check back often! Updates will be continuous throughout the year. If you would like to stay on top of Freedom news please email vp@manchesterfreedom.com to be included on our email list. No spam email, just updates directly from Freedom board members.
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Jamie Naylor and Melissa Bradbury were invited to speak at the Girl Scout Camporee in Salem, NH where over 150 girls gathered to listen to each speaker discuss the theme of Sports Adventure. The word is out that we, the Freedom, are an inspirational women's sports team that empowers all to become the best athlete possible. This event was held before our regular season game against the Southern Maine Rebels. Thank you Girl Scouts!
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The Manchester Freedom are very grateful to have had the opportunity to be apart of this event. There were many attending the event to celebrate women and the Freedom were a hit with Darin Hood-Tucker in her full gear and Liberty, the eagle on hand for pictures and questions. A sincere appreciation to the Nashua Telegraph for their continuous support. It was an evening to let loose, learn something new, and meet some wonderful people throughout the state. Thank you to all who attended.
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May 9 2009 vs New England Intensity
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The Manchester Freedom was not victorious against the New England Intensity. The Freedom paced themselves in the second quarter to march down the field gaining control of the clock, when Quarterback Lauri Izzi audibled a defensive read and connected on a slanting pass to Receiver Jennifer Pirog. A two point conversion soon after was connected from Izzi to Jamie Florence giving the Freedom strength going into the second half with the score being 13-8. The Intensity scored their final touchdown late in the 3rd quarter with the final result to be 20-8. Defensive standouts were Darin Hood-Tucker with 18 tackles, Melanie Bailey with 14, while Kristina Sharp and Melissa Bradbury each had 6. The Freedom are away this coming Saturday May 16 to face off against the Southern Maine Rebels in Portland at 7pm.
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May 8 2009 Interview with NH's Wake Up Show - 107.7 The Pulse
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On Friday morning, May 8 at 830a, NH's Wake Up Show with Peter St. James and Ken Cail featured Defensive Back and Running Back, Kristina Sharp along with Quarterback and Vice President, Lauri Izzi and Ray Simoneau, Owner. Our sincere gratitude goes to 107.7 WTPL, The Pulse, for the opportunity. To visit 107.7 The Pulse please click here.
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May 2 2009 vs. New England Intensity
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The Manchester Freedom traveled to Medway, MA, to go helmet to helmet against the New England Intensity. The Intensity took the win 13-0, after missing one extra point attempt. This places the Intensity above the Freedom in the IWFL standings. Therefore, the pressure lies on the Freedom needing the win in their second attack on the Intensity this Saturday (May 9 at 4pm) and coincidentally applies pressure on the Intensity to hold their place in the standings.
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April 25 2009 vs. Central Pennsylvania Vipers
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This 46-0 win for the Manchester Freedom, puts them above all other Tier II teams in the North Atlantic Division. In the 90 degree weather, the Freedom posted two touchdown passes from Izzi to Pirog and also to Cardinal. Scoring for the Freedom was also Kristina Sharp, Rose Chapman, Jamie Florence, and Katia Pashkevitch, while Stacey Bellemore ran the ball into the end-zone for a 2-point conversion in the second half. The Freedoms defensive personnel were solid in their tactics, only allowing the Vipers three first downs throughout the game.
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April 18 2009 vs. Boston Militia
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The Manchester Freedom continue to lead the Tier II bracket after after having two games under their belt in this 2009 season. A tough loss against the Boston Militia, a Tier I powerhouse in New England, continues to be a win for the Freedom in their Tier standings as they lead the league overall. Manchester continues their pursuit to dominate their upcoming scheduled games over the coming weeks.
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April 11, 2009 vs. Connecticut Crushers
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Manchester Freedom vs. Connecticut Crushers
Opening game proves victorious for the Freedom, giving an upset of 27-15
April 11th, 2009.It's 2:00PM and the rain is once again the first thing to cross the minds as the Freedom players began their drive down to Hartford, CT, as the team traveled south to face the Crushers. As one of the many new teams to join the IWFL for the 2009 season, little was known about this Tier 1 team aside from the fact that in order to start the season with a victory, the Freedom would have to put together a total team effort. Like many other teams, the Freedom had just completed an exhausting three months of pre-season training and ready to kick-off the season.
As the weather conditions improved on the muddy Crusher field, Manchester won the toss and elected to defer in order to put their defense on the field. Connecticut Quarterback, Nicole Paradis had success moving the Crusher offense and drove deep into Manchester territory on their first possession. Defensive back Jamie Florence came up with a big stop for Manchester on a 4th and inches play, turning the ball over to the Freedom offense on downs. Florence, along with veteran Quarterback Lauri IIzzi, who threw for 2 touchdown passes, and Running Back Katia Pashkevitch, 3 touch-downs, guided the Freedom offense down the field on their opening drive. It was 4th down and goal, with 7 yards to go. Manchester called a timeout when Offensive coordinator Chris Carter made the decision to put a play-action pass in place. The fake developed an open end-zone for Izzi to find Jamie Naylor alone in the corner for a Freedom touchdown. Naylor also added the extra point and Manchester was on the board 7-0.
The teams traded possessions and with 43 seconds remaining in the 1st quarter, Connecticut Quarterback Nicole Paradis connected with Christine Huber on a 53-yard touchdown pass. Connecticut added the extra point and the score was tied 7-7 after the 1st quarter.
In the 2nd quarter the Manchester defense stiffened keeping Connecticut off the board. The defense was again paced by Jamie Florence with a key interception and on another possession, a big tackle on 4th down, ending a Crusher drive. Linebacker Katia Pashkevitch led the defense with 9 solo tackles while Captain Teresa Murray played strong on defense with 5 solo tackles, and Rose Chapman, Deb Kravitz and Melanie Bailey stood out with good, consistent defensive play all game. The 2nd quarter also saw the return of the veteran Manchester offensive connection of Izzi to Pashkevitch again, this time for a 57-yard touchdown pass. Naylor added the extra point and the first half ended Manchester 14, Connecticut 7.
Manchester opened the 3rd quarter with a 5-play touchdown drive on the legs of Katia Pashkevitch. Pashkevitch ran for 20, then 6, and finally a 15-yard touchdown to make the score 20-7 in favor of Manchester. The 2nd half saw Yvonne Howard under center for the Crushers. Howard and the Crusher offensive line moved the ball effectively by running off tackle, and driving deep into Freedom territory. The Freedom defense bent, but did not break. Defensive back and Captain Jen Pirog stepped in front of a Howard pass at the Freedom 6-yard line and ran it back 83 yards to the Crushers 11 yard line. Two Pashkevitch rushes behind rookie tackle Tina Otte caused Manchester to put the game out of reach with the score being 27-7. Connecticut added a late score with 43 seconds remaining in the game which included a 2-point conversion, making the final score Manchester 27, Connecticut 15.
The IWFL is a tier based league. A teams' roster size determines their specific tier. Connecticut, a tier I team, has 60 players on its roster while Manchester, a tier II team, fields a 26 player roster. The roster size was not the only difference saturday night. Physically the freedom players were undersized. The results of an off-season conditioning program was evident from the first snap of the game. The hearts of the Manchester players are certainly not undersized. Head Coach Dave Sarvis thought the team played well, but always finds areas of opportunity. "I thought we tackled too high throughout the game, that will be addressed in practice this week".
While it may not have been a David vs. Goliath upset, it was a significant win for, and a strong statement made by, the Manchester Freedom Women's Football team. The David vs. Goliath battle may very well be this coming Saturday, April 18th, when Manchester travels to Boston, Massachusetts to take on tier I powerhouse, the Boston Militia. Kick-off is at 6:00 pm at Dilboy stadium 110 Alewife Brook Parkway, Somerville Mass.
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November 14, 2008 - Partnership Gives Bright Future to Women's Football
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Football at the women's and girls' level received a tremendous boost this week with the announcement that the Independent Women's Football League (IWFL) and USA Football have formed a partnership. The partnership will allow for extensive growth for women and girls playing football, a division of the sport that has seen exponential growth over the past decade.
"We really like the philosophy of what USA Football is doing in trying to standardize the youth football market in terms of education for coaches and officials," said Laurie Frederick, CEO of the IWFL. "We want to make sure girls' football is standardized from the beginning." Click here to read more...
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November 10, 2008 - IWFL and USA Football Partner
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Austin, Texas - The Independent Women's Football League (IWFL) and USA Football, the sport's national governing body on youth and amateur levels, have forged a partnership to further promote the sport and its immense popularity among female athletes.
All USA Football women's national teams for International Federation of American Football (IFAF) women's competitions will comprise entirely of IWFL athletes. In addition, the IWFL has named USA Football as the league's Official Education Partner and will provide USA Football membership to all IWFL coaches and officials. USA Football conducts more than 100 training events annually on youth and amateur levels. In the past two years, USA Football has helped train more than 16,000 football coaches in all 50 states. Click here to read more...
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November 8, 2008 - 1st Annual Freedom Theme Night
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June 26 2008 - IWFL Freedom Allstars Announced
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Each year the IWFL teams from around the nation vote thier selection to participate as a member of the All-star team. To see who was chosen as a participating member for the IWFL All-star weekend, please click here. For further information on this weekend please click here to be connected to the IWFL website. From there you can also connect to see athletes from all over the nation attending the event.
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June 22 2008 - Southern Maine Rebels
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On Sunday, June 22 at 4pm the Freedom had a home game against the Southern Maine Rebels. This was the second confrontation between the two teams, the first proving victorious for the Freedom with a 70-8 win. The Rebels have always been a fierce competitor for the Freedom and after 3 consecutive losses, the Freedom were looking for a victory.
Please click here for our game recap.
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June 5 2008 - The Hippo Press
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June 7 2008 - Baltimore Nighthawks
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The Freedom faced off on June 7th against, Tier 1 team, Baltimore Nighthawks. Kick-off was at 4pm on West Field in Manchester, NH. The Nighthawks, held a record of 1 win and 5 losses with a packed schedule of competive teams within the Independent Women's Football League, Tier 1 division. The Freedom will be the only Tier 2 team they play.
Both teams had come off recent losses and were looking for victory in Manchester.
Click here to read the game recap.
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May 31st 2008 - Boston Militia
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The Freedom took to the road traveling to Dilboy Stadium in Somerville, MA. The Freedom (Tier 2) faced off against the Boston Militia (Tier 1). Although the Freedom and Militia met on the gridiron for a Scrimmage in April of this year, this was the first and final opportunity to meet during the regular season.
The Militia had recently come off an impressive win against the New York Sharks while the Freedom took a strong victory over the New England Intensity. Kick-off for the game was 6:00 pm.
Click here to read the Game Recap.
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May 15th 2008 - NH Fisher Cats
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The Freedom attend a Fisher Cats game to give thier local support. Go to our photos section to see what types of activities we did at this event. This is the second time the Freedom have attended in full support of our NH Fisher Cats.
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May 17th 2008 - New England Intensity
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After winning the opening coin toss, Manchester for the third straight week, scored on their first offensive possession of the game. Taking advantage of a big, and powerful offensive line, Manchester quarterback Lauri Izzi directed the offense on a 10 play 67 yard drive. Running back/outside linebacker, Katia Pashkevitch, who had 19 rushes for 287 yards, and 5 touchdowns, finished the drive with a 10 yard rush. Jamie Naylor added the extra point putting Manchester ahead 7-0.
The Manchester defense was tested by an effective New England running attack. The normally stingy Freedom "D", gave up some long Intensity gains, but were able to come up with big plays when it mattered, keeping the ball in the hands of the potent Freedom offense.
Manchester's second offensive drive again consisted of a ball control ground game. The first quarter ended with Manchester driving, and Pashkevitch converting on a 4th and goal rushing to the New England one yard line. 2 plays later Pashkevitch punched the ball in. Naylor added the extra point, and Manchester was on top to stay, 14-0.
Click here to get the full story.
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May 10th 2008 - Holyoke Hurricanes
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At 4pm the Manchester Freedom welcomed the Holyoke Hurricanes to West Field in Manchester, NH. The Hurricanes had two losses and one win under their belt as they traveled to our great city. As a new team this year to the IWFL, their enthusiasm, heart, and will to succeed is a force to be reckoned with. The Freedom understand the goals set for them as well, and aim to achieve them all this season, as they "take one game at a time".
With that said, the Freedom stepped on the field and from the very start, executed with the precision that has commanded respect, rightfully earned over time, scoring on the first series of the game. The offense scored on each drive they pursued and the defense allowed only one first down the entire game. The game posted a 68-0 win over the Hurricanes.
For Saturday's game recap please click here!
Click here to see the Union Leader's review of the game.
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May 3rd 2008 - Southern Maine Rebels
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At 630pm the Freedom played their second game of the 2008 season against the Southern Maine Rebels at Memorial Field in Portland Maine. The Rebels had a recent loss against the Holyoke Hurricanes losing 38-30, just as we have against the Montreal Blitz (14-12), so both teams were hungry for a win as they battled on the gridiron.
The Freedom, however, proved to be victorious in their battle, winning 70-8. Scoring for the Manchester Freedom were Joy Burge, Katia Pashkevitch, Laurie Petchar, and Christine Halloran. The Freedom's hard working offensive line and tenacious defense were very strong in this game as this victory was a team effort entirely.
Click here to read the full Game Recap.
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February 2008 - Raffle Ticket Winners
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2- 1 Rick Kingsbury Gift Certificate
2- 2 Michael Harman Season Tickets Package
2- 3 William Sones $ 15.00
2- 4 Eric Connolly Freedom Gear
2- 5 Chris Siebert $ 25.00
2- 6 Jes Quesada Season Ticket Package
2- 7 Tracy Hagar Freedom Gear
2- 8 Lisa Newcomb Gift Certificate
2- 9 William Sones Season Ticket Package
2-10 Leon LaBarve II $ 10.00
2-11 Christopher Salmons Freedom Gear
2-12 Robert Sturim $ 12.00
2-13 Eric Connolly Season Ticket Package
2-14 Eileen Crowell Freedom Gear
2-15 Dave Hines Gift Certificate
2-16 Susan Porter Season Ticket Package
2-17 Marie Lambrou $ 25.00
2-18 Richard Simard Freedom Gear
2-19 Stan Smith $ 50.00
2-20 Becky Kean Season Ticket Package
2-21 David Wright Freedom Gear
2-22 Nicole Spaulding Gift Certificate
2-23 Michael Staipling Season Ticket Package
2-24 Donny Alexandrian $ 75.00
2-25 Tammy Burns Freedom Gear
2-26 Jackie Johnston $ 100.00
2-27 Kim Michaud Season Ticket Package
2-28 Mary St. Perrie $ 500.00
2-29 Andi Rooney 4 Tickets to Fisher Cats game on May 15 |
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January 21st 2008 - American Gladiators
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 | NBC's American Gladiators The Manchester Freedom were recently spotted on NBC's American Gladiators. The show featured Jennifer Blum of the NY Sharks as a contestant in episode 4 of the season. Her interview clips during the beginning of the show included a Freedom v. Sharks game where our own Jennifer Pirog was seen making the tackle on Blum. Click here to view episode 4 (but if you are just interested in seeing the Freedom clip you can fast forward the first 5 minutes or so). |
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