The Manchester Freedom hosted the Rebels of Southern Maine in Independent Women's Football League action Sunday afternoon at Manchester West Stadium. With starting quarterback Lauri Izzi sidelined with right knee ligament damage, veteran running back/inside linebacker Katia Pashkevitch carried the Freedom, along with Rebel defenders on her back en route to a record setting 7 rushing touchdown performance.
As a steady rain fell throughout the first half, Manchester deployed a ball control, ground game offense. The Manchester defense stopped Maine deep in their own end to start the game, and scored on their second play from scrimmage as Pashkevitch ran it in from 11 yards out. Manchester starting quarterback Nisa Packert finished a nice 62 yard drive as she dove over the line of scrimmage from one yard out. The first quarter ended Manchester 14, Southern Maine 0. Pashkevitch added her second touchdown early in the second quarter on a 56 yard rush. The Manchester offense slowed for the remainder of the first half, turning the ball over on downs on consecutive possessions. The Manchester defense continued to shut down the Rebel offense as Manchester led 20-0 at the half.
The weather cleared as the second half opened, and Pashkevitch found her traction, as the Manchester runner scored five times in the second half with runs of 39, 22, 18, 29 and 13 yards. Pashkevitch, a former Russian Olympic Hockey player, proved again why she has long been regarded as one of the top players in the IWFL.
Sharing the spotlight with Pashkevitch was the Manchester defense. Led by fan favorite and kick off specialist Darren Hood-Tucker who had 4 solo tackles, the Freedom defense shut down Maine all afternoon. Christine Halloran played a physical game at linebacker, and Mel Bailey was a dominant force on the defensive line.
Manchester, the defending Northeast Division Champions finish the season 4 and 4, and out of the playoff picture. While certainly a disappointment, the team intends to focus rather on the positives. The experience of elevating a division class for 2 games against Tier 1 teams, the emergence of many new players, the quality additions to the coaching staff, the growing fan and sponsor base, the dedication and commitment demonstrated by Manchester's ownership and most importantly, the relationships and memories that this year has produced.
- Written by Rich Parkinson
