Post by fwp on May 5, 2010 10:27:43 GMT -5
www.albanyherald.com/sports/headlines/92835789.html
ALBANY — If you’re a Panthers fan the clock is ticking. In the sometime unexplainable world of arena football, the Panthers enter the month of May with more on the line than any other month.
This is final home-sweet-home month for the Panthers, who hit the road in June and don’t come back in the regular season. They’re 3-0, and all of those games have been at the Albany Civic Center, where the Panthers play the Lafayette Wildcatters at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. They play the Louisiana Swashbucklers at home on May 15, go on the road May 22, then play their final home game of the season against the Greenville Force on May 29.
“We’re undefeated at 3-0, and we want to go undefeated at home,’’ Panthers general manager Will Carter said. “That’s what the fans see. That’s what the fans remember, and we want to win in front of our sponsors and fans.’’
There are only three home games left, and they are in the next four weekends.
“These games in May are important to win because we will be on the road all of June, hoping to come back here and have a home playoff game on July 10,’’ Carter said.
The lopsided home and away schedule hit the Panthers, who didn’t even exist until January.
“We didn’t even have our press conference to announce the team until late January,’’ said Carter, who scrambled to put the team together and still managed to field the top team in the Southern Indoor Football League. “We had our dates for (road games), but the other teams didn’t have availability in their arenas. That’s why our schedule is so top-heavy with home games early.’’
It puts more pressure on the Panthers to win this month, knowing they have a long road ahead of them in June.
“We just need to win these home games.’’ Carter said. “First and foremost, you want to win at home in front of your fans.’’
The Panthers had a bye week and meet Louisiana (1-3), which won its first game last weekend. But the Wildcatters almost beat the Panthers on April 17, and it took a furious comeback for Albany to finally win the game 70-64.
“We were down, 55-40, with seven minutes left in that game and came back,’’ Carter remembered. “But we didn’t play very well that night. Hopefully, we will play better this Saturday.’’
ALBANY — If you’re a Panthers fan the clock is ticking. In the sometime unexplainable world of arena football, the Panthers enter the month of May with more on the line than any other month.
This is final home-sweet-home month for the Panthers, who hit the road in June and don’t come back in the regular season. They’re 3-0, and all of those games have been at the Albany Civic Center, where the Panthers play the Lafayette Wildcatters at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. They play the Louisiana Swashbucklers at home on May 15, go on the road May 22, then play their final home game of the season against the Greenville Force on May 29.
“We’re undefeated at 3-0, and we want to go undefeated at home,’’ Panthers general manager Will Carter said. “That’s what the fans see. That’s what the fans remember, and we want to win in front of our sponsors and fans.’’
There are only three home games left, and they are in the next four weekends.
“These games in May are important to win because we will be on the road all of June, hoping to come back here and have a home playoff game on July 10,’’ Carter said.
The lopsided home and away schedule hit the Panthers, who didn’t even exist until January.
“We didn’t even have our press conference to announce the team until late January,’’ said Carter, who scrambled to put the team together and still managed to field the top team in the Southern Indoor Football League. “We had our dates for (road games), but the other teams didn’t have availability in their arenas. That’s why our schedule is so top-heavy with home games early.’’
It puts more pressure on the Panthers to win this month, knowing they have a long road ahead of them in June.
“We just need to win these home games.’’ Carter said. “First and foremost, you want to win at home in front of your fans.’’
The Panthers had a bye week and meet Louisiana (1-3), which won its first game last weekend. But the Wildcatters almost beat the Panthers on April 17, and it took a furious comeback for Albany to finally win the game 70-64.
“We were down, 55-40, with seven minutes left in that game and came back,’’ Carter remembered. “But we didn’t play very well that night. Hopefully, we will play better this Saturday.’’