MANCHESTER, NH – The New Hampshire Rebellion traveled six or more hours by car to Harrisburg, PA, last weekend to face off against the Harrisburg Havoc. By the time the team arrived, Severance Field at Harrisburg High School was damp from the day’s rain. The Havoc was returning from a bye week after being shut out by the Tri-State Warriors 18-0. The Rebellion entered the day with two straight wins, having beat the Connecticut Hawks by the same score of 18-0 on May 6.
Things didn’t go their way against the Havoc.
The game between proved to be a long and difficult one, with Havoc coming out on top by a score of 14-12 in triple overtime. After the game, with wet gear and weary bodies, the Rebellion retired to hotel rooms for the night before making the long drive back home. The team did not charter a bus or pay for accommodations; each player had to pay their own way.
As a result, when the team returned to their usual practice field in Tyngsboro, Mass., on Monday, they did so with sore muscles and a variety of minor injuries. A few players were unable to practice in pads.
The team faces no less of a significant challenge this Saturday at 5 p.m. when they take the home field at Gill Stadium against the New York Knockout, which is undefeated this year. Two of the Knockout’s wins have been blowouts.
Nevertheless, the Rebellion remains confident and upbeat. One such player is LG Marina Dickey, who approached practice with a smile on her face, even as she continued to discover bruises all over her body from Saturday’s game. The highlight of the experience for Dickey was getting a Philly cheese steak in Bethlehem, PA.
“It was a tough game,” Dickey said. “It was a straight dogfight. Both offenses were good, both defenses were good.”
Dickey lost track of how many minutes both teams played, saying, “The game clock stopped.”
Coach Rich Dube was also among those who had a twelve-hour round trip on Saturday. After the long game, he got home at 3 a.m., worn out and spent.
“We ended up on the short end of it, but the girls played well,” Dube said. “It’s a very long game. Two of the other coaches, we drove home right after the game. Our next opponent is the New York Knockout. It’s gonna be a good test for the girls. We’ll see what happens on Saturday.”
“We’re a little sore,” Dickey said. “But our heads are held high.”
