The Massachusetts Pirates are set to take on the Sioux Falls Storm on Saturday, May 21 at DCU Center in Worcester, MA. This is a pivotal matchup for the Pirates if they want to enter the Indoor Football League playoffs as a top contender. The Pirates are now 5-3 after dropping 2 of the last 3 matchups to the Vegas Knight Hawks and the Arizona Rattlers, and look to get back on track this week. The Knight Hawks loss was a really tough pill to swallow since it was an extremely close 44-46 loss at home in a game that the Pirates really could have won. The 30 point loss to the 7-1 Arizona Rattlers this past Saturday really should motivate the Pirates this week. This was a rematch of last year’s United Bowl that saw the two-seed Pirates beat the one-seed Rattlers 37-34 for the Pirates first league championship. The Rattlers got their revenge on the Pirates after last year. The Pirates will need to bring their A game if they run into a very possible United Bowl rematch now in 2022.
The 6-2 Frisco Fighters and 5-3 Massachusetts Pirates are the top 2 teams in the Eastern Conference right now while the 7-1 Arizona Rattlers and 6-2 Northern Arizona Wranglers are the top 2 teams in the Western Conference. The 4-4 Sioux Falls Storm are currently the 5th place team in the very tight Eastern Conference and can completely change the landscape of the Eastern Conference standings if they beat the Pirates. Simply put, the Pirates really need to win this one.
Wide receiver Thomas “T.O.” Owens had a receiving touchdown against the Rattlers in last week’s loss and figures to play a big role in this matchup against Sioux Falls. Owens is having a monster season so far. He has the second most receiving touchdowns in the Indoor Football league right now with 12, and is only 1 touchdown behind Green Bay Blizzard wide receiver Keshaun Taylor on the season. The Pirates also need a big game out of quarterback Alejandro Bennifield. Bennifield has the second most passing yards per game and is only trailing Duke City Gladiators quarterback Ramone Atkins. The Pirates also must slow down Sioux Falls Storm running back Nate Chavious on Saturday. Winning this game is absolutely essential for the Pirates in their quest to defend their championship.