Soul season ends on last-second field goal

The Philadelphia Soul’s 2014 season ended in a 39-37 loss in Cleveland to the Gladiators on Saturday, August 2 in the first round of the playoffs.

Gladiators’ kicker Aaron Pettrey kicked a 36-yard field goal as time expired to eliminate the Soul and continue Cleveland’s miracle season towards the Arena Bowl.

Rayshaun Kizer was the star player in the loss, bringing in four interceptions for an Arena Football record.

Dan Raudabaugh and the Soul offense struggled throughout the night, as Raudabaugh went 20 for 42 in the loss with 246 yards, five touchdowns and one interception. Raudabaugh’s one interception came in the first half, when a soul receiver and Cleveland defender shared a catch against the boards in the endzone, but the ball was awarded to Cleveland.

Despite the win for the Gladiators, quarterback Shane Austin had a worse performance than Raudabaugh in the game, going 23 for 40 with 264 yards, two touchdowns and five interceptions.

It was a defensive battle from both teams, and the halftime score of 15-12 was the lowest for an AFL playoff game since 2004.

Late in the fourth quarter, Raudabaugh found Emery Sammons for a wide open touchdown to bring Philadelphia within a point. The Soul would have a successful two point conversion to give the Soul a 37-36 lead with a half minute remaining in the game. On Cleveland’s next possession, the Soul had a chance to stop Cleveland on downs and win the game, but the Gladiators converted a fourth-and-six to set up the game winning field goal as time expired.

There was plenty to point at in the loss for the Soul. For the second straight week, Raudabaugh and his receivers struggled throughout the vast majority of the game to complete passes and put points on the board. When Kizer sets the AFL record for picks in a game, Philadelphia needs to convert on their opportunities and beat a team they played better than.

There was also a crucial swing early on in the game when a Soul PAT attempt was blocked by Cleveland and returned for two points for the Gladiators, which hurt in the end when Cleveland won by a single point. Soul kicker Jon Striefsky missed two extra-oints and one field in the game as well.

            The Soul struggled with consistency all season long, from miscommunication on the offense to embarrassments on the special team, but the season should not be seen as a total failure by the fan base. The team rebuilt major parts of the roster in the offseason, which has gained a great deal of experience that should pay dividends towards next season. 

Despite the struggles they faced this year, the Soul found a way to reach the playoffs and brought the team which by all accounts should win the Arena Bowl to the last play of the game, for the third time this season.

The team’s performances in their three matches against Cleveland can be criticized for their inability to close the team out, but the Gladiators are a good football team, despite the lack of expectations that were put on this team in the preseason. Cleveland is playing the best football across the league, and will have home field advantage throughout the entire postseason. They should be the favorites to win it all, and Philadelphia was within 36 yards of beating them and moving on to their third straight American Conference Championship game appearance. Receiver Ryan McDaniel went out with injury earlier in the season, and who knows where the Soul would have went if their leading receiver would have been healthy down the stretch.

But there are changes that need to be made for this team. This is the third straight season that these groups of guys have come up without an Arena Bowl championship, and they are going to need more help heading into the 2015 season.

There are major contracts such as quarterback Dan Raudabaugh and head coach Clint Dolezel that are expiring this offseason, and although they haven’t brought home a title in their first three years, there should be little doubt that they have the ability to do so and are the right fit for this franchise.  

It’s been a pleasure bringing you Soul news and opinions in our first year here at Philadelphia Soul Nation. 

There’s no better team to cover in the AFL, and whether your passion is just as great for the Soul as ours, or you love to root against us, I can’t thank you enough for following us each week. We’ll continue to update you on the Soul throughout the offseason, and we can’t wait until the 2015 season kicks off in eight months.