Fever travels to Colorado for IFL playoff

LOVELAND, Colo. -- When two teams that have played each other twice during the season have to meet for a third time, there shouldn't be too much new to expect.

That's the case today, when the Tri-Cities Fever (11-4) visits the Colorado Ice (11-3) in the second round of the Indoor Football League playoffs.

Kickoff in Loveland, Colo., is at 6:05 p.m.

The one difference-maker everyone seems to agree on?

"This game is gonna come down to turnovers," said Fever coach Adam Shackleford.

Ice coach Collins Sanders agrees.

"Now it comes down to execution and who makes the fewest mistakes," Sanders said.

The two teams had a home-and-home series this season, with the home teams winning each time -- the Fever won 48-42, and the Ice won 58-54.

"I think the biggest thing is that in both games we didn't play that well either time, so we had opportunities," said Fever quarterback Houston Lillard. "The biggest thing is not to give them points. I gave them six the last time we played. And our defense needs to get stops."

Fever receiver Joey Hew Len agrees.

"We know a lot of their tendencies," said Hew Len. "We need to cut down on turnovers and execute. The defense needs to keep doing what they do. There are so many good ballplayers on this team. It's not just one guy doing it."

Sanders said a big difference could be the home field.

"At the end of the day what they do on film and what we do on film, there not going to be a whole lot of surprises," said Sanders. "We're very fortunate to have the home field advantage. Coach Shackleford does a great job, and they're a really talented group. It's going to come down to who executes."

Sanders does point out, though, that both teams have won five road games this season.

* Lillard and Hew Len both were honored this week by being named to the all-league teams - Hew Len on the first team and Lillard to the second.

There's a connection between the two.

"He has confidence to come my way," said Hew Len of Lillard. "We have an untold thing between us."

Lillard is a little more blunt about it.

"I wouldn't call it a sixth sense, but we kind of been working with each other for a while," Lillard said. "The biggest thing is our ability to talk to each other. But that's with all of our receivers. There are times when our receivers see something and they tell me in the huddle."

That includes guys like Steven Whitehead and Tre Young.

"If (the Ice) shut down Hew Len they'll have to deal with those two," said Shackleford. "They have a lot of zone coverage. We'll try to run somebody underneath and over the top, trying to stretch their zone. We'll try to create spaces to throw the football."

-- The Sioux Falls Storm and Green Bay Blizzard both won their playoff games Saturday on the United Conference side of the league.

Sioux Falls defeated the Omaha Beef 52-39, as Storm quarterback Chris Dixon passed for five touchdowns and ran for another.

Storm receiver Carl Sims caught six passes for 100 yards and three touchdowns.

Green Bay defeated Reading 68-51, as Blizzard quarterback Jameel Sewell passed for 200 yards and five TDs.

The Blizzard will visit Sioux Falls next weekend for the United Conference title.

It also means that the Fever will not get a chance for another home playoff game because Omaha was eliminated.

-- The game is on KONA 610 AM, and Fever fans will be at Jack-son's in Richland to watch the game.

This story was originally published June 27, 2011 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Fever travels to Colorado for IFL playoff."