ATLANTA STEAM FAVORITES ON THE ROAD, DESPITE DANE ROBINSON’S 0-2 RECORD VS LA TEMPTATION
The LA Temptation (1-1) and Atlanta Steam (1-0) have played twice in the last three seasons. Both contests were played in Atlanta with LA winning in each, as Dane Robinson’s teams were out-coached and out-played. In 2017 during a Week 16 contest, with both Atlanta and LA already having a lock for the postseason, LA was able to defeat the Steam 20-14 on the road. The loss put Atlanta at a 2-2 record and LA finished their regular season a perfect 4-0. However, Atlanta went on to beat Chicago in the Eastern Conference Championship the following week while LA’s season was over after losing to Seattle in the Western Conference Championship.
The 2019 Atlanta Steam field some of the le ague’s top talent at each position, but the question always remains- can the Steam win competitive games? Off-season acquisitions of Michelle Marshall and Aubrey Williams from Austin have bolstered the depth, but the big highlight of new talent in Atlanta is rookie running-back- Nicole Hulce. The 5-foot tall, 110-pound speedster is a weapon Atlanta has been missing since Nas Johnson leaving to sign with LA after the 2015 season. Speed kills in the LFL and Atlanta has had a ground-and-pound type back for a few seasons. Hulce averaged 6.8 yards-per-carry on the ground for the Steam against Chicago in their Week 2 game, finishing the game with 54 yards, which was 30% of Atlanta’s offense in the game.
Ashely Salerno and her LA Temptation tend to play very well at home at the Citizens Business Bank Arena. If the Week-1 loss against the Seattle Mist earlier this year is removed from the equation, it dates all the way back to 2013 the last time Ashley Salerno lost a home game in the Citizens Business Bank Arena. In fact, that was only her second loss inside that arena and the 2013 loss was also against the Seattle Mist. Look for Ashley ‘The Snake’ Salerno to have a stellar performance against the Steam.
Questions still remain with the new LA coaching staff and if they have the wherewithal to outduel the Atlanta Steam in 2019. This Week-6 game is a near must-win for LA to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Temptation will have over two-and-a-half months to prepare for their July 27th final regular season game against the Austin Acoustic. If they fall to a 1-2 record this Friday night, LA will have to rely on other games to go their way as well as getting the win against Austin late in the season in order to make the postseason.
Atlanta is favored on the road due to their coaching advantage and talent on this 2019 version of the Steam. This game will be their biggest test of the regular season, as the Chicago Bliss and Omaha Heart matchups remaining on their schedule pose weak opposition right now in 2019. A win this week and Atlanta would be on track to a probable undefeated 4-0 regular season, which would be the franchise’s first.
Thousands of LFL Fans, this Friday night in Ontario, California, will witness two of the league’s all-time great quarterbacks face off. Does Ashley Salerno get back to her winning ways at home or will Dakota Hughes and the Atlanta Steam meet expectations on the road?
ARENA: Citizens Business Bank Arena – Ontario, CA
TICKETS: Ticketmaster.com
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Dakota Hughes, Lauran Ziegler, Nicole Hulce
Ashley Salerno, Hallie Jiskra, Monique Gaxiola
MATCHUPS TO WATCH:
– Atlanta Secondary against LA targets Hallie Jiskra and Anne Erler
– LA Offensive Line handling pressure from Atlanta Defensive Line
– Face-off between two Future HOF Quarterbacks- Dakota Hughes and Ashley Salerno
ALL TIME HEAD TO HEAD RECORD: 2-0 LA
INJURIES: None
💰 BETTING LINE: ATL -2.5 52 Over/Under
