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SALT LAKE CITY - With the Dallas Desperados' 77-58 victory over the Colorado Crush on Monday night, the Utah Blaze (8-8) will travel to play the Los Angeles Avengers (9-7) in the first round of the 2007 Arena Football League Playoffs on Monday, July 2. Kickoff at STAPLES Center is set for 8 p.m. (MT) and will be televised live on ESPN2.
Tickets can be purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets, online at ticketmaster.com or laavengers.com, or by calling 888-AVENGERS.
Last week, WR SIAHA BURLEY became the first player in United States professional football history to reach 2,000 receiving yards in a single season. The Offensive Player of the Year and All-Arena candidate finished the 2007 regular season with 166 receptions (No. 1 in AFL) for 2,129 yards (No. 1 in AFL) and 49 touchdowns (No. 2 in AFL).
Blaze QB JOE GERMAINE, who is an Offensive Player of the Year and All-Arena candidate, surpassed San Jose SaberCats QB MARK GRIEB's record of 4,841 yards set in 2006. Germaine reached 5,000 yards when he again connected with Pace on a 10-yard pass with just over one minute remaining in last week's victory. He finished the 2007 regular season by completing 422-of-617 passes for 5,005 yards (No. 1 in AFL) and 107 touchdown passes (Tied-No. 2 in AFL).
Twelve of the AFL's 19 teams advance to the playoffs, six from each conference. The league's four division winners earn the top two seeds in each conference and first-round byes. ArenaBowl XXI will be played on Sunday, July 29, in New Orleans.
2007 AFL PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE
WILDCARD ROUND Friday, June 29 - Orlando Predators at Philadelphia Soul, 5:30 p.m. (MT), ESPN Saturday, June 30 - Columbus Destroyers at Tampa Bay Storm, 10 a.m. (MT), ESPN Saturday, June 30 - Colorado Crush at Kansas City Brigade, 1 p.m. (MT), ESPN Monday, July 2 - Utah Blaze at Los Angeles Avengers, 8 p.m. (MT), ESPN2
DIVISIONAL ROUND Saturday, July 7 - TBD at San Jose SaberCats, 1 p.m. (MT), ESPN Saturday, July 7 - TBD at Dallas Desperados, 6 p.m. (MT), ESPN Sunday, July 8 - TBD at Georgia Force, 5 p.m. (MT), ESPN2 Monday, July 9 - TBD at Chicago Rush, 6:30 p.m. (MT), ESPN2
CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS Saturday, July 14 - Conference Championship Game, 10 a.m. (MT), ESPN Saturday, July 14 - Conference Championship Game, 1 p.m. (MT), ESPN
ARENABOWL XXI Sunday, July 29 - ArenaBowl XXI in New Orleans, noon (MT), ABC