Wraiths Start Strong Through First 6 Games
One of the big storylines coming into Season 8 of the NSFL was how the Yellowknife Wraiths would respond to last season's ending. The Wraiths had their best season in franchise history with a 13-1 record and were the regular season champions, but fell short at home in their first playoff game as they lost 40-31 against the eventual champions in the Philadelphia Liberty. Would the Wraiths be broken after that crushing loss and unable to replicate their success or would they come back stronger with a vengeance looking to make up for that loss? So far the latter seems to be true as the Wraiths are off to a hot start as they have posted a perfect 6-0 record so far. Let's look at how the Wraith's season has gone so far.
The Wraiths opened up the season on the road against the New Orleans Second Line. This was an interesting match up as the Second Line are a team that many expected to take a big step forward this season. Meanwhile, the Wraiths were dealing with their first round of regression to some key contributors, so some wondered whether they would take a step back. There were some important questions about how these teams changed over the off season and this match up would give both teams a chance to answer them. The Second Line struck first with a Darren Smallwood touchdown run midway through the first quarter to put them up 7-0. However, Robby Rainey answered Smallwood with a touchdown run of his own on the following drive to even the game up at 7-7. The Wraiths broke the tie with a field goal by forfeit early in the second quarter and Cameron Taylor returned an interception 57 yards for a Wraiths touchdown later in the quarter to give the Wraiths a 17-7 lead heading into halftime. The Wraiths didn't let up in the second half as another field goal by Forfeit and another touchdown run by Robby Rainey made it a 27-7 game at the end of the third quarter. There was little excitement in the fourth quarter as the Wraiths tacked on two more field goals for a comfortable 33-7 victory. The Wraiths' secondary shined in this game as three separate defenders each hauled in an interception and they held Borkus Maximus III to a 35.1 passer rating. Overall, it was a good season opener for the Wraiths as they looked like the same team from last season and picked up a convincing road win against a likely playoff team.
The Wraiths played their home opener in Week 2. They played against an Outlaws team that was not expected to contend this season and was coming off of a 47-10 loss in Week 1. The Wraiths were viewed as heavy favorites entering this game with home field advantage against a team that didn't look very strong. However, it was the Outlaws who took control early on as they had the first score of the game off of a 1 yard reception by Reg Mackworthy midway through the first quarter. The Outlaws held their 7-0 lead through to the end of the first quarter. However, the Wraiths tied the game up shortly after the start of the second quarter as Mat Akselsen scrambled 19 yards to the endzone. However, Mackworthy struck again a couple drives later as the Outlaws turned a recovered fumble into a drive culminating in a touchdown run to put the Outlaws up 14-7. The Wraiths tried to answer back with a touchdown before halftime but their final drive was not quick enough, so they were forced to settle for a field goal that narrowed the deficit to 14-10 heading into halftime. A potential upset was brewing as the Outlaws held on to a 4 point lead entering the second half. This lead didn't last long as the Wraiths took their first lead of the game as they capped off the opening drive of the second half with a Robby Rainey touchdown run to give them a 17-14 lead. There was no more scoring in the third quarter as the Wraiths held on to their lead. However, the Outlaws weren't done as they regained the lead midway through the fourth quarter with another Reg Mackworthy touchdown run to put them up 21-17. But the Wraiths answered back on the following drive as Mat Akselsen ran in his second touchdown of the day to give the Wraiths a 24-21 lead. A few drives later, the Outlaws tried to go for the kill but were stopped on the 3 yard line and had to settle for a field goal that tied the game up 24-24 and sent it to overtime. Both teams went three and out on their first drive of overtime, but the Outlaws broke through on their second drive as a 31 yard reception by rookie Viggo Squanch set the Outlaws up on the Wraiths' 35 yard line in position to go for a game winning score. But then an unlikely hero stepped up for the Wraiths. Ugandan Knuckles, who is the lowest TPE player on the Wraiths' roster and an offseason addition, stripped the ball from Reg Mackworthy in a game saving play that prevented the Outlaws from capitalizing on the field position and gave the ball back to the Wraiths. The Wraiths did not squander this opportunity as they drove all the way down the field and Robby Rainey capped the game off with a walk off touchdown run to give the Wraiths a 30-24 victory. The Wraiths managed to avoid the upset and escape with a win, but this game cast some doubt on the Wraiths as they struggled to win a game they were supposed to easily win.
The Wraiths stayed at home in Week 3 as they hosted the Second Line in a rematch of Week 1. The Wraiths were hoping to show that their comfortable Week 1 victory was more indicative of their talent than their narrow Week 2 victory. The first half of the first quarter was scoreless as the defenses traded stops, but the Wraiths capitalized off an interception to get on the board first with a field goal that put them up 3-0 shortly after the midway point of the quarter. They then forced a three and out and followed up with another field goal on their following drive to end the quarter with a 6-0 lead. The Second Line scored their first points a few minutes into the second quarter as a field goal by Peg Leg made it a 6-3 game. The Wraiths answered back on the following drive as Robby Rainey ran in his first touchdown of the day to extend the lead to 13-3. A few drives later, the Wraiths made a stand on their 6 yard line that made the Second Line settle for a field goal that made the score 13-6. This score would hold for the rest of the half as the Wraiths took a 7 point lead into the locker room. The second half started with a bang as Eric Kennedy returned the opening kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown to put the Wraiths up 20-6. The Wraiths forced a quick three and out and then extended their lead on the following drive as Robby Rainey ran into the end zone for the second time of the game to put the Wraiths up 27-6. There was no more scoring in the third quarter as the Wraiths took a three touchdown lead into the final quarter. The Second Line cut into the lead shortly after the start of the fourth quarter as Borkus Maximus III connected with Dustin Evans for a touchdown point to cut the deficit to 27-13. However, this was as close as the game would get as Robby Rainey found the end zone two more times in the final quarter and the Wraiths held on for a comfortable 41-13 win. Robby Rainey starred in this game as he set a franchise record with his four rushing touchdowns and the Wraiths played a strong game all around to come away with a big victory and remain undefeated in the season.
Week 4 brought on a highly anticipated match up as the Wraiths traveled to Baltimore to take on the Hawks. These were the final two undefeated teams in the league and this game would determine who would be the last undefeated team of Season 8 and would determine who would finish the week in first place in the NSFC. The Wraiths entered this game as underdogs for the first time this season since they would be playing on the road against one of the best teams in the league. However, the Wraiths came out strong as they took the first lead midway through the first quarter as a field goal by Forfeit put them up 3-0. Philippe Carter intercepted Avon Blocksdale a few plays later to set up a touchdown pass from Mat Akselsen to Glenn McPoyal that extended the Wraiths' lead to 10-0. However, the Hawks weren't going to go easily as they answered back with an Owen Taylor touchdown run on the final play of the first quarter to make it a 10-7 game. The teams traded three and outs early in the second quarter until Bailey Cook returned a punt 71 yards for a touchdown but Forfeit missed the extra point so the score became 16-7. Later in the quarter, Trey Willie took a pass 52 yards for a Hawks touchdown that made it a 16-14 game. The Wraiths answered with another field goal on the following drive to extend their lead to 19-14. Neither team got another drive going before halftime, so this score held until the end of the first half. The Hawks came out of halftime hot as their opening drive of the second half finished with an 11 yard touchdown pass from Avon Blocksdale to Verso L'Alto to put the Hawks back on top with a 21-19 lead. Gregory Fletcher intercepted Mat Akselsen on the following drive which gave the ball back to the Hawks in Wraiths territory. A few plays later, Avon Blocksdale connected with Owen Taylor to stretch the Hawks' lead to 28-19. For the first time all season, the Wraiths trailed by more than one score. However, Mat Akselsen stayed poised on the following drive, completing multiple long passes culminating in a 24 yard touchdown pass to Bailey Cook to put the Wraiths within striking distance with a 28-26 score. The Hawks took their two point lead into the fourth quarter of the game. The Hawks started the fourth quarter with the ball but were unable to get any points as they punted the ball back to the Wraiths. The Wraiths drove the ball 80 yards down the field and Mat Akselsen scrambled 1 yard into the end zone as the Wraiths regained the lead but a missed extra point made the score 32-28. The Wraiths' defense stuffed the Hawks on 3 and 1 on the following drive and it looked like the game may have been over as the Hawks decided to punt with just over three minutes remaining while down by 4. A couple plays later, former Wraith Arbin Asipi Jr. came up big as he stripped the ball from Mat Akselsen following a 7 yard run and gave the ball back to the Hawks on the Wraiths' 47 yard line with two and a half minutes remaining and a chance to win the game. They needed a touchdown to win, so the Wraiths took a bend but don't break approach as they let the Hawks slowly drive closer to the endzone while chewing through their timeouts. The Hawks made it down to the 6 yard line on a 10 yard pass from Avon Blocksdale to Owen Taylor, but there was not enough time to get another play off as the clock expired and the Wraiths hung on for the win. This was a huge win for the Wraiths as they not only won an important road game, but did so against a conference rival who they will likely be competing with for playoff seeding later in the season. With this win, the Wraiths settled any questions about whether they would be top contenders again this season by showing up big time in what was potentially the hardest game on their schedule.
Week 5 brought on a game that stirred up some emotions for the Wraiths. They were facing the Philadelphia Liberty for the first time since losing to them in the playoffs last season. The Wraiths had the chance to get some revenge from last season's ending while also picking up a win that would greatly help their playoff standing this season. Coming off of a big road win, the Wraiths had the chance to win a key road game against a conference rival for a second week in a row. The game started out as a defensive battle as no team scored until there was just over a minute left in the first quarter. The Liberty struck first as Tyler Oles connected with Carter Bush for a 7 yard touchdown pass to give the Liberty a 7-0 lead. The Wraiths answered back with a touchdown pass of their own on the following drive as Cesar Milan caught a 9 yard pass from Mat Akselsen to tie the game up at 7-7. However, the Liberty quickly regained their lead as their following drive ended with another 7 yard touchdown pass, this time from Tyler Oles to Paul DiMirio to put the Liberty up 14-7. A few drives later, the Wraiths answered back as two consecutive 39 yard completions set up a 1 yard touchdown run by Mat Akselsen to tie the game back up at 14-14. A few plays later, Clee Hardrool hauled in an interception on the Liberty's 28 yard line that gave the ball back to the Wraiths with the chance to take their first lead of the game before halftime. They made it to the 3 yard line, but did not have enough time to reach the endzone and instead settled for a field goal that put them up 17-14 heading into halftime. The Wraiths looked to extend their lead early in the second half as they held the Liberty to a three and out and then drove deep into Liberty territory but the drive stalled out and they kicked a field goal that put them up 20-14. The Liberty responded quickly as Josh Garden returned the following kickoff 89 yards and a couple plays later, Damien Kroetch found the end zone on a two yard run to put the Liberty back on top 21-20. After the teams traded punts, Mat Akselsen broke off a 39 yard touchdown run that put the Wraiths back on top with a 27-21 lead in the final minute of the third quarter. This score allowed the Wraiths to carry a 6 point lead into the fourth quarter. The Liberty's opening drive of the fourth quarter took them all the way from their own twenty yard line to the end zone as Carter Bush ran 11 yards for a touchdown but the Liberty were unable to regain the lead as Stephen Harris missed the extra point and the score was tied at 27-27. The Wraiths took the lead back on the following drive as they drove down the field and Robby Rainey capped the drive off with a 3 yard touchdown run to put the Wraiths up 34-27. The Liberty began driving back down the field with a chance to tie the game up as the time on the clock dwindled down. The Liberty made it to the Wraiths' 16 yard line but the Wraiths' defense made a stand and forced a turnover on downs. At this point, the Wraiths were able to run out the rest of the clock and held on to win 34-27. The Wraiths remained undefeated after a tough two game stretch on the road and got to avenge their playoff loss from last season. Once again, the defense made a late stand to keep their opponent out of the end zone on the final drive as they held on for a major win to give them a leg up in the standings against a conference rival.
The Wraiths returned to Yellowknife in Week 6 for a rematch against the Baltimore Hawks, who they would be playing for the second time in three weeks. The Hawks were determined to make up for their previous loss at home to the Wraiths by stealing the second match up on the road while the Wraiths hoped to cushion their lead in the conference and complete the season sweep of the Hawks. The Wraiths came out hot as they drove down the field on the opening drive and Mat Akselsen connected with Bailey Cook for a 16 yard touchdown reception to put the the Wraiths up 7-0 early on. The Wraiths held the Hawks to a three and out and then scored again on the following drive with a field goal by Forfeit to put them up 10-0. This lead would hold for the rest of the first quarter as the Hawks quickly punted the ball back to the Wraiths on their next drive. The Wraiths' hot start continued into the second quarter as another field goal gave them a 13-0 lead before the Hawks had gained a first down. However, the Hawks weren't going quietly as they got on the board with a field goal on the following drive to cut the deficit to 13-3. After the teams traded a few punts, Antoine Delacour took one to the house with an 85 yard punt return that put the Hawks within striking distance at 13-10. Neither team could sustain another drive as this score held through to half time. The defenses held strong for most of the third quarter before the Wraiths broke through with a field goald with just under three minutes remaining in the quarter to give them a 16-10 lead. This was the only scoring of the third quarter as the Wraiths entered the final quarter looking to extend their lead. On the first play of the fourth quarter, the Wraiths completed a field goal to give them a 19-10 lead and make it a two score game. But the Hawks fought back on the following drive as Avon Blocksdale found Alexandre LeClair for a touchdown that cut it to a 19-17 deficit for the Hawks. However, the Wraiths pushed the lead back to 9 points on the following drive as Mat Akselsen connected with Eric Kennedy from 5 yards out to give the Wraiths a 26-17 lead. The Wraiths would extend the lead on their next drive as Forfeit converted his fifth field goal of the game to put them up 29-17. The Hawks were able to draw closer on their next drive as Trey Willie ran a pass from Avon Blocksdale 26 yards to the end zone to make it a 29-24 game. However, the Hawks would not get a chance to take back the lead as the Wraiths ran out the rest of the game clock and held on for the 29-24 win. With this win the Wraiths completed a regular season sweep of the Hawks and improved their record to 6-0 with a 3-0 start in conference play.
Looking back at these games so far, this looks to be another promising season for the Wraiths. After a series of closely fought conference games, the Wraiths remain perfect so far at 6-0 with two very tough road games behind them. They currently sit at first place in the NSFC with a two game lead over the second placed Philadelphia Liberty and also have the best record in the league overall as the only challenged in the ASFC is the 4-2 Otters. If they keep up this pace, the Wraiths have a good shot to finish as regular season champions for the second year in a row. Will they be able to get things right in the playoffs this time around? That remains to be so far, but so far this season has the makings of a very exciting year for the Wraiths as they hope to bring home their first championship.
One of the big storylines coming into Season 8 of the NSFL was how the Yellowknife Wraiths would respond to last season's ending. The Wraiths had their best season in franchise history with a 13-1 record and were the regular season champions, but fell short at home in their first playoff game as they lost 40-31 against the eventual champions in the Philadelphia Liberty. Would the Wraiths be broken after that crushing loss and unable to replicate their success or would they come back stronger with a vengeance looking to make up for that loss? So far the latter seems to be true as the Wraiths are off to a hot start as they have posted a perfect 6-0 record so far. Let's look at how the Wraith's season has gone so far.
The Wraiths opened up the season on the road against the New Orleans Second Line. This was an interesting match up as the Second Line are a team that many expected to take a big step forward this season. Meanwhile, the Wraiths were dealing with their first round of regression to some key contributors, so some wondered whether they would take a step back. There were some important questions about how these teams changed over the off season and this match up would give both teams a chance to answer them. The Second Line struck first with a Darren Smallwood touchdown run midway through the first quarter to put them up 7-0. However, Robby Rainey answered Smallwood with a touchdown run of his own on the following drive to even the game up at 7-7. The Wraiths broke the tie with a field goal by forfeit early in the second quarter and Cameron Taylor returned an interception 57 yards for a Wraiths touchdown later in the quarter to give the Wraiths a 17-7 lead heading into halftime. The Wraiths didn't let up in the second half as another field goal by Forfeit and another touchdown run by Robby Rainey made it a 27-7 game at the end of the third quarter. There was little excitement in the fourth quarter as the Wraiths tacked on two more field goals for a comfortable 33-7 victory. The Wraiths' secondary shined in this game as three separate defenders each hauled in an interception and they held Borkus Maximus III to a 35.1 passer rating. Overall, it was a good season opener for the Wraiths as they looked like the same team from last season and picked up a convincing road win against a likely playoff team.
The Wraiths played their home opener in Week 2. They played against an Outlaws team that was not expected to contend this season and was coming off of a 47-10 loss in Week 1. The Wraiths were viewed as heavy favorites entering this game with home field advantage against a team that didn't look very strong. However, it was the Outlaws who took control early on as they had the first score of the game off of a 1 yard reception by Reg Mackworthy midway through the first quarter. The Outlaws held their 7-0 lead through to the end of the first quarter. However, the Wraiths tied the game up shortly after the start of the second quarter as Mat Akselsen scrambled 19 yards to the endzone. However, Mackworthy struck again a couple drives later as the Outlaws turned a recovered fumble into a drive culminating in a touchdown run to put the Outlaws up 14-7. The Wraiths tried to answer back with a touchdown before halftime but their final drive was not quick enough, so they were forced to settle for a field goal that narrowed the deficit to 14-10 heading into halftime. A potential upset was brewing as the Outlaws held on to a 4 point lead entering the second half. This lead didn't last long as the Wraiths took their first lead of the game as they capped off the opening drive of the second half with a Robby Rainey touchdown run to give them a 17-14 lead. There was no more scoring in the third quarter as the Wraiths held on to their lead. However, the Outlaws weren't done as they regained the lead midway through the fourth quarter with another Reg Mackworthy touchdown run to put them up 21-17. But the Wraiths answered back on the following drive as Mat Akselsen ran in his second touchdown of the day to give the Wraiths a 24-21 lead. A few drives later, the Outlaws tried to go for the kill but were stopped on the 3 yard line and had to settle for a field goal that tied the game up 24-24 and sent it to overtime. Both teams went three and out on their first drive of overtime, but the Outlaws broke through on their second drive as a 31 yard reception by rookie Viggo Squanch set the Outlaws up on the Wraiths' 35 yard line in position to go for a game winning score. But then an unlikely hero stepped up for the Wraiths. Ugandan Knuckles, who is the lowest TPE player on the Wraiths' roster and an offseason addition, stripped the ball from Reg Mackworthy in a game saving play that prevented the Outlaws from capitalizing on the field position and gave the ball back to the Wraiths. The Wraiths did not squander this opportunity as they drove all the way down the field and Robby Rainey capped the game off with a walk off touchdown run to give the Wraiths a 30-24 victory. The Wraiths managed to avoid the upset and escape with a win, but this game cast some doubt on the Wraiths as they struggled to win a game they were supposed to easily win.
The Wraiths stayed at home in Week 3 as they hosted the Second Line in a rematch of Week 1. The Wraiths were hoping to show that their comfortable Week 1 victory was more indicative of their talent than their narrow Week 2 victory. The first half of the first quarter was scoreless as the defenses traded stops, but the Wraiths capitalized off an interception to get on the board first with a field goal that put them up 3-0 shortly after the midway point of the quarter. They then forced a three and out and followed up with another field goal on their following drive to end the quarter with a 6-0 lead. The Second Line scored their first points a few minutes into the second quarter as a field goal by Peg Leg made it a 6-3 game. The Wraiths answered back on the following drive as Robby Rainey ran in his first touchdown of the day to extend the lead to 13-3. A few drives later, the Wraiths made a stand on their 6 yard line that made the Second Line settle for a field goal that made the score 13-6. This score would hold for the rest of the half as the Wraiths took a 7 point lead into the locker room. The second half started with a bang as Eric Kennedy returned the opening kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown to put the Wraiths up 20-6. The Wraiths forced a quick three and out and then extended their lead on the following drive as Robby Rainey ran into the end zone for the second time of the game to put the Wraiths up 27-6. There was no more scoring in the third quarter as the Wraiths took a three touchdown lead into the final quarter. The Second Line cut into the lead shortly after the start of the fourth quarter as Borkus Maximus III connected with Dustin Evans for a touchdown point to cut the deficit to 27-13. However, this was as close as the game would get as Robby Rainey found the end zone two more times in the final quarter and the Wraiths held on for a comfortable 41-13 win. Robby Rainey starred in this game as he set a franchise record with his four rushing touchdowns and the Wraiths played a strong game all around to come away with a big victory and remain undefeated in the season.
Week 4 brought on a highly anticipated match up as the Wraiths traveled to Baltimore to take on the Hawks. These were the final two undefeated teams in the league and this game would determine who would be the last undefeated team of Season 8 and would determine who would finish the week in first place in the NSFC. The Wraiths entered this game as underdogs for the first time this season since they would be playing on the road against one of the best teams in the league. However, the Wraiths came out strong as they took the first lead midway through the first quarter as a field goal by Forfeit put them up 3-0. Philippe Carter intercepted Avon Blocksdale a few plays later to set up a touchdown pass from Mat Akselsen to Glenn McPoyal that extended the Wraiths' lead to 10-0. However, the Hawks weren't going to go easily as they answered back with an Owen Taylor touchdown run on the final play of the first quarter to make it a 10-7 game. The teams traded three and outs early in the second quarter until Bailey Cook returned a punt 71 yards for a touchdown but Forfeit missed the extra point so the score became 16-7. Later in the quarter, Trey Willie took a pass 52 yards for a Hawks touchdown that made it a 16-14 game. The Wraiths answered with another field goal on the following drive to extend their lead to 19-14. Neither team got another drive going before halftime, so this score held until the end of the first half. The Hawks came out of halftime hot as their opening drive of the second half finished with an 11 yard touchdown pass from Avon Blocksdale to Verso L'Alto to put the Hawks back on top with a 21-19 lead. Gregory Fletcher intercepted Mat Akselsen on the following drive which gave the ball back to the Hawks in Wraiths territory. A few plays later, Avon Blocksdale connected with Owen Taylor to stretch the Hawks' lead to 28-19. For the first time all season, the Wraiths trailed by more than one score. However, Mat Akselsen stayed poised on the following drive, completing multiple long passes culminating in a 24 yard touchdown pass to Bailey Cook to put the Wraiths within striking distance with a 28-26 score. The Hawks took their two point lead into the fourth quarter of the game. The Hawks started the fourth quarter with the ball but were unable to get any points as they punted the ball back to the Wraiths. The Wraiths drove the ball 80 yards down the field and Mat Akselsen scrambled 1 yard into the end zone as the Wraiths regained the lead but a missed extra point made the score 32-28. The Wraiths' defense stuffed the Hawks on 3 and 1 on the following drive and it looked like the game may have been over as the Hawks decided to punt with just over three minutes remaining while down by 4. A couple plays later, former Wraith Arbin Asipi Jr. came up big as he stripped the ball from Mat Akselsen following a 7 yard run and gave the ball back to the Hawks on the Wraiths' 47 yard line with two and a half minutes remaining and a chance to win the game. They needed a touchdown to win, so the Wraiths took a bend but don't break approach as they let the Hawks slowly drive closer to the endzone while chewing through their timeouts. The Hawks made it down to the 6 yard line on a 10 yard pass from Avon Blocksdale to Owen Taylor, but there was not enough time to get another play off as the clock expired and the Wraiths hung on for the win. This was a huge win for the Wraiths as they not only won an important road game, but did so against a conference rival who they will likely be competing with for playoff seeding later in the season. With this win, the Wraiths settled any questions about whether they would be top contenders again this season by showing up big time in what was potentially the hardest game on their schedule.
Week 5 brought on a game that stirred up some emotions for the Wraiths. They were facing the Philadelphia Liberty for the first time since losing to them in the playoffs last season. The Wraiths had the chance to get some revenge from last season's ending while also picking up a win that would greatly help their playoff standing this season. Coming off of a big road win, the Wraiths had the chance to win a key road game against a conference rival for a second week in a row. The game started out as a defensive battle as no team scored until there was just over a minute left in the first quarter. The Liberty struck first as Tyler Oles connected with Carter Bush for a 7 yard touchdown pass to give the Liberty a 7-0 lead. The Wraiths answered back with a touchdown pass of their own on the following drive as Cesar Milan caught a 9 yard pass from Mat Akselsen to tie the game up at 7-7. However, the Liberty quickly regained their lead as their following drive ended with another 7 yard touchdown pass, this time from Tyler Oles to Paul DiMirio to put the Liberty up 14-7. A few drives later, the Wraiths answered back as two consecutive 39 yard completions set up a 1 yard touchdown run by Mat Akselsen to tie the game back up at 14-14. A few plays later, Clee Hardrool hauled in an interception on the Liberty's 28 yard line that gave the ball back to the Wraiths with the chance to take their first lead of the game before halftime. They made it to the 3 yard line, but did not have enough time to reach the endzone and instead settled for a field goal that put them up 17-14 heading into halftime. The Wraiths looked to extend their lead early in the second half as they held the Liberty to a three and out and then drove deep into Liberty territory but the drive stalled out and they kicked a field goal that put them up 20-14. The Liberty responded quickly as Josh Garden returned the following kickoff 89 yards and a couple plays later, Damien Kroetch found the end zone on a two yard run to put the Liberty back on top 21-20. After the teams traded punts, Mat Akselsen broke off a 39 yard touchdown run that put the Wraiths back on top with a 27-21 lead in the final minute of the third quarter. This score allowed the Wraiths to carry a 6 point lead into the fourth quarter. The Liberty's opening drive of the fourth quarter took them all the way from their own twenty yard line to the end zone as Carter Bush ran 11 yards for a touchdown but the Liberty were unable to regain the lead as Stephen Harris missed the extra point and the score was tied at 27-27. The Wraiths took the lead back on the following drive as they drove down the field and Robby Rainey capped the drive off with a 3 yard touchdown run to put the Wraiths up 34-27. The Liberty began driving back down the field with a chance to tie the game up as the time on the clock dwindled down. The Liberty made it to the Wraiths' 16 yard line but the Wraiths' defense made a stand and forced a turnover on downs. At this point, the Wraiths were able to run out the rest of the clock and held on to win 34-27. The Wraiths remained undefeated after a tough two game stretch on the road and got to avenge their playoff loss from last season. Once again, the defense made a late stand to keep their opponent out of the end zone on the final drive as they held on for a major win to give them a leg up in the standings against a conference rival.
The Wraiths returned to Yellowknife in Week 6 for a rematch against the Baltimore Hawks, who they would be playing for the second time in three weeks. The Hawks were determined to make up for their previous loss at home to the Wraiths by stealing the second match up on the road while the Wraiths hoped to cushion their lead in the conference and complete the season sweep of the Hawks. The Wraiths came out hot as they drove down the field on the opening drive and Mat Akselsen connected with Bailey Cook for a 16 yard touchdown reception to put the the Wraiths up 7-0 early on. The Wraiths held the Hawks to a three and out and then scored again on the following drive with a field goal by Forfeit to put them up 10-0. This lead would hold for the rest of the first quarter as the Hawks quickly punted the ball back to the Wraiths on their next drive. The Wraiths' hot start continued into the second quarter as another field goal gave them a 13-0 lead before the Hawks had gained a first down. However, the Hawks weren't going quietly as they got on the board with a field goal on the following drive to cut the deficit to 13-3. After the teams traded a few punts, Antoine Delacour took one to the house with an 85 yard punt return that put the Hawks within striking distance at 13-10. Neither team could sustain another drive as this score held through to half time. The defenses held strong for most of the third quarter before the Wraiths broke through with a field goald with just under three minutes remaining in the quarter to give them a 16-10 lead. This was the only scoring of the third quarter as the Wraiths entered the final quarter looking to extend their lead. On the first play of the fourth quarter, the Wraiths completed a field goal to give them a 19-10 lead and make it a two score game. But the Hawks fought back on the following drive as Avon Blocksdale found Alexandre LeClair for a touchdown that cut it to a 19-17 deficit for the Hawks. However, the Wraiths pushed the lead back to 9 points on the following drive as Mat Akselsen connected with Eric Kennedy from 5 yards out to give the Wraiths a 26-17 lead. The Wraiths would extend the lead on their next drive as Forfeit converted his fifth field goal of the game to put them up 29-17. The Hawks were able to draw closer on their next drive as Trey Willie ran a pass from Avon Blocksdale 26 yards to the end zone to make it a 29-24 game. However, the Hawks would not get a chance to take back the lead as the Wraiths ran out the rest of the game clock and held on for the 29-24 win. With this win the Wraiths completed a regular season sweep of the Hawks and improved their record to 6-0 with a 3-0 start in conference play.
Looking back at these games so far, this looks to be another promising season for the Wraiths. After a series of closely fought conference games, the Wraiths remain perfect so far at 6-0 with two very tough road games behind them. They currently sit at first place in the NSFC with a two game lead over the second placed Philadelphia Liberty and also have the best record in the league overall as the only challenged in the ASFC is the 4-2 Otters. If they keep up this pace, the Wraiths have a good shot to finish as regular season champions for the second year in a row. Will they be able to get things right in the playoffs this time around? That remains to be so far, but so far this season has the makings of a very exciting year for the Wraiths as they hope to bring home their first championship.