Game Summary

The parity in the CFL wasn’t any more evident than in Calgary on Friday night. The 1-4 Shreveport Pirates went into the game as long shot underdogs against the 4-0 Calgary Stampeders. Although the Pirates did not win the game, they came close, playing a strong game and shocking Calgary for the first quarter. Shreveport scored first when Bjorn Nittmo hit a 29 yard field goal. Later in the quarter the Pirates extended their lead moving into field goal range for Nittmo. He made good from 55 yards this time. Calgary was kept off the score sheet in the first quarter. It didn’t take long in the third quarter for the Stamps to break the goose egg. Flutie hit Sapunjis from 2 yards out capping a 75 yard drive for a touchdown. Kicker Mark McLoughlin hit the convert. Calgary’s next possession began on the Shreveport 1-yard line following a 60 yard punt return by Marvin Coleman. RB Tony Stewart capitalized by running the ball over from the 1-yard line. Again McLoughlin converted. The high scoring second quarter continued as Billy Joe Tolliver threw to WR Fred Montgomery covering 50 yards for a touchdown. Nittmo’s convert brought Shreveport within one point of Calgary. At the 9:30 mark of the quarter, Doug Flutie’s pass to Danielsen, over 19 yards for a touchdown, put the Stamps ahead by 8. McLoughlin hit a 12 yard field goal attempt to extend the lead for Calgary. Shreveport rounded out the second quarter scoring. Nittmo hit his third field goal of the day from 25 yards out leaving Shreveport trailing by 8 at half-time. Defence was the name of the game in the second half. There was no scoring in the third quarter and the teams managed to only swap field goals in the fourth. McLoughlin’s attempt was from 11 yards and Nittmo’s was from 22 yards. Shreveport played well against Calgary only being outscored in the second quarter, proving that every team in the CFL has to play strong no matter who they are playing.