An emotional crowd, two goal-line stands and a 7-0 lead in the first quarter had the Wisconsin Wolfpack thinking upset Saturday against the Chicago Slaughter.  In the end, though, the Slaughter proved to have too much offense and completed its undefeated regular season with a 49-14 win over the Wolfpack at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

The Slaughter (12-0), who have broken a number of Continental Indoor Football League offensive records in the 2009 season, struggled early.

The Wolfpack failed to capitalize after stopping the Slaughter on fourth and goal during Chicago’s first possession of the game, but struck after a second defensive stand as Wolfpack quarterback Tom Kudyba found Reggie Davis for a 33-yard touchdown pass on the last play of the period.  The Wolfpack are the only team to hold the Slaughter scoreless in a quarter in 2009, having also done so in the fourth quarter of a 40-36 Slaughter win in Madison on March 21.

Chicago recovered in the second quarter, scoring three times to take a 21-7 lead, before Kudyba and Davis would connect for a second touchdown to cut the Chicago lead back to seven.  Slaughter kicker Chris Nendick would miss a field goal prior to halftime to kill any momentum Chicago had gained in the period.

"We think we can beat these guys,” Wolfpack head coach Jordan Kopac said.  “We felt like we were in it after the first half.”

Turnovers hurt the Wolfpack throughout the night, particularly in the second half.  An Eric Donoval goal-line fumble, which rolled through the back of the open-ended Coliseum end zone, cost the Wolfpack one touchdown as the Slaughter took possession of the football by rule, while a Kudyba interception would set up another Slaughter score.  The Wolfpack would fail to score in the second half while the Slaughter grew their lead through the effective use of Russ Michna passes to his uncovered offensive linemen.

“That’s almost not fair,” Kopac said.  “When you have so many options and the guy is able to pop off the line like that, it’s almost not fair.”

The loss means the Wolfpack still must either win its final regular-season game against the Wheeling Wildcats or have the Rock River Raptors lose their final game to the Marion Mayhem to qualify for the CIFL Western Conference Championship Game.  The Slaughter have already guaranteed themselves the opportunity to play in and host both the conference championship and the 2009 CIFL Championship Game, with the conference championship scheduled for Sat., June 20 at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Ill.

The Wolfpack/Wildcats game will start at 6 p.m. CDT on Sat., June 6 in Wheeling, W. Va.  Coverage of the game will be available via the Continental Indoor Football League website, continentalindoorfootball.com.  Fans are encouraged to visit wiwolfpack.com for further info on playoff scenarios and possible ticket availability for the conference championship.