At the quarter point of the 2041 CFL season, the Oregon Ice find themselves at an even 2-2 in the win/loss column, tied with Anchorage and 1 game behind Ring of Ice Division leader Seattle. The Ice, however, have been playing some pretty solid football as of late, helping them to dig out of a disastrous 0-2 start to the season.

The Week 1 overtime loss at Seattle was a heartbreaker for Ice fans. Starting linebackers Gus Prior (Foot) and Harvey Searcy (Knee) both sustained injuries in that game and have yet to return to action. That did not bode well for the Week 2 date in Durham, who had their way with the Ice that day in a 34-7 lopsided affair. "Definitely not the way we envisioned the start of the season. But we made some necessary adjustments and the team has refused to quit," Ice Head Coach Vince Howland said.

They definitely haven't quit. The Ice have won their last two games, and are in the midst of a 4 game homestand. Even without two of their best linebackers, the Ice managed to outscore their Week 3 and 4 opponents, Arizona and Santa Cruz, by a combined 72-22, giving up 1 passing TD and no rushing TDs. 12th year LB Edwin Stoner has shown he can still have an impact. His strip/sack/TD was part of an Ice 28-3 2nd half onslaught against Arizona. RB Winston Ellison added three rushing touchdowns in that half.

The passing game stepped up for the offense in Week 4 against Santa Cruz. After signing a big multi-year deal in the offseason, then having a rough start to the season, WR Frankie McIntyre came to life in Week 4. Despite the less than favorable weather conditions at home that day, Ice QB Kendall McCarthy connected with McIntyre 6 times for 134 yards, including a 39 yard TD. "We're making great progress both in the run and pass game," said McCarthy. "Tarzan (Hernandez) has really been a great complement to Winston in the backfield and the offensive line has been more solid each week."

The Ice have a tough 4 game stretch coming up, including two divisional games and a trip to Death Valley for a matchup with the currently undefeated Copperheads.

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Oregon Ice

Nice article...I can think of so many bad puns to reply with but I will do the league a favor and keep them to myself..

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Oregon Ice

You might want to check your contract. I do believe you are contractually required to share bad puns, no matter how painful they may be.

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ROF Division Champions: 2039 - 2043, 2045, 2047, 2054, 2056 - 2060, 2063, 2066-2067
WFC Conference Champions: 2018, 2041, 2042, 2057-2058, 2060, 2062-2063
CFL Champions: 2018, 2041, 2057-2058, 2060, 2062

Ha you'll see plenty of bad puns from me that's for sure..