Raider blitz sinks Surge; Eddy shines in N.E. debut.

• Position: SPORTS

Byline: John Boccacino

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - The New England Surge got a warm welcome to the Continental Indoor Football League.

In their debut in the fledgling 7-on-7 league, the Surge hung tough for one quarter before succumbing to the well-rounded attack of the Rochester Raiders.

New England allowed 21 straight second-quarter points and fell to the Raiders, 77-40, last night at the Main Street Armory downtown.

"Things can happen so quickly in this game and you just have to bounce back and stay in control," said quarterback Marc Eddy, the Bentley College graduate who tossed four touchdown passes. "This was tons of fun. Obviously we'd have more fun winning, and I think we will start winning."

The Surge (0-1) used some trickery to keep the game close in the first quarter.

After the Raiders (1-1) drove down and scored on their first possession, Cy Butler returned the first kickoff in Surge history down the sidelines for a 30-yard gain.

New England then lined up for a long field goal attempt. The snap to Anthony Comer was low, but the Boston College graduate didn't panic; he lobbed a spiral along the right sideline and into the arms of kicker Eric Calderwood. Calderwood beat his man and scampered into the end zone for a 25-yard TD and a 7-all tie.

Following a 25-yard Rochester TD pass, Eddy engineered another scoring drive.

Eddy completed all three passes on a 40-yard march, including a 24-yard scoring toss to Butler that drew the Surge within 14-13 with under two minutes left in the first.

"I know we're an athletic team, we just have a lot to learn and work on it, but we're going to get it," Eddy said.

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