The Empire State Roar was a women's tackle football team in Rochester, New York. They played at East High School (Rochester, New York). The team was a member of the Women's Professional Football League (WPFL) for three football seasons, 2005–2007.

Empire State Roar
Founded2005
LeagueWPFL (2005-2007)
Based inRochester, New York
StadiumEast High School (Rochester, New York)
ColorsBlack, gold, white
PresidentSandra Rogers
Head coachShawn R. Stauber, John Evans
Championships0
Division titles1 (2007)

History

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The Empire State Roar followed the Rochester Raptors of the National Women's Football Association (NWFA) and the Syracuse Sting of the WPFL both of which had folded in 2004.

The Roar was established in 2005 by former Rochester Raptors and Syracuse Sting lineswoman Sandra Rogers, who was said to have merged the two teams into one.[1][2] Shawn R. Stauber was head coach. The team joined the WPFL as an exhibition team in 2005, and became a full member of the league in 2006.

The Roar's most successful season was 2007 when, under Head Coach John Evans, they won the Northern Division with an 8–0 regular season. The team fell in the playoffs to the eventual league champion SoCal Scorpions. Notably, Empire State Roar home games were broadcast on Finger Lakes TV Channel 12 for the 2007 season.[3]

The WPFL ceased operations after the 2007 season, leaving the Roar without a league. The team did not play in 2008. Organizational efforts to revive the Roar in the Independent Women's Football League and the Women's Football Alliance in 2009 and 2010 all failed, and the team folded permanently.

Season-by-season

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Season records
Season W L T Finish Playoff results
Empire State Roar (WPFL)
2005 2 4 0 Exhibition Season --
2006 4 3 0 2nd American East --
2007 8 1 0 1st American East Lost American Conference Championship (SoCal)
Totals 14 8 0

[4]

References

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  1. ^ Wilson, Ron (17 August 2007). "Ladies getting ready for some football". Augusta Chronicle. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  2. ^ Moritz, Amy (27 Aug 2007). "Hear them Roar: Women's tackle football team turns heads with hard-hitting action". Buffalo News. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  3. ^ Wilson, Ron (17 August 2007). "Ladies getting ready for some football". Augusta Chronicle. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  4. ^ Rozendaal, Neal (20 January 2016). The Women's Football Encyclopedia. p. 193. ISBN 978-0-9970637-0-7.