abstract
| - The Sioux Falls Storm are a professional indoor football team. They are a member of the Indoor Football League. They play their home games at Sioux Falls Arena (also known as the Storm Shelter & also the home to the NBA D-League's Sioux Falls Skyforce). As a member of United Indoor Football, they won all four of that league's championship games. Before helping to create the UIF in 2005, the Storm were members of the NIFL and the IFL (Sioux Falls Cobras). The Storm hosted the 2004 NIFL championship game against the Lexington Horsemen in the Storm Shelter in front of a sellout crowd. The Horsemen won the championship game, but the Storm beat the Horsemen in the 2nd round of the 2005 Playoffs. The Sioux Falls Storm were charter members of the UIF and were the first ever UIF Champions with a win over the Sioux City Bandits in 2005. The Sioux Falls Storm won their second consecutive UIF championship in 2006 on their home turf, defeating the Lexington Horseman 72-64 on July 29, 2006. Quarterback Terrance Bryant named United Bowl II MVP after throwing eight touchdowns in the contest vs. Horsemen. They also employ the Sack Master Nate Fluit, who has recorded 16.5 and 15.5 sacks the last two years respectively. They are also one of the few teams in indoor football history to post a shutout, beating the Peoria Rough Riders 71-0 on June 3, 2006. On Saturday, August 4, 2007, the Storm defeated the Lexington Horsemen for the second United Bowl in a row, 62 to 59. With 19 seconds left to go in the game Storm quarterback, Terrance Bryant, threw up a prayer, and though protested by the small crowd of Horsemen fans, was ruled a touchdown pass. With 3 seconds left in the ball game, with the help of a frantic fan going for the game ball, the Horsemen gained 15 yards for a chance to kick a field goal and tie the game, but the kick was missed by Horsemen kicker, Collin Barber. The first kick also missed. On March 29, 2008, the Storm lost to the Omaha Beef 34-18, ending their historic 40-game winning streak and giving them their first loss since July 15, 2005. They went on to win their fourth United Bowl later that season against the Bloomington Extreme. On April 25, 2009, the Storm were found in violation of the Indoor Football League's rule of not complying with regulations regulated to workers compensation coverage. As punishment, the team's first five wins of the season were forfeited into losses.[1]
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