Soul Look To Bounce Back From First Loss

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- For the first time in more than a year, the Philadelphia Soul are looking to bounce back from a loss as they prepare to host the Washington Valor on Saturday night.

Last week, the Soul lost on the road to the Baltimore Brigade, 49-42. It was their first loss since June 17th of last season and it dropped the Soul to 10-1 this season. Philadelphia had the ball at the end with a chance to tie or even win the game, but a final drive ended at the Baltimore seven-yard line when Dan Raudabaugh threw incomplete with six seconds remaining.

"We did have a lot go against us," Soul head coach Clint Dolezel tells KYW Newsradio. "Arena Football stuff just went against us, basically. Those games happen. But we had a chance to win it, it was in our hands, we did a good job of managing the clock there at the end and just didn't put it in the end zone. Learning experience for us for sure. We've got a lot of veterans, we'll be ready to bounce back this week."

Even with the loss, the Soul still sit alone at the top of the Arena Football League standings. They have clinched home-field in their first playoff game and with three games left, any combination of one Soul win or one Tampa Bay loss will clinch home-field throughout the postseason.

"That's the goal," Dolezel says. "We want home field, we feel like we play really well at home and if we can have that throughout the playoffs, I like our chances."

Washington won its first game this season and it has been all downhill since then. The Valor sit at 1-9 heading into Saturday night. Philadelphia already has two wins against the Valor this season, although the second one on May 27th came by just a point (48-47). Dolezel expects the Valor to leave it all out on the field in this one.

"I expect to see everything out of the book from them," Dolezel says. "We might see seven, eight onside kicks if they score that many times and every trick play you might imagine from them. They've got nothing to lose."

Philadelphia and Washington get underway at 7:00pm on Saturday night at the Center.