Erie Freeze The Erie Freeze was an American indoor football team based in Erie , Pennsylvania . They were an original member of the American Indoor Football League in 2005 , and advanced to the first AIFL Championship Game . When the league was reorganized into the American Indoor Football Association in 2007 , they continued league play until the end of the 2007 . Negotiations between the team ownership and the league fell apart in late 2007 , and thus put an end to the franchise . They were replaced in 2008 by the Erie RiverRats , who relocated from Pittsburgh , PA . Factoring in both the Freeze and its successor , Erie was the only market to have an AIFL and AIFA team from the time of its founding in 2005 until its breakup and eventual cessation of operations in 2010 . History . Prior to the arrival of the Freeze , Erie , Pennsylvania had one other indoor football team , the Erie Invaders of the Indoor Football League , back in 2000 . The Freeze played well in the league ' s inaugural season , earning a 9 - 1 regular season record and winning a semifinal playoff game against the Canton Legends . With the victory , the Freeze earned the right to host the league ' s first American Bowl ( the league ' s championship game ) against the Richmond Bandits . However , the Freeze lost the game 56 - 30 , in part because of six interceptions by quarterback David Dinkins , who played much of the game with a corneal abrasion . Dinkins , who previously was on the roster of the Buffalo Bills of the NFL as a utility player , was named the 2005 AIFL MVP with a 60 % completion rate , along with 3 , 000 + passing yards and 812 rushing yards . In addition , head coach Mike Esposito was named 2005 AIFL Coach of the Year . The Freeze took necessary steps to prepare themselves for another championship run in 2006 , which included the re - signings of Dinkins ( Quarterback ) , Johnathan Sitter ( Center ) , JR Cipra ( Kicker ) , Eugene Padgett ( Defensive Back ) , Chris Blackshear ( Defensive Back ) , and Donte Pimpleton ( Wide Receiver ) . Despite signing a three - year contract extension with the team , Mike Esposito did not re - join the Freeze , instead accepting a job as the head coach of the Odessa Roughnecks of the Intense Football League , an indoor football league based in Texas . On Friday , January 6 , 2006 , the Freeze named Jerry " The Condo " Crafts as the team ' s new head coach . Crafts played several years as an offensive lineman for the Buffalo Bills , and later for the XFL ' s Los Angeles Xtreme and the Arena Football League ' s Buffalo Destroyers . On Friday , March 31 , 2006 , the Freeze managed to set some records during their 62 - 6 onslaught over the Steubenville Stampede . Freeze defensive back Sam Reynolds recorded a league regular single game record with four interceptions . Also , the Freeze defense recorded 9 turnovers and held the Stampede to a league low 6 points . On Friday , April 7 , 2006 , the Freeze was handed their first regular season loss by the Huntington Heroes , 55 - 33 . On Monday , April 17 , 2006 , the Freeze organization made a sudden change at the head coach position . Defensive coordinator David Arnold was named head coach for the remainder of the 2006 season . Today , he remains at the head coaching helm . Despite a rocky second half of the season , the Freeze ended the 2006 regular season at 10 - 4 and earned the Northern Conference ' s # 3 seed . Unfortunately , they fell to the eventual - AIFL champion Canton Legends 54 - 45 . The loss made the Freeze 0 - 3 when they play the Legends in Canton , Ohio . For 2007 , the Freeze took steps to resign some familiar faces around the Freeze organization , including Roosevelt Benjamin , Chris Blackshear , Shea D ’ Ambrosio , Manuel Johnson , Sam Reynolds , Dajuan Smith , and Darmel Whitfield . The team lost quarterback David Dinkins to the Pittsburgh RiverRats , and signed Randall Secky ( from nearby Bemus Point , NY ) to fill the void left by Dinkins ' departure . The Freeze managed to sign Jovon Johnson , a Mercyhurst Preparatory School and University of Iowa graduate . However , the signing was short lived as Johnson subsequently joined the practice squad of the Pittsburgh Steelers . The 2007 season was very difficult for the Freeze , and the team went from playoff contenders in 2006 to the bottom of the league , earning only a 1 - 13 record . The turnaround was so swift that Freeze owner David Hodas sent out an open letter to the fans thanking them for their support and begging them to stay on board . Despite the description of the Erie market as " successful " , after the end of the 2007 season , the league reluctantly demanded " significant changes " to the Freeze ' s ownership structure in order for their contract to be renewed . Hodas attempted to sell the team to a new owner , but paperwork problems caused the deal to fall through . As such , on October 8 , 2007 , the AIFA effectively kicked the Freeze out of the league . The Freeze were expected to return in 2009 by joining another league ( the CIFL was mentioned as a possibility ) . To compensate for the team being removed , the league arranged for the Pittsburgh RiverRats ( who were seeking a new arena ) to move from Pittsburgh to Erie thus becoming the Erie RiverRats , along with former Freeze members Dinkins and Cipra . It is assumed the Freeze has since folded . The team played their home games at the Louis J . Tullio Arena ( also the home of the OHL ' s Erie Otters ) . The name ' Freeze ' referred to Erie ' s frigid temperature in the winter , and also the lake effect snow from Lake Erie . The team ' s colors were black and ice blue . Their official mascot was Freddy , a friendly snow - white yeti wearing a black jersey , football pants , and boots . Season - By - Season . ! Totals | | 21 | | 20 | | 0