The dawn of the new millennium brought new challenges and
opportunities to the NEFL The North Atlantic Football Federation
changed its name to the North American Football Association
(N.A.F.A.) and became a member of the National Football Alliance
(N.F.A.), which sponsors a national tournament that brings the
best teams from the United States and Canada together to determine
a national champion. Expansion into Maine and New Hampshire saw
the NEFL’s roster of teams grow to fourteen and a second
conference, the North Atlantic Conference, was added. The Seacoast
Hawks from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, the Southern Maine Raging
Bulls, the York County Warchiefs, the Beachside Tomcats from Old
Orchard Beach, Maine, the Granite State Rebels from Manchester,
New Hampshire and the Nashua Predators comprised two very strong
divisions, the inland and coastal, with the Seacoast Hawks winning
the North Atlantic Conference championship. 2000 also brought the
merger of the Lawrence Lightning with the Greater Haverhill
Highlanders and the Rockingham Cougars with the Eastern Mass
Mavericks. The Bellingham Minutemen, headed by former New England
Patriots, Steve Grogan, Ronnie Lippett and Mosi Tatupu, also
joined the NEFL. The Bay State Bulldogs changed their name to the
Commonwealth Cavalry and the Mass Havoc and Quincy Granite dropped
out of the league.
The Greater Lowell Nor’easter became the first team in the history
of the NEFL to win three consecutive championships by again
defeating the Tri-Boro Rhinos in a rematch of the NEFL’s 1998
championship game. Unfortunately, the Nor’easter were unable to
defend their N.A.F.A. title when this time, they were defeated by
the Buffalo Gladiators, champions of the N.Y.A.F.L., in a rematch
of last years Harvest Bowl.
In 2001, the NEFL expanded into Vermont with the Ice Storm and added another team from the state of Maine, the Western Maine Rolling Thunder. The Eastern Mass Mavericks folded due to financial reasons, the Commonwealth Cavalry, under new management, changed its name to the Leominster Razorbacks and the Tri-Boro Rhinos took a one year leave of absence to reorganize to bring the total number of teams in the NEFL to fifteen.
The Boston Bandits, the league’s oldest member, defeated defending three time league champion, the Greater Lowell Nor’easter, for their first New England Football League title. The Nor’easter would exact their revenge in the first round of the N.A.F.A. playoffs as they rebounded and defeated the Bandits for a return trip to the N.A.F.A. Championship Game. The Nor’easter went on to face the Buffalo Gladiators for the third time in three years, this time traveling to Buffalo for the Harvest Bowl. For the second time in two years, the Nor’easter came up just short as they were once again defeated by the Gladiators. The Southern Maine Raging Bulls became champions of the North Atlantic Conference when they defeated the expansion Vermont Ice Storm, a team that had a very successful first year.
The 1996 campaign saw the NEFL undertake its largest expansion to date. The Merrimack Valley Vipers, the Middlesex County Seminoles, the Eastern Mass Mavericks, the Massachusetts Havoc and the Southern Maine Spartans became the five newest members of the league. The Greater Lawrence Grizzlies folded after the 1995 season. The NEFL now had ten teams with a Northern and Southern division. Four of the five new teams were successful and made the playoffs. It was the Massachusetts Havoc, however, that took home the NEFL championship by upsetting the previously undefeated Eastern Mass Mavericks and end a third successful year for the league.
In 2002 the NEFL become the first league in the country to accommodate teams at three different skill levels in three conferences, in addition to adding three new teams: the Monadnock Marauders, the Western Mass Wolverines and the Connecticut Thunder. The Tri-Boro Rhinos made their return to the league and the Western Maine Rolling Thunder, under new management, was now the Notre Dame Cobras, bringing the total number of teams in the NEFL to nineteen, encompassing all six New England states.
Our Maritime Conference (A) had the first year Connecticut Thunder win the championship, defeating the York County (Maine) Warchiefs in the new conference’s first ever title game. The North Atlantic Conference (AA) saw the Vermont Ice Storm playing in its second championship game in as many years, defeat the New England Stars for their first championship. The NEFL’s marquee Colonial Conference (AAA) featured the Boston Bandits and the Greater Lowell Nor’easter play in a rematch of the 2001 finals. This time, the Nor’easter defeated the Bandits in the NEFL’s first ever overtime championship game and claim their fourth NEFL title. Greater Lowell then went on to capture its third N.A.F.A. national championship title when they defeated the Brooklyn Mariners in Harvest Bowl IV.
In 2003, the New England Football League undertook its largest
expansion since the 1996 season. Four new teams joined the NEFL.
The South Shore Outlaws became the newest entry into the (AA)
North Atlantic Conference and the Central Maine Shockers,
Penobscot Seadragons and Maine Blizzard were placed in the (A)
Maritime Conference. The Greater Haverhill Highlanders, under new
team management, changed their name to the Merrimack Valley Crush.
The Seacoast Hawks defeated the Maine Tomcats to become NEFL (A)
Maritime Conference champions, and the New England Stars defeated
the Connecticut Thunder to become champions of the NEFL (AA) North
Atlantic Conference. The (AAA) Colonial Conference saw two long
time rivals battle it out in the championship game for a third
time when the Boston Bandits played the Greater Lowell Nor’easter.
The Bandits beat the Nor’easter for their second league title in
three years. The Bandits and the Nor’easter, along with the Crush,
were all unfortunately defeated in the first round of the N.A.F.A.
play-offs with the Bandits losing to the eventual National
Champion, Brooklyn Mariners, and the Nor’easter losing to the
runner-up, Irondquoit Sting. The Maine Blizzard left the league at
the end of the 2003 season.
The 2004 season saw four more new teams enter the league, the
Worcester County Wildcats, and the Massachusetts State Warriors,
based out of Holyoke, Massachusetts, became the two latest (AA)
entries into the North Atlantic Conference, and the Mid Coast
Chaos from Maine and the Southern Rhode Island Raptors were the
two newest entries into our (A) Maritime Conference. The New
England Stars with new management changed their name to the New
England Bolts.
Once again the Greater Lowell Nor’easter took home the
championship trophy in the Colonial Conference making it number
five, defeating the Leominster Razorbacks. In the North Atlantic
Conference, the Connecticut Thunder beat the Vermont Ice Storm for
their first (AA) title. The Maritime Conference, in a game for the
ages, saw the Hampton Hurricanes defeat the Central Maine Shockers
in overtime for Hampton’s first championship.
The Greater Lowell Nor’easter and the Connecticut Thunder both
advanced to the semi-final and quarter final rounds of the
N.A.F.A. tournament respectively, but unfortunately, both teams
came up just short in those regional play-off games. This was a
tremendous accomplishment for both teams, considering the fierce
competition in the Harvest Bowl tournament, particularly for
Connecticut, a (AA) team playing in a (AAA) tournament.
The 2005 season was a record setting one for the NEFL in terms of expansion. For the first time in our history, we had five new teams enter the league. The Ocean State Vipers from Rhode Island were added to our Colonial Conference, the Whaling City Clippers out of New Bedford, Massachusetts became the latest entry into our North Atlantic Conference, and the Hillsboro County Devils from Manchester, New Hampshire, the Southern New England Rage of Mansfield, Massachusetts, and the Connecticut Storm, a (A) affiliate of the (AAA) Connecticut Thunder, all joined our Maritime Conference. The Tri-Boro Rhinos were granted a one year leave of absence before the start of the season. The Vermont Ice Storm and the Bay State Rolling Thunder left the league at the conclusion of the 2005 season.
The three champions that were crowned were the Boston Bandits who won their third NEFL title defeating the 2004 defending champion Greater Lowell Nor’easter in the Colonial Conference, the Seacoast Hawks defeated the South Shore Outlaws to claim their first North Atlantic Conference title to go along with their two Maritime Conference championships, and the Southern Rhode Island Raptors beat the Penobscot Seadragons to win their first Maritime Conference championship.
The NEFL sent five of its teams to the 2005 N.A.F.A. tournament. The Greater Lowell Nor’easter, the Merrimack Valley Crush, the Seacoast Hawks, and the South Shore Outlaws all played well, but were eliminated in first round games. The Boston Bandits made it to the N.A.F.A. semi-final game where they were narrowly defeated by the Buffalo Gladiators.
In 2006, the NEFL added six new teams. The Medford Mighty Mustangs
and the North Shore Generals joined our Colonial Conference, the
Eastern Maine Fighting Warriors and the Mill City Maulers joined
our North Atlantic Conference, and the Granite State Demons and
Southern New Hampshire Beavers joined our Maritime Conference.
The Notre Dame Cobras went undefeated during the regular season
and went on to claim their first ever Maritime Conference
Championship with a win over the Southern New England Rage. The
North Attleboro Renegades defeated the expansion Mill City Maulers
in the North Atlantic Conference Championship game to give the
Renegades their first ever championship. In the Colonial
Conference, the Boston Bandits won their fourth league title by
once again beating the Greater Lowell Nor’easter who was their
opponent in five NEFL title games.
The Boston Bandits did not go on to play in the 2006 Harvest Bowl tournament because of a schedule conflict and the Greater Lowell Nor’easter lost in the first round to the eventual champion Brooklyn Mariners.
The 2007 season saw eight new teams enter the NEFL, the largest expansion the league has ever undertaken. The Middleboro Cobras, one of the oldest and most successful semi-professional, minor league football teams in the country, with numerous championships, joined our “AAA” Colonial Conference, along with the Quincy/Weymouth Sharks. The Middlesex Mayhem and Northeastern Knights were placed in our “AA” North Atlantic Conference, and the Southern Vermont Storm, the Middletown Connecticut Spartans, the Kennebec Valley Tigers and the Tri-City Charge became the newest members of our “A” Maritime Conference. 2007 also saw the Pennobscot Seadragons merge with the Eastern Maine Fighting Warriors, the Medford Mustangs merge with the North Shore Generals, and the Seacoast Hawks merge with the Merrimack Valley Crush who changed their name to the New England Hawks.
The Maritime Conference Championship was won by longtime NEFL
member Leominster Razorbacks by defeating the upstart Kennebec
Valley Tigers in one of the best Maritime Conference championship
games in recent league history. The Whaling City Clippers defeated
the Mill City Maulers for the “AA” North Atlantic Conference Title
in a thrilling game that was won by the Clippers in the first NEFL
championship game to ever be decided in overtime. The Middleboro
Cobras and Greater Lowell Nor’easter played for the “AAA” Colonial
Conference championship with the Cobras defeating the Nor’easter
in a game that saw two of the best semi-professional, minor
football league teams in the Northeastern region of the United
States, playing down to the final minutes to determine a champion.
The Middleboro Cobras elected to forego their seed in the Harvest
Bowl Tournament because of travel and instead played the Brockton
Buccaneers in a Massachusetts regional game that the Cobras won
handedly. The Greater Lowell Nor’easter defeated the Charlestown
Townies in the first round of the Harvest Bowl Tournament, but
unfortunately lost in a close game the next week to the Brooklyn
Mariners, who then went on to win the Harvest Bowl Championship.
2008 saw many changes for the New England Football League. The
Northeast Hurricanes, the Northeastern Knights, the Middlesex
Mayhem, the Eastern Maine Fighting Warriors and the Southern Rhode
Island Raptors all merged with various teams within the NEFL The
league also added nine new teams. The Connecticut Bearcats, the
Connecticut Gamblers and the Central Mass Fury were added to the
“AA” North Atlantic Conference. The Northern Berkshire Kings, the
New Hampshire Wolfpack, the Vermont Ravens, the Central Vermont
Rampage and the Green Mountain Mud Dogs were all added to the “A”
Maritime Conference. The Pioneer Valley Demons from Ware,
Massachusetts were placed in the new NEFL2, which was introduced
in 2008 as the NEFL developmental league designed to be a
cost-effective way to develop teams and/or players for the NEFL
All three conferences were extremely competitive all season long,
but in the end the three league champions for 2008 were the
Middleboro Cobras once again defeating the Greater Lowell
Nor’easter in a very close Colonial Conference “AAA” championship
game, giving the Cobras back to back titles; the Whaling City
Clippers also winning their second consecutive “AA” North Atlantic
Conference championship, defeating the Bay State Renegades in a
game that came down to the final minutes of the fourth quarter;
and the Tri-City Charge in our “A” Maritime Conference defeated
the Connecticut Spartans for their first NEFL title. The Charge
became the first team in NEFL history to go from a 0-8 season one
year to an 11-0 season the following year.
The Greater Lowell Nor’easter, the Colonial Conference runner-up, accepted an invitation by the U.S.F.A. and N.F.E. to play in the Florida Bowl on National Bowl Weekend in Deland, Florida on January 17-18, 2009 where they defeated the Hardin County Wolverines from Kentucky of the Mid-Continental Football League (M.C.F.L.) 20-16.
The 2009 season had the NEFL add four new teams to the league. The Ocean State Vipers from Rhode Island returned to the league after two years and made their presence felt in the “AAA” Colonial Conference. The Metro-West Colonials from the Framingham/Natick area were added to our “AA” North Atlantic Conference, solidifying the NEFL’s presence in central Massachusetts. The Tri-County Fightin’ Sprites from Woodstock, Connecticut and the Southern Connecticut Sting from New London, an affiliate of the Connecticut Thunder, were placed in our “A” Maritime Conference, along with the Pioneer Valley Indians, who moved up from our development league, the NEFL2. The Green Mountain Mud Dogs and the Mid Coast Chaos folded before the season, and the Kennebec Valley Tigers had their membership revoked midway through the season by the NEFL Board of Directors.
The “AAA” Championship was won by the Greater Lowell Nor’easter who defeated the Connecticut Bearcats that had moved up from our “AA” North Atlantic Conference. This victory gave the Nor’easter an unprecedented sixth league title. The NEFL’s “AA” Championship Game had the North Shore Generals pitted against the Tri-City Charge in their first year of “AA” play. Tri-City defeated North Shore to claim a North Atlantic Conference Championship to go along with their “A” Maritime Championship from the previous season. The Maritime Conference title game was played between the New Hampshire Wolfpack of Concord and the Vermont Ravens of Barre and saw the Wolfpack win their first “A” championship title. In the first ever NEFL2 championship game, the Connecticut Spartans developmental team defeated the Woonsocket Wardogs to cap off a very successful first season.
The NEFL was once again represented very well at both the regional and national level by the Greater Lowell Nor’easter. The Nor’easter claimed their fourth Harvest Bowl regional championship by defeating the Albany, NY Metro Maulers and then once again ventured down to Deland, Florida to play in the National Championship Florida Bowl on National Bowl Weekend. Although being the #1 ranked “AAA” level team in the nation by the Minor League Football News, the Nor’easter were defeated by the New Jersey Buccaneers by a score of 32-13. The Nor’easter was deemed runner up in the National Football Events Championship for 2009.