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The New England Free Jacks travel to Chicago fresh off a bye week to face the Hounds in an Eastern Conference clash, and repeat of the 2024 Eastern Conference Final. The Hounds are looking to bounce back after a loss to the Utah Warriors.

These teams have met 4 times in the past, with the Free Jacks holding a 3-1 series lead. Their last meeting was a phenomenal game in the Eastern Conference Final, where the Hounds fell narrowly, 23-17. The Hounds would redeem themselves in this game, however.

The Chicago Hounds had the measure of the Free Jacks for almost the entire 80 minutes. A early penalty by Adriaan Carelse and Penalty Try gave them a 10-0 lead, which would have been enough. Winger Michael Hand scored his first try for the Hounds shortly after to extend the lead to 15-0, which is how things stayed for most of the game. Chicago Flanker Mason Flesch was handed a yellow card which could have let the Free Jacks back into the game, but they struggled to get anything going and when they did, the Hounds defence was up to the task.

Two or three try-saving tackles kept the donut on the board for New England through the half-time break, and as the Hounds started to click the Free Jacks were shown two yellow cards in quick succession to reduce them to 13 men, the second of which also conceded a 2nd penalty try to bury them even deeper. The Hounds were able to add a 4th try relatively easier through Ollie Devoto, before the New England Free Jacks finally found a gap and Jayson Potroz went through for an auto-7pt consolation score. Noah Brown would add an opportunistic score in the final minutes to balloon the final score to 36-7 for Chicago, who move to 2-1 on the season. A battered Free Jacks side fall to 1-1, the bye week seemingly more of a disadvantage than anything.