New England Storm

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New England Storm
Founded	2000
Arena	Hormel Stadium
Based in	Medford, Massachusetts
Colors	Red and Blue
League	Women's Professional Football League

The New England Storm is a women’s professional football team.

The New England Storm originated when in 2000, Melissa "Missi" Korpacz, contacted the Women's Professional Football League to ask about bringing a team to the New England area. After much negotiation, Korpacz was offered the opportunity to join the WPFL as the owner of the first women's professional football team in New England. Korpacz accepted, pushing aside her law practice. That year, Korpacz found a venue for the team, recruited female athletes, and purchased concessions, among other things, to get her team started. In their first season, the New England Storm were runners-up to the Houston Energy for league champion.

The Storm were originally based in Providence, Rhode Island, but after one year they were relocated to Medford, Massachusetts where they played at Hormel Stadium. The New England Storm once had a brief commercial relationship with the New England Patriots, being the only women's team to have a commercial relationship with a NFL team.

[edit] Trademark Lawsuit

The New England Storm however were expelled from the Women's Professional Football League in March of 2004 for breach of contract. Korpacz accused the Women's Professional Football League of trademark infringement, but was unable to prove she owned the WPFL logo. Because of this court battle, the New England Storm were expelled from the WPFL.