It was a Monday night nail biter in Syracuse, but kicker David Akers’ 4th-quarter PAT nudged the Blizzard past the Dallas Armadillos 74-73 for a slot in Fantasy Bowl XX. Syracuse will meet the top-seeded Happy Valley Violence, who shut down the defending champion Boston Wildcats 54-46.

It’s the 5th trip to the Fantasy Bowl for the Syracuse franchise, who has a 2-2 record in the title game: wins in 2004 (59-27 over the Mud) and 2000 (62-47 over the Wildcats) and losses in 1997 (49-30 to the Wildcats) and a 47-40 loss to the Bandits in the first Fantasy Bowl in 1992.

Happy Valley makes their second trip to the title game following a 65-46 loss to the Wildcats in the 2008 championship game.

With the 1-point loss, Dallas came oh-so-close to that franchise’s first-ever appearance in the league championship game, although Dallas co-owner Sam McClain lead his previous team — the Los Angeles Riot! — to league championships in 1993 and 1996.