Saskatoon advances in WWCFL playoffs with
forfeit win
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| Alex Eyolfson is having a big season as the Valkyries QB. |
The Saskatoon Valkyries veteran quarterback is having her best season since joining the team in 2016 averaging close to 300 yards passing per game. In her last two outings that have both been wins over the Valkyries’ provincial rivals the Regina Riot, Eyolfson has completed 40-of-63 passes for 674 yards and seven touchdowns without throwing a single interception.
The 24-year-old is the first to tell you that she is doing well, because everyone on the Valkyries offence is doing well.
“The O-line is creating lots of time in the pocket,” said Eyolfson. “The receivers are running hard routes.
“The running backs are just running unreal and blocking
hard. We got to throw more it seems like this season, which is really fun too.
We’ve just been connecting well on offence.”
After
finishing the regular season with a perfect 4-0 record, Eyolfson and the
Valkyries were slated to open the WWCFL playoffs with a quarter-final contest
on Sunday against the Winnipeg Wolfpack at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. The
Wolfpack, who went 0-4 in the regular season being outscored 292-0 in those
contests, informed the WWCFL on Friday they would be forfeiting that
quarter-final contest with the Valkyries, and under WWCFL bylaws, the Valkyries
were awarded a 30-0 victory.
Saskatoon
advances to host a WWCFL semfinal on Sunday, June 19 at 1 p.m. at SMF Field
against the Edmonton Storm. The Storm closed out their regular season schedule
downing the visiting Lethbridge Steel 90-0 on Saturday at Olexiuk Field in St. Albert, which is located just northwest of Edmonton, to improve to 3-1.
The Steel
finish the 2022 campaign with an 0-4 mark. The WWCFL’s regular season in 2020
and 2021 were cancelled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that gripped
the world.
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| Alex Eyolfson (#15) has benefitted from great pass protection. |
The
Valkyries won the WWCFL title the last time a full campaign was held in 2019.
They went 3-0 in a three-game exhibition series last season against the Riot.
As for the
roll the Valkyries offence has been on, Eyolfson said it helps most of the
starters are veterans who have played together for an extended period of time.
“Definitely the chemistry is there,” said Eyolfson. “We’ve all played together for four years at least.
“Everyone just kind of knows their job, and we can just build off that each practice and put in like more complex plays.”
Four players from the Valkyries starting offensive line are members of Football Canada’s National Women’s team including Lauren Ferguson, Alyssa Funk, Betsy Mawdsley and Ashley Viklund. Centre Alex Wojcichowsky is playing her seventh total season with the Valkyries over two different stints as a player.
Rookie Breanna Allegretto has played well seeing some significant time on the offensive line as an injury replacement.
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| Alex Eyolfson (#15) fires a pass to Rachelle Smith (#81). |
Running back Sarah Wright made Football Canada’s National Women’s Team as well, and she is having a stellar campaign in her fifth season with the team. The Valkyries were really stacked at running back with the presence of one of the squad’s all-time greats in Sam Matheson. Matheson is out due to a season ending injury, but is still on the reserve list for Football Canada’s National Women’s Team.
With the help of so many standouts, Eyolfson got on a roll right from the Valkyries first regular season game, when they downed the Manitoba Fearless 43-14 at SMF Field on May 1. In that contest, the graduate of Saskatoon’s Holy Cross High School completed 18-of-26 passes for 255 yards and two touchdowns without throwing an interception.
Valkyries head coach Pat Barry said Eyolfson is having a season that is kind of legendary. The veteran sideline boss still marvels at the game Eyolfson had when the Valkyries downed the Riot 46-7 at SMF Field on May 28.
In that contest, Eyolfson completed 23-of-29 passes for 434 yards and four touchdowns without throwing an interception.
“That is stunning at any level of football,” said Barry. “She is having a great year, and we’re very proud of her.”
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| Alex Eyolfson has great confidence calling plays for the Valkyries. |
“It is a big deal,” said Barry. “When we are practicing in the winter, you see Alex (Eyolfson) expect to know where one of our receivers is going to be, and they get there.
“It is a challenge for any defence and ours as well. It is a pretty cool competition that happens.”
Eyolfson plays a big role in the leadership department in being able to pick up her teammates on offence. If someone on offence makes a mistake, you often see Eyolfson talking to that teammate on the sidelines in such an upbeat, encouraging and beautiful way the teammate forgets her troubles right away.
On the field, Eyolfson admits there are times it seems she always knows where her teammates are going to be.
“Obviously, we have our bread and butter plays,” said Eyolfson, who helped the Valkyries win WWCFL titles in 2016 and 2019. “We all know what we are doing, and we kind of can add to and build on them.
“Everyone has their job, and we all know what we are doing out there.”
While the Valkyries got an unexpected bye with their post-season forfeit win over the Wolfpack, Eyolfson is still pumped for the post-season road ahead.
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| Alex Eyolfson (#15) aims to help the Valkyries capture another WWCFL title. |
“It will be fun.”
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