WWCFL Final makes a great time to reconnect with Valkyries

Jaime Lammerding, left, and Betsy Mawdsley lead the Valkyries to the field.

The last time the Saskatoon Valkyries won the WWCFL title at home was 2014.

With all that has happened in the world, the feels like an eternity ago.

In 2014, Stephen Harper was the prime minister of Canada and Barack Obama was president of the United States of America. Hit songs from that year included “Happy” by Pharrell Williams, “Fancy” by Iggy Azalea featuring Charli XCX, “Shake It Off” and “Blank Space” by Taylor Swift and “All About That Bass” by Meghan Trainor.

The Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl, the Los Angeles Kings claimed the Stanley Cup, the San Antonio Spurs captured the NBA title, the San Francisco Giants got their hands on the World Series and the Calgary Stampeders took home the Grey Cup.

The Valkyries celebrate winning the WWCFL title in 2014.

Beily’s Ultralounge and The Sutherland Bar were jumping night hotspots in the City of Saskatoon. Both of those places no longer exist.

The opportunities to win the WWCFL title at home are rare even for the Saskatoon Valkyries, who have won the league championship six times.

The last time the Valkyries won the WWCFL Championship game at home was on July 5, 2014 in a 53-0 romp over the Lethbridge Steel. That contest was played at Griffiths Stadium on the University of Saskatchewan campus.

That was also the farewell game for Valkyries star quarterback Candace Bloomquist. She was named the game’s MVP completing 21-of-30 passes for 341 yards and three touchdowns.

Bloomquist was calling signals for the Valkyries, when they won the WWCFL title the first four times it was contested from 2011 to 2014.

QB Alex Eyolfson and the Valkyries offence has been stellar.

For the 2015 campaign, the Valkyries moved into their new regular home venue in the newly renovated Saskatoon Minor Football Field. On Saturday at 7 p.m., the Valkyries (6-0) host the Manitoba Fearless (5-1) in this year’s WWCFL Championship game at SMF Field.

If you haven’t seen the Valkyries play in some time, Saturday is the perfect time to reconnect with Saskatoon’s elite level women’s football squad that has built a storied history since first hitting the field in 2011.

Since 2014, the Valkyries have won the WWCFL title twice. On June 25, 2016, they romped over the Edmonton Storm 81-6 at University of Lethbridge Community Stadium in Lethbridge, Alta., and on June 29, 2019, the Valkyries downed the host Riot in Regina 25-3 at Mosaic Stadium.

The Valkyries also made it to the WWCFL Championship game on June 24, 2018 falling 14-10 in classic defensive battle to the host Riot in Regina at Mosaic Stadium.

Since 2014, the Valkyries played host to the WWCFL title contest on one occasion leading too this season back on June 10, 2017. The Valkyries didn’t make it to the championship clash that year and a number of players were on hand to watch the Riot hammer the Calgary Rage 53-0 at SMF Field.

Emmarae Dale is one of the Valkyries leaders on defence.

For the longest time, the Valkyries used to draw about 800 to 1,000 spectators to each of their games. With the mainstream media outlets cutting their sports departments in Saskatoon to one or maybe two persons in recent years and the folding of the Saskatoon Metro daily commuter newspaper in late 2014 and the Saskatoon Express weekly in May of 2019, word about how well the Valkyries are doing has been harder to spread.

During the team’s first six seasons of existence from 2011 to 2016, mainstream outlets used to do a number of feature stories on Saskatoon’s women’s football squad that takes the field during the spring season.

The spring season allowed the Valkyries to avoid schedule conflicts with the CJFL and U Sports and the CFL a lot of times. Thanks to the timing of their season, they were able to build interest in their team locally.

This year’s Valkyries squad has been a fun as ever to follow. On the field, they play the game extremely well, and off the field, they are as personable as ever.

They are the perfect bunch for young girls to look up too as role models. The Valkyries players have a great uplifting positive vibe that young girls will come away from interactions with them feeling they can do anything.

Haley Girolami is one of the many Valkyries offensive playmakers.

The offence under the guidance of veteran quarterback Alex Eyolfson, who has been with the team since 2016, might rank with one of the best the Valkyries has ever had. She has numerous playmakers to get the ball out too in running backs Sarah Wright and Drew Lundquist along with receivers Haley Girolami, Reed Thorstad, Ricki Obed and Rachelle Smith.

The Valkyries lost all-time great running back Sam Matheson to a season ending knee injury during their second regular season game in 2022, but she has remained with club lending a hand with coaching her teammates that play her position.

The offensive line is veteran heavy with Lauren Ferguson, Alyssa Funk, Betsy Mawdsley, Ashley Viklund, and Alex Wojcichowsky, and they have played at a super human level all season. Rookie Breanna Allegretto has played well seeing some significant time on the offensive line as an injury replacement, and she has looked like she has played for the Valkyries for a number of years.

On defence, middle linebacker Emmarae Dale might be the unit’s most famous player having played with the historic CJFL powerhouse Saskatoon Hilltops last season. Dale along with third-year linebacker Jamie Wingate kick a bunch of butt on the field and have hearts of gold as persons.

Danaye Holynski brings intensity to the Valkyries defence.

Defensive end Danaye Holynski is arguably the hardest hitter on the Valkyries defence and brings great intensity every game. Second year defensive end Arden Kliewer has taken to the physical aspect of the game too and her sharp focus from playing goal for the University of Regina Cougars Women’s Hockey Team has transferred over to the football field.

The Valkyries have had a number of first and second year players step up and be playmakers as injuries piled up on that side of the ball. Linebacker Sydney Schenn, Grace Farthing on the defensive line and defensive backs Makayla Sader and Jackie Semple-Dyck have ensured the Valkyries defence hasn’t missed a beat.

Saturday’s WWCFL title contest will be the final game for defensive tackle Jaime Lammerding, who has been with the Valkyries since 2011. She has served as president of the WWCFL and has played a huge role in helping women’s football gain traction in Western Canada and move forward.

Defensive back and punter Rienna Rueve returned to the team at first to help with the kicking game with Matheson, who also punts, went down with her knee injury. Besides looking after the punting department, Rueve has returned to her past star form in the defensive secondary.

The Valkyries offensive line has had an outstanding season.

Linebacker Beth Lalonde, who has been with the Valkyries since they started in 2011, hasn’t played this season due to injury but continues to help out the team in any way she can.

The Valkyries again have a stellar coaching staff led by head coach Pat Barry, defensive coordinator Wyatt Carleton and offensive coordinator Caleb Dueck. The Valkyries players constantly make big improvements during practices and film sessions thanks to the outstanding work by the team’s coaches.

Behind the scenes, Valkyries general manager Michelle Duchene ensures all the administration and details off the field are never a worry.

The Valkyries are a group that always makes you feel good.

When adversity comes, you almost know and expect the Valkyries to find a way to persevere. Witnessing those types of storylines play out again brings back memories of their past season and feels right and familiar.

Jaime Lammerding (#21) will play her final game on Saturday.

For residents of Saskatoon, you know that the Valkyries are going to make you feel proud, and the chance to see them win the WWCFL title at home on Saturday is something that is too good to pass up.

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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Valkyries' Friesen finds new appreciation for football

Julene Friesen (#14) charges to the end zone after catching a pass.

    When Julene Friesen stopped trying to prove herself, she gained a lot more joy out of playing tackle football.

    After graduating from the University of Saskatchewan Huskies track and field team in 2013, Friesen wanted to try something completely new and joined the Saskatoon Valkyries of the Western Women’s Canadian Football League. Having experienced a lot of success as a middle distance sprinter for the Huskies, Friesen was driven to prove she belonged with the Valkyries.

    As rookie running back on a team that had won the first two WWCFL titles, Friesen was frustrated at times with the growing pains she endured.
    “It was something completely new, and I wasn’t feeling much success at the start,” said Friesen, who stands 5-foot-5. “I was so used to individual sports and having all the pressure on me that it took me awhile to realize that I can have teammates block for me.

    “When I screwed up, a lot of times it is so many other things that went wrong too. It is never just one player. I learned to love it.”

    By the end of the 2013 campaign, Friesen had helped the Valkyries win a third straight WWCFL title. She took 2014 off from playing tackle football, because she wanted to try her hand at beach volleyball and running 30-kilometre races. At the U of S, the distances Friesen ran were a lot shorter being commonly between 400 and 800 metres.

    While the former track star stepped away from football, Friesen’s confidence did grow as her first campaign progressed with the Valkyries. She rejoined the team this season with a new appreciation for the sport.

Julene Friesen (#14) celebrates a TD with Marci Kiselyk.

    “I knew what I was getting into this time around,” said Friesen. “It has been a good transition back into football. I have really enjoyed it.”

    In high school, Friesen played touch and flag football. Her biggest influence in helping her improve her skills then was physical education teacher Darla Lee-Walde. Friesen and Lee-Walde were Valkyries teammates in 2013.

    Growing up, Friesen saw the contact version of the sport from the stands on a frequent basis, because her older brother Mitch played. Mitch would go on to suit up with the Saskatoon Hilltops of the Canadian Junior Football League and the Huskies football team.

    Julene’s interest in tackle football also grew due to the fact her boyfriend is Kit Hillis, who played for the Hilltops and is the Huskies all-time leader in career receptions. Hillis exhausted his eligibility with the Huskies last season.

    As a member of the Huskies track and field team, Julene wasn’t allowed to play tackle football, because her U of S track coaches were concerned about her getting injured. Friesen joined the Valkyries about a month after she graduated from the Huskies track program, and she also learned playing tackle football wasn’t like the touch and flag versions of the sport.

    “It is just a totally different game,” she said. “I love how complex it is. It is just a total team sport.”

    Friesen’s confidence showed in the Valkyrie first two games this season. In a 75-0 romp over the Winnipeg Wolfpack on May 10 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, Friesen scored touchdowns on runs of 46, 62 and 17 yards and hauled in another major on a 55-yard pass play.

    On May 17 at Mosaic Stadium in Regina, Friesen had a big performance against the host Riot. Down 16-8, the Valkyries rallied for a 28-19 victory, and Friesen accounted for the last two Saskatoon touchdowns coming off a 13-yard outlet pass and a tough eight-yard run.

    “She is a very explosive player and is extremely fast,” said Valkyries head coach Jeff Yausie. “She plays with an attitude and a bit of a temper, which is a good thing as long as you can control it. She is a special player in how she runs.”

Julene Friesen charges through the line for the Valkyries.

    Friesen was pleased with how her team performed and how she played in a very physical contest against the rival Riot.

    “The whole game just felt like a battle, and it was so fun to be in a game rather than feeling so far ahead that it didn’t even really feel like a competition,” said Friesen, who works as a teacher in Langham. “I had a lot of fun, but it was definitely challenging.

    “By the end in the third and fourth quarters, I felt so beat up I was running on fumes. It was honestly the help of my teammates just pulling me through and encouraging me and the coaches being so encouraging.”

    The Valkyries have won all four WWCFL titles that have been handed out dating back to 2011, but the Riot have always provided a good test. Saskatoon’s only loss in franchise history came on May 12, 2013 against the Riot in Regina by a 15-7 score.

    The Valkyries (2-0) and the Riot (1-1) face each other again on Saturday (7 p.m., SMF Field).

    Friesen expects to keep playing for the Valkyries in future seasons, but in the present, she gets pumped up for games against teams like the Riot and is looking forward to Saturday’s clash.

    “It is going to be unreal,” said Friesen. “I can’t wait to play them at home with our crowd behind us.

    “I hope everybody is healthy. I know we got pretty banged up last game. I think come game time we will be ready to go, and we will have so much adrenaline that we will be fine.”

Boldt shines as Valkyries signal caller

Stacey Boldt gets set to unload a throw for the Valkyries.

    Besides talking to Friesen, I also caught up with new Valkyries starting quarterback Stacey Boldt.

    A third-year member of the team, Boldt had big shoes to fill as the starting signal caller, because she followed in the steps of Candace Bloomquist, who led Saskatoon to its four straight league titles as the starting quarterback.

    My story on Boldt appears in this week’s edition of the Saskatoon Express, which can be found by clicking right here.

    I appreciate the fact that editor Cam Hutchinson contacts me to write for the Express on a fairly regular basis. The staff there is outstanding to work with, and I recommend that readers check out the rest of the stories and columns in the weekly Express publication as well.

    If you have any comments about this blog, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

Valkyries build legacy in Saskatoon

Quarterback Stacey Boldt throws a TD strike for the Valkyries.

    It feels like it was love at first site for Saskatoon and the Valkyries women's football team.
    Football has always thrived in the province of Saskatchewan way more than it has in any other part of Canada. Saskatchewan is best known as Rider Nation due to its love of the CFL's Saskatchewan Roughriders. As a spinoff, every other level of football in the province has benefitted from strong support.
    When Saskatoon got a team in the then newly formed Western Women's Canadian Football League in 2011, one had to expect there was a good shot the club would be popular. It was still surprising to see how quickly the Valkyries found their niche and became cemented into the community.
    Women from all walks of life flocked to the club to play tackle football. The team includes a vast number of players, who participated in other sports. The team includes players who are students, teachers, nurses, business professionals, tradespeople and hold down numerous other positions in the working world.
    Jeff Yausie, who is a veteran assistant coach with the Saskatoon Hilltops of the Canadian Junior Football League, was brought in early on to be the Valkyries head coach. He added a number of assistants, who mostly had backgrounds of playing football for the Hilltops or the University of Saskatchewan Huskies, to provide steady guidance.
    With a coaching staff that could oversee a junior or a university program, the Valkyries took off and have won all four WWCFL titles that have been awarded to date. The fans came out early on in that first year, and they haven't gone away.
    Exposure was also aided thanks to the fact the WWCFL plays almost all its games during the months of May and June. The Saskatoon sports scene experiences a lull during that time period, which has allowed the Valkyries to capture some extra attention.

Valkyries LB Aly Bell (#25) tackles Wolfpack FB Jana Taylor.

    On Sunday, the Valkyries opened their 2015 campaign hosting the Winnipeg Wolfpack. After playing their home games for four seasons at Griffiths Stadium on the campus of the University of Saskatchewan, the Valkyries moved to the recently renovated Saskatoon Minor Football Field. A new massive clubhouse complex is also being built for the Saskatoon football community at the park that was formerly known has Gordie Howe Bowl.
    The Valkyries are used to playing in front of crowds of about 1,000 people, and a large gathering of supporters close to that number were present at SMF Field.
    The defending WWCFL champs entered the campaign without a couple of key players. Quarterback Candace Bloomquist, who led the team to their four league titles, retired after the 2014 championship win. Running back Julie David, who was the club's all-time leading rusher, is off exploring Europe and won't be with the Valkyries this season.
    Those departures raised some question marks, but those question marks went away early in the season opener. Returning after a one-year absence, tailback Julene Friesen showed she hadn't lost any of her blazing speed opening the scoring on a 46-yard romp.
    Stacey Boldt, who takes over as the Valkyries starting quarterback, hit veteran receiver Marci Kiselyk for 30-yard TD strike for a second major. Just over 40 second later, Valkyries fourth-year linebacker Denise Kolosky blocked a punt and Kiselyk recovered the ball in the Wolfpack end zone for another score.
    Friesen zipped home on a 62-yard TD run on a pitch out and Boldt ran another score in from 17 yards out to give the Valkyrie a 32-0 lead just eight minutes into the contest. The hosts romped to a 75-0 victory, which was also their 17^th straight win at home.

Receiver Carly Dyck hauls in a Valkyries TD catch.

    The veterans weren't the only ones that turned heads. Gritty second year running back Sam Matheson had ran in three scores before halftime. Receiver Carly Dyck, who is in her first year with the team, contributed a couple of nice plays in the fourth quarter scoring on a 28-yard run and a 40-yard reception.
    The Valkyries are calling this their "drive for five" season, and you have to like their chances of accomplishing that goal. They will likely be strong for the foreseeable future.
    They host annual tackle football camps for girls and the team's staff and players are active in helping run girls flag football in the city. Some of those girls will likely play for the Valkyries one day.
    Women's tackle football is still in its beginning stages, but the Valkyries are already thriving with a rich legacy. It is a story that fits right into the football lore of Saskatchewan.

    If you have any comments about this blog, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com. To see more photos of the Valkyries regular season opener, check out Twitter @StanksSports.