Valkyries’ Dale dishes out tough hits with a touch of love

Linebacker Emmarae Dale (#45) dominants on the Valkyries defence.

    Emmarae Dale will kill you with kindness.

    The upbeat 21-year-old linebacker with the Saskatoon Valkyries has dished out big hits with the team since 2016. When Dale makes the big hits, she does it with a big smile and often doesn’t realize she is smiling while doing it.

    “I love it so much,” said Dale, who stands 5-foot-6. “There is nothing that beats the feeling of making a huge defensive stop

    “There is such a high that comes with it, so I really love it.”

    Dale became a regular in the Valkyries linebacking corps in her rookie year in 2016 helping the club win a fifth Western Women’s Canadian Football League title. Now in her fourth season, Dale is one of the veteran standouts on the team.

Valkyries LB Emmarae Dale always gets to the play.

    The Valkyries are in Winnipeg, Man., to face the Manitoba Fearless in a heavyweight WWCFL showdown on Sunday. Both squads have 2-0 records and the winner will lock up first place in the Prairie Conference and earn the possibility to host two post-season games.

    In helping the Valkyries jump out to a 2-0 start, Dale has 14 total tackles and one forced fumble.

    It seemed that Dale was destined to join the Valkyries as two of her older brothers in Anthony and Donovan excelled in the sport. Anthony was an offensive lineman with the CJFL’s Saskatoon Hilltops and University of Regina Rams.

    Donovan played on the defensive line for the Hilltops, University of British Columbia Thunderbirds and University of Saskatchewan Huskies.

    “They had their success there,” said Emmarae Dale. “Just watching them growing up, I always kind of had a little bit of love for it.

    “I played flag football in high school.”

    While playing flag football, Dale was talked into giving the Valkyries a try by team general manager Michelle Duchene and Carisa Polischuk, who played for the Valkyries and was one of the team’s directors.

Valkyries LB Emmarae Dale (#45) is always in the middle of contact.

    The perky Dale found tackle football as an outlet to display a tough persona.

    “I just like the chance to just be a bad ass athlete on field,” said Dale. “It just like gives you a chance to just really showcase athleticism.

    “It is just a massive rush that comes with being able to go hit someone. You don’t get that chance anywhere else. I love it.”

    Valkyires head coach Pat Barry was a defensive coach and assistant head coach when Dale joined the team in 2016. When Dale first hit the field, Barry saw a player who had a motor that didn’t quit that was also a ball of positivity.

    “She (Dale) is always smiling, and she is just a fierce competitor,” said Barry. “That is what is so exciting about her.

    “She takes everything seriously, but she is so positive. She enjoys life, and she is just fantastic to have around here.”

Valkyries LB Emmarae Dale can get out and cover the pass.

    Dale’s explosiveness was another aspect of her game that impressed Barry along with her willingness to help the newcomers on the team.

    “She is super athletic,” said Barry. “She is like incredibly fast too.

    “She is one of the fastest players on our team. She is definitely becoming one of the leaders on our team that is for sure.”

    Besides being a standout with the Valkyries, Dale has excelled at track and field and is a member of the U of S Huskies women’s track team at the U Sports level.

    She competes in throwing events. During the indoor season, Dale competes in weight throw and shot put. During the outdoor season, Dale takes part in discus, hammer throw and shot put.

    She helped the Huskies women’s team win the Canada West Conference title in each of the past two seasons. 

Valkyries LB Emmarae Dale closed in on a hit.

    This past season was a particularly special campaign as the Huskies captured both the women’s and men’s Canada West titles.
    “It’s amazing just to see how the team comes together at competitions like that,” said Dale, who has two seasons of eligibility remaining with the Huskies. “You train in your own individual groups, but when you actually get a chance to become a team at those meets, it is really awesome.

    “There is nothing that quite compares to the wave that comes with being a winning team.”

    Dale said she is able to transfer the team aspect of football to supporting her teammates in track.

    “It helps a lot,” said Dale. “Obviously with being on a football team, team is a lot different, and you are doing everything together.

    “You try to bring in that support from football as much as I can into track as well and just being a team player for everything.”

Valkyries LB Emmarae Dale (#45) is in the middle of a gang tackle.

    Dale said her focus mentally has grown from the fact that she has participated in both sports. 
    She said football and track and field complement each other well.
    “There is much to take away from both sports, a lot of discipline that comes with both and just being patient with the process,” said Dale. “It has been really awesome.

    “It has definitely taught me a lot throughout the years. It is definitely busy doing both throughout the outdoor season, but it has been really awesome.”

    On the gridiron, Dale said her favourite campaign was the Valkyries WWCFL championship season in 2016 in her rookie year.

    “That season was awesome,” said Dale. “It definitely was one of my favourite seasons of Valkyries just because there was so much to learn from those veterans.

Valkyries LB Emmarae Dale sheds out of a block.

    “They were amazing players to watch and there was so much to learn from them. Yet, there was so much comradery with the team.”
    While she is still young at age 21, Dale said it has been a bit different holding veteran status on the team.

    “It is definitely strange, because I feel like I still should be one of the younger players,” said Dale. “It is awesome to be able to welcome the new players and kind of show them the ropes of football and encourage them as much as possible.

    “It is really awesome actually seeing the growth amongst the rookies and the newer players and just seeing them fall in love with the sport that we all do.”

    Dale plans on using up her track eligibility with the Huskies.

Emmarae Dale (#45) and the Valkyries celebrate a victory.

    As for football, she hopes to continue that sport long into the future.

    “I think I definitely have a few more in the tank,” said Dale. “I don’t really know what the future holds, but I’m hoping to play for as long as I can.”

    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 rally past Riot

Showdown at Mosaic shows potential of WWCFL

Julene Friesen speeds downfield for the Valkyries.

    It was a rare sight to see the Saskatoon Valkyries at the wrong end of the scoreboard.
    It also gave the four time defending Western Women's Canadian Football League champs a chance to show their resiliency.
    On Sunday at Mosaic Stadium, the host Regina Riot jumped ahead of the Valkyries 16-8. The Riot had a habit of giving their Bridge City Rivals tough contests, which included a 15-7 victory over the Valkyries on May 12, 2013. It wasn't out of the question Regina could pull out its second victory over Saskatoon in 13 tries.
    Like a squad that is used to winning championships, the Valkyries battled back. The Riot lead shrank to 16-14 by halftime. Saskatoon proceeded to jump ahead 21-16 with 52 seconds remaining in the third quarter, when first year starting quarterback Stacey Boldt hit tailback Julene Friesen on a 13 yard outlet pass for a major.
    Victory wasn't assured until Friesen ran in the game's final touchdown from eight yards out to give the visitors a 28-18 lead with 66 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Saskatoon came away with a 28-19 final after Regina concluded the scoring with a rouge coming off a missed field goal as time expired.
    Unlike a lot of the contests involving the Valkyries, Sunday's game with the Riot provided intrigue.
    Saskatoon is the model franchise in the WWCFL and has run away from opponents with numerous blowout victories. The lopsided results occur due to a combination of the fact the Valkyries are well run with a strong coaching staff, and the WWCFL is still in its formative years. Women's tackle football is still a relatively new sport experiencing growing pains.
    The Riot have run a strong program, and they could have easily come away with a victory Sunday had the outcome of two or three plays been changed. The battle between Saskatoon and Regina showed the potential of how interesting WWCFL games can be.

Aimee Kowalski slings a pass for the Riot.

    The Valkyries jumped ahead 8-0 thanks to the Riot conceding a safety in the first quarter and Boldt hitting veteran receiver Marci Kiselyk for a 34-yard pass and run TD strike early in the second quarter.
    Regina sputtered early offensively due to a number of dropped passes but proceeded to catch fire. Riot quarterback Aimee Kowalski hit receiver Claire Dore with a 20-yard scoring pass cutting the Saskatoon lead to 8-6. A two-point conversion attempt by Regina to tie the contest failed.
    After Valkyries receiver Tori Giles fumbled away a punt return, the Riot were in business again. The turnover resulted in a 22-yard field goal from Morgan Turner to put Regina ahead 9-8.
    With 1:58 remaining in the second quarter, Aimee Kowalski connected with her sister Alex Kowalski for a long 75-yard home run strike to put Regina up 16-8. At that point in the game, the Riot had all the momentum and were making the majority of the plays.
    The Valkyries tightened things up scoring just 45 seconds later, when Boldt hit Kiselyk from eight yards out to cut the gap to 16-14. A two point conversion attempt failed, but Saskatoon was successful in stopping Regina's momentum.
    After Boldt connected for her third touchdown pass of the game to Friesen to put the Valkyries up 21-16, the Riot didn't go away. Near the halfway point of the fourth quarter, Regina had a golden chance to go back in front, but Aimee Kowalski's end zone pass to open rookie receiver Rachelle Smith was dropped.
    The Riot proceeded to turn the ball over on downs, but the Valkyries had to concede a safety on the ensuing series shirking their edge to 21-18.
    Regina would be doomed from two more mistakes. While running downfield after a catch, Alex Kowalski fumbled the ball away near her own 35 after getting tackled by Valkyries defensive back Amber Buchholz and linebacker Beth Thomson. Thomson recovered the ball for the visitors.

Valkyries DB Carisa Polischuk, right, takes down Riot receiver Diane Nesbitt.

    It appeared Regina would hold Saskatoon to scoring just a field goal, but the Riot were penalized for contacting Valkyries kicker Rienna Rueve. The infraction gave the Saskatoon a first down, so the visitors took the field goal off the board by accepting the penalty.
    The Valkyries proceeded to run more time off the clock before Friesen ran in for the clinching major. Regina attempted a last play field goal in case the points were needed for a standings tiebreaker down the road, but settled for a single.
    With the win, the Valkyries improved to 2-0, while the Riot fell to 1-1. After a bye weekend, these two clubs meet again on Saturday, May 30 at 7 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.
    Regina needs to win that contest by 10 or more points to claim the season series. With that in mind, hopes are high that the next clash will be as compelling as Sunday's match was.

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