 |
| Alex Eyolfson (#15) smiles after making a touchdown reception. |
The fourth-year quarterback was star attraction for the
Saskatoon Valkyries on Saturday afternoon at Saskatoon Minor Football Field as
they capped a perfect season with a 9-0 overall record.
Eyolfson completed 11-of-20 passes for 299 yards, three
touchdowns and had no interceptions in a 39-12 exhibition victory over the Montreal
Blitz. She also had a touchdown reception on a quarterback throwback gadget
play to go along with her passing efforts.
“It was
fun,” said Eyolfson. “I was throwing the ball lots, and I got a touchdown and
that was fun.”
The
21-year-old wanted to make good on the trick play after failing to finish it
during the Valkyries 25-3 victory over the host Regina Riot in the WWCFL title
game on June 29 at Mosaic Stadium.
 |
| Alex Eyolfson threw for 299 yards and three touchdowns on Saturday. |
When
Thorstad gets the ball, she throws it Eyolfson, who by that time is running a streak
pattern down the sideline. In Regina, Eyolfson caught the pass, but fumbled the
ball and managed to recover it.
Against the
Blitz on Saturday, the Valkyries executed the play perfectly with 6:51 expired
in the second quarter. Eyolfson was wide open when she caught Thorstad’s pass and
went into the end zone untouched on a 23-yard reception to give Saskatoon a
15-6 lead.
“I caught
the ball,” said a gleeful Eyolfson. “I just held on to the ball really tight.”
Eyolfson’s
touchdown reception came at a time when the Valkyries really started to roll.
 |
| Ricki Obed is set to take off on a 96-yard touchdown reception. |
The Blitz
jumped ahead 6-1 with 2:44 expired in the second quarter when star quarterback
Maude Lacasse capped a long touchdown drive with a one-yard sneak play.
Montreal’s ensuing two-point convert attempt was unsuccessful.
Just 63
seconds after that score, Eyolfson hit star running back Sam Matheson on a
screen pass, and Matheson broke about four tackles on 37-yard touchdown
reception that gave the Valkyries an 8-6 edge.
After
Eyolfson’s touchdown catch gave the Valkyries a 15-6 lead, the Blitz looked to
have gotten back in the game, when Lacasse hit star receiver Anrelie D’anjou
Drouin on a 37-yard bomb pass for a major score. D’anjou Drouin’s score was
taken off the board, when the officials ruled she was offside on the play.
 |
| Maude Lacasse threw for 343 yards for the Blitz. |
On the
first play of the ensuing Saskatoon possession, Eyolfson hit fourth-year
receiver Ricki Obed on a deep flag pattern on the left side of the field. Obed
raced the rest of the way for a 96-yard major score to give the Valkyries a
22-6 advantage.
Obed finished
the contest with three receptions for 107 yards to go with her one touchdown.
“That was
awesome,” said Eyolfson. “I kind of threw it to a spot, and she (Obed) just
came out of nowhere and just ran it.
“It was
definitely a turning point I think. We used that as motivation. We kind of got
a spark going.”
With 45
seconds remaining first half, the Blitz capped another long drive with a
one-yard touchdown run from running back Emilie Belanger to cut the Valkyries
lead to 22-12.
Montreal was unsuccessful at trying a second two-point
conversion attempt.
 |
| Emilie Belanger, right, runs in a one-yard touchdown for the Blitz. |
The
Valkyries pulled away in the game’s second half. Early in the third quarter,
Matheson caught another screen pass from Eyolfson and dashed 49 yards for a
second touchdown reception.
In the
fourth quarter, Carmen Agar ran the ball in from a yard out for the Valkyries
final touchdown to put the hosts up 36-12. Agar topped the Valkyries in rushing
with 43 yards on six carries.
Rueve hit a
12-yard field goal late in the fourth to round out the game’s scoring.
Lacasse
finished the contest completing 26-of-47 passes for 343 yards to go along with
two interceptions. She ran the ball nine times for 60 yards.
The Blitz,
who were formed in 2001, played out of women’s tackle leagues in the United
States for most of their history.
They have been playing a schedule of
exhibition contests last season and this season while trying to find another league
to compete in.
 |
| Aurelie D’anjou Drouin, right, makes a deep catch for the Blitz. |
Lacasse,
who has played for Canada’s national women’s tackle football team, enjoyed
Saturday’s contest despite the final outcome on the scoreboard.
“It was
awesome,” said Lacasse. “Honestly, it is awesome for us to come and play a good
game.
“If we had
a real season with these kinds of games every time, I feel like we would have
been way better today. That was the first time this season that we had to play
against a great team. I think if we had games like this all the time we would
get much better.”
 |
| Emmarae Dale (#45) had 12.5 total tackles for the Valkyries. |
Rueve, who
had both interceptions off Lacasse, said the Valkyries defensive backs enjoyed
being really active in Saturday’s contest.
“It is fun
for us,” said Rueve, who is in her eighth season with the Valkyries. “We are
used to going against some teams who don’t throw very much.
“For us as
defensive backs, it’s nothing but fun. You have an opportunity to get beat now
and then, especially when you have a quarterback who can look you off like she
(Lacasse) does. It is what I would ask for.”
D’anjou
Drouin led all receivers catching 12 passes for 197 yards. The Blitz had 93
yards rushing as a team to go with Lacasse’s 343 yards through the air for 436
yards of gross offence.
 |
| Sam Matheson (#22) breaks a tackle to score a major on a 49-yard catch. |
The Blitz had one takeaway coming off a turnover on downs.
Middle linebacker
Emmarae Dale topped all players with 12.5 total tackles, while recovering a
fumble and sharing a sack with rookie defensive end Danaye Holynski.
“We rallied
when we needed to,” said Rueve. “I feel like we kind of put everybody in spots
where we needed too, and (we played) bend don’t break.”
Overall,
Valkyries head coach Pat Barry was pleased with Saturday’s season-ending
contest for his club.
“It was
pretty exciting,” said Barry. “We knew it was going to be one of our most
competitive games and it was.
“They (the
Blitz) are a very talented football team. We’ve never seen a quarterback like
that who can make every throw on the field and look off our safety. She
(Lacasse) is extremely talented.”
 |
| Rienna Rueve (#7) returns a punt for the Valkyries. |
The nine overall
games the Valkyries played in the 2019 were the most contests the squad hit the
field for in one campaign.
It started back on March 23 with a 34-6 victory over the Sin City Trojans in and exhibition game in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Valkyries won their sixth WWCFL title when they downed the Riot in this year’s the league final.
Saturday’s win provided a perfect cap to the season.
It started back on March 23 with a 34-6 victory over the Sin City Trojans in and exhibition game in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Valkyries won their sixth WWCFL title when they downed the Riot in this year’s the league final.
Saturday’s win provided a perfect cap to the season.
“It is
ridiculously unreal,” said Rueve. “To go 9-0 in a season and to be healthy, you
can’t ask for much more.”
“That is
really exciting,” said Barry. “It is hard to do.
 |
| The Valkyries celebrate finishing 9-0 overall in 2019. |
“Nine
football games is a lot. We’re ready for a break now. It has been a great
season.”
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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