Monday 8 July 2019

Returns and reunions aplenty in Valkyries 2019 finale

Aly Bell (#76) rejoined the Valkyries for a one-game cameo.
    Returns and reunions were all the rage for the Saskatoon Valkyries in their final outing of the 2019 campaign.
    On Saturday, the Valkyries hosted the Montreal Blitz in an exhibition contest at Saskatoon Minor Football Field coming away with a 39-12 victory. The win allowed to Valkyries to finish their 2019 season with a 9-0 overall record.
    It marked the first time the team played nine overall games in one season.
    As the Valkyries captured the Western Women’s Canadian Football League title 25-3 over the host Regina Riot on June 29 at Mosaic Stadium, the Saskatoon side was missing some players for the season finale due to real life pursuits.
    Thanks to the fact the clash with the Blitz was an exhibition game, the Valkyries were able to bring in players to fill in their roster. Some were former team veterans that came back for one game, four current members of the Riot came up to play for the Saskatoon side and a former WWCFL star came back for one game.
Alex Wojcichowsky (#50) returned to action to play centre for one game.
    It was cool to see the addition of these players. For the former Valkyries that came back, it showed how much the team meant to them.
    For the Riot members that came up from Regina, it showed the mutual respect that exists between the two rival sides.
    Alex Wojcichowsky, Lakyn Biberdorf and Aly Bell were the former veterans who returned to action. Wojcichowsky and Biberdorf are still active with the team in staff support roles. Wojcichowsky is a trainer and Biberdorf is a registered massage therapist.
Lakyn Biberdorf played cornerback for one game.
    Wojcichowsky played on the Valkyries WWCFL championship teams in 2013, 2014 and 2016, and Biberdorf was a rookie on the 2016 WWCFL championship team.
    Bell has been a member of the Riot since 2017. Her final season with the Valkyries was their WWCFL title winning campaign in 2016.
    She gained a lot of excitement on Saturday being on the field when the Valkyries ran a quarterback throwback pass gadget play that resulted in starting signal caller Alex Eyolfson hauling in a 23-yard touchdown reception.
    Wojcichowsky took on her former role at the centre position on the offensive line, while Bell played left guard. Biberdorf, who was a receiver when she played with the Valkyries, played cornerback.
    Ashley Clayton, Shelby Moran and Payton Kuster were the other current Riot members that came up to round out the Valkyries roster. Clayton played defensive back, Moran suited up at linebacker and Kuster played defensive back, returned kicks and took some snaps at receiver.
    Former Riot running back Carmen Agar was the former WWCFL star who suited up for the Valkyries in this contest. Agar played for the Riot from 2012 to 2018 before taking the current campaign off.
Payton Kuster (#37) makes a catch for the Valkyries.
    Agar topped the Valkyries in rushing against the Blitz carrying the ball six times for 43 yards scoring one touchdown.
    Up in the press box, former Valkyries assistant coach Chris Hengen-Braun stepped up to do the public address announcing duties.
    Before the game, the Valkyries held a moment of silence for late defensive position coach Justin Filteau, who passed away in a tragic plane crash on June 1.
    It is possible some of the additions to the Valkyries roster might have been missed.
    Still, it was fun to see the additions make a one-game cameo appearance, and it was obvious the current players enjoyed having them out.

Blitz QB Lacasse happy to renew Team Canada ties

Maude Lacasse (#13) jets downfield on a scramble.
    Maude Lacasse cherished the short time she was able to visit Saskatoon.
    The star quarterback for the Montreal Blitz had a strong game on Saturday, when her squad fell to the host Saskatoon Valkyrie 39-12 in a women’s tackle football exhibition match.
    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.
    Lacasse showed why she is one of the top female tackle football players in Canada.
    She was a member of Canada’s national women’s tackle football, and a number of the Valkyries players were her teammates on the national team.  Lacasse was happy she was able to renew those ties.
    “I’ve played with some girls from the Valkyries on Team Canada,” said Lacasse. “It was awesome to see some faces we know.
    “We love them. It was great to have competition against them. It was awesome to play against the Valkyries.”
    Lacasse was a member of the Canadian national team that fell 41-16 to the United States in the championship game of the International Federation of American Football Women’s World Championship tournament in Langley, B.C., in 2017.
    Canada was behind 27-16 after three quarters before the United States sealed victory with two touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
    Lacasse’s teammates from event included Valkyries running back Sam Matheson, left tackle Alyssa Funk, defensive tackle Jaime Lammerding and safety Rienna Rueve.
    Finland hosts the women’s world tournament in 2021 with the dates, times and locations of games still to be announced. Lacasse is already setting her eyes towards that event.
Maude Lacasse (#13) fires a pass downfield.
    “Just seeing the girls from the Valkyries today, I think we have really good athletes in Canada,” said Lacasse. “I look forward to 2021.
    “We played really good in 2017 against U.S.A. I think we are there. We’re just missing like just a push, and we can beat them for real.”
    In order to prepare for worlds, Lacasse hopes the Blitz will be able to find a new league to play out of.
    The Blitz were formed in 2001, and they have played mainly out of leagues based in the United States. In 2012, the Blitz defeated the Sacramento Sirens 28-27 in the championship game in the top tier of the Independent Women’s Football League.
    Montreal last played in a league in 2017 as part of the Women’s Football Alliance. The Blitz haven’t been able to iron out any agreements to play in the U.S. leagues, and have spent the 2018 and 2019 campaigns playing exhibition games.
    “It has been two years,” said Lacasse “We’re trying to reach the Maritimes, because they have a league there.
    “It is hard. We are really trying to get out there and ask people to make a league. Even just our team in Montreal, we have trouble having like more than 40 girls.
    “We’re trying. We are really trying hard to grow football there and have a league. We keep working for future generations and hope for the best.”

Eye change in new Gainer gets warmer reviews


    The problem was all in the contact lenses.
    Before Saturday’s CFL regular season game at Mosaic Stadium against the visiting Calgary Stampeders, the host Saskatchewan Roughriders released a video that showed the new Gainer the Gopher mascot ditching his green contact lenses.
    Gainer proceeded to appear on the field new eyes that had black pupils, which were more closely tied to the traditional look of the mascot. He was greeted by loud cheers from the crowd.
    During the Roughriders home regular season debut on July 1, the team introduced a new look Gainer which was received mainly to wide disproval of the squad’s Rider Nation fanbase.
    Most of the disapproval showed itself in social media posts that were both harsh and comical. An online petition was started to bring back classic Gainer.
    After the eyes were tweaked in new Gainer, response on social media has been more positive this time around.
    There are still a number of people that oppose the new look Gainer has. Still, the change in the eyes has helped the uproar subside.
    Fans appear to have turned their focus on the fact the Roughriders were dumped 37-10 by the Stampeders before an announced attendance of 29,147. Saskatchewan fell to 1-3 after that loss, while Calgary improved to 2-1.
    The Roughriders return to action on Saturday, July 20, when they host the British Columbia Lions at 5 p.m. at Mosaic Stadium.

U.S.A. was the best at FIFA Women’s World Cup


    No matter what you think of them, the United States are the best in the world in women’s soccer.
    On Sunday, the U.S.A. downed the Netherlands 2-0 in the championship game in the FIFA Women’s World Cup at Parc Olympique Lyonnais in Decines-Charpieu, France. The United States have won the last two Women’s World Cups and have four titles overall.
    Megan Rapinoe scored for the U.S. on a penalty kick in the 61st minute and Rose Lavelle added an insurance goal in the 69th minute.
    Alyssa Naeher picked up the win in goal for the U.S.
    Sari van Veenendaal took the setback in goal for the Netherlands.
    The U.S. posted a perfect 7-0 record at this year’s world cup and appears to have a swagger that matches that of the Super Bowl winning Dallas Cowboys teams in the NFL in the 1990s.
    The U.S. side drew considerable criticism for elaborate goal celebrations opening its Women’s World Cup schedule thrashing Thailand 13-0 on June 11. Many were rankled when the elaborate goal celebrations continued when the U.S. netted goals eight through 13.
    To be honest, the continuing goal celebrations did show up an opponent that was considerably weaker.
    The U.S. caught everyone’s attention again in a 2-1 semifinal victory over England last Tuesday. Star striker Alex Morgan, who was celebrating her 30th birthday that day, scored the winning goal breaking a 1-1 tie in the 31st minute.
    She marked the moment doing a tea drinking celebration. With Morgan being one of the most famous and glamourous female athletes in the world, her celebration drew criticism with the critics saying she was taunting the English side.
    Morgan’s celebration was arguably parallel with that of former NFL star receiver Terrell Owens, who once pulled a sharpie out of his sock to sign a football for a fan after he scored a touchdown when he was a member of the San Francisco 49ers.
    Morgan’s glam and pretty aspect is arguably on the same level as Tom Brady, who has won six Super Bowls as the quarterback of the New England Patriots.
    That latter notion makes her both a target of criticism and praise.
    I would deem Morgan’s goal celebration against England of having the right amount of strut and self-confidence that comes close but doesn’t go over the edge to arrogance or being cocky.
    Rapinoe, who is a co-captain of the U.S. team, won the Golden Boot as the tournament’s leading scorer and the Golden Ball as the best player in the tournament.
    The 34-year-old was arguably the event’s most charismatic player. Her romantic relationship with WNBA star Sue Bird is heart warming.
    Rapinoe has been a star for some time in women’s soccer, but her star power has hit new heights in this tournament.
    She has the guts to battle one of the world’s most powerful political leaders in U.S. President Donald Trump. Rapinoe annoyed the president saying she would not visit the White House, if the U.S. side was invited to be honoured in the event of a Women’s World Cup win.
    She speaks eloquently on issues of equal rights and in the sport of soccer equal pay between genders.
    No matter what you think of the U.S. national women’s soccer team, they bring attention to their sport. The impact of their Women’s World Cup win this year might go beyond the boundaries of the sport, and they still might rock the world in bigger ways for years to come.

    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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