Valkyries post-season road starts with WWCFL home semi

Fearless up next to try and halt Saskatoon’s title quest

The Valkyries are on a quest to win a ninth WWCFL title.

Sarah Wright said every year there are always players on the Saskatoon Valkyries looking to experience their first championship.

That might sound strange for a team that has won the Western Women’s Canadian Football League championship the last three straight times it has been contested. The Valkyries have won eight of the 11 WWCFL Championship Games that have been held since the circuit’s inaugural campaign in 2011.

Wright is the Valkyries veteran star running back who has been with the team since 2017. While she has been a big part of the Valkyries last three straight WWCFL title wins, Wright noted there is always a crop of newcomers to the team who have never experienced a WWCFL title win.

As the Valkyries begin their journey through another WWCFL post-season, that fact always supplies some motivation. The Valkyries (4-0) host the Manitoba Fearless (0-4) in a WWCFL contest on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

Sarah Wright carried the ball 60 times for 326 yards in four games.

“We’re very excited,” said Wright. “Every year it seems like we keep getting more younger girls, and it is really exciting.

“We’ve had so much depth this season, which has been something we’ve lacked in other years. We’re excited to get a lot of people on the field and really show it to Winnipeg and get to that final.”

The winner of the clash between the Valkyries and Fearless will travel to face the winner of the other WWCFL semifinal between the Regina Riot (2-2) and Calgary Rage (4-0). The Riot and Rage go at it on Saturday at Cochrane High School in Cochrane, Alta.

The WWCFL semifinal on Sunday in Saskatoon will be the Valkyries final home game for the 2024 campaign.

QB Alex Eyolfson fires a pass downfield for the Valkyries.

“It felt like it has been pretty quick, even though we started at the end of January,” said Valkyries head coach Pat Barry. “Another season has come and gone.

“Now, we are ready for playoffs, which is the part that we’re really excited about.”

The Valkyries will be trying to keep their 31 game winning streak alive too when they face the Fearless. Saskatoon’s last loss came way back on June 24, 2018 at Mosaic Stadium in Regina, when the host Riot claimed a 14-10 victory in that year’s WWCFL title game.

While the Valkyries won both of their regular season encounters with the Fearless in 2024, the victories were not eye-popping romps but rather games where the Saskatoon side slowly pulled away. On May 5 at SMF Field, the Valkyries blanked the Fearless 26-0. On June 2 at St. Vital Mustangs Field in Winnipeg, the Valkyries claimed a 19-0 victory in a clash that closed the regular season for both clubs.

“We had a tough game in Winnipeg,” said Barry. “It was 9-0 late in the third quarter.

Haley Girolami (#17) leads the Valkyries with 320 receiving yards.

“We managed to stop them. We got a big defensive touchdown. They are a good football team.

“We’ve had some tough ones against them in the last few years. We’re happy we get them at home.”

Wright has had a big season for the Valkyries carrying the ball 60 times for 326 yards. Valkyries star quarterback Alex Eyolfson completed 71-of-114 passes for 899 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions.

Haley Girolami topped the Valkyries with 320 receiving yards coming off 19 catches. Reed Thorstad led the Saskatoon side with 24 catches that went for 291 yards.

Running back Hallie Eggie is the top offensive threat for the Fearless carrying the ball 73 times for 313 yards in the regular season.

Reed Thorstad leads the Valkyries with 24 receptions.

At this point in the campaign, Wright believes the Valkyries are in a good place both mentally and physically. While her squad is undefeated, she said her squad continues to get pushed by their WWCFL foes.

“The league just keeps getting better,” said Wright. “The quality of football just keeps getting better.

“Us as a program has to continue to get better. We have had some tough games, but us as a core group we continue to show why the Valkyries are one of the strongest teams in Canada. It is just we can rely on each other, and we just keep pushing through.”

In the present, the Valkyries are focused on concluding their home schedule on a high note. Wright said it is always special to host a home game this late in a campaign.

“Last home game, it is nice because we’re lucky enough to get a home game, and some people don’t,” said Wright. “We love having fans there.

The Valkyries aim to build on their 31 game winning streak.

“I think that is one of the biggest things that kind of riles all of us up. We’re very happy to play at home, and where ever the final may be, I think we will still have a lot of our fans coming to travel with us. I think it will be great.”

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