Valkyries overcame adversities in perfect 2023 campaign

QB Alex Eyolfson (#15) calls a play in the Valkyries’ huddle.

In no particular order, leadership, depth and coaching saw the Saskatoon Valkyries through to a perfect season in 2023.

Saskatoon’s powerhouse women’s football team never seemed to lose a step navigating towards an 8-0 overall record. The Valkyries concluded the campaign on Saturday blanking the Calgary Rage 40-0 in the WWCFL Championship Game at Griffiths Stadium.

The win marked the third consecutive time the Valkyries claimed the WWCFL title and the eighth time overall since the league’s inception in 2011.

The Valkyries were challenged along the way in 2023. On May 14, they traveled to Winnipeg and grinded out a 26-14 victory over an inspired Manitoba Fearless side. On June 18 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, the Valkyries had to hold off their provincial rivals the Regina Riot 19-9 in the Prairie Conference final.

Michelle Duchene, left, has put in countless hours building female football. 

As the Valkyries were going about their business in a convincing win over the Rage, another realization hit looking at the Saskatoon sidelines at Griffiths Stadium on Saturday. There were some important star players helping out on the Valkyries bench area wearing their game uniforms over their street clothes.

That was a sign that those players were kept out of game action due to various injuries. Some of those players who were out missed a sizable part of the campaign due to their injuries.

HC Pat Barry and his staff have kept the Valkyries rolling.

Arguably, the biggest missing player was star fourth year receiver Haley Girolami, who might be the best pass catcher in the women’s game in Canada. In the Valkyries regular season opening 34-7 win over the Riot on May 7 at SMF Field, Girolami hauled in nine passes for 111 yards and one touchdown.

She was so impressive in that game one wondered just how good of a season she was going to have in 2023. Just seven days later in the Valkyries road win over the Fearless, Girolami was lost for the rest of the season due to a knee injury.

The Valkyries were also without star receiver Rachelle Smith for the entire regular season and post-season. The WWCFL veteran is a big time playmaker who was on all three of the Riot’s WWCFL title winning teams before joining the Valkyries for their WWCFL Championship season in 2019 and has remained with the Saskatoon side since.

The loss of Haley Girolami to injury was a big blow to the Valkyries.

On defence, star linebacker Jamie Wingate missed the entire regular season and post-season due to injury. Her absence left a sizable hole on the defence.

Rookie defensive back Kaylin O’Neill went down with a leg injury in the Valkyries regular season win over the Fearless. Savanna Spendiff was excelling in her first year playing on the Valkyries offensive line, but she went down with a knee injury in the Prairie Conference final win over the Riot.

Those types of injuries would have put any other team’s championship aspirations on ice. The Valkyries were able to march on due to their depth.

QB Alex Eyolfson gave positive leadership to the Valkyries offence.

That depth partially came from the work of the only general manager the Valkyries have ever known in Michelle Duchene and the countless hours she has spent building women’s football in Saskatoon. The female flag football system operated through Saskatoon Minor Football has helped funnel players to the Valkyries. Duchene’s leadership helped make that possible.

The Valkyries coaching staff under the direction of head coach Pat Barry has brought newcomers up to speed quickly when it comes to learning the game. That has helped build the Valkyries depth.

Emmarae Dale, left, gave upbeat leadership to the Valkyries defence.

Barry is aided by an astute staff that includes defensive coordinator Wyatt Carleton and Marci Halseth and Jack Sloboda, who shared in the offensive coordinator duties. The coaching staff has ensured new players are ready to step in and make an impact when injuries happen.

On the field, the Valkyries have been able to rely on the leadership of a couple of players who joined the club as youngsters in the team’s 2016 WWCFL title winning campaign in quarterback Alex Eyolfson and middle linebacker Emmarae Dale.

Sarah Wright continued to pile up big yards for the Valkyries.

Right from when she joined the Valkyries, Eyolfson has and continues to radiate a vibe that makes you feel like everything is going to be alright even if things go wrong. She quickly mastered guiding an offence, and she might be the best quarterback in the women’s game in Canada.

Dale immediately displayed an uplifting vibe and a positive demeanor. She still displays an explosive athletic ability that turns heads and saw her join the CJFL’s storied and historic Saskatoon Hilltops for the 2021 campaign. Dale might be the best in the women’s game in Canada today.

The presence of Eyolfson and Dale everything on the field stays sorted out and in order. They were aided by a good core group that has been together since 2019.

Makayla Sader has become part of the Valkyries core group.

On offence, the Valkyries were still able to turn to star running back Sarah Wright and veteran star pass catchers Ricki Obed and Reed Thorstad to make plays. The offensive line is anchored by four star veterans in right tackle Betsy Mawdsley, centre Alex Wojcichowsky, left guard Lauren Ferguson and left tackle Alyssa Funk.

On defence, Danaye Holynski continues to create havoc for the opposition at defensive end. The defence has been bolstered with a couple of veteran receivers switching over to defensive back in Kelsey Murphy and Danielle Girolami.

The Valkyries are progressing to the point where a large group of players in their second and third years with the team can now be considered as steady veterans who are part of the core group. That group includes receiver/kicker Grace McCorriston, running back/kicker Drew Lundquist and utility player Arden Kliewer.

Grace McCorriston (#82) has become a solid receiver and kicker.

Defensive back Makayla Sader, linebackers Jackie Semple-Dyck, Kennedy Mann and Sydney Schenn are now part of that core group too along with Emry Halbgewachs and Grace Farthing on the defensive line. 

Returnee defensive tackle Carla Stevenson has become part of that core group too. She helped the Valkyries win a WWCFL title in their second year of existence in 2012, took a leave of absence from the team before rejoining the club in 2021.

Rookies came through for the Valkyries too in 2023. Brianna Hammett on the offensive line, Michaella Applin on the defensive line, Mykayla Laroque at cornerback and Jaimyn Mantyka at safety all stepped in to give the Valkyries big performances.

Thanks to leadership, depth and coaching, the Valkyries were able to overcome some fairly key injuries and preserver in a couple of tough games that could have sent the season in another direction. The undefeated Valkyries ended becoming better in their journey of overcoming the adversity they faced.

The Valkyries celebrate a third straight WWCFL title on Saturday.

It is expected they will return a strong core of players in 2024. That should give them a good start in their quest for a four-peat, which the team accomplished in the WWCFL’s first four years of existence from 2011 to 2014.

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Valkyries on cusp of last dance for 2023 season

Saskatoon aims to win third straight WWCFL title Saturday

Sarah Wright is having another big season for the Valkyries.

It will all be about taking care of business in the present for the Saskatoon Valkyries on Saturday.

The Valkyries are set to host the Calgary Rage in the WWCFL Championship Game on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Griffiths Stadium on the campus of the University of Saskatchewan. Saskatoon is looking to win a third consecutive league title with the previous wins in this run coming last year and in 2019.

The WWCFL’s 2020 and 2021 campaigns were cancelled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that gripped the world. The Valkyries were able to play a three-game exhibition series against their provincial rivals the Regina Riot in 2021.

On top of going for a third consecutive title, the Valkyries are trying to win their eighth league title in team history having joined the WWCFL in its inaugural campaign in 2011.

With the Valkyries having so much success in their history, head coach Pat Barry was asked how special this opportunity was for the team’s rookies like defensive back Mykayla Laroque. Barry didn’t want to discount how important it is to have the opportunity to play in the WWCFL’s title game for everyone on the team’s roster.

QB Alex Eyolfson aims to lead the Valkyries to another WWCFL title.

“It is special for all of us,” said Barry. “You never know when you are going to get back.

“We do have a lot of new people on our team, especially in our defensive backfield. “Rocky” (Laroque) is one of them. I was sort of counting on our roster earlier in the year, and more than half of our team never played in 2019.

“It is a pretty young team actually that we have here.”

The Valkyries head into this contest having won their last 26 games in a row including two forfeit victories. Their last loss game way back on June 24, 2018, when they dropped a 14-10 decision to the Riot in that year’s WWCFL title game held at Mosaic Stadium in Regina. Saskatoon has a 7-0 overall in the 2023 campaign.

The Rage enter the WWCFL title game with a 4-1 overall record. Their lone loss came in a pre-season game in Calgary on April 22, when they fell 50-2 against the Valkyries.

MLB Emmarae Dale (#45) keeps piling up big plays for the Valkyries.

Calgary’s only appearance to date in the WWCFL final came back on June 10, 2017 taking on the Riot at Saskatoon Minor Football Field in a neutral site clash. The Rage turned the ball over 10 times in that contest and were blanked 53-0.

Despite what has transpired in the past, Valkyries star running back Sarah Wright believes her team can’t be going into the WWCFL title clash thinking everything is going to fall into place. Wright said the Valkyries want to come out and play their best.

“Big last game, (and) we’re excited,” said Wright. “We played Calgary in our pre-season game.

“We’re excited to see them back in the final and to show why Saskatchewan football is so good.”

The Valkyries defensive unit is good at swarming to the ball.

Last year, the Valkyries dumped the Winnipeg based Manitoba Fearless 36-6 in the WWCFL title game held at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. The last time a WWCFL title game was held at Griffiths Stadium was way back on July 5, 2014, when the Valkyries blanked the Lethbridge Steel 53-0.

The Valkyries enter this year’s WWCFL title game loaded with talent. Star quarterback Alex Eyolfson is in her prime.

Along with being able to look to Wright and Drew Lundquist to make big plays in the running game, the Valkyries can look to get a boost from a trio of big play receivers in Reed Thorstad, Ricki Obed and Grace McCorriston. Star receiver Haley Girolami has missed the majority of the campaign with a knee injury and is out for Saturday’s game.

The offensive line is anchored by star veterans in Betsy Mawdsley at right tackle, Alex Wojcichowsky at centre, Lauren Ferguson and left guard and Alyssa Funk at left tackle.

Receiver Reed Thorstad (#12) can make big catches in traffic.

Star middle linebacker Emmarae Dale leads the Valkyries defensive unit. Dale’s efforts in the linebacking corps are complimented by Kennedy Mann and Jackie Semple-Dyck. Star defensive end Danaye Holynski also makes a lot of big plays for the Valkyries, while Emry Halbgewachs also brings big pressure from the defensive end spot.

Defensive tackles Carla Stevenson and Michaella Applin are tasked with taking on multiple blocks to occupy players on the opposing offensive line so their teammates can make plays.

Kelsey Murphy, who was a rookie when the Valkyries won the 2014 title, and Danielle Girolami make plays as the veteran presence in the defensive secondary. The Valkyries defensive secondary relies on athletic youngsters like third-year defensive back Makayla Sader, rookie safety Jaimyn Mantyka and Laroque at boundary cornerback.

Barry expects the Rage will be much improved since their pre-season encounter with the Valkyries in April. He is expecting his squad will be in for a physical battle on Saturday.

The Valkyries hope to have a few big play celebrations on Saturday.

“We got to play them in a pre-season game,” said Barry. “We’ll find out how the rest of their season went.

“We think we know a little bit about them. We’ll have to prepare for them. They have some very good athletes on their team, and we’ll have to be ready for them.”

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Eyolfson, offence hit peak form for Valkyries

Saskatoon advances in WWCFL playoffs with forfeit win

Alex Eyolfson is having a big season as the Valkyries QB.

Alex Eyolfson likes keeping her gals happy.

The Saskatoon Valkyries veteran quarterback is having her best season since joining the team in 2016 averaging close to 300 yards passing per game. In her last two outings that have both been wins over the Valkyries’ provincial rivals the Regina Riot, Eyolfson has completed 40-of-63 passes for 674 yards and seven touchdowns without throwing a single interception.

The 24-year-old is the first to tell you that she is doing well, because everyone on the Valkyries offence is doing well.

“The O-line is creating lots of time in the pocket,” said Eyolfson. “The receivers are running hard routes.

“The running backs are just running unreal and blocking hard. We got to throw more it seems like this season, which is really fun too. We’ve just been connecting well on offence.”

After finishing the regular season with a perfect 4-0 record, Eyolfson and the Valkyries were slated to open the WWCFL playoffs with a quarter-final contest on Sunday against the Winnipeg Wolfpack at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. The Wolfpack, who went 0-4 in the regular season being outscored 292-0 in those contests, informed the WWCFL on Friday they would be forfeiting that quarter-final contest with the Valkyries, and under WWCFL bylaws, the Valkyries were awarded a 30-0 victory.

Saskatoon advances to host a WWCFL semfinal on Sunday, June 19 at 1 p.m. at SMF Field against the Edmonton Storm. The Storm closed out their regular season schedule downing the visiting Lethbridge Steel 90-0 on Saturday at Olexiuk Field in St. Albert, which is located just northwest of Edmonton, to improve to 3-1.

The Steel finish the 2022 campaign with an 0-4 mark. The WWCFL’s regular season in 2020 and 2021 were cancelled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that gripped the world.

Alex Eyolfson (#15) has benefitted from great pass protection.

The winner of the semifinal clash between the Valkyries and Steel advances to the WWCFL title game, and the league championship contest will be played in Saskatoon on Saturday, June 25 at 7 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

The Valkyries won the WWCFL title the last time a full campaign was held in 2019. They went 3-0 in a three-game exhibition series last season against the Riot.

As for the roll the Valkyries offence has been on, Eyolfson said it helps most of the starters are veterans who have played together for an extended period of time.

“Definitely the chemistry is there,” said Eyolfson. “We’ve all played together for four years at least.

“Everyone just kind of knows their job, and we can just build off that each practice and put in like more complex plays.”

Four players from the Valkyries starting offensive line are members of Football Canada’s National Women’s team including Lauren Ferguson, Alyssa Funk, Betsy Mawdsley and Ashley Viklund. Centre Alex Wojcichowsky is playing her seventh total season with the Valkyries over two different stints as a player.

Rookie Breanna Allegretto has played well seeing some significant time on the offensive line as an injury replacement.

Alex Eyolfson (#15) fires a pass to Rachelle Smith (#81).

Receivers Haley Girolami, Ricki Obed and Reed Thorstad, who is also the Valkyries backup quarterback, are all members of Football Canada’s National Women’s team too. They are all veterans having strong campaigns along with Rachelle Smith, who joined the Valkyries in 2019 after spending a number of seasons with the Riot.

Running back Sarah Wright made Football Canada’s National Women’s Team as well, and she is having a stellar campaign in her fifth season with the team. The Valkyries were really stacked at running back with the presence of one of the squad’s all-time greats in Sam Matheson. Matheson is out due to a season ending injury, but is still on the reserve list for Football Canada’s National Women’s Team.

With the help of so many standouts, Eyolfson got on a roll right from the Valkyries first regular season game, when they downed the Manitoba Fearless 43-14 at SMF Field on May 1. In that contest, the graduate of Saskatoon’s Holy Cross High School completed 18-of-26 passes for 255 yards and two touchdowns without throwing an interception.

Valkyries head coach Pat Barry said Eyolfson is having a season that is kind of legendary. The veteran sideline boss still marvels at the game Eyolfson had when the Valkyries downed the Riot 46-7 at SMF Field on May 28.

In that contest, Eyolfson completed 23-of-29 passes for 434 yards and four touchdowns without throwing an interception.

“That is stunning at any level of football,” said Barry. “She is having a great year, and we’re very proud of her.”

Alex Eyolfson has great confidence calling plays for the Valkyries.

Barry said Eyolfson’s familiarity with her receivers having played an extended time together is evident. He noted the Valkyries defence gets tested quite a bit in practice.

“It is a big deal,” said Barry. “When we are practicing in the winter, you see Alex (Eyolfson) expect to know where one of our receivers is going to be, and they get there.

“It is a challenge for any defence and ours as well. It is a pretty cool competition that happens.”

Eyolfson plays a big role in the leadership department in being able to pick up her teammates on offence. If someone on offence makes a mistake, you often see Eyolfson talking to that teammate on the sidelines in such an upbeat, encouraging and beautiful way the teammate forgets her troubles right away.

On the field, Eyolfson admits there are times it seems she always knows where her teammates are going to be.

“Obviously, we have our bread and butter plays,” said Eyolfson, who helped the Valkyries win WWCFL titles in 2016 and 2019. “We all know what we are doing, and we kind of can add to and build on them.

“Everyone has their job, and we all know what we are doing out there.”

While the Valkyries got an unexpected bye with their post-season forfeit win over the Wolfpack, Eyolfson is still pumped for the post-season road ahead.

Alex Eyolfson (#15) aims to help the Valkyries capture another WWCFL title.

“It is so exciting to finally have playoffs again,” said Eyolfson. “It just seems like it is a different energy going in, more intense, and we are all ready.

“It will be fun.”

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Funk solidifies middle of Hilltops defensive line

Jaxon Funk has been a rock at DT for the Hilltops.

Jaxon Funk is in the middle of the action when it comes to keeping the Saskatoon Hilltops defensive line strong.

The 22-year-old product of Hague, Sask., is in his fourth full season with the team and his first full campaign as a starter at defensive tackle. During his first full three seasons with the team from 2017 to 2019, Funk said he learned from his veteran teammates, who have since graduated from the program.

When it came time for Funk to start, he was ready to play full time.

“I had great leadership in front of me,” said Funk, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 280 pounds. “It started with Tom Schnitzler.

“He was a great captain and a great guy to learn from. My next biggest influence was obviously Jesse McNabb. He was a great inside player, and he taught me a lot.

“Obviously, all our coaches have been around for a long time. They know exactly what they are doing. They put me in great spots and taught me everything I know.”

Schnitzler was a star defensive end for the Hilltops who graduated following the 2017 season, and McNabb was a star defensive tackle with the Hilltops, who graduated after the 2019 campaign.

Funk has followed in their footsteps continuing the lineage of stellar players the Hilltops have had along their defensive line. Playing on a defensive tackle spot, Funk doesn’t receive a lot of glory.

His job is often to take on double teams in order to allow his teammates to tackle running backs or sack quarterbacks.

Jaxon Funk (#77) storms on to the field with the Hilltops.

Even with that unglamourous role, Funk collected 27 solo tackles 12 assisted tackles, two fumble recoveries and a half sack helping the Hilltops post a 6-2 record during the regular season. Funk personally finished 16^th overall in the CJFL’s Prairie Football Conference in defensive points.

“Jaxon Funk has had an unbelievable year for us,” said legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant. “He has been a rock on our defence.

“He is probably the most consistent player we have. He does his job. He doesn’t get a lot of pats on the back.

“To have a noseguard in the top 16 in defensive points is absolutely incredible. He is a captain. He is a great leader.”

During the 2019 campaign, Funk was often rotated on to the defensive line for suspected running situations and kept off the field in obvious pass situations. The coaches worked that rotation to keep players fresh and playing to their strengths.

Now, Funk rarely leaves the field being a full-time starter. The Hague High School Panthers six-man football team graduate said he has had a tonne of help making plays from his teammates on the Hilltops defensive line.

Funk has formed a formidable duo inside with fellow defensive tackle Dylan McNutt, while defensive ends Daylen Hartz and Riece Kack have applied consistent pressure from the outside.

Jaxon Funk (#77) paired with his DT partner in Dylan McNutt (#51).

“We lost a lot of guys, but there have been a lot of guys who have stepped up and did their job,” said Funk. “It has been great.

“Obviously, the coaches are putting everyone in the right spots. It has been a good time.”

If he runs into situations where he is taking on constant double teams, Funk said the Hilltops linebackers coming in behind him have been outstanding making plays.

“I love knowing that if I take on a double team then we got guys behind me that are going to fill their roles,” said Funk. “Wisty (middle linebacker Matt Wist) has been doing a great job this year of filling in gaps.

“If I can get that double and if I end up on a single team, I just have to take advantage of that and try to make a play and do the best I can off that.”

Sargeant said Funk has a number of attributes that allow him to have success.

“Number one, he has worked real hard over the last couple of years to make himself bigger and strong,” said Sargeant. “He has got football IQ.

“He understands leverage and how to work against the O-line and the double teams. He is a player that gets double teamed a lot. He just had a knack for getting off blocks and staying alive and working towards the ball.

Jaxon Funk (#77) passes on kind words to a teammate.

“He is just always around the play. He makes us so much better.”

Before joining the Hilltops, Funk enjoyed playing the six-man game with the Panthers and then head coach Clay Kirby. The Hague Panthers six-man high school team gained notoriety being one of the feature teams in the 2007 “Season of Dreams” documentary about football in Saskatchewan.

Funk said a trio of Hilltops alums from Hague including Richard Zacharias and brothers Tyler and Shayne Dueck were big influences who convinced him to try out for the storied CJFL club.

“Richard Zacharias, who was a linebacker with the team and has helped out coaching recently, really showed me what the team was about,” said Funk. “(Zacharias) helped me get prepared for my rookie season and has been a great mentor ever since.”

Funk’s family became a football family after he first took up the sport in Grade 8. His older sister, Alyssa, has been a star at left tackle for the Saskatoon Valkyries of the Western Women’s Canadian Football League since 2015.

Younger brother, Jeremy, is in his first year with the Hilltops on the team’s practice roster.

Jaxon credits his parents in father, Lyle, and mother, Katrina, for being the biggest influences for helping him along in football.

“My parents are huge on sports,” said Jaxon Funk. “My dad never really played football, but he always wanted to, but Hague didn’t have a team at that point.

Jaxon Funk finished 16th in the PFC in defensive points.

“When I started, he learned everything about it and supported me as much as he could. I kind of started it in our family. My sister played with Valkyries and my younger brother is on the team now. It just turned into a really big football family.”

With the PFC having completed its regular season schedule, the Hilltops earned a bye to host a PFC semifinal contest due to finishing second in the conference standings. The Hilltops are scheduled to host that contest on Sunday, November 7 at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

They will play the team that has the best record that advances out of the two PFC quarter-final games that will be held on Sunday.

Due to the fact the 2020 CJFL campaign was lost due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has gripped the world, Funk said there is extra excitement within his team as that first post-season contest draws near.

He said the businesslike approach to that contest mirrors what the Hilltops do in the regular season.

“It is just the same kind of atmosphere,” said Funk, who helped the Hilltops win CJFL titles in each of his first three seasons with the team. “You have to put your time in and practise hard.

“That will reflect how we play on the field. Obviously, we were all pretty excited to back into playoffs after last year not being able to play. You really appreciate the time we can have out here.

Jaxon Funk (#77) and the Hilltops have enjoyed playing after a year off.

“Everyone knows that they’ve got to step it up and have their best game of the year next Sunday and just keep it going.”

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Funk discovered Valkyries by chance, off to another WWCFL final with team

Valkyries LT Alyssa Funk (#56) blocks a Steel rush end.

    Thanks to Google, Alyssa Funk received confirmation that women can play tackle football in Saskatchewan, and it started her career in the sport.

    Having grown up in Hague, Sask., Funk was visiting Saskatoon to watch her younger brother Jaxon play football a little over five years ago. Following Jaxon’s game, Alyssa noticed the field crew was setting up the field for the Saskatoon Valkyries of the Western Women’s Canadian Football League.

    She used the Google online search engine to learn what the Valkyries were all about. Once she realized they were a competitive women’s tackle football team, Funk got excited about playing the sport and decided to join the squad.

    “I was a little scared when I first came, because I didn’t know anyone,” said Funk. “They were really welcoming right from the start.

    “I came to a fall camp my first year, and they were great. I knew I wanted to play O-line. They loved me there.

Alyssa Funk (#56) clears a passing lane for QB Alex Eyolfson.

    “The coaching was great. It was awesome.”

    Funk is now in her fifth season with the Valkyries and anchors the team’s offensive line at left tackle.

    The 23-year-old helped the Valkyries roll past the Lethbridge Steel 53-0 on Sunday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field in a WWCFL semifinal contest. The Steel’s campaign came to an end with the loss as their overall record was finalized at 3-3.

    With the win, the Valkyries, who improved to 7-0 overall, advance to the WWCFL championship game to be held this coming Saturday at 4 p.m. at Mosaic Stadium in Regina.

    Saskatoon will face the two-time defending WWCFL champion and host Regina Riot in the title clash. The Riot, who have a 3-3 overall record this season, downed the Valkyries 14-10 in last year’s final.

Alyssa Funk (#56) clears a path for RB Sarah Wright.

    Regina took the other WWCFL semifinal contest 30-8 in Edmonton on Saturday against the host Storm.

    In Sunday’s win over the Steel, the Valkyries piled up 609 yards of total offence with 238 yards coming on the ground and 371 yards through the air.

    The Steel was limited to 136 yards of offence.

    Funk said the chemistry on the Valkyries offensive line has been strong this season. Along with Funk, the club’s starting offensive line includes right tackle Betsy Mawdsley, right guard Lauren Ferguson, centre Eden Rakochy and left guard Ashley Viklund.

Alyssa Funk (#56) sets up to protect the passing pocket.

    Besides the fact the starters have played well, Funk said the Valkyries have received strong contributions from the backups as well.

    “We’ve been playing together really, really well,” said Funk. “It doesn’t matter which of the seven of us are on.

    “We communicate well. We talk to each other. We finish our blocks, and we are putting up points. That is all you can do.”

    Funk joined the Valkyries in 2015 and quickly vaulted to star status. She helped the Valkyries win their fifth WWCFL title in June of 2016.

    The Valkyries thumped the Edmonton Storm 81-6 in the WWCFL final held in Lethbridge, Alta. Funk remembers current Valkyries head coach Pat Barry, who the team’s defensive coordinator and assistant head coach at the time, asking at halftime how many people had won a championship with the team before.

Alyssa Funk (#56) opens a hole on a running play.

    “Only about half the hands went up,” said Funk. “He (Barry) said lets win it for the people whose hands aren’t up.

    “We went out there, and we crushed them. It was a great time.”

    In late July of that same year, Funk suited up for Team Saskatchewan at Football Canada’s inaugural Senior Women’s National Championship tournament.  Funk and Saskatchewan won gold at that event held in Regina.

    During the 2017 campaign, Funk had the opportunity to suit up for Canada’s national women’s football team. She helped Canada win silver at the International Federation of American Football Women’s World Championship tournament held in Langley, B.C.

    Funk never envisioned she would have those experiences under her belt in her second and third seasons.

Alyssa Funk (#56) and Eden Rakochy (#57) team up on a block.

    “It was actually surreal,” said Funk. “I didn’t have high expectations for myself.

    “I didn’t want to get my hopes up. It was the greatest thing I have ever been a part of. It was amazing.

    “I worked really hard for it, and I hoped that I could get myself there. It seemed unrealistic, but I am glad it wasn’t.”

    Barry said Funk has been an important part of the Valkyries since joining the team.

    “She (Funk) is an excellent football player,” said Barry. “She cares about the sport.

    “She is an excellent blocker. We’re very pleased to have her. She is just strong.

Emmarae Dale (#45) make a tackle for the Valkyries.

    “She is a student of the game. She is someone who cares deeply about the Valkyries and about her teammates.”

    Funk is looking forward to the fact the Valkyries will return to the WWCFL title game.

    The Valkyries had dedicated the season to late defensive position coach Justin Filteau, who passed away in a plane crash on June 1. On top of that fact, Funk wants to help her teammates that have never won a WWCFL title gain that experience for the first time.

    “I think it is really exciting that everybody gets to play for a championship now,” said Funk. “We all get that chance again for redemption.

    “A lot of our girls have lost championships, but haven’t won them. That inner drive is there for us. We’re motivated. We’re ready.”

Haley Girolami had three TD catches for the Valkyries on Sunday.

    In the win over the Steel, the Valkyries led 15-0 after the first quarter and expanded their edge to 43-0 at halftime. They cruised to the 53-0 final result from there.

    Rookie receiver Haley Girolami hauled in three passes for 100 yards and scored three touchdowns. She had the Valkyries first major score on a 28-yard reception and went on to add a 66-yard scoring catch and a six-yard touchdown grab.

    Star running back Sam Matheson ran the ball seven times for 92 yards and scored two touchdowns. She hauled in two passes for 45 yards as well and kicked an 11-yard field goal.

    Third-year running back Sarah Wright ran the ball 11 times for 95 yards and scored two touchdowns. She caught two passes for 46 yards in the win.

    Alex Eyolfson started the game at quarterback for the Valkyries, and she completed 11-of-13 passes for 255 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.

Sam Matheson had two rushing TDs for the Valkyries on Sunday.

    Safety Rienna Rueve scored a single point on a 20 yard missed field goal.

    Defensively, middle linebacker Emmarae Dale piled up 11.5 tackles for the Valkyries.

    Barry was pleased with his team’s performance.

    “We were excited to be able to get a lot of people on the field,” said Barry. “You don’t always get to do that in playoffs.

    “We’re happy about that. People who don’t always get to play as many reps they got to play a lot of reps today, so that was good.”

    NOTES – Filteau’s parents, Ron and Nancy, joined the Valkyries for the game’s opening coin toss. Nancy handled the duties of flipping the coin.

    The Valkyries coaches and a number of team staffers were wearing “Filteau’s the Worst” T-shirts.

The Valkyries celebrate advancing to the WWCFL final.

    It was a favourite shirt the late Justin Filteau liked to wear, and it was given to him by the Valkyries players in 2017 as a humourous gift.

    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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