WWCFL Final makes a great time to reconnect with Valkyries

Jaime Lammerding, left, and Betsy Mawdsley lead the Valkyries to the field.

The last time the Saskatoon Valkyries won the WWCFL title at home was 2014.

With all that has happened in the world, the feels like an eternity ago.

In 2014, Stephen Harper was the prime minister of Canada and Barack Obama was president of the United States of America. Hit songs from that year included “Happy” by Pharrell Williams, “Fancy” by Iggy Azalea featuring Charli XCX, “Shake It Off” and “Blank Space” by Taylor Swift and “All About That Bass” by Meghan Trainor.

The Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl, the Los Angeles Kings claimed the Stanley Cup, the San Antonio Spurs captured the NBA title, the San Francisco Giants got their hands on the World Series and the Calgary Stampeders took home the Grey Cup.

The Valkyries celebrate winning the WWCFL title in 2014.

Beily’s Ultralounge and The Sutherland Bar were jumping night hotspots in the City of Saskatoon. Both of those places no longer exist.

The opportunities to win the WWCFL title at home are rare even for the Saskatoon Valkyries, who have won the league championship six times.

The last time the Valkyries won the WWCFL Championship game at home was on July 5, 2014 in a 53-0 romp over the Lethbridge Steel. That contest was played at Griffiths Stadium on the University of Saskatchewan campus.

That was also the farewell game for Valkyries star quarterback Candace Bloomquist. She was named the game’s MVP completing 21-of-30 passes for 341 yards and three touchdowns.

Bloomquist was calling signals for the Valkyries, when they won the WWCFL title the first four times it was contested from 2011 to 2014.

QB Alex Eyolfson and the Valkyries offence has been stellar.

For the 2015 campaign, the Valkyries moved into their new regular home venue in the newly renovated Saskatoon Minor Football Field. On Saturday at 7 p.m., the Valkyries (6-0) host the Manitoba Fearless (5-1) in this year’s WWCFL Championship game at SMF Field.

If you haven’t seen the Valkyries play in some time, Saturday is the perfect time to reconnect with Saskatoon’s elite level women’s football squad that has built a storied history since first hitting the field in 2011.

Since 2014, the Valkyries have won the WWCFL title twice. On June 25, 2016, they romped over the Edmonton Storm 81-6 at University of Lethbridge Community Stadium in Lethbridge, Alta., and on June 29, 2019, the Valkyries downed the host Riot in Regina 25-3 at Mosaic Stadium.

The Valkyries also made it to the WWCFL Championship game on June 24, 2018 falling 14-10 in classic defensive battle to the host Riot in Regina at Mosaic Stadium.

Since 2014, the Valkyries played host to the WWCFL title contest on one occasion leading too this season back on June 10, 2017. The Valkyries didn’t make it to the championship clash that year and a number of players were on hand to watch the Riot hammer the Calgary Rage 53-0 at SMF Field.

Emmarae Dale is one of the Valkyries leaders on defence.

For the longest time, the Valkyries used to draw about 800 to 1,000 spectators to each of their games. With the mainstream media outlets cutting their sports departments in Saskatoon to one or maybe two persons in recent years and the folding of the Saskatoon Metro daily commuter newspaper in late 2014 and the Saskatoon Express weekly in May of 2019, word about how well the Valkyries are doing has been harder to spread.

During the team’s first six seasons of existence from 2011 to 2016, mainstream outlets used to do a number of feature stories on Saskatoon’s women’s football squad that takes the field during the spring season.

The spring season allowed the Valkyries to avoid schedule conflicts with the CJFL and U Sports and the CFL a lot of times. Thanks to the timing of their season, they were able to build interest in their team locally.

This year’s Valkyries squad has been a fun as ever to follow. On the field, they play the game extremely well, and off the field, they are as personable as ever.

They are the perfect bunch for young girls to look up too as role models. The Valkyries players have a great uplifting positive vibe that young girls will come away from interactions with them feeling they can do anything.

Haley Girolami is one of the many Valkyries offensive playmakers.

The offence under the guidance of veteran quarterback Alex Eyolfson, who has been with the team since 2016, might rank with one of the best the Valkyries has ever had. She has numerous playmakers to get the ball out too in running backs Sarah Wright and Drew Lundquist along with receivers Haley Girolami, Reed Thorstad, Ricki Obed and Rachelle Smith.

The Valkyries lost all-time great running back Sam Matheson to a season ending knee injury during their second regular season game in 2022, but she has remained with club lending a hand with coaching her teammates that play her position.

The offensive line is veteran heavy with Lauren Ferguson, Alyssa Funk, Betsy Mawdsley, Ashley Viklund, and Alex Wojcichowsky, and they have played at a super human level all season. Rookie Breanna Allegretto has played well seeing some significant time on the offensive line as an injury replacement, and she has looked like she has played for the Valkyries for a number of years.

On defence, middle linebacker Emmarae Dale might be the unit’s most famous player having played with the historic CJFL powerhouse Saskatoon Hilltops last season. Dale along with third-year linebacker Jamie Wingate kick a bunch of butt on the field and have hearts of gold as persons.

Danaye Holynski brings intensity to the Valkyries defence.

Defensive end Danaye Holynski is arguably the hardest hitter on the Valkyries defence and brings great intensity every game. Second year defensive end Arden Kliewer has taken to the physical aspect of the game too and her sharp focus from playing goal for the University of Regina Cougars Women’s Hockey Team has transferred over to the football field.

The Valkyries have had a number of first and second year players step up and be playmakers as injuries piled up on that side of the ball. Linebacker Sydney Schenn, Grace Farthing on the defensive line and defensive backs Makayla Sader and Jackie Semple-Dyck have ensured the Valkyries defence hasn’t missed a beat.

Saturday’s WWCFL title contest will be the final game for defensive tackle Jaime Lammerding, who has been with the Valkyries since 2011. She has served as president of the WWCFL and has played a huge role in helping women’s football gain traction in Western Canada and move forward.

Defensive back and punter Rienna Rueve returned to the team at first to help with the kicking game with Matheson, who also punts, went down with her knee injury. Besides looking after the punting department, Rueve has returned to her past star form in the defensive secondary.

The Valkyries offensive line has had an outstanding season.

Linebacker Beth Lalonde, who has been with the Valkyries since they started in 2011, hasn’t played this season due to injury but continues to help out the team in any way she can.

The Valkyries again have a stellar coaching staff led by head coach Pat Barry, defensive coordinator Wyatt Carleton and offensive coordinator Caleb Dueck. The Valkyries players constantly make big improvements during practices and film sessions thanks to the outstanding work by the team’s coaches.

Behind the scenes, Valkyries general manager Michelle Duchene ensures all the administration and details off the field are never a worry.

The Valkyries are a group that always makes you feel good.

When adversity comes, you almost know and expect the Valkyries to find a way to persevere. Witnessing those types of storylines play out again brings back memories of their past season and feels right and familiar.

Jaime Lammerding (#21) will play her final game on Saturday.

For residents of Saskatoon, you know that the Valkyries are going to make you feel proud, and the chance to see them win the WWCFL title at home on Saturday is something that is too good to pass up.

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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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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Valkyries are always fun to back

Saskatoon one win away from return to WWCFL final

The Valkyries celebrate a touchdown from Danielle Girolami (#10).

    The Saskatoon Valkyries ability to inspire is as alive as it ever was.
    The powerhouse women’s tackle football team is playing through its ninth season of existence as a member of the Western Women’s Canadian Football League. On Sunday, the Valkyries will be trying to advance to the WWCFL championship game for a seventh time, when they host the Lethbridge Steel in a league semifinal contest at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

    The winner will face the two-time defending champion Regina Riot in the WWCFL title game on June 29 at 4 p.m. at Mosaic Stadium in Regina. The Riot claimed the other WWCFL semifinal 30-8 in Edmonton on Saturday against the host Storm.

    The Storm finished the campaign with a 4-2 record including action in the regular season and playoffs, while the Riot improved to 3-3 including action in the regular season and post-season. Regina won two straight road playoff games to make the WWCFL final.

Alex Eyolfson can make plays on the run.

    The Valkyries have always captured the imaginations of their fans due to what seems like their endless their positivity. It makes you want to cheer for them.

    Their positivity transfers over to the football field as they have always played the game at a high level. They won the WWCFL title in four straight years from 2011 to 2014 and captured a fifth championship in 2016.

    They are having another memorable campaign in 2019 posting a 6-0 overall record including play in the pre-season, regular season and playoffs. The Steel enter Sunday’s clash with a 3-2 mark including play in the regular season and post-season.

    This season’s Valkyries have a great mix of veteran pros and energetic youngsters. There is a feeling on the team that everyone is important, and they all continuously strive to make each other better.

    At quarterback, the Valkyries are led by two youngsters who are already veterans at their positions playing in their fourth seasons in Alex Eyolfson and Reed Thorstad.

Reed Thorstad is a composed field general.

    Eyolfson is the WWCFL’s version of Doug Flutie. She can improvise, make plays on the fly and seemingly throw the football a mile.

    Thorstad is the pocket passer who makes reads and gets the football out quickly. With the way she sees the game, you can tell her father, Brian, coached the sport for large number of years.

    The starting offensive line includes right tackle Betsy Mawdsley, right guard Lauren Ferguson, centre Eden Rakochy, left guard Ashley Viklund and left tackle Alyssa Funk. Viklund and Ferguson are more the newcomers of the group playing in their second and third seasons respectively.

    Mawdsley, Funk and Rakochy are all in their fourth, fifth and sixth seasons respectively. They make everything on offence go.

    At running back, Sam Matheson returned from a year off returning to a star role in her fifth season with the team. She still runs with explosiveness between the tackles and is an elusive receiver out of the backfield.

    Sarah Wright has turned into a standout in her third season running the ball and rookie Natasha Englot has made plays when she has hit the field.
    At receiver, Kelsey Murphy is the steady veteran in her sixth season. Sisters Haley and Danielle Girolami, who are in their first and second years respectively, are quickly turning into big playmakers.

Kori Herner (#27) returns an interception for the Valkyries.

    Makenna Matheson is a speedster that can leave everyone in the dust.

    The defensive line contains some of the team’s greatest veteran pros in Jamie Lammerding, who has been a career member of the squad, along with Denise Kolosky and Kendra Wilson, who are both in their eight seasons with the team.

    They helped the Valkyries flourish in their early years and continue to be welcoming inspirations for the team in the current day. On top of everything, they can still make a tonne of plays.

    Rookie Danaye Holynski has stepped in to be a solid contributor on the defensive line, while Dayna Bear has been a steady contributor in her third year.

    At linebacker, the Valkyries have one of the best trios in the country in Beth Lalonde, who is a career member of the team, fourth-year veteran Emmarae Dale and third-year standout Devyn Peters.

Beth Thomson and the Valkyries defence play as tough as ever.

    In the secondary, eight-year veteran Rienna Rueve anchors everything at safety. Shaylyn De Jong and Ehjae Chan are veteran warriors in their seventh and sixth season respectively.

    Kori Herner is the playmaking newcomer joining the Valkyries after skating for five seasons in the U Sports ranks with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team.

    Career team member Tori Giles has been sidelined by injury, but she is still hanging around the squad offering support to her teammates.

    The Valkyries again have a standout coaching staff led by head coach Pat Barry.

    The players, coaches and staff have rallied around the memory of defensive position coach Justin Filteau, who passed away in a tragic plane crash on June 1. They have dedicated the rest of their season to Filteau, and the players have “JF” decals on their helmets.

Sam Matheson (#22) has scored lots of touchdowns returning from a year off.

    The Valkyries have made Sunday afternoons at SFM Field a great place to be. Their WWCFL semifinal contest provides one last chance to wish them well on their playoff run they hope will end in another championship.

    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' Dyck pumped for homecoming in WWCFL final

Receiver returns to Lethbridge and fondly recalls football roots

Valkyries receiver Carly Dyck (#4) returns kick against the Edmonton Storm.

    When the Saskatoon Valkyries started celebrating their Prairie Conference title win, receiver Carly Dyck began thinking about going home.

    With a 29-14 victory over the visiting Regina Riot last Sunday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, the Valkyries advanced to the Western Women’s Canadian Football League title game for the fifth time in six years. 

    This year’s WWCFL title game is set to be held on Saturday in Lethbridge, which happens to be Dyck’s hometown. The Valkyries (6-1 overall) will face the Edmonton Storm (6-1 overall), who are making their second straight WWCFL final appearance, in a match that starts at 1 p.m. Lethbridge time at the University of Lethbridge.

    Before joining the Valkyries, Dyck began her football career playing for her hometown Lethbridge Steel from 2012 to 2014 in the WWCFL’s Western Conference. It was during that time she developed a love for the game.

    The Steel advanced to the WWCFL in all three seasons Dyck was a member of the team, and the Steel fell in every appearance to the Valkyries. Saskatoon claimed the first four straight WWCFL championships from 2011 to 2014 before the Riot won the league title last year.

Carly Dyck (#4) boots a field goal for the Valkyries.

    “I was always hopeful with Lethbridge,” said Dyck. “I always thought that we could do it.

    “I want to say I am even more hopeful now, because I know that we can do it. It feels nice playing in front of my family again and my friends and people who haven’t been able to see me play the last two years.”

    The closest the Steel came to winning the WWCFL title was back in 2013, when the Valkyries pulled out a 27-13 decision. Saskatoon took the 2012 and 2014 title clashes by respective 64-21 and 53-0 blowout scores.

    While the Steel weren’t able to claim a WWCFL title, Dyck didn’t see herself leaving the team. Opportunities away from the game steered her in that direction.

    After her first season with the Steel, Dyck started attending school in Saskatoon at the University of Saskatchewan. For two years, she lived a double life, where she spent nine months in Saskatoon focusing on her studies and three months living in Lethbridge focusing on football.

    “I’d be there for two practices before the first game, and they would throw me into the game after being at home for only a week,” said Dyck. “My coaches would be sending me playlists, so that I could study.

Carly Dyck tears up field for the Valkyries.

    “I’d be in school, and I’d be studying for my final exams. My study break would be studying for football.”

    During her lengthy stays in Saskatoon, Dyck started to become more rooted in that centre. She started meeting members of the Valkyries and began playing in the city’s adult flag football league. As the friendships developed, Dyck decided it was time she made Saskatoon her year round home.

    She got her release from the Steel and proceeded to join the Valkyries in 2015. Dyck discovered a different football world during her two seasons in Saskatoon.

    “Playing in Alberta, we thought we were a really great football team, and we were,” said Dyck. “Just the caliber of football here that we have in Saskatchewan is so much beyond what we could even have imagined from the program that we had in Lethbridge.

    “You could tell after being here just the organization of our program, all the fundraising that we do, the training staff that we have (and) the coaches, everything here is just so much higher so much better than what I had known in Lethbridge.

    “Coming and seeing the depth we have on our team it is really not a surprise that we lost to Saskatoon all three years that I played for Lethbridge. We’d come to the championship game with 20 players, and that is not enough for a football team.”

    With the Steel, Dyck played offence, defence and special teams. Having grown up playing soccer, Dyck handled the Steel’s kicking duties.

Carly Dyck catches a deep pass for the Valkyries.

    With the Valkyries, Dyck mainly focuses on her role among a strong group of receivers that includes Marci Kiselyk, Stacey Boldt, Kelsey Murphy and Alyssa Wiebe. On special teams, Dyck is entrusted with place kicking duties.

    “I think the biggest change for me here now is feeling rested,” said Dyck. “When I go in on offence, I’ve had water. I’ve had a break. I’ve had a mental break to focus on what I am going to do next.”

    Dyck still has a lot of good memories from her time with the Steel. She enjoyed playing for the team’s then head coach Jamie Fisher, who rejoined the Steel this season as a defensive coordinator after one campaign off.

    When Dyck went to her first meeting with the Steel, she wasn’t sure if she was going to play at all.

    “I showed up at the meeting, and everybody there was tattoos and piercings and crazy hair,” said Dyck. “I thought I am not going to fit in here at all.

    “Jamie Fisher, the head coach, came up to me, and he asked me if I played any sports. I knew nothing about football. He was like, ‘If you’re an athlete, that is all we need.’

    “He made me feel really at home there.”

Carly Dyck (#4) celebrates a TD with Marci Kiselyk.

    Now Dyck sees Saskatoon as her home, and she expects to keep playing football for the foreseeable future. Besides playing for the Valkyries, she will be part of Saskatchewan’s provincial team that participates in Football Canada’s inaugural senior women’s national championship tournament, which runs July 28-31 in Regina.

    Still, there were some perks Dyck enjoyed while playing in Lethbridge that she hopes she will get to enjoy again.

    “The Lethbridge wind is what made me feel like I was an amazing kicker,” said Dyck with a chuckle. “Now I play here, and the wind is not as strong, so my kicks don’t go quite as far. It is OK.”

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

Eyolfson guns Valkyries back into WWCFL final

Alex Eyolfson fires one of her four TD passes down field for the Valkyries.

    Alex Eyolfson greeted the attention that comes with being a big game hero with a lot of giggles.

    On the turf at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, the Saskatoon Valkyries 18-year-old rookie quarterback looked like a poised veteran on Sunday. She completed 10-of-18 passes for 151 yards and four touchdowns to lift the Valkyries past the Regina Riot 29-14 in the Western Women’s Canadian Football League’s Prairie Conference title game. She also ran the ball seven times for another 72 yards.

    Off the field, Eyolfson, who graduated from Saskatoon’s Holy Cross High School last year, seemed genuinely surprised a string of reporters came to talk to her about the day’s proceedings. She smiled and laughed her way through answering various questions.

    Even when she was asked what it was like to lead the Valkyries to the WWCFL championship game, Eyolfson responded with pure joy.

    “I’m so excited,” said Eyolfson. “It is all new to me. It is going to be awesome.”

    The Riot entered Sunday’s clash as the defending WWCFL champs. A year ago, they downed the Valkyries 31-29 in a Prairie Conference title game that was played in Regina. That Riot victory ended the Valkyries quest to win the WWCFL title for a fifth straight year.

Stacey Boldt zips up field for a major score on a 15-yard pass reception.

    On paper, the Riot held a huge edge in the experience department at the quarterback position with star veteran Aimee Kowalski taking the snaps from centre.

    Saskatoon had been utilizing a two-quarterback system for much of this season with Eyolfson and sophomore Reed Thorstad sharing signal calling duties. Thorstad was limited to playing about four different series at quarterback on Sunday.

    For a moment, it appeared the biggest excitement in this year’s Prairie Conference final might come from the weather conditions in Saskatoon. After a scoreless first quarter, both teams were chased to their dressing rooms when a sudden storm opened up dropping sheets of rain and hail on the field accompanied by lightning with 12:08 to play in the second quarter.

    Those weather conditions disappeared after about five minutes, and the teams returned to action under sunny skies following a 20-minute delay.

Valkyries Receiver Marci Kiselyk (#19) celebrates a TD catch.

    When action resumed, Eyolfson went to work. With 4:18 to play in the second quarter, she found veteran receiver Marci Kiselyk on a streak pattern for a 44-yard touchdown pass to give Saskatoon a 7-0 lead. Just over two minutes later, Eyolfson hit veteran slotback Stacey Boldt on a 15-yard post pattern for a second touchdown strike to increase the Valkyries advantage to 14-0.

    Eyolfson wasn’t done there. With 6.3 seconds remaining before halftime, she hit Kiselyk again this time for a 28-yard touchdown pass. The Riot blocked the ensuing convert, but the Valkyries took a 20-0 edge into halftime.

    Valkyrie head coach Jeff Yausie was pleased with Eyolfson’s performance.

    “She (Eyolfson) played very well, and she is a very athletic person,” said Yausie. “Lots of times she escaped pressure and broke contain on the edge and she ran for some first downs.

    “She has played flag football for a long time. This is her first year in tackle football. She has run around a lot and played in a lot of big games.”

Carmen Agar piled up 200 yards rushing and receiving for the Riot.

    The Riot were able to move the ball on Sunday piling up 440 yards of total offence. Star running back Carmen Agar posted 147 yards rushing on 26 carries and 53 yards receiving on six catches. Regina also turned the ball over 10 times including seven occasions on downs which aided the Riot’s downfall.

    Regina’s first offensive possession stalled at the Saskatoon three yard line after a pass on a fake field goal by holder Claire Dore fell incomplete.

    The Riot finally broke through on the scoreboard with 2:05 to play in the third quarter. The Valkyries fumbled away a punt return in their own end zone, and Agar recovered the ball for a touchdown to cut Saskatoon’s lead to 20-7.

    The momentum swing didn’t last. Just 1:44 into the fourth quarter, the Valkyries jumped ahead 28-7, when Eyolfson found Kiselyk for a two-yard touchdown pass and then hit slotback Stacey Boldt on a five-yard pass for a two-point convert.

    Kiselyk, who has been with the Valkyries since they started in 2011, caught four passes for 90 yards and three touchdowns in Sunday’s win.

A gang of Valkyries defenders take down a Riot ball carrier.

    “The receivers adjusted so well,” said Eyolfson. “They were really open I guess when I threw it every time.

    “They adjusted and ran their routes really hard. It was just easy to get it to them.”

    Kicker Carly Dyck added a single from 29-yard missed field goal to give the Valkyries a 29-7 edge. Regina round out the scoring with 62 seconds to play in the fourth quarter, when Kowalski hit receiver Robyn Tulloch on a 30-yard touchdown pass to cement the final outcome at 29-14 in Saskatoon’s favour. The Riot finished the season with a 5-2 overall record.

    Kiselyk was pumped her side came out on the winning end.

    “We’ve been aiming for that all year,” said Kiselyk. “Every season is a new season, but I hadn’t forgotten last year. It really felt like redemption for us.”

    The sure-handed pass catcher was also proud of the effort Eyolfson had.

Valkyries QB Alex Eyolfson eludes Riot defender Robyn Tulloch.

    “Alex (Eyolfson) really stood out for us today,” said Kiselyk. “She made a lot of plays with her legs as well as with her arm.

    “Even though we struggled early, she was able to keep her head in a big game in a high pressure situation, and that shows a lot of maturity for someone so young.”

    The Valkyries advance to the WWCFL championship game to face the Edmonton Storm this coming Saturday in Lethbridge. The Storm took the Western Conference championship last Saturday with a 14-4 victory over the Lethbridge Steel in Edmonton.

    The Valkyries and Storm enter the WWCFL championship game with identical 6-1 overall records. Those two clubs met in an exhibition tilt back on April 30 in Saskatoon, where the Valkyries pulled out a 30-17 victory.

The Valkyries celebrate their WWCFL Prairie Conference title win.

    Edmonton fell 53-6 in last year’s WWCFL championship game held in Winnipeg to the Regina Riot.

    The Valkyries beat the Storm in the inaugural WWCFL championship game 35-7, which was held in Lethbridge in 2011.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com. Check Twitter for more WWCFL Prairie Conference final game photos @stankssports.