D.C. Divas ready for week 3 on the road

Divas Prepare for the Unknown in Baltimore

Neal Rozendaal

Washington, DC – After opening the season with two victories over longtime rivals, the DC Divas (2-0) now face a completely different challenge.  The Divas will play their third road game in three weeks Saturday when they take on the expansion Central Maryland Seahawks in Baltimore.

The Divas claimed a 53-20 victory over the Columbus Comets last week, and Divas head coach Alison Fischer was satisfied with her team’s uneven but ultimately successful performance.  “I was a little concerned we’d have a letdown,” Fischer admitted. “At times I think we did lose a little focus, but then we had some great moments throughout the game.”

“It’s still good to get the win,” she continued.  “Columbus is one of those teams that just doesn’t quit.  They keep coming at you no matter what the score is.”

Coach Fischer was particularly pleased with her team’s defense, which forced seven interceptions against Comets quarterback Crystal Davis.  “We knew she puts the ball up quite a bit, and if we were going to be aggressive, we thought we could come away with some of them,” Fischer said.  “Obviously, seven was more than we thought, so we’re very happy with that.”

With two division wins under their belt, the DC Divas step out of division play for the next four games, beginning with Saturday’s game against the Central Maryland Seahawks (1-1).  The Seahawks have only played one competitive game, losing 20-6 at the New York Sharks; Central Maryland picked up their first win last weekend via forfeit over an unannounced non-league opponent.  This Saturday’s contest at Woodlawn High School in Baltimore will be the Seahawks’ first ever home game.

Despite the fact that Central Maryland is a new franchise, many of their players are very familiar to the Divas.  Several of the Seahawks have pro football experience playing for the IWFL’s Baltimore Nighthawks or WSFL’s Baltimore Burn.  Still, with only one game of film to study, the Divas will need to expect the unexpected from Central Maryland.

Coach Fischer’s strategy for dealing with an expansion franchise is to focus less on the Seahawks’ game plan and instead concentrate on her own team.  “The players of theirs that we do know, we can adjust to as necessary,” Fischer stated.  “But we’re going to try to play our game and execute well and focus more on what we do this week.”

Around the WFA – The Pittsburgh Passion, who lost to the Divas, 42-31, in their season opener, rebounded Saturday with a 42-0 victory over the Toledo Reign…The Chicago Force and Boston Militia, who played for the National Conference title in 2012, got off to strong starts in their season openers.  Chicago defeated the Detroit Dark Angels, 62-0, while Boston throttled the New York Sharks, 70-0…Congratulations to the Miami Fury, who upset the Jacksonville Dixie Blues, 22-10.  Jacksonville, a regional powerhouse, had an 8-0 record in the regular season in 2012, while Miami went 0-8; the Fury are now 2-0 in 2013.