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Neal Rozendaal
Washington, DC – The first goal for the D.C. Divas every season is to win their division championship and qualify for the playoffs, and 2014 is no different. Their longtime division rivals, the Columbus Comets, come to DC Saturday for a critical WFA matchup.
Even though the Divas lost to the reigning WFA champion Chicago Force last week, 42-27, Divas head coach Alison Fischer was encouraged by how her team played in the absence of starting quarterback Allyson Hamlin. The Divas scrambled to install a Wildcat offense during the bye week, and it yielded 27 points – the most points the Chicago Force have ever surrendered in a regular season WFA game.
“We knew with the athletes we have that the Wildcat package would probably do pretty well,” Coach Fischer said. “The lack of practice time was the biggest challenge, because we didn’t have a whole lot of time to put the new offense in. We had to make some personnel changes, and it’s tough to move folks around to new positions in that short of a time. But the players responded and I liked what I saw, for the most part. Considering what we had to deal with, I think we played pretty well on offense. I thought the Wildcat was effective, and it’s something you’ll probably see more of from us.”
The Divas defense faced a prolific offense and gave a fine account of themselves for the second straight game. In particular, the halftime defensive adjustments have been outstanding, as D.C. has yielded just two second-half touchdowns combined in their last two contests.
“The defense is coming along,” Fischer remarked. “They are playing better in the second half, and one of our coaching challenges is to get them going in the first half. But overall, I love our effort, especially in the second half.”
So far this season, the Divas have solidified their place as one of the top teams in women’s football, even though they are now 0-2 after dropping consecutive close games to the teams ranked #1 and #2 in the sport. The Divas’ record brings a particular urgency to this Saturday’s game with their division rivals, the Columbus Comets. A loss to Columbus would virtually eliminate the Divas from contention for the division title, while a victory this weekend would all but assure the Divas of a spot in the WFA playoffs.
Columbus (1-1) will come into the game with momentum from a 42-0 victory over the Derby City Dynamite. Coach Fischer understands the importance of Saturday’s contest. “Columbus is a division rival, and it’s pretty much a must-win game for us if we want to win the division. That’s how we’re treating it.”
Saturday’s game promises to be a tough, well-played contest, and the Divas and Comets are longtime rivals that know each other well. “Columbus always brings it. They’re always physical and play for the whole game,” Fischer praised. “The Comets have always had a strong running game, and defensively, they have some very good athletes that get to the ball.”
Get your tickets today for this important matchup on Saturday, April 26, against the division rival Columbus Comets by visiting http://dcdivas.com/
Around the WFA – The Chicago Force were awarded an extra point for their return of a blocked PAT attempt against the Divas, giving them a corrected final score of 42-27 in their win over D.C. last weekend. Chicago is 3-0 on the year and hosts the 2-0 West Michigan Mayhem Saturday…The Boston Militia remained undefeated with a 47-7 victory over the Cleveland Fusion last week, handing Cleveland their first regular season loss since 2012…The Atlanta Phoenix held off the Miami Fury in a defensive slugfest, 12-8. Atlanta travels to Jacksonville this weekend to battle the always-sharp Dixie Blues…Two weeks ago, the Utah Blitz held a career win/loss record over five seasons of 3-27, including 15 losses in a row. But the Blitz registered their first win since 2011 with a victory over the Everett Reign on April 12, and they now boast a winning 2-1 record on the season with their triumph last weekend over the Nevada Storm…The Seattle Majestics, Central Cal War Angels, and San Diego Surge are all 3-0 and dominating opponents on the West Coast. Seven of their nine combined victories have been by 40 points or more.
Neal Rozendaal
Washington, DC – The first goal for the D.C. Divas every season is to win their division championship and qualify for the playoffs, and 2014 is no different. Their longtime division rivals, the Columbus Comets, come to DC Saturday for a critical WFA matchup.
Even though the Divas lost to the reigning WFA champion Chicago Force last week, 42-27, Divas head coach Alison Fischer was encouraged by how her team played in the absence of starting quarterback Allyson Hamlin. The Divas scrambled to install a Wildcat offense during the bye week, and it yielded 27 points – the most points the Chicago Force have ever surrendered in a regular season WFA game.
“We knew with the athletes we have that the Wildcat package would probably do pretty well,” Coach Fischer said. “The lack of practice time was the biggest challenge, because we didn’t have a whole lot of time to put the new offense in. We had to make some personnel changes, and it’s tough to move folks around to new positions in that short of a time. But the players responded and I liked what I saw, for the most part. Considering what we had to deal with, I think we played pretty well on offense. I thought the Wildcat was effective, and it’s something you’ll probably see more of from us.”
The Divas defense faced a prolific offense and gave a fine account of themselves for the second straight game. In particular, the halftime defensive adjustments have been outstanding, as D.C. has yielded just two second-half touchdowns combined in their last two contests.
“The defense is coming along,” Fischer remarked. “They are playing better in the second half, and one of our coaching challenges is to get them going in the first half. But overall, I love our effort, especially in the second half.”
So far this season, the Divas have solidified their place as one of the top teams in women’s football, even though they are now 0-2 after dropping consecutive close games to the teams ranked #1 and #2 in the sport. The Divas’ record brings a particular urgency to this Saturday’s game with their division rivals, the Columbus Comets. A loss to Columbus would virtually eliminate the Divas from contention for the division title, while a victory this weekend would all but assure the Divas of a spot in the WFA playoffs.
Columbus (1-1) will come into the game with momentum from a 42-0 victory over the Derby City Dynamite. Coach Fischer understands the importance of Saturday’s contest. “Columbus is a division rival, and it’s pretty much a must-win game for us if we want to win the division. That’s how we’re treating it.”
Saturday’s game promises to be a tough, well-played contest, and the Divas and Comets are longtime rivals that know each other well. “Columbus always brings it. They’re always physical and play for the whole game,” Fischer praised. “The Comets have always had a strong running game, and defensively, they have some very good athletes that get to the ball.”
Get your tickets today for this important matchup on Saturday, April 26, against the division rival Columbus Comets by visiting http://dcdivas.com/
Around the WFA – The Chicago Force were awarded an extra point for their return of a blocked PAT attempt against the Divas, giving them a corrected final score of 42-27 in their win over D.C. last weekend. Chicago is 3-0 on the year and hosts the 2-0 West Michigan Mayhem Saturday…The Boston Militia remained undefeated with a 47-7 victory over the Cleveland Fusion last week, handing Cleveland their first regular season loss since 2012…The Atlanta Phoenix held off the Miami Fury in a defensive slugfest, 12-8. Atlanta travels to Jacksonville this weekend to battle the always-sharp Dixie Blues…Two weeks ago, the Utah Blitz held a career win/loss record over five seasons of 3-27, including 15 losses in a row. But the Blitz registered their first win since 2011 with a victory over the Everett Reign on April 12, and they now boast a winning 2-1 record on the season with their triumph last weekend over the Nevada Storm…The Seattle Majestics, Central Cal War Angels, and San Diego Surge are all 3-0 and dominating opponents on the West Coast. Seven of their nine combined victories have been by 40 points or more.
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