Dramatic Divas Triumph On Game’s Final Play, Defeat Chicago, 41-34

Chicago, IL – The 2016 D.C. Divas certainly have a flair for the dramatic.

Safi Mojidi intercepted a pass from Chicago’s Rachel Gore at the goal line as time expired, and the Divas held on for a heart-stopping 41-34 victory over the Chicago Force. Coupled with their last-minute win over the Boston Renegades earlier this year, the Divas have now captured two road victories over top National (Eastern) Conference rivals, both of them secured only in the final minute of play.

The Divas (4-1) have embraced a mantra the past couple of seasons that pits the “D.C. Divas vs. Everybody”. The Force (4-1) put that motto to the test in this contest. Cassie Brick, Jeanette Gray, and Jennifer Dulski – none of whom recorded any stats for the Force in their first four games – all came out of hibernation to log their first game action of the year against the Divas, and each of them played a prominent role in the game. The result was a Chicago Force squad that was significantly stronger than the edition that had already impressively steamrolled to easy victories in their first four games of the season.

Brick, in particular, was a relentless threat for the Force, a fact demonstrated early in the contest. The Divas’ first offensive drive resulted in a punt, and Brick – the former MVP of the 2012 national championship game as a member of the San Diego Surge – returned it all the way for a touchdown. Although the score was wiped out by a block in the back, she gave the Force great field position for their first offensive drive.

Chicago could not capitalize, however. The Force decided to go for it on fourth and eight from the D.C. 42-yard line, but a reverse run netted just one yard. The Divas took over from there and made their first dent on the scoreboard with a 22-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Allyson Hamlin to Ashley Whisonant. A bad snap led to a missed PAT kick by Stephanie Nealis, but the Divas still led, 6-0, with 9:45 left in the first quarter.

Brick had an immediate response, returning the ensuing kickoff all the way to the D.C. 29-yard line. Thanks largely to Brick’s kick returns and the Divas’ caution in attempting to kick or punt away from her, Chicago had excellent field position all game long, with an average starting field position at the D.C. 46-yard line.

The Divas were then victimized by the first of several questionable officiating calls. During a Chicago run on third and goal, a Divas defensive lineman had her helmet ripped off during the play. The officials flagged her for taunting, giving Chicago a first down at the D.C. six-yard line. On their sixth attempt inside the Divas’ ten-yard line, the Force finally punched through with a four-yard touchdown run by Brick. Chicago grabbed a 7-6 lead with 6:40 remaining in the first quarter.

A 58-yard drive helped the Divas snatch the lead right back. Whisonant caught her second score of the game, a seven-yard touchdown reception from Hamlin that gave the Divas a 13-7 lead with 2:10 left in the first quarter. Whisonant, the MVP of last year's national championship game, finished with two touchdown receptions on the evening.

The Force went three and out on their next possession and were forced to punt as the first quarter ended. The Divas opened the second quarter with a nice drive down the field until a questionable offensive facemask penalty stalled the drive. A poor punt that actually bounced backwards gave the Force great field position at the D.C. 27-yard line.

But again, the Divas’ defense rose to the occasion and did a terrific job. With a short field behind them, the D.C. defense forced an incomplete pass on fourth down to give the ball right back to their offense.

For the second consecutive drive, however, the Divas’ offense was stymied by penalty. A long reverse run by Whisonant for a first down was negated by a block in the back call, bringing up second and long. The Divas were forced to punt two plays later, and once again, the Force started with great field position.

This time, Chicago would not be denied in their efforts to retake the lead. A 17-yard touchdown run from Australian import Zoe Barnett knotted the score at 13-13. On the extra point attempt, Chicago lined up for a PAT kick, but the holder ran a fake and tried to throw for a two-point conversion. The pass fell incomplete, but a questionable roughing the passer penalty gave the Force another shot at it. With the ball on the one-yard line, Chicago quarterback Rachel Gore ran it in for two points to put the Force back on top, 15-13, with 6:33 to go before halftime.

The Divas’ offense came back with their third long scoring drive of the half. The Divas used long passes to wide receivers Kentrina Wilson and Callie Brownson to march the ball 65 yards to the end zone, with running back Kenyetta Grigsby breaking the goal line on a six-yard run. The Divas retook the lead, 20-15, with 2:48 remaining in the first half, and D.C. would take that five-point lead into the halftime break.

The Divas seized control of the game by dominating the third quarter of play. The Force received the second half kickoff but were quickly forced to punt, and linebacker Tia Watkins broke through to block the punt attempt by Chicago’s Jamie Fornal. Quiana Ford fell on the ball for the Divas at the Chicago 49-yard line, and the D.C. offense went right to work. Hamlin finished off the drive with a three-yard quarterback keeper for the touchdown, giving the Divas a 27-15 advantage with 11:05 left in the third period.

The D.C. defense came out on fire again on their second appearance of the second half. Brick was stopped on a pass reception by Latriece Elcock and C’Vette Henson for just a three-yard gain on fourth and eight, resulting in a turnover on downs at the Chicago 48-yard line.

Grigsby stepped into the spotlight again. After being dragged to the ground on an uncalled horse-collar tackle at the Chicago two-yard line, Grigsby took the ball into the end zone on the next play for a 34-15 D.C. lead with 8:13remaining in the third quarter. Kenyetta Grigsby - who set a franchise record with 324 rushing yards in last year's conference title game victory over the Force - ended the day with two touchdowns rushing, boosting her career mark to 97 touchdowns since joining the D.C. Divas in 2010.

The Chicago Force failed on their third straight offensive series, turning the ball over on downs at the D.C. 42-yard line, and it looked like the Divas – leading by three touchdowns – might be able to put the game out of reach midway through the third quarter. But the Divas’ offense controversially came up empty for the first time in the second half on their next possession. On fourth and three from the D.C. 49-yard line, Grigsby took the ball and dove for the first down marker. The officials marked her inches short of the line to gain, and the Divas turned the ball over to Chicago near midfield.

Brick made the Divas pay for their turnover. Her 17-yard run followed by a seven-yard reception got the Force offense rolling, and Brick would finish off the drive with a ten-yard run for the end zone. Trigger McNair blocked Chicago’s extra point kick attempt, however, and the Force cut their deficit to 34-21 with 3:06 left in the third period.

The Divas’ offense polished off an impressive third quarter with another march to the end zone. This time, the Divas went 56 yards for the score, with Hamlin scoring on a one-yard quarterback sneak just 26 seconds before the end of the third quarter. Nealis’ fifth successful PAT kick pushed the Divas’ lead to 20, their largest of the game. The Divas led, 41-21, after three quarters of play.

However, the Divas would not score in the final quarter, and the Force would try to author an improbable comeback. Their rally began early in the fourth quarter. Gore connected with Jeanette Gray for a 25-yard pass on third and long to give Chicago first and goal, and Barnett ran it in for a four-yard touchdown to cut the D.C. lead to 41-28 with 13:14left in the game.

The Force then gained even more momentum on a bizarre turn of events. The Divas advanced the ball to the Chicago 20-yard line, where they faced fourth and six. Nealis, who has a very strong leg as evidenced by the 32-yard field goal she made in last year’s national title game, lined up for a 37-yard attempt. But this time her kick came up short of the goalposts, and the ball bounced dead in the end zone.

The ball sat in the end zone for five seconds as both teams made their way off of the field. The officials never whistled the play dead, however, so Jamie Fornal wisely turned around, scooped up the ball, and began to run down the Chicago sideline. The Divas raced back onto the field and tried to stop Fornal, who appeared to have a convoy to the end zone. But wide receiver Kentrina Wilson made a tremendous play, breaking through and dragging Fornal down at the D.C. 13-yard line.

Chicago would now start with their best field position of the game, but once again, the Force offense was ineffective against the D.C. defense. Safi Mojidi, who set a franchise record with four takeaways last week against Atlanta, picked off a Gore pass with 6:34 remaining in the game to preserve the Divas’ 41-28 advantage.

Fornal’s return had completely reversed the field position, however, and the Divas were soon forced to punt to midfield. Gray got the Force rolling with a 20-yard pass reception from Gore, and Brick had two receptions on the drive, taking the second one 23 yards for the Chicago score with exactly three minutes left in the contest. Brick and Gray had a substantial impact in their first games of the season; Brick finished the game with 18 combined rushes and receptions for 113 yards and two touchdowns, while Gray had 10 receptions for 77 yards.

But the Force missed their second PAT kick attempt, and the Divas still led, 41-34, with three minutes to go in the contest. Callie Brownson fielded a short kickoff near midfield, and the Divas would net seven yards on their next three plays. The Force used their first timeout of the half after the third down run with 1:51 left on the clock.

Facing fourth and three from the Chicago 42-yard line, the Divas had a critical decision to make. They decided to trust their defense and punt the ball away rather than try to maintain possession, and the kick rolled dead at the Chicago 22-yard line with 1:40 remaining in the game. The Force had the ball with a chance to tie or win the game with a touchdown and conversion, but the punt gave them by far their worst starting field position of the entire contest.

Gore completed a six-yard pass to Fornal on third and three to keep the chains moving, and then Brick took a short dump-off pass 22 yards to the D.C. 43-yard line. Chicago spent their second timeout of the half with 43 seconds left on the clock. The Force converted another third down – this time a third and two – on a ten-yard reception by Jeanette Gray, who stepped out of bounds at the Divas’ 25-yard line with 29 seconds remaining.

On the next play, Gore threw an ill-advised pass into double coverage. Ashley Whisonant leapt up and got her hands on the ball, but a fellow Divas defensive player upended her trying to make a play and knocked the ball free for an incompletion. After narrowly escaping disaster, the Force then tried to surprise the Divas on second down with a run up the middle by Brick. It netted five yards to the D.C. 20-yard line, but it also forced Chicago to spend their final timeout of the game with 16 seconds remaining.

On third and five, Gore attempted to go to Fornal, and although the pass fell incomplete, a holding penalty set Chicago up with first and goal from the Divas’ ten-yard line with ten seconds left to play. Trailing by seven points, the Force were just ten yards short of a potential game-tying or game-winning score.

But Safi Mojidi played the hero once again for the Divas. Gore dropped back and fired a pass toward Gray at the goal line, but Mojidi stepped in front of the receiver for her second interception of the fourth quarter. Mojidi ran around long enough for time to run out on the clock and then stepped out of bounds to end the game, as the Divas held on for a dramatic 41-34 victory over the Chicago Force.

The showdown between the two winningest franchises in the Women’s Football Alliance (WFA) did not disappoint, and in the end, it was the Divas who came away with a landmark win in their 150th game in franchise history. The Divas entered the contest ranked as the second seed in the Eastern Conference playoff picture behind Chicago, and the win gives the Divas a huge boost as they try to secure home field advantage throughout the upcoming WFA playoffs. Home field advantage could be an important factor in the Divas’ quest to become the first team in the history of the Women’s Football Alliance to make it back to the WFA championship game the year after winning the title.

The D.C. Divas will carry a four-game winning streak into this weekend’s game in Baltimore against the reigning WSFL champion Keystone Assault.

D.C. Divas Win Conference Championship with 43-24 Win Over Chicago Force

Recap vs. Chicago Force – July 25, 2015

DC 43, Chicago 24
By Neal Rozendaal

Springfield, VA – All season long, the D.C. Divas have been trailed by a production crew who plan to make a major documentary film about women’s football, highlighting the Divas’ 2015 season.

Now the Divas will have a chance to give them a Hollywood ending.

Kenyetta Grigsby shattered the franchise record with 324 rushing yards, the defense held Chicago’s explosive offense to a season-low scoring output, and the D.C. Divas clinched their third conference title in team history with a 43-24 victory over the Chicago Force. With the win, the Divas (11-0) advance to the 2015 Women’s Football Alliance (WFA) national championship game in Los Angeles, where they will face the Dallas Elite on August 8 for the national title.

The Force (9-2) entered the game averaging a remarkable 59.8 points per game, and they lived up to their advanced billing on their first drive of the game. Chicago quarterback Rachel Gore and wide receiver Jamie Fornal, who were teammates with the Seattle Majestics before joining the Force this season, showed the strong connection they have developed over the years. Fornal caught three passes on the drive, and Gore then surprised the Divas defense by tossing a four-yard touchdown pass to Kim Marks. Marks’ first reception of the entire season handed Chicago an early 6-0 lead.

The Divas’ offense had an immediate response. Three runs by Grigsby advanced the ball to midfield, and despite an offensive pass interference penalty that put the Divas in a hole facing first and 25, the Divas climbed their way out. Wide receiver Ashley Whisonant caught an 18-yard pass to make for a manageable second down play, and Grigsby then rushed eight yards to move the chains. Grigsby finished the drive off with four straight runs, powering over the goal line from two yards away to put the Divas on top, 7-6.

The D.C. defense made their first stand of the game, forcing three incomplete passes to bring up a Chicago punt. The Divas got right back to work on offense, capping an impressive 74-yard drive with a 19-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Allyson Hamlin to wide receiver Kentrina Wilson. Hamlin would finish the game with six completions on just 11 attempts for 73 yards and one touchdown. Whisonant caught four passes for 45 yards, and Wilson snagged the other two for 28 yards and a touchdown. The Divas’ only passing touchdown of the game put them ahead, 14-6.

The Divas forced another three and out from Chicago and were on the move with an eight-point lead as the first quarter concluded. Early in the second quarter, Grigsby scored her second touchdown of the game on the ground, running eight yards for a score and a 21-6 Divas lead.

The D.C. defense allowed one first down before forcing the powerful Chicago offense to punt the ball away for the third straight possession. The Divas were in position to potentially grab a commanding lead, but the Force defense stopped the Divas in their tracks, forcing the first D.C. punt of the contest.

After three straight failed offensive possessions, the Chicago Force put together a much-needed offensive strike midway through the second quarter. Aided by two 15-yard personal foul penalties on the Divas, the Force drove down the field. Gore and Fornal illustrated their special connection once again, as Gore hit Fornal for a 26-yard touchdown pass to pull the Force within 21-12.

With time running down in the first half, the Divas’ offense hurried to add some more points to the scoreboard. D.C. advanced the ball to the Chicago 21-yard line, where they faced fourth and one. Hamlin took the ball on a quarterback sneak and easily made the first down, rushing for six yards, but a Chicago defender drilled Hamlin at the end of her run and forced a fumble. The Force recovered to stave off the Divas’ scoring threat and went to the halftime locker room trailing by nine points, 21-12.

The D.C. Divas came out of intermission determined to put the game out of reach. Callie Brownson returned the second half kickoff well into Chicago territory, and Grigsby followed that up with a 25-yard sprint into the end zone for her third touchdown of the game. Ashley Branch entered the game at fullback and bulled her way into the end zone for a two-point conversion, and the Divas led, 29-12, less than a minute into the second half.

The Divas defense then rose to the occasion with another terrific stop. The Force encountered a fourth and two situation at midfield, and Chicago decided to go for it. 17-year veteran linebacker Trigger McNair stoned Gore for no gain on a run, and the Divas took over possession at the 50-yard line.

The Divas began to push the Chicago defense down the field, in possession of a 17-point lead. For the second time in the contest, the Divas had an opportunity to take a commanding lead that might have broken Chicago’s spirit. But once again, the Force defense made the big play. The Divas were stopped for no gain on fourth and two at the Chicago 12-yard line, and the Divas turned the ball over on downs without adding to the lead.

Chicago made the Divas pay. Cassey Brick, the former San Diego Surge standout who was the MVP of the 2012 national championship game, came into the game as the most explosive scoring threat for the Force. The D.C. defense did a terrific job of keeping her in check for most of the contest, but Brick finally broke free for a 47-yard touchdown to slice the Divas’ lead to 29-18.

D.C. tried to respond on offense, but a 15-yard personal foul penalty stalled a promising Divas drive. Chicago then stuffed a fake punt by the Divas and took over possession at their own 33-yard line. With momentum on their side, the Force cranked up their vaunted offense and pushed the ball all the way down to the Divas’ five-yard line as the third quarter ended.

Chicago finished off the drive in style, as Marks caught her second pass of the season. Her second reception of the year was her second touchdown of the game against the Divas, and with 13:48 remaining in the contest, the Force had pulled within 29-24.

The Divas were reeling. On their first offensive play of the ensuing drive, a botched handoff resulted in a fumble and a recovery by Chicago at the D.C. 25-yard line. The Force had the ball deep in Divas territory, trailing by just five points and with a chance to take their first lead since scoring the game’s opening touchdown.

Then came the biggest play of the game for the Divas. Gore turned and swung a pass out toward Brick, but the lateral fell to the turf. Several Divas defenders converged on the ball just before it rolled out of bounds, and because it was a backwards pass, it was a live ball and a fumble recovery for the Divas.

Given a reprieve, the Divas were met with their most critical offensive drive of the entire season, and they put their fate in the hands of Grigsby. The Divas handed the ball to Grigsby on seven straight plays, and she followed some outstanding blocking for consistently long gains. The offensive line of Ashley Branch, Jen Gray, Rachel Huhn, Missy Bedwell, Ashley Rozendaal, and Becky Worsham carved out huge holes for Grigsby, and Okiima Pickett threw several tremendous blocks to help spring her teammate for outstanding carries.

Kenyetta Grigsby picked up 65 yards on seven carries on that drive alone, culminating in a six-yard touchdown run. For the game, Grigsby carried the ball a staggering 41 times for a franchise-record 324 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Her fourth and final touchdown of the evening gave the Divas some much-needed breathing room and a 36-24 advantage with 9:51 left in the game.

Trailing by two scores, the Chicago offense needed a quick answer. They picked up two first downs, but their drive stalled at midfield. Three stops by the D.C. defense brought up fourth and ten from the 50-yard line. Linebacker Tia Watkins then delivered one of the most punishing hits of the game, knocking Gore out of bounds after a three-yard gain for a turnover on downs with 6:43 left to play in the contest.

The Divas then put together the decisive offensive drive of the game. Although they failed to score, the Divas kept the ball on the ground and bled more than five minutes off of the clock. By the time the Divas turned the ball over on downs at the 23-yard line, only 1:37 remained in the game, and the Divas still held a 36-24 lead.

The Force took over, needing two touchdowns for a dramatic comeback victory. Forced to press the issue, Gore threw her only interception of the night, and Divas linebacker Cherre Marshall iced the game by picking off the pass and returning it 25 yards for the game-clinching score. Marshall and McNair led the Divas with seven tackles each, while Whisonant added five on defense and Watkins chipped in with four.

The Divas led, 43-24, with a minute and a half remaining. On the ensuing kickoff, the Force tried multiple laterals and reverses in an attempt to break free for a quick score. But one of their laterals fell to the ground, and Lillian Cherry pounced on it for the Divas. The Divas proceeded to run out the clock on one of their most memorable victories in franchise history.

The D.C. Divas are now 11-0 for the second time in team history, joining the 2006 Divas who finished their season 11-0 after winning the team’s only national championship. The Divas claimed their third conference championship with the win, and they will make their third appearance in a national title game on August 8, when they face the Dallas Elite in Los Angeles, CA, for the 2015 WFA national championship.

D.C. Divas Face Chicago Force for Conference Championship

It will be a classic matchup tomorrow.
Neal Rozendaal

Listen to the game live on US Sports Radio!

Washington, DC – This is the showdown fans have been waiting for.

Two of the most historic franchises in women’s football history meet Saturday for the National Conference championship when the D.C. Divas host the Chicago Force. The winner earns the right to go to Los Angeles and represent the East in the 2015 Women’s Football Alliance (WFA) national championship game.

The Divas (10-0) advanced to the conference championship game with a physical 40-6 victory over the Atlanta Phoenix. The Divas raced out to a 34-0 halftime lead and coasted from there.

Divas head coach Alison Fischer was happy to wrap up the win. “I thought we had some good moments in the first half on both sides of the ball and on special teams against Atlanta,” Fischer said. “We played pretty well in the first half, and that allowed us to give some of our younger players some playing time in a playoff game in the second half.”

With the victory over Atlanta, the D.C. Divas improved to 10-0 for just the third time in team history. The Divas also pulled within one victory of the WFA national title game.

The last team standing in their way are the Force (9-1), who eliminated the Boston Renegades from the playoffs two weeks ago with a 49-18 victory. That win ensured that the Divas, who had lost to Boston in the playoffs each of the last five seasons, would not face a Boston squad in the playoffs for the seventh straight year.

The playoff victory by the Force avenged Chicago’s only loss of the season, a 30-24 overtime defeat at the hands of the Renegades. That game, which was played in rainy and windy weather conditions, marked Chicago’s lowest offensive output of the year by far. In their nine victories, the Force have averaged an incredible 63.8 points per game.

The D.C. Divas and the Chicago Force are arguably the two most historic franchises in the WFA. The Force and Divas both have 108 victories all-time, tied for the most of any WFA team. The Force and Divas are both making their 12th playoff appearance this year, also tied for the most of any WFA team. Chicago’s seventh appearance in a conference title game is the most by any WFA franchise, while the Divas are making their sixth appearance in the final four.

Yet for as much success as these teams have had over the years, meetings between the two have been rare. The Divas and Force have never met in the postseason and have opposed each other only once in the regular season. The only meeting between these two clubs took place last year, when Chicago traveled to D.C. and handed the Divas a 42-27 defeat on April 19, 2014.

While that game took place just one year ago, Chicago looks like a completely different team offensively this year as opposed to last. In last year’s game against the Divas, legendary Force quarterback Sami Grisafe had a masterful game, completing 20 of 27 passes for 308 yards and three touchdowns. Jeanette Gray was on the receiving end of most of those deep tosses, making 15 catches for 252 yards and three touchdowns and adding a fourth touchdown on the ground.

Grisafe has settled into retirement, but the Force offense has been bolstered by three key acquisitions from the West Coast – Rachel Gore, Jamie Fornal, and Cassey Brick. Gore, the former standout for the Seattle Majestics, has taken over for Grisafe under center and has been a star for the Chicago offense.

While Gore has had the same type of success at quarterback as Grisafe did, she has done it in a completely different way. Grisafe was a traditional drop-back passer who could complete any pass to anyone on the field. Gore, on the other hand, is a classic dual-threat quarterback – not only does she lead Chicago with 28 passing touchdowns, she also leads the Force in rushing and has scored 23 touchdowns on the ground.

Coach Fischer knows how difficult it will be to slow down Gore’s run-pass options. “Chicago has been playing very well lately. We expect Chicago to keep doing what they’re doing offensively, because they’ve had a lot of success with it this year,” Fischer noted. “Gore is a dual-threat quarterback, which puts a lot more pressure on the defense to contain and to cover. The combination of Gore being able to run and her ability to get the ball in the hands of their athletes has been a good system for them. We’ll need to be able to read it and execute and get some speed on the field to help defend against that.”

When Gore does choose to distribute the ball to someone else, she has a bevy of weapons to choose from. Maybe her most potent weapon is Cassey Brick, the MVP of the 2012 WFA national championship game as a member of the San Diego Surge. The Surge made a dramatic comeback in that game, defeating the Chicago Force in thrilling fashion. Now Brick wears a Chicago jersey, and despite battling through various injuries this season, she still leads the Force with 596 receiving yards. Brick is fully healthy now, as illustrated by the two long touchdown runs she made against the Renegades two weeks ago that helped eliminate Boston from the playoffs.

Not far behind Brick with 581 receiving yards is Gray, who the Divas know all too well after her tremendous performance against them last year. Wide receiver Fornal – Gore’s former teammate in Seattle – and running back Brandy Hatcher give the Force five elite offensive weapons at the skill positions.

“They have some really outstanding players, and they like to get the ball in their hands,” Coach Fischer said. “When you have the athleticism and speed they have, it makes it very tough to defend. They seem to be playing very well now, so we have our work cut out for us.”

Defensively, the Force are led by Angelique Smith, who racked up 11.5 tackles against the Divas last season. Elisha Okrey and Amber Kimbrough, who combined for ten tackles last season in Chicago’s win over the Divas, are also back to anchor the Chicago defense.

The Force come into the game with the edge in experience. Chicago is making their fourth straight conference title game appearance, and they are looking to clinch their third conference championship in the last four years. The Chicago Force won the WFA national championship in 2013 and are just two wins away from capturing their second national title in three years.

The Divas, on the other hand, are hungry to take the next step, making their first appearance in the conference championship game since 2010. With an undefeated regular season record, the Divas are hosting the conference championship game for the first time since 2006, the year they won their only national title.

“It’s really great to be at home for this,” Fischer observed. “I don’t think we’ve hosted the conference championship game since 2006. Being able to play in front of our own crowd, which I think is going to be pretty big this week, is a huge plus for us. This should be a great game; these are two excellent teams.”

For the Divas, one more home victory would put them in the national championship game for just the third time in team history. But while Coach Fischer appreciates the significance of this contest, she wants the Divas to keep their focus.

“It’s a huge game, but we can’t lose sight of just winning this week,” Coach Fischer said. “I don’t mean to downplay it, but we are taking this one game at a time, just as we have since the season started. Yes, it’s huge – the winner goes to the national championship, and Chicago is a great team. But at the same time, we’re going to try to be even-keeled and play it like we would any other playoff game. We don’t want to be overwhelmed with the implications of it.”

The D.C. Divas are pleased to host the Chicago Force, the 2013 WFA national champions, on Saturday in the National Conference championship game. The game on July 25 will be played at Lee High School in Springfield, Virginia, and will kick off at 6 PM. Fans can purchase their tickets online now at http://dcdivas.com/gameday/tickets/. Tickets will be available for online purchase until noon tomorrow. As with regular season contests, fans can specify their favorite player during checkout, and 100 percent of the revenue from their purchase will go to support that player.

All-Time D.C. Divas Conference Championship Game Results
July 17, 2004 – Detroit Demolition – L, 14-20
July 16, 2005 – @Detroit Demolition – L, 16-38
July 22, 2006 – Columbus Comets – W, 32-7
July 11, 2009 – @Boston Militia – W, 27-21
July 10, 2010 – @Boston Militia – L, 0-28
July 25, 2015 – Chicago Force – ???