Pittsburgh Passion GameDay: Home Opener Against Montreal Blitz
By Larry Snyder
It will be a battle of the unbeatens tonight when the Pittsburgh Passion take the field for their home opener against the Montreal Blitz in Independent Women’s Football League action.
The gates are set to open at 5:30 p.m. with kick-off at 7 p.m. at Cupples Stadium on the South Side.
After a weekend off, the Passion is tied with the Keystone Assault for first place in the Mid-Atlantic Division as both teams have identical 3-0 records. Meanwhile, Montreal is in first place in the North Atlantic Division with a perfect 3-0 record.
Pittsburgh’s potent offense comes into this evening’s game having put up 102 points on the scoreboard while the defense has only allowed 12 points.
Quarterback Lisa Horton has led the attack by completing 40 passes for 480 yards and five touchdowns. Fullback Kadesha Clark has a team high four touchdowns to go along with 71 rushing yards while running back’s Clara Chic has contributed 149 rushing yards, and Alex McAtee has 84 yards on the ground. Wide Receiver Rachel Wojdowski has hauled in three touchdown passes from Horton.
The Passion offense will have to solve a Montreal defense that has put up back to back shutouts over the Connecticut Wreckers and Maine Rebels in the last two weeks. The Blitz has allowed only eight points in three games total. The linebacking trio of Melissa Dykeman, Sabrina Poulin, and Stephanie Vallieres lead the charge for Montreal.
On the other side of the ball, the Blitz offense has put up 144 points in three games this season. They are led by quarterback Saadia Ashraf, running back Marie Claude Vincent, and wide receiver Georgina Paull.
Pittsburgh’s defense, which has one shutout this season, has been up to the task by adding 14 points to the scoreboard on their own. Defensive back Krissy Edmonds has three interceptions and a 47-yard return for a touchdown. The Passion defense has dominated with 10 sacks, one safety, six interceptions, seven fumble recoveries and two touchdowns all together in three contests.
It could come down to special teams tonight, and Pittsburgh in three games has 22 points from their squads. A punt return by McAtee along with 11 extra-points, one field goal, and a two-point conversion run by kicker Amy Fallon have all contributed to the Passion’s strong start.
The homestand continues next week when Pittsburgh will host a rematch from Week #1 when the defending IWFL champion Carolina Phoenix come to town on Saturday, May 17, at 7 p.m.
From The Clipboard: During tonight’s home opener the Passion will be honoring “Those Who Serve” by incorporating a special night for all service members. All military, police, firefighters, EMT’s, ROTC members and veterans who attend will be recognized at half-time.
RMG Sports, from Somerset, PA, announced this week that it has reached a deal with the Pittsburgh Passion to be the team’s official television production and distribution partner for the 2014 season. The will cover the Passion’s four home games with hour-long programs that will air Thursday nights in prime time on ROOT Sports. The programs will also be available for on demand, multi-screen viewing at RMGSports.net.