Pittsburgh Passion: Four Stars In Win Vs Philadelphia Firebirds

The Pittsburgh Passion was able to unleash another offensive assault of the scoreboard in their home opener Saturday as they defeated the cross-state rival Philadelphia Firebirds 55-8.

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The Black and Gold elevated their record to 2-0 and have won 13 in a row going back through last season’s championship run. Teresa Conn’s crew is in first place in the Independent Womens Fooball League’s Mid-Atlantic Division.

Pittsburgh is one of four teams in the IWFL that are off to 2-0 starts this season. The others are the Carolina Queens in the South Atlantic Division, the Minnesota Vixen in the Mid West Division, and the Sacramento Sirens in the Pacific West Division.

The evening was special as it was MS Awareness Night at Cupples Stadium. The honoree captains for the contest were free safety Brittany Taylor, running back Sarah Neidermeyer, defensive tackle Kaitlain Neidermeyer and quarterback Lisa Horton.

Taylor was told by doctors that she had MS at the age of 21, while Horton lost a family member to the disease. The Neidermeyer’s mother Susan, who was recently diagnosed with MS, did the opening coin toss at the beginning of the game.

Time to reheat our cup of coffee as you and I review the players that helped the Passion to celebrate victory in their home opener on the Burgh’s South Side.

1) Horton took a page out of Steelers’ quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s notebook as she completed 18-of-21 for 236 yards, five touchdowns, and no interceptions.

2) This week there is a tie for the No. 2 spot as defensive end Jessica Nelko contributed six tackles, 2.5 sacks, and one fumble recovery. Her linemate, Kaitlain Neidermeyer had five tackles and a career high 2 sacks on the night.

3) Rookie running back Tara Catone was not to be denied as she racked up 121 yards on 16 carries and one touchdown.

4) It was time to add another name to the Passion record books as rookie defensive back Jillian Croce returned an interception 80-yards for a touchdown with 5:46 remaining in the fourth. In addition to it being the longest interception return by a rookie, it was the first interception of her of career.

Offense Honorable Mentions: The entire receiving crew was on top of their game. Angela Baker had seven receptions for 62-yards and two touchdowns. Rachel Wojdowski also hauled in seven passes for 92-yards and one touchdown while Sharon Vasquez put up four catches for 72-yards and two touchdowns.

Defense Honorable Mentions: Linebacker Olivia Griswold had five stops and 1.5 sacks against the Firebirds. Tia Montgomery was on the score sheet for two sacks, one forced fumble, and one interception from her linebacker slot. She also contributed another rushing touchdown on offense this week.

Special Teams Honorable Mention: Amy Fallon took care of the placekicking chores as she went 7-for-7 in her point-after attempts.

After winning their season opener at home 20-0 over the Carolina Phoenix, head coach Robert Cooper’s Firebirds defense was unable to stop the Passion. Philadelphia did get on the score sheet at 13:26 of the fourth quarter when quarterback Amanda Congialdi led a successful drive that resulted in a touchdown and a two-point conversion.

Up Next: After a bye this week, the Passion hit the road Saturday May 2 to take on the Nighthawks at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Baltimore. The match-up gets underway at 4 p.m. Pittsburgh shut out the ‘Hawks 31-0 last season at Cupples Stadium.

The Passion are back on East Carson Street at Cupples Stadium Saturday, May 9th against the New York Sharks. Kick-off will be at 7 p.m.

Next: Pitt To Hire Utah State's Scott Barnes As Athletic Director

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Pittsburgh Passion: Four Stars Of The Game In Win Over Philadelphia Firebirds

By Larry Snyder | Apr 23, 2015