Pittsburgh Passion: Setting Records, Remaining Undefeated

Each week the Pittsburgh Passion prove their resilience as they defend their Independent Womens Football League Championship. The Black and Gold defeated the New York Sharks Saturday 32-18 at Cupples Stadium.

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It was the ninth time for the Passion and the Sharks to face off on the gridiron. With the victory, Pittsburgh is 7-2 all-time against New York. The last time the Sharks tasted victory was a 27-10 win in June 2010. It was also the third time this season that the prolific Passion offense put up 30 points or more on the scoreboard in league action.

The Black and Gold elevated their record to 3-0 in the IWFL. They are in first place in the Mid Atlantic Division and remain one of five undefeated teams in the league this season. The quintet of perfection include the Madison Blaze (4-0), the Houston Energy (3-0), the Sacramento Sirens (5-0), and the Utah Falconz (2-0).

Time to reheat our coffee, sit back in our favorite chair, and look at the four stars of the game that delivered another win on the South Side.

1) The Black and Gold’s assault of the scoreboard was led by a remarkable performance by the offensive line. Center Shelby Horak; guards Kaitlin Neidermeyer and Lauren Ferragonio; and tackles Veronica Buress and Kate Sullivan won the battle in the trenches as they controlled the line of scrimmage throughout the contest. They were able to execute their blocking schemes with machine-like precision.

2) There was a new name etched on the Passion’s honor roll. Rookie running back Tara Catone was not be contained as she rushed for a single-game record 277 yards on 19 carries. Her longest run was 40-yards. She has 460 yards so far in her inaugural campaign.

3) Veteran quarterback Lisa Horton completed 13-of-22 for 158 yards, five touchdowns and one interception. She had three scoring strikes on the score sheet by half-time.

4) It was a night for the rookies to shine as first-year free safety Kim Beaver recorded six tackles and collected her first interception.

Offense Honorable Mentions: Wide receiver Rachel Wojdowski hauled in two of Horton’s touchdown throws while Sharon Vasquez, Krystal Cozzo, and Angela Baker had one apiece. Wojdowski’s first scoring catch was her 40th career touchdown reception.

Defense Honorable Mentions: Linebacker Tia Montgomery put up seven tackles, two of which were for a loss, in keeping New York in check. Defensive lineman Octavia Griswold added six tackles in curtailing the Sharks offense.

Special Teams Honorable Mention: Teresa Conn’s crew turned away all three two-point conversion attempts by New York after their three touchdowns.

After taking the opening kick-off back to lead the contest 6-0, head coach Richard Harrigan’s squad could engineer just two more touchdowns over the course of the evening. They added to their score in the second and fourth quarters. Linebacker Amber Terrell and her teammates could not deny Pittsburgh access to the end zone.

Up Next: The Passion host the Carolina Phoenix (4-1) Saturday, May 16 at Cupples Stadium. The Phoenix shut out the Tennessee Train 40-0 last weekend at home. Kick-off is set for 7 p.m.

From The Clipboard: Placekicker Amy Fallon has made 13 of her 14 point-after attempts this season. She has a 90 percent success rate over her career as she has been good on 147 of 163 attempts.

Next: WATCH: Penguins wise to stay out of Mike Babcock pursuit

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