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Week 2: June 15-16 |
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GET BACK HERE: Laurel MacInnes, right, of the Halifax
Xplosion hangs on for dear life to the jersey of Kristina O’Brien of
the Capital Area Football Association Lady Gladiators in an attempt to
make the tackle during action in the Maritime women’s football
league Saturday at Leo Hayes High Field. O’Brien had the lone
touchdown for the Lady Gladiators in what would prove to be an 8-6
loss to the Xplosion.
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Tough go of it for local footballers
By The Daily Gleaner
Published Monday June 18th, 2007
Appeared on page B6
It was a rough day Saturday for senior teams playing out of the Capital Area Football Association. Both the men's DQ Gladiators and women's Curves Lady Gladiators finished on the short end of the scoreboard in their respective Maritime Football League games. The men's Gladiators lost their third straight game, 35-6, to the Saint John Wanderers in action in the port city. Coupled with earlier losses to Riverview Mustangs 49-7 in week one and 27-7 the following week at home against Halifax Shockers, the Gladiators are 0-3 and have been outscored 111-20. They host the Dartmouth Knights this Saturday at Mackenzie Field in Oromocto. Meanwhile, the Wanderers extended their undefeated streak to 20 games with the win, getting three touchdowns runs from Jon Haines from one, 10 and 45 yards to do in the Gladiators. Mike Thomas added another scoring run of 10 yards while Chika Ikejiani caught a 50-yard touchdown pass from John Hachey for the other major. Running back Andrew Hubbard accounted for the Gladiators only major with a one yard plunge. Meanwhile, the defending women's champion in the Maritime circuit, the Lady Gladiators, lost for the first time in eight games, dropping an 8-6 decision to the team they defeated in last year's championship game, Halifax Xplosion. The game was played at Leo Hayes High School Field Saturday. Tailback Kristina O'Brien on a seven-yard touchdown run accounted for the Lady Gladiators scoring late in the second half. However, the convert attempt by O'Brien was unsuccessful. The Xplosion engineered a scoring drive of its own late in the final quarter with quarterback Erin Cooke going over for the major. They were able to complete the convert attempt, giving them a two-point cushion with just over a minute remaining. That didn't prove to be enough time for the Lady Gladiators, who had won their first game of the season, 13-0 against the Moncton Vipers last weekend in Moncton. Vipers beat the Saint John Storm 30-12 on Friday in Moncton. "It was a great defensive game,'' said Lady Gladiators coach Marven Nash. "We were missing a couple of key players and they really played a solid game against us. There's a great rivalry between the two teams.'' Lady Gladiators are scheduled to play the Storm this Saturday at Simonds Field in Saint John. They host the Vipers on July 8 before getting a rematch against the Xplosion on July 14 in Cornwall, P.E.I. Before Saturday, the Lady Gladiators had won their previous eight starts including last year's playoff run with three of the victories coming against Halifax. In other men's action in Saint John, the Longhorns needed some last minute dramatics to defeat the Dartmouth Knights 28-27. Defensive lineman Aaron Drummond blocked the Knights extra point attempt with 49 seconds remaining to post the victory. The Longhorns had lost 27-6 to the Knights last season. It was a lot different this time as Jim Mather caught a 50-yard pass from Longhorns quarterback Reech Roach, Gary Brown scored a pair of touchdowns from seven and 29 yards and Peter Shea grabbed a five yard scoring pass to account for the Saint John scoring. Longhorns led 20-6 at the half. Elsewhere, Halifax beat Moncton 41-9 and Riverview got past P.E.I. 46-0. |
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A lot on the line: Marvin Nash, left, head coach of the Lady
Gladiators, runs through some drills with player Michelle Harrison at
a recent team practice. The Lady Gladiators host the Halifax Xplosion
today at 4 p.m. at Leo Hayes High School field in a rematch of last
year’s Maritime championship game, won 20-8 by the Lady Gladiators.
Eighteen players return from that Maritime championship team
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Lady Gladiators like chances to repeat as Maritime champs
By BRUCE HALLIHAN
hallihan.bruce@dailygleaner.com
Published Saturday June 16th, 2007
Appeared on page B3
If offence wins games and defence wins championships, the Curves Capital Area Lady Gladiators should have a good chance to repeat as Maritime Women's Football League champions. Team manager Michelle Harrison, who also plays on the defensive line, says the Gladiators defence "is definitely going to be something to be reckoned with for any team that comes up against us.'' The Gladiators opened the 2007 season -- the fourth for the women's tackle league -- with a 13-0 road win over the Moncton Vipers last Sunday. But the Halifax Xplosion, the team the Glads beat 20-8 in last year's final, also opened with a 26-0 shutout of the league's other team, the Saint John Storm. So when the Gladiators and Xplosion square off today at 4 p.m. at Leo Hayes High School Field, "something has to give,'' Harrison said. "It's going to be a battle of the defences, for sure,'' she said. "Our offence is a little weak right now, but it's definitely coming. Halifax will be a good measuring stick for us.'' New head coach Marvin Nash and Rick DeWolfe are in charge of the offence with Steve Drisdelle and Ed Noble back to handle the defence. "Marvin is doing a great job,'' Harrison said. "I think we'll be a team to be challenged. Can we repeat? I think so. I really do.'' "Our target is the Maritime championship,'' Nash said. "I don't think anybody on the team, especially the veterans, is going to settle for anything less than the championship. But we've got a lot of rookies this year, so just making the playoffs is our immediate goal.'' The Lady Gladiators had some offseason losses, most notably league MVP Jessica Marin, the star running back who's in Ontario, and the team's top defensive back, Natasha Canning. But there are 18 returnees, including half a dozen league all-stars: quarterback Alex Black, wide receiver Lindsay Anderson and OL Robynn Neill on offence; linebackers Bianca Roy and Julia Coleman and DL Courtney Hallett on defence. Other returnees include defensive backs Michelle Coleman, Shannon Ellis and Natalie McLean; linebackers Rachel Barrett and Kat Roesler; wide receiver Laura Johnston, safety Victoria Charlebois; Allie Corrigan, Tammy Nash and injured Trudy Pickles on the defensive line; and the team's rookie of the year, Grace Hallihan, on the offensive line. There are 14 newcomers. Michelle Banks, Melissa Arsenault, Jennifer Deveaux, Michele Cronin and former Viper Lucie LeBlanc add depth to the defence. Kristina O'Brien, the new backup quarterback who filled in admirably at running back in the opener, will give Black a chance to switch to running back on occasion. Also new on offence are Meghan Robichaud, Tania Ramore, Amanda Hennick, Hannah Hamilton, Alicen Thorne, Courtney DeWolfe and injured players Hollie Munn and Debbie Lamont. "The bonding has been great,'' Harrison said. "We've done a lot of team fundraisers to pay for our new jerseys, so we've really been able to get to know each other socially.'' Harrison decided to give the sport a try after watching her son Dawson play flag football. "I knew (longtime football advocates) Marion and Terry McIntyre before from running and when I saw her picture in the paper I said, 'Gee, I should try that.' Dawson was ready to move up to mosquito and I said, 'I'm going to try that before he tries it' and I had a blast.'' Harrison puts the glad in Gladiator. "It's such an enjoyable game,'' she said. "It's a stress relief, number one. Being able to tackle people is the best part of it. It's just a high, a natural high, to get out there and play.'' Coach Nash shares Harrison's love of the game. He's helped coach the team since 2005 and has replaced Mike Young as head coach this season. "Mike was just too busy this summer with his aspirations to become a lawyer and his work,'' Nash said. "I have a tremendous love for football. I told the ladies the other night that it wouldn't matter if this team was based in Welsford. If they wanted me to coach them I'd drive down there every night and coach them.'' Teams play a six-game regular season schedule leading up to semifinals July 28-29. The third-place game goes Aug. 12 at Rocky Stone Memorial Field in Moncton, with the final -- Maritime SupHer Bowl IV -- to follow at 4 p.m. Harrison, the Lady Gladiators unsung hero last season, has seen "big improvements'' in the calibre of play since she first played in 2005. Nash is pleased the league wasn't just a one-year fad. "A few of the veteran players from 2004 are still in the league,'' he said. "They've seen it grow from two teams to four teams and the tide changed as far as who the power teams are. We're a little anxious to get the game over against Halifax. It's going to be where we test our mettle.'' |