Congratulations to the D.C. Divas for having a tremendous season. A
job well done Divas. Hopefully the Washington Mystics can duplicate
the effort.

1VKind

--- In themysticsfansarethebest@yahoogroups.com, "J.D.M."
<borikua1963@...> wrote:
>
> The ponytails peeking from underneath the players' football helmets
> and bouncing off their shoulder pads may have indicated that the
> game was not the Super Bowl.
>
> The lack of media attention, or perhaps the estimated 620 fans in
> attendance at North Allegheny for the National Women's Football
> Association championship Saturday night, may have been an
indication
> as well.
>
> But to the D.C. Divas, who defeated the Oklahoma City Lightning, 28-
> 7, in the NWFA championship, the Super Bowl of women's football
> carries just as much relevance.
>
> "This is amazing; I can't imagine a better group of people," said
> Divas running back Rachelle Pecovsky, who earned the game
> ball. "It's the end of a mission. We were on a mission all year.
> It's nice to have a goal and be able to accomplish it."
>
> Pittsburgh was chosen to host the event because the Pittsburgh
> Passion drew the most fans among the 36-team league during the 2005
> season. The Passion averaged crowds between 3,500 and 4,500 per
home
> game this year and fell just short of the playoffs in the team's
> fourth season.
>
> The Divas (9-0) made their first appearance in the championship
> game, while the Lightning (8-1) made their second trip after
> suffering a 52-0 loss to Detroit in its debut. Heading into the
> season finale, the Divas looked to be the early favorite after
> outscoring their opponents, 450-13.
>
> Pecovsky proved to be the difference in the game when she finished
> as the leading rusher with 186 yards and three touchdowns off 23
> carries. Pecovsky made a statement just 25 seconds into the game
> when she found a hole and ran 55 yards to the end zone for the
> Divas' first touchdown.
>
> "We felt pretty good coming into the game," Divas quarterback
> Allyson Hamlin said. "We knew if we didn't have any turnovers and
> just put together our offense, we'd play well."
>
> To most of the women, the sport is considered their second job,
> though they do not receive a salary. The NWFA title is enough of a
> reward, though, for players who dedicate their time and hard work
> all the while becoming part of a football family.
>
> "You know, you put aside family, friends and your job," Hamlin
> said. "It really is the ultimate sacrifice, but it's worth it."
>
> The Divas and the Lightning battled for 60 minutes, not showing
many
> signs that their game is different than that of the men. There were
> hard-hitting, stiff-arming, trash-talking, crowd-pleasing and chest-
> bumping players who take their game seriously.
>
> "Of all of the sports I played, this is the greatest game," Hamlin
> said. "You need 11 people to come together and click in this game,
> and we did."
>