For two quarters, the Lethbridge Steel were the better team, their steamrolling offence sliding through seams and stacking yardage like pizza boxes in a college dorm room.
Good thing, too, because the first half’s lead turned into a 16-14, grind-it-out win at the University of Lethbridge Stadium which pushed the Steel’s Women’s Western Canadian Football League record to 2-0.
“It was a great win,” said Sarah Tivadar of the Steel.
“We had to hold on there in the second half but we won.”
The Storm came out stronger after falling into a 16-0 hole in the first half.
The Steel trampled the Storm defence in the first half, with Alex Babiarz opening the Steel’s account on a 63-yard run.
Then, the Steel showcased a kicking game when Carly Dyck booted a 28-yard field goal for a 9-0 lead.
“We put a lot of time into special teams,” said Steel head coach Jamie Fisher.
“We rep it out quite a bit. And we were thinking, as the game went on, we might need that single at some point today.”
They didn’t need that single point, thanks to Erin Kowalchuk’s 68-yard run into the end zone, followed by Dyck’s point-after kick.
The second half was not what the Steel hoped for, and Edmonton started out strong, eluding tackles and finding holes in the defence which were not there in the first half.
But with some scratching, clawing, desperate play, the Steel found enough in the tank to make it to the final buzzer.
“Great group of players this year,” said Tivadar. “We have more players, and thanks to our coaches and the work we’ve put in, we’re getting better all the time.
“We didn’t do as well as we wanted in the second half but we earned it by working to the end.”
One of the biggest plays of the game came mid-way through the third quarter when Alyssa Dyer ran down Edmonton’s Lindsay Ertman at the four-yard line. Ertman outpaced both teams but was improbably caught by a determined Dyer. Edmonton failed to score on the series.
“We like to think that there’s three key momentum swings in a game and that was definitely one of them,” said Fisher. “Fortunately, we got some momentum early and had to hang on because it was definitely all Edmonton in the second half.”
But while Fisher questioned the second-half execution, he had high praise for the effort. Pointing to the defensive stand started by Dyer’s tackle, Fisher said his team showed character by refusing to loosen their grip on the game.
“It was ugly, it was not what we wanted as far as the second half went, but you have to say they showed some good character to hold on,” he said. “They could have let it go, but they held on.”
The Storm’s roster includes Steel founder Becky Medel, who moved to Edmonton for personal reasons this off-season. Tivadar said the efforts of her successor, Kirstin Nakatani, and the coaching staff helped get the Steel to where they can challenge Edmonton for the league title.
“It started three years ago but it’s come a long way from just hoping enough players would come out to where it is now,” said Tivadar. “I’m so happy, not just because we won, because we’ve got such great people helping us.”
The Steel’s next game is June 2 at 2 p.m. at the U of L Stadium.
