Pittsburgh Passion Win 2011 Home Opener

The turning point, according to Michelle Brevard, was the offense getting something going midway through the 3rd quarter. As a six year veteran, team captain and starting safety for the Pittsburgh Passion, I suppose her opinion should count for something.


I don't know about any one turning point. I just thought the Pittsburgh defense played an amazing game, making tackles in the backfield, pressuring the quarterback, harassing wide outs and, though the Columbus Comets had some success running, never allowing Columbus to put together any sustained drives. Every time the Comets got a little something going, or got the ball back after a turnover (Pittsburgh coughed the ball up three times in the first half), the defense rose up to smite them. The success the Comets did have came on the ground, a few first downs picked up here and there, sprinkled over the first two quarters of play, mostly coming on some little counter-running plays. Happily for the about 4,000 fans in the stands (that's my guess, but the attendance could have been higher), Columbus never really posed a serious scoring threat.

Of course, neither did Pittsburgh, as both defenses dominated and the game remained scoreless through three quarters.

"Man, these guys are tough. They're tough. Aren't they?" That was Passion coach and owner T. Conn at one point on the sidelines, and she was right.

It was also partially due to the fact that the Passion offense is an almost entirely new iteration of offense for them. And it looks it. It’s a little hinkey, it lacks the rhythm and consistency that come with endless repetition, players knowing each other like siblings, a seasoned quarterback, the playbook being so deeply ingrained that blocks and routes and reads are second nature. Beyond which, the Comets defense is quite stout, too. They played so well, in fact, that the Passion didn’t pick up a single offensive first down through two full quarters.

Then, as well as Pittsburgh's defense played in the first half, they made some halftime adjustments to tighten up and they played even better in the second half. That bit of running success the Comets had early? That disappeared.

And finally, the Pittsburgh offense went away from any trickeration and let quarterback Amanda Haeg do what she does best -- run. They started grinding out yards, with Haeg eluding and dragging tacklers with her. By the end of the 3rd quarter, the offense drove to the Columbus 2 yard line, where Amy Fallon drilled a field goal to put the team up 3-0.

Those were all the points they would need. But they got some more anyway.

The Passion defense ramped up even more, forcing three and outs, picking off the ball, and setting up the offense with good field position. After a muffed snap on a Comets punt, Haeg hit rookie wide-out Rachel Wojdowski in the corner of the endzone for the first touchdown of the game. After another defensive shutdown and another special teams miscue, Haeg ran the ball in at the goalline for the final score of the game, making the Passion's return to Cupples Stadium a 17-0 victory.

If you missed it, shame on you. But you can watch it here on ESPN3 (just hit replay), or catch the broadcast locally on RootSports on May 5th.

My gameballs go to second year linebacker Ali McGrath, who was everywhere, sacking the quarterback, picking off passes, and stuffing the run at the line of scrimmage and kicker Amy Fallon whose kickoffs helped the Passion win the battle of field position and whose 4th quarter got the scoring started.

Women's Football Back at Cupples Field This Saturday

The Pittsburgh Passion are back in their old home, Cupples Field on the South Side. I, for one, couldn't be happier. I'm not much of a suburban girl and schlepping to five miles past where God kissed the hoot owls goodbye to the North Allegheny H.S. Field was not really my cup of tea, so the return to the South Side is an occasion for raucous rejoicing.

Currently, the team is 3-0, having opened the season with three successive road games, all victories. They christen their return to Cupples, appropriately enough, by hosting the Columbus Comets, a team they haven't played since beating them in the 2007 National Women's Football Association (NWFA) Championship game in Nashville.

That game was played at Whites Creek High School, just outside of Nashville and, despite its proximity to Nashville's downtown, the school's setting was more rural. In fact, I'm fairly certain that I made a right turn after the third cow pasture, but it could have been the right after the second cow pasture.

It was an old-timey setting, too. The field was nice, but the bleachers and booth and lights were old and worn. It all looked like something from another era, the kind of setting typical to a time when football players still wore leather helmets.

The Passion were up 26-0 at halftime when they jogged down to the locker room. On their way back up to start the second half, the lights went out. I mean, all the lights went out. We never did figure out how, but a circuit was overloaded, taking out all the field lights and sound. Everything was out. Except, ironically enough, the lights in the parking lot. Everybody started finding their way around by the light of their cellphones. The delay dragged on for an hour. Some people suggested they postpone and finish the game the next day, a Sunday. Somehow, T. Conn, the owner of the Passion, stuck to her guns and even though they didn't finish until well after 11:00 that night, finish they did.

Since then, there have been lots of changes. The Passion left the NWFA for the IWFL (Independent Women's Football League), while the Comets stayed with the NWFA. Eventually the NWFA sort of just faded away and the Passion and Comets are reunited under the umbrella of the Women's Football Alliance (WFA). Everybody up to speed?

In addition to the leagues shifts, there have been so many changes for the Passion. Conn has owned the team since 2005 but Franco Harris (yes, the Franco Harris), a long-time booster of the Passion, came on board as part of the ownership over this past winter. Pretty exciting stuff.

Many players from the 2007 championship team have retired, but many still remain, including three of the current team captains -- Sarah Young, Sharon Vasquez and Michelle Brevard -- as well as the defensive MVP from that game, Olivia Griswold.

I haven't seen the Passion play this year, so it'll be interesting for me. And I haven't seen the Comets since that summer night in 2007.

Tonight's game will air live on ESPN3. Viewers can tune into www.espn3.com for details, but don't let that keep you away. Kickoff is at 7:00 at Cupples Field at 9th and Carson Streets in the South Side. Parking and other gameday information can be found here.