Silver Pacific lining

LFL Canada closes door on 2013 but retains Pacific Cup game for December

For fans of LFL Canada that were hoping for a season of football in 2013, they will need to wait until 2014. With the league having launched a new franchise in Calgary, optimism was high that the season could have been even stronger than its predecessor in 2013. As LFL Canada had a television contract with Reseau des Sports (the Quebec version of TSN), 2013 should have been a coming-out party for the budding league.

Several members of the Western Women’s Canadian Football League had qualified for the Fillies roster. Tonia Henderson from the Edmonton franchise was likely to be one of the stars for the expansion Fillies. In addition, the Calgary Rage featured Jennifer McLean and Kora-Lea Vidal, while running back Lisa Gomes was ready to serve as a trainer for the team.

Regrettably, it was not meant to be. While there were various issues surrounding logisitics, preparation and some Fillies players quitting before the season were to start, the ones that truly suffer are the fans.

While a condensed schedule had been implemented as a means of helping some teams get prepared, some coaches and players turned to social media to announce their displeasure. Unfortunately, there had been many tweets by some players and coaches about a lockout for the season.

Considering that every team has at least six new faces on its roster, a condensed schedule may not have been the worst idea. The reality was that Saskatoon was the only franchise that retained the same coaching staff from the inaugural 2012 season.

In an official statement by LFL360, the primary reason for the postponement was the concern over the caliber of football that would be played by teams that lacked the proper preparation window due to new coaching staffs and instability within the coaching ranks.

While an announcement has not been issued as to when a new season would begin in 2014, hopefully, it shall come earlier in the year rather than later. The downtime is an opportunity to prepare while hopefully determining if the Toronto Triumph have an opportunity to come back.

Unfortunately, the Triumph suffered from logistics woes in 2012 while their home arena was not able to meet certain league requirements. While Toronto fans hope that a new venue can be found for the Triumph, it would be wonderful to see the double blue back on the gridiron of LFL Canada.

As a side note, the LFL halted operations for their US season in 2012 and came back remarkably stronger in 2013. The league even featured expansion clubs in Atlanta and Omaha. A return for 2014 certainly brings with it optimism for an even more exciting brand of football.

In the meanwhile, the BC Angels (who claimed the 2012 title) still have something to play for. For the second consecutive season, the Angels shall challenge the Seattle Mist at ShoWare Center in Kent, Washington in the Pacific Cup. The match shall take place on December 6. The only intra-league match in the LFL, the event played to a capacity crowd in 2012.

While the Mist prevailed over the Angels, it was a valiant effort for the LFL Canada champs. As BC still features superstars like Mary-Anne Hansen, Stevi Schnoor and Katie Marshall, any victory will be hard-earned this season.

Heading into the match, BC boasts new head coach Clayton Campbell. Along with a new coaching staff, rookies to watch for include Deanna Schaper-Kotter (a provincial lacrosse player), Rebecca and Veronica Velludo, Renae Lorie, Kimberly Blott and Sierra Prendergast. Their enthusiasm and excitement for the game will ensure fans are treated to a high energy, electrifying performance.