For the Vixen, the championship game will be a revenge game after the Boston Renegades beat Minnesota for the league title last season.
MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota’s top women’s football team is heading to the national championship game, which will be nationally televised by ESPN from Canton, Ohio on Sunday, July 10.
The Women’s Football Alliance PRO National Championship between the Minnesota Vixen (6-2) and the Boston Renegades (8-0) will be televised on ESPN2 at 1 p.m. CT.
The Vixen ended the season undefeated at home and won the WFA American Conference Championship on June 25 after beating Cali War 36-30.
Last year in the championship game, the Renegades beat the Vixen 42-26. This is the team’s first time going to the championship in back-to-back seasons.
Saturday’s national championship game will be a heavyweight bout, with both the Vixen and Renegades leading the league in multiple key categories on offense and defense. The Minnesota Vixen, much like the Vikings, are seeking their first league championship and the Renegades are looking to continuing to make Boston Titletown.
On offense, Boston leads the WFA in total team offense with an average of 447.7 yards per game. However, the Vixen isn’t far behind at sixth with 352.5 yards per game. For scoring, Boston and Minnesota are closely matched. The Renegades lead the league with 53.3 points per game, while the Vixen ranks third with 38.5 points per game.
The Vixen’s offense is led by quarterback Erin Kelley, who leads the league in passing with 1,033 yards and sits third in passing touchdowns with 12, averaging 172.2 passing yards per game. Kelley was one of two quarterbacks to pass for more than 1,000 yards in the WFA this season and was one of the eight Vixen players named to the league’s 2022 All-American team.
Boston’s quarterback, Allison Cahill, wasn’t far behind in passing yards with 974, which ranked third in the league. Cahill also leads the league in passing touchdowns with 15.
On the defensive side of the ball, both the Renegades and Vixen will feature some of the league’s top players. Boston’s Shantia Creech leads the league in interceptions with four, who is followed by Minnesota’s Ace Theissen, who had three. In the trenches, the Vixen’s defensive end Samantha Barber is tied for first in the league for most sacks with five. Both Barber and Theissen were named 2022 All-Americans.
At the helm of the Vixen’s coaching staff is Ryan McCauley, who was recently named the WFA Coach of the Year. He also teaches health classes in the Edina School District.
The Vixen isn’t the only WFA team in the Land of 10,000 Lakes – the Minnesota Minx play at the WFA developmental level. Across the league’s four levels – PRO, Division I, Division II and Developmental – there are 67 teams, stretching coast to coast with teams playing in places from Seattle to New Hampshire.
Back in 1999, the team originally started as part of a nationwide tour for women’s football, which then led to the Women’s Professional Football League. The Vixen called the WPFL home until they called the National Women’s Football Association home for a single season before heading over to the Independent Women’s Football League after the 2008 season. The Vixen stayed in the IWFL until 2017 when they joined the Women’s Football Alliance.
Regardless of which women’s football league they call home, the Vixen have continued their winning ways, securing four conference championships across two different leagues since 2016.
On Saturday, the Vixen will be chasing their first WFA PRO championship and the Renegades will be seeking their fourth league title. After losing in the title game in 2017, Boston won the championship in 2018, 2019 and 2021. The 2020 WFA season was canceled due to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
With the Minnesota Aurora FC playoff-bound and the Minnesota Lynx starting to turn their season around, the Vixen may be the first Twin Cities women’s team to bring home a championship this year.
Ryan McCauley of the Minnesota Vixen was named the Women’s Football Alliance Coach of the Year. He is a health and physical education teacher for the Edina Public Schools.
His team will play the Boston Renegades (8-0), the three-time defending champions, in the WFA Pro Division championship game at 1 p.m. Sunday, July 10, in Canton, Ohio (ESPN2).
The Vixen (6-2), who lost to the Renegades 42-26 in the title game a year ago, defeated the Cali War 36-30 on June 25 for the American Conference championship.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – The Minnesota Vixen are heading to the Women’s Football Alliance PRO National Championship game in Canton Ohio. They will face the Boston Renegades for the second straight year.
The Vixen not only seek revenge on the Renegades who defeated them for the title, they’re looking to make franchise history with their first-ever National Championship victory.
This is called a PRO level game – but the women do not get paid – actually they pay dues to play. So the women are determined and dedicated, putting their own money on the line to play the game they love.
The Vixen not only head to Canton hungry for a win, they come in with experience and momentum after beating the Cali War Saturday at Kulhman Field in Edina to advance capturing their second straight American Conference Championship.
The National Championship will be televised for the first time in league history on ESPN2 Sunday, July 10 at 1 p.m. central. FOX 9’s Dawn Mitchell has the story.
Norman Seawright III visits with the Minnesota Vixen. The women’s football team is working to make it to a national championship. Click to wacth. Jun 24, 2022
Two weeks into the 2022 Women’s Football Alliance season, the Minnesota Vixen have used their trademark stifling defense and steamroller offense to outscore their opponents 96-6 and set themselves up well going into a bye week.
The St. Louis Slam were Minnesota’s most recent victims last Saturday night at Edina’s Kuhlman Stadium despite a fast start for the Slam that featured a Keyonna Smith interception on Minnesota’s opening drive, followed three plays later by an 81-yard pitch and catch down the left sideline from Jamie Gaal to Danielle Price.
But after that initial St. Louis spark, Minnesota played lights out the rest of the night, blocking the ensuing PAT kick and holding the Slam scoreless the rest of the way to a 41-6 victory in front of a good crowd on a cold April night. It was the first time Minnesota had beaten St. Louis in franchise history.
Grace Cooper roared back into action after missing most of week 1, churning out 26 carries for 220 yards and four, yes four, touchdowns. Rookie receiver Jackie Radford hauled in six catches for 49 yards and got her griddy on with her first career touchdown, a 4-yard strike from Erin Kelley. Kelley would finish 8 of 18 for 58 yards.
St. Louis did threaten to score again near the end of the game with a 12-play drive that got all the way to the Minnesota 6, but the Vixen secondary dug deep to repeatedly deny the Slam’s red zone passes. Along with the near shutout, the Vixen defense held the Slam to 124 total yards and continued their streak of QB poaching with JoDee Williams’ 34-yard interception return of rookie Jaimi Salone’s tipped ball.
Speaking of rookies, the entire Vixen class of 2022 is all over the stat sheet so far for this year’s WFA campaign. On defense, cornerbacks Allie Dockendorf, Courtney Cullen and AJ Cooper have helped shut down multiple pass attempts, and safety Megan Dixon is displaying extreme ball hawk tendencies including a 56-yard pick six against the Iowa Phoenix in week one. Finland’s Jonna Touvinen, although not new to women’s tackle football, is looking right at home in her Vixen gear running the alley and returning punts. Jaimi Salone, a former thrower for Stanford University, has been terrorizing opponents with 7 combined tackles, three for a loss, and a pass deflection.
Quarterback Erin Kelley and Jackie Radford connected Saturday night for what looks to be the first of many touchdowns, and Radford, Olivia Keske, Sam Winter, and Grace McClure-Johnson have been putting on a clinic in downfield run blocking.
And the trenches would not be complete without Brooklynn Byrd, Nicole Hankton, Jess Pett and Kat Conway, who all are also making solid plays on special teams.
The Vixen are off this week, but will not rest easy as they head to Reno on April 30 for a new challenge in the Nevada Storm, whose hard charging running game put up more than 300 yards in a season-opening 28-7 victory over the Mile High Blaze. The Storm are playing their first year in WFA Pro after winning back to back championships in D2 and D3 as well as doubling their roster size from 2021.
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In their first contest of the 2022 WFA season, the Minnesota Vixen needed just one offensive play to get on the board.
After receiving the opening kickoff, Minnesota rookie quarterback Erin Kelley lofted a beautiful play-action strike to All-American Sam Barber down the left sideline for a 51-yard score. The Vixen would eventually notch a 55-0 victory over the Iowa Phoenix at Edina’s Kuhlman Field.
After a three and out by Iowa, the Vixen started off the next drive with a 26-yard run by 2021 WFA Offensive Player of the Year, Grace Cooper. Unfortunately, Cooper was injured on the play and would not return, but the duo of Jesse Haas and and Tasheanna Washington-Ware handled the run game for the rest of the night with a combined 158 yards and all but one of the Vixen’s remaining scores on offense.
Running backs coach Matt O’Keefe was very proud of his charges, saying they stepped up brilliantly and proved that no matter who is in the backfield for the Vixen, defenses should be very concerned.
Iowa, a scrappy and much improved team that hopes to contend for a WFA Division 3 title this year, made several trips deep into Minnesota territory but miscues kept them scoreless, including a goal line fumble that Minnesota was able to turn into a 7-play, 99-yard touchdown drive.
Barber had an excellent night on both sides of the ball, adding two sacks and another touchdown to the Vixen cause. Linebacker Ace Theissen, back in the Vixen den after a year off, celebrated their return with five tackles, two pass breakups and two interceptions, one for a 51-yard pick 6.
The defense as a whole had a great outing, with rookie Megan Dixon adding another pick 6 from 56 yards out and 27 different players notching at least one tackle.
But as the saying goes the devil is in the details, and Minnesota will have a devil of a time if they don’t take care of details this coming Saturday in the WFA Game of the Week against the St. Louis Slam, who knocked the Vixen out of the WFA Division 2 playoffs in 2019.
According to offensive coordinator Shaun Mattson, this week is about playing a cleaner game, and eliminating turnovers and penalties. We did a lot of nice things against Iowa, he said, but this week is about taking the next step because when we execute our jobs, we are incredibly difficult to stop.
And on the other side of the ball, defensive line coach Bruce Brevitz said his group will be emphasizing ball awareness and being careful not to over penetrate and take themselves out of the play.
The Slam, who are back in action after a 30-month hiatus and fresh off a 14-6 victory over the Columbus Chaos, will be looking to continue their quest for a fifth championship, and their first as a WFA Pro team.
Although the past matchups with St. Louis certainly mean many Minnesota players have had Saturday’s date circled in red since this year’s schedule was released, Vixen Head Coach Ryan McCauley says his message for the week is that this year’s teams are different animals and this is just another game against a talented, well-coached team.
McCauley, also the team’s defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach, says the Slam have a solid scheme that demands opponents bring sound fundamentals and aggressive pursuit. St. Louis also stresses defenses by lining up on the ball and calling a play from the sideline, and is unafraid to throw in gadget or trick plays at any time. It will be a challenge, but one that both players and coaches are ready to face.
Tickets to Saturday night’s game are on sale now at mnvixen.com, and the game will be carried by Town Square TV and nationally televised on For the Fans Network. Check our Facebook page for links and details!
This season the Minnesota Vixen is breaking new ground signing international footballer, Jonna Tuovinen from Finland to their 2022 roster.
Tuovinen is expected to be a presence in the Vixen secondary along with veteran players like Amanda Atkins, Caitlin Hill, Mikaila Soule and Crystal Ninas. Tuovinen will have her work cut out for her with stiff competition from vets and second year player Jamie Karshbaum and several promising rookies, all vying for spots in the secondary.
Tuovinen is no stranger to competition though. She is captain of her team in Finland, the Tampere Saints Naiset. She is also a fixture on the Finland National Team since 2016 and won the European Championship with Finland in 2019. After watching film on Tuovinen, Vixen owner, Laura Brown, states she can see why Tuovinen was named an All-Star player in both 2019 and 2020.
In 2016, the Vixen rostered Claudia Gorynski originally from Germany. Gorynski was in Minnesota on a student visa completing her graduate work in nano-engineering at the University of Minnesota. While Gorynski may have originated from overseas, she was new to the sport of football. Tuovinen marks an important distinction as the first international player traveling to the states for the sole purpose of playing football for the Vixen. “I think this shows how far the Vixen program has grown and demonstrates how widely it is respected.” says Brown.
Tuovinen is expected to join the Vixen team at practices in early March and states she is ready for the challenge.
To learn more about Tuovinen or help support her travels to the states, visit https://www.mnvixen.com/player/jonna-tuovinen/
The field was fully of energy the Vixen gathered for the first tryout of the 2022 season. Veteran players were all smiles as they came together for the first time on the field since the championship game that ended their 2021 season. Not to be outdone by the returning players, the new recruits were eager and cheering each other on. The talent was apparent on all sides, as was their drive and the support for one another.
Since 1999, the Vixen have been trail blazers in this sport for women. In a single season, they can take a recruit who has never stepped on the gridiron before to being an impact player on their roster. Not a roster for just any team but one for a championship caliber team. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication from the rookies but the payoff is huge when they step out under the lights, fans cheering them on.
The Vixen are holding their final tryout on Oct. 16. See if you have what it takes to be a champion.
