Game Day Preview vs. Iowa Phoenix 5-18-19
After his team’s dominant road win over the Wisconsin Dragons, Minnesota Vixen head coach Ryan McCauley boarded the team bus already thinking about the next opponent his team has to face. “It’s tough being a head coach, it was hard to just enjoy the victory,” McCauley stated. With no bye weeks left in the season, the Vixen have five straight weeks of football with two more road trips ahead of them. But, as has been the theme of this season, the Vixen are only taking things one week at a time. This week, the Iowa Phoenix make the trip in to see a rumbling Vixen powerhouse. Iowa’s head coach Nancy Javaux, has led her team to a .500 season to this point. The team shows a significant amount of fight. Phoenix quarterback, Jennifer Trevillian boasts a 41.3 percent completion rate while only having one touchdown pass and five interceptions on the year--a statistic the Vixen defensive coordinator, RJ Speidel, views as going in the favour of the Vixen. Phoenix running back, Kayla Lavalais, is averaging eight yards a carry, which will be a concern for Vixen linebackers and defensive linemen. The Vixen have set of backs that is putting up impressive numbers each and every game. Averaging over 200 yards per game on the ground, Ryan McCauley’s Vixen offense has shown they can run the ball with authority and backs like Tank Nelson dare any defense in the league to stop her. If, somehow, a defense does control Tank’s carries, they have to worry about a spry and nimble Bella McGrath and a quick and dangerous Grace Cooper. The Vixen passing game is steadily improving, especially after Kaiya Sygulla found her way into the endzone by way of an Emily Evans pass. Vixen quarterback coach, Shaun Mattson, believes this week things will be a bit different in the passing game. “We have been working hard with Coach Potter’s receivers and getting the passing concepts down while adding some new wrinkles and stuff.” The Vixen are set to kick off this Saturday at Kuhlman Field in Edina at 6PM. You are not going to want to miss it, but if you cannot be there, be sure to check out the live broadcast on Town Square Television.
Game Recap @ Wisconsin Dragons 5-11-19
Vixen stay undefeated with decisive victory over Dragons by Jodi Rehlander In the theater world, someone who can dance, act and sing well is known as a “triple threat.” The football equivalent would be a squad that proves itself on offense, defense and special teams, and that’s exactly what the Minnesota Vixen did on Saturday night with a 50-0 road win over the Wisconsin Dragons at Franklin High School’s Sullivan Field. Minnesota’s Kaiya Sygulla returned the opening kickoff 40 yards to the Wisconsin 40-yard line, but the Vixen offense turned it over on downs deep in Dragons territory. The Dragons gained three yards on three plays and had to punt. Tilly Tilford’s return of 46 yards set the Vixen up on the Wisconsin 14-yard line. After three Grace Cooper runs up the middle and a good PAT by Kate Murphy, the Vixen led 7-0. Wisconsin looked good on their next possession, using screen passes and read option runs to put the Vixen defense on its heels. But Minnesota toughened up in the red zone and forced a turnover on downs. The ensuing Vixen possession saw the game’s longest offensive play, a fourth-down, 67-yard touchdown run from Jeanie “Tank” Nelson that featured her signature style of bruising stiff-arms, scorched-earth running and a trail of bodies on the ground. The Vixen led 14-0 at the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter, Nelson would notch runs of 25, 5 and 7 yards on her way to an 8-yard rumble to the end zone. Then, Sygulla would score on a flat screen from 2 yards out, assisted by a 52-yard pinball catch from Errin McIsaac. The next drive featured runs from Bella McGrath and Nelson, interspersed with catches from Nelson and McIsaac, capped off by a 4-yard touchdown scamper from McGrath. The half ended with Minnesota on top 36-0. The Vixen continued to roll in the second half, with the defense recovering a fumbled bad snap to start the third quarter, giving Minnesota the ball on the Wisconsin 31. Connor Jo Lewis took over as quarterback for the evening, and Nelson would eventually run 11 yards through the right side for her third touchdown of the night. Cooper and Andri Vogt did the heavy lifting on the Vixen’s next offensive series, and McGrath turned in Minnesota’s final score of the night on a 1-yard jet sweep to the left side. Wisconsin showed grit in the fourth quarter, holding the Vixen scoreless and driving deep into Minnesota territory. A defensive pass interference call put them on the 10 yard line but the Vixen defense stood tall once again and preserved the shutout. The Vixen’s next game is May 18, when they host the Iowa Phoenix (2-2 overall, 2-0 Division 3) at Kuhlman Field in Edina. The Dragons fall to 3-2 (0-2 Division 2) and hit the road to Michigan and the Grand Rapids Tidal Waves next week.Game Day Preview @ Wisconsin Dragons 5-11-19
The scarlet and black clad heroes of the Minnesota Vixen are hitting the road this Saturday. They head to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to face the rival Dragons. Crossing the “Cheddar Curtain” as Vixen offensive line coach, Bruce Brevitz says, the Vixen look to continue their winning ways with another win. The last time the Vixen met the Dragons was in Edina where the defense amassed an impressive 6 interceptions. Last Saturday, the Vixen defense shut out the talented and always threatening Kansas City Titans offense. Can RJ Speidel’s defense continue to dominate? Offensively, the Vixen have shown to be impressive ground runners with Bella McGrath and Tank Nelson carrying the load for the team. Adding to their formidable ground assault, the Vixen welcomed the on field return of Grace Cooper. With three powerful and talented running backs in the back field and quarterbacks Emily Evans and Connor Jo Lewis, Ryan McCauley’s offense looks to be ready to dominate their way down the field behind the blocks of the offensive line. While the Vixen only put up seven points on a tough Titans squad last week, don’t think the offense is sputtering. It is only a matter of time before powder keg of talent that is the Vixen offensive roster explodes on an unsuspecting defense. “We should remind our team the Dragons are no pushovers,” says Vixen mascot B.A. Vixen. “They are just has hungry as we are.” And B.A. is absolutely right. The Dragons are heading into Saturday’s home game with only one loss and having impressive wins over the Iowa Phoenix and the Grand Rapids Tidal Waves. Being a second year team, the Dragons have had their share of growing pains, however this season they are turning heads. What will happen when these two rivals meet on the gridiron this Saturday? Will the Dragons pull off an upset over the rumbling Vixen? Will the Vixen defense continue their dominance? What will the Vixen running backs do to the turf? Is this the week we see a Vixen touchdown pass? Find out this Saturday at Franklin High School in Franklin, Wisconsin. The game is set to kick off at 6PM local time. Cannot travel to the game? Have no fear, thanks to our friends at Town Square Television, you can watch all our 2019 games, both home and away.
Game Recap vs. Kansas City Titans 5-4-19
Vixen outlast KC Titans for season sweep by Jodi Rehlander Some games come down to a single play, and the Kansas City Titans and the Minnesota Vixen treated fans to a defensive slugfest for the ages on Saturday night at Farmington High School’s Tiger Field. On paper, the game was a solid matchup between two evenly matched teams on both sides of the ball. Kansas City was determined to turn the tide on a winless season thus far, but Minnesota was equally focused on staying undefeated. In the end, the Vixen would come out on top with a 7-0 final score. The Titans’ offense looked to set the pace early, slashing through the middle of Minnesota’s defense with a 13-yard run by Iliana Calderon on their first play from scrimmage. The Vixen were able to stop them from getting another first down, however, and after a line-drive punt from Liz Sowers, Minnesota started its first drive on its own 14. The Vixen also started well, with a plucky 9-yard catch and run from Kaiya Sygulla, but good pass coverage from the Titans and a fumbled snap on subsequent downs meant Minnesota’s first drive would also end in a punt. And so it went for most of the first two periods, with both teams showing brief flashes of brilliance, but offensive miscues and timely plays from the defense leaving each unable to establish a rhythm and convert good plays into points. It looked like things might heat up for the Vixen just before halftime when Amanda Atkins had a nifty midfield interception and 28-yard return with less than a minute to go. But KC knocked the ball out of Vixen quarterback Emily Evans’ hands and recovered the ball on the very next play, and the halftime buzzer sounded with the squads in a 0-0 tie. Minnesota started the second half with the ball, but turned it over on downs. Kansas City got as close as the 19-yard line but a fourth-down shoestring tackle by Caitlin Hill on a scrambling Liz Sowers just before the first-down marker kept the Titans off the board, and the punt-fest continued. The third-quarter ended with a little momentum for the Vixen, provided by a strong interior run by Jeanie “Tank” Nelson after a facemask penalty on a Kate Murphy reception out in the flats. Minnesota started the fourth quarter with another Tank run up the left side to just inside the Titans’ 20-yard line. Two plays later, Connor Jo Lewis slipped through a backfield tackle and had just enough blocking to the right side to run to the pylon for the game’s first and only score. Katie Muller’s PAT was good and the Vixen led 7-0. Kansas City made a strong push on the ensuing possession, getting to the Minnesota 30, but an offensive holding penalty and a third-down tackle in the backfield by Cynthia “Red” Bryant stymied their efforts. A dropped pass on fourth-down that would have moved the chains ended the possession. Each team had one more possession and drove deep into the other's territory, but the black curtain of the Vixen defense prevailed and Evans sealed the win in victory formation with just over a minute left in the game.
Game Day Preview vs. Kansas City Titans 5-4-19
It is never easy to get back into the swing of things after a bye week in any level of football. The Women’s Football Alliance is no exception. The Minnesota Vixen look to get back to business against a tough, yet struggling, Kansas City Titans team when the two teams meet this Saturday, May 4, in Farmington. Prior to the bye week, the rumbling Vixen walloped their rivals, the Wisconsin Dragons. In that game, Tank Nelson upped her yards per carry to an impressive 5.3 yards while taking the ball to the end zone three times. The Vixen continued to show a little difficulty in the passing game, but, thankfully for the Crimson and Black, the running game combined for a staggering five touchdowns. It was on the other side of the ball that the Vixen showed their true strength. Collectively amassing six interceptions, including two from linebacker Connor Jo Lewis, the defense held the Dragons to a meager six points. It is also worth noting the Vixen blocked one field goal and one extra point. It was truly a spectacular day on defense for the team. But as it has been a theme for the team this season, there is no time to rest on their laurels. Kansas City is a strong team coached by an effective staff and led by a talented quarterback in Liz Sowers. In watching Kansas City, they seem like a team just on the cusp of greatness this season but have not been able to find the right moments to shine. Perhaps this is the game for the Titans to do so, and what better way to re-ignite their fires and bounce back for the season with a road win against the Minnesota Vixen, the team that dealt them their first loss of the year? “I have a lot of respect for the Titans, I always have” says Vixen wide receiver coach Jake Potter. “They always are a tough team to face and I look forward to seeing what they have changed since we last saw them.” In an effort to continue to evolve and adapt to the changing league, Vixen head coach Ryan McCauley has made a few changes to his game plan that will hopefully capitalize on the extremely strong skills of the Vixen offensive line. “It takes an extreme amount of confidence or an unhealthy dose of foolishness to not add depth to your offensive or defensive abilities during a season--especially if you see the same team a few times in a year,” says Coach Potter. No matter what happens, it is going to be a gorgeous day for football this Saturday. Kickoff is at 6PM at Farmington High School. Please consider donating to our charity partner, Free Wheelchair Mission - https://www.classy.org/give/233441/#!/donation/checkout. And as an added treat, in celebration of “Star Wars Day” the 501st Legion will be in attendance for photos with fans! Come watch some great football and get pictures taken with your favorite “Star Wars” characters!Kelly Schultz Joining Minnesota Vixen Broadcasting Team
Entering their twenty-first season, the Minnesota Vixen are blazing trails in all they do. While being the first women’s tackle football team to secure broadcasting for their home and away games, they are proud to announce Kelly Schultz will be joining the voice of the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves, Shawn Parker, as a color commentator for the Vixen home game broadcasts starting on May 4th when the Vixen have their rubber match against the Titans of Kansas City.
Kelly Schultz is a near twenty year veteran of radio broadcasting. For the past eleven years, Kelly has been the play-by-play announcer for Bemidji State University women's college hockey on the Beaver Radio Network. She had the absolute privilege of being the home game play-by-play announcer for the champion Minnesota Whitecaps of the National Women’s Hockey League.
The Vixen are very excited to have Kelly call their home games with Shawn Parker on Town Square Television.
Game Recap vs. Wisconsin Dragons 4-20-19
Minnesota Vixen win 21st season home opener By Jodi Rehlander It was a beautiful spring night in the Midwest, but winter came for the Wisconsin Dragons (1-1) in the form of a 35-6 loss at the hands of the Minnesota Vixen (2-0) in Women's Football Alliance action on Saturday night at Kuhlman Field in Edina. Minnesota was celebrating their 21st season home opener, and it came with a brush with celebrity as Minnesota Lynx head coach and general manager Cheryl Reeve performed the pregame coin toss. The Vixen have worked hard on increasing their public profile and awareness, and Reeve's presence helped attract two of the Twin Cities' main television networks to the game. After all the hoopla, the Vixen, who struggled early against Kansas City two weeks ago, again had a bit of a rocky start, turning the ball over on their first two possessions. But they found their footing by the end of the first quarter and capped a solid drive with a dogged 1-yard plunge into the end zone by Jeanie "Tank" Nelson. The Vixen racked up another score in the second quarter when Nelson used a pair of bruising stiffarms to keep the Dragons at bay on a 26-yard run. Minnesota led 14-0 at the half. Connor Jo Lewis won a third-quarter race to the pylon, Nelson scored again, and Bella McGrath tiptoed down the left sideline to round out the day for Minnesota. Wisconsin's only score of the night came two plays into the fourth quarter on a well-executed pass route through the heart of the Vixen defense. But that was one of few bright spots for the Dragons offense, which was picked off six times by Amanda Atkins, Erin Tilford, Caitlin Hill, Ashley Green and Lewis, who had two. The Vixen also blocked a field goal and a PAT during the game. The two teams will meet twice more during the regular season. Next up for Minnesota is their second and final bye week. After that they host a rematch with the Kansas City Titans at Farmington High School on Saturday, May 4.
Game Day Preview vs. Wisconsin Dragons 4/20/19
The Vixen are preparing for the first of three regular season meetings scheduled between their Midwest Region rival, the Wisconsin Dragons. The Dragons have started their second season off with a win over the Columbus Vanguards (29-26). Hailing from the Milwaukee area, the Dragons seek to knock the Vixen down a peg after the Vixen’s 17 to 13 road win over the Kansas City Titans. To pull off a win would be a big deal for the young Dragons franchise. Last season, the Vixen dominated the series with them by winning both regular season games and a playoff meeting in Inver Grove Heights. “It will be a test for our offensive line,” Vixen head coach Ryan McCauley says. “Like Kansas CIty, [the Dragons] like to bring pressure.” “Our O-line is definitely up for the challenge,” says Vixen line coach Michele Braun. Look for the Vixen o-line, led by center and 2019 captain Maria Beck (97) to open running lanes for veteran All-American running back Jeanie “Tank” Nelson. In her last game, Tank carried the ball thirty times for 125 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Emily Evans will look to continue to supplement McCauley’s ground game by throwing to her young receiver corp. “I believe [the Dragons] have some good athletes that will challenge us and bring out the best in the defense,” says Vixen defensive coordinator RJ Speidel. The Vixen had learned some tough lessons at the hands of the KC Titans and will use them to patch the holes in the defense. Expect big plays out of rookie linebacker Cil Winton, who currently leads the team in tackles. The Vixen defensive line led by Cynthia “Red’ Bryant should have a ton of fun stopping the run and making the Dragons work for each yard gained. No matter the weather, both teams will be prepared for a fight. This rivalry is just heating up. You can come see the action at Kuhlman Field in Edina, Minnesota at 6PM on Saturday, April 20th. Tickets are on sale now on CityPagesTix.com. If you cannot attend the game live, be sure to tune in on Town Square Television or MNVixen.com.