After notching an opening-season victory last Saturday, the St. Louis SLAM women’s tackle football franchise aims to keep that winning record intact in a road trip to the Bluegrass State this weekend.
The SLAM (1-0) faces the Derby City Dynamite (0-1) in Women’s Football Alliance (WFA) play Saturday in Louisville, Kentucky.
St. Louis claimed a 20-0 home win over the Minnesota Vixen last Saturday to kick off their 2023 campaign and the ensuing shutout pushed the team to the top position in the WFA Pro American six-team division.
“The defense did an amazing job shutting everything down,” reflected SLAM quarterback Jaime Gaal earlier this week. “The offense made some great plays, but also committed too many penalties that held us back and took away some of our rhythm.”
The aforementioned groove was found early as Gaal connected with newly-rostered receiver Jada Humphrey for a 62-yard touchdown pass on the team’s opening possession.
“It was very important to set the tone and score on our first drive,” said Gaal of the quick start. “Great way to start not only the game, but the season.”
Veteran SLAM receiver Kaylee Nuetzling hauled in a pair of six-point catches to complement the aerial attack.
But re-iterating, the defense was the primary component in Saturday’s duke against the Vixen, who had reached last season’s WFA Pro national championship game.
It’s imperative that the SLAM maintains the narrative of maximum points scored and minimal points allowed during the regular season, even while recording wins. A quick rewind reveals why it’s important.
Last season, St. Louis finished 4-2 but failed to qualify for the WFA Pro post-season due to the calculated Massey Rankings that the team recorded, which takes into consideration both their own strength of schedule and differentials as well as the collective performances by the opposition in the same categories as a regular season progresses.
It’s a lot of numbers to consume and falling prey to the math can be frustrating when looking from the outside of the playoff bubble.
“Unfortunately last year, we learned that your record and who you beat doesn’t necessarily matter when making the playoffs,” said Gaal. “Since the day we found out we didn’t make it, we have focused on two things: scoring as many points as possible, and not letting them score at all.”
The quarterback is aware that similar stellar performances are necessary in order to keep the SLAM’s record unblemished this weekend while keeping their rankings high as the season progresses.
“I think the defense is primed to have a shut out year,” Gaal said. “A few of last year’s rookies now have a year under their belt and feel more comfortable. And they have two veteran All-Americans back that didn’t play last year (Nuetzling and Brooklyn Devitt).”
Derby City, a member of the WFA Division 2 complexion, fell to WFA Pro entrant Alabama Fire 32-6 last weekend. But don’t let that setback fool you. The Dynamite won the D2 National Championship in 2021 and fell by one point last July in the 2022 trophy game, so they are most-certainly quality opponents.
St. Louis has competed numerous games against the Dynamite during their last couple of seasons of operation (all wins) and although Saturday’s match-up, on-paper, leans heavily towards the side of the visitors, one can anticipate the SLAM to enthusiastically keep the pedal to the metal against the scrappy hosts.
“Derby City always puts up a fight, especially in the trenches,” Gaal said. “Coming off of a loss and being at home, I’m sure they’re going to be extra motivated to win. No matter the opponent or situation though, our tunnel vision stays the same: score as many points as possible, and don’t let them score at all.”
Point taken. A win would be great but a dominating triumph would be better. Not only for the here and now, but more importantly, for the potential future.
Saturday marks the first of three straight road games for the SLAM and the team next competes at home June 3 against Dallas.
For more information, go to the team’s official website.
By trade, he is a six-time, regional Emmy Award-winning news videographer/editor for KTVI/KPLR-TV. By hobby, he is a writer for Arch City Media, dating back to February 2014. Emphasis is on featuring and promoting local women's sports, but will cover anything that is not reported by traditional media outlets. Also a contributor to local concert reviews.
