ANGELS RIDE HIGH ON THE WINGS OF MANOU WITH 31 – 27 WIN

Coming into Saturday night’s game expectations for what was once a No.1 ranked team had fallen considerably. After posting an impressive 41-18 win over Regina, BC followed that with a 21-18 loss to Saskatoon. It was not just a 3 point loss but a loss that exposed inconsistent quarterback play and a defense that struggled to contain the run or the pass. Couple the Saskatoon loss with a potential season-ending injury of Stevie Schnoor left BC reeling coming into the Toronto game.

For Toronto the expectations were low coming in at 0-2 but an 0-2 team with a lot of weapons that have simply not lived up to its expectations. Anticipation and anxiety grew even bigger for these two squads as it was announced that due to the large crowd of fans still buying tickets that kickoff would be delayed. After LFL Canada’s biggest crowd to date made it to their seats, the game officially kicked-off.

Despite two demoralizing losses, this Triumph squad opened the game with a three play thirty-seven yard drive that included the emerging Petshauna Pinnock barreling her way for a 35 yard run which gave Toronto an early 8 – 0 lead quieting what was otherwise a loud crowd in BC.

BC answered behind the legs of Manou on a six play thirty-five yard drive capped by Manou on a two yard run that made the score 8 – 6 and the Pinnock vs Manou ground game battle was on. The newcomer Pinnock has made a name for herself recently specifically with a legendary run versus Saskatoon where she tossed players like rag dolls. The BC defense faced a similar fate early as Pinnock continued to lead Toronto engineering a seven play thirty-five drive with Toronto quarterback Marife ‘Mouse’ Villagonzalo finishing the drive on a 1 yard run to take the lead again at 14 – 6.

After being criticized for her inconsistent play, BC quarterback Mary Anne Hanson orchestrated another BC answer with an impressive seven play thirty five play drive to cut Toronto’s lead to 14 – 12. Before the half, BC went back to their ‘Locomotive’ Manou putting together another clock-draining six play thirty-five yard drive capped by a Manou 1 yard run to take a 19 – 14 lead before the half.

After one half of play, the Pinnock vs Manou battle was neck-and-neck with Pinnock having rushed for an impressive fourty-nine yards on only three carries with an average of 16.3 per carry while Manou finished the half with sixty-five yards on nine carries with a more modest but effective 6.8 yards per carry.

As the third quarter kicked-off, the feeling of anxiety had set in for both of these two teams that had their backs against the wall. BC’s offense who had been inconsistent at best this season did manage to dominate the third quarter with a pair of touchdown drives that included an end-around sixteen yard run by Aleesa Garcia and a Game MVP like twenty-one yard run by Manou, BC taking a commanding 31 – 14 lead.

In the fourth quarter, the Toronto team and specifically offense emerged from the depths of ineptitude with their breakout tight end Tiff Russell scoring on a pair of touchdown receptions one coming from Villagonzalo while the other came on a double-reverse pass from 2011 Triumph quarterback Donna Paul. The two Toronto scores made the game to a single possession game at 27 – 31 with Toronto now setting up for an onside kickoff. As has been the case for Toronto all-season, it was just not meant to be as the ball sailed into the side wall creating an instant out-of-bounds play as BC barely hung on for the win to advance to 2-1 while Toronto dropped to 0-3.

BC now will have to sit and watch the Saskatoon vs Regina ‘Saskatchewan Bowl Series’ and root for Regina to upset Saskatoon as BC holds the head-to-head advantage over Regina not Saskatoon.

For Toronto they are simply left playing for pride as they finish their season against this same BC squad in Toronto on Oct. 29.

final stats
	tor	bc
Score	27	31
first downs	13	15
rushes-yds (net)	19-148	26-194
passing yds (net)	67	38
passes att-comp-int	4-12-1	3-6-0
total offense plays-yds	33-215	33-232
fumble returns-yds	0-0	0-0
fumbles-lost	0-0	1-1
kickoff returns-yds	1-13	1-12
interception returns-yds	0-0	1-15
penalties-yds	3-17	7-50
possession time	15:26	16:34
third-down conversions	2/5	3/4
fourth-down conversions	2/3	1/1
red-zone scores-chances	3/6	4/6

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ANGELS RIDE HIGH ON THE WINGS OF MANOU WITH 31 – 27 WIN

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