Staten Island, New York, April 30, 2011
The New York Sharks (2-1) were happy to finally come home and play their 13th home opener, the most in women's football. After a tough loss against division rival Boston Militia, the Sharks were looking to getting back to their winning ways against another division foe, the New England NightMare (0-3).
It was a beautiful day on Staten Island with blue skies and game time temperature at 70 degrees. In some ways this could have been seen as a bad omen as the Sharks usual home opener forecast is rain, but not today. The bad omens were reserved for New England.
The game started with the NightMare losing the coin toss and things just got worse for the visitors. Starting with the kick-off, New York returner Odessa Jenkins caught the kick on a short hop and then split up the middle of the field. She got some key blocks and then it was off to the races and she ran it all the way in for a touchdown. Joy Dollison kicked the extra point to give the hometown team the lead of 7-0 with only 15 seconds ticking off of the game clock. The 81-yard return was the longest in Sharks history but that was really a no-brainer as it was the only kick-off returned for a touchdown in the Sharks long history. Unfortunately for New England it wasn't the last.
The Sharks defense was able to shut down the NightMare for the rest of the first quarter but their offense struggled at first. But as the quarter drew to a close, New York orchestrated a nifty 80 yard, 12 play drive. There was a mix of pass and running plays but the star of the drive was the return of running back Kathy Holloman. Holloman who had missed the first 2 games of the season was playing in her first game of the season and was able to move the ball ending with a 4-yard touchdown run. Dollison continued to be perfect on her extra point attempts and the Sharks now led 14 -0 as the first quarter ended.
The next time the Sharks got the ball, they had it for a lot less time but they still were able to score none the less. Again it was Jenkins who was the star as she took the handoff and ran towards the middle but then took a quick cut to her right before breaking it open for a 48 yard touchdown score. Another Dollison kick and New York extended their lead to 21-0 with 11:56 left in the first half.
Jenkins wasn't yet done for the half. When the Sharks got the ball back it was only the soles of Jenkin's yellow shoes that the New England defense saw as she busted loose again. This time she ran 63 yards for her third touchdown of the game. Dollison's streak of successful extra points was stopped as the long snap was high and bounced off of holder Val Halesworth's hands. Dollison picked the ball up and tried to run it in but was quickly tackled. In any case the Sharks had a very comfortable 27-0 lead going into halftime.
New York continued to keep scoring in the second half. This time using a mix of nice running plays by Bella Bluhm and short passes to Laura Baden and the Sharks were on the board again. The drive went 59 yards in 9 plays, the scoring coming on a Karen Mulligan keeper for the final 4 yards. Rookie receiver Anaïs Sumnicht got her first catch of her career in the drive, a 7 yard pickup. Dollison got back on track and split the uprights to give the home team a comfortbale 34-0 lead.
This was the NightMare's third game of the season but they still had yet to get on the scoreboard. That changed on their next possession. While the New York defense has played well this season they have had a tendency to give up some big plays and that is what happened here. Running back Lorie Lindo broke a big run up the middle for 39 yards. She might have scored except for a touchdown saving tackle by Jenkins. Then with the ball on the New York 13-yard line, quarterback Yvonne Howard threw a short pass to her left for a wide open Lindo who caught the pass at the line of scrimmage. She then ran towards the corner of the endzone and was hit by Halesworth. Lindo had enough momentum for the ball to break into the endzone for New England's first score of the season. On the extra point attempt, Jenkins got into the middle of the action again. This time she broke in and blocked the kick to keep the score 34-6.
You would think that Jenkins would be pretty tired at this point, having scored 3 long touchdowns this afternoon. Well, she wasn't done just yet. On the ensuing kick-off, Jenkins' yellowshoes were back in action, this time returning the kick-off 74 yards for a touchdown. In the past 13 years, the Sharks have never returned a kick-off for a touchdown but now in the span of 45 minutes, Jenkins had done it twice. Dollison's extra point attempt was good and the Sharks got their lead back to 40-6 as the third quarter ended.
In the fourth quarter Holloman scored the last New York touchdown of the afternoon. It was a 25 yard run and her second touchdown of the day. Dollison kicked her sixth extra point of the day to make the score 48-6.
With the game clock winding down, the NightMare put together one last drive for the endzone. Relying mainly on the legs of Lindo, New England had a 11 play, 54 yard drive for the score. Howard was able to run it in for the final 4 yards for the score as time ran out on the field. The Sharks might have prevented the score as a quarterback sack by Ruth Martinez and Olga Alcantara pushed the NightMare back for a big loss but on the next play a pass interference got back the yards and then some to set up the score.
It was nice to come back home in front of the home town fans with a victory The win put the Sharks in a 3-way tie for first place with Boston and North Eastern. It was also the 100th game for Sharks' Darleen "Blue" Hall who got the defensive game ball.
The Sharks have a bye next week before they then take on the Philadelphia Liberty Belles in a re-match of the season opener. New York is looking for a repeat over the Liberty Belles and this time the game will be at home in Staten Island, kick-off will be at 3pm (EDT). If you cannot make it to the game, we will be broadcasting live on IYMSportsRadio.com.
Scoring Summary
First Quarter
NY - (14:45) Jenkins 81 yard kick-off return (Dollison kick)
NY - (00:00) Holloman 4 yard run (Dollison kick)
Second Quarter
NY - (11:56) Jenkins 48 yard run (Dollison kick)
NY - (02:00) Jenkins 63 yard run (Run failed)
Third Quarter
NY - (06:52) Mulligan 4 yard run (Dollison kick)
NE - (04:15) Lindo 13 yard pass from Howard (Kick failed)
NY - (02:02) Jenkins 74 yard kick-off return (Dollison kick)
Fourth Quarter
NY - (05:41) Holloman 25 yard run (Dollison kick)
NE - (0:00) Howard 4 yard run (Pass failed)
The New York Sharks (2-1) were happy to finally come home and play their 13th home opener, the most in women's football. After a tough loss against division rival Boston Militia, the Sharks were looking to getting back to their winning ways against another division foe, the New England NightMare (0-3).It was a beautiful day on Staten Island with blue skies and game time temperature at 70 degrees. In some ways this could have been seen as a bad omen as the Sharks usual home opener forecast is rain, but not today. The bad omens were reserved for New England.
The game started with the NightMare losing the coin toss and things just got worse for the visitors. Starting with the kick-off, New York returner Odessa Jenkins caught the kick on a short hop and then split up the middle of the field. She got some key blocks and then it was off to the races and she ran it all the way in for a touchdown. Joy Dollison kicked the extra point to give the hometown team the lead of 7-0 with only 15 seconds ticking off of the game clock. The 81-yard return was the longest in Sharks history but that was really a no-brainer as it was the only kick-off returned for a touchdown in the Sharks long history. Unfortunately for New England it wasn't the last.
The Sharks defense was able to shut down the NightMare for the rest of the first quarter but their offense struggled at first. But as the quarter drew to a close, New York orchestrated a nifty 80 yard, 12 play drive. There was a mix of pass and running plays but the star of the drive was the return of running back Kathy Holloman. Holloman who had missed the first 2 games of the season was playing in her first game of the season and was able to move the ball ending with a 4-yard touchdown run. Dollison continued to be perfect on her extra point attempts and the Sharks now led 14 -0 as the first quarter ended.
The next time the Sharks got the ball, they had it for a lot less time but they still were able to score none the less. Again it was Jenkins who was the star as she took the handoff and ran towards the middle but then took a quick cut to her right before breaking it open for a 48 yard touchdown score. Another Dollison kick and New York extended their lead to 21-0 with 11:56 left in the first half.
Jenkins wasn't yet done for the half. When the Sharks got the ball back it was only the soles of Jenkin's yellow shoes that the New England defense saw as she busted loose again. This time she ran 63 yards for her third touchdown of the game. Dollison's streak of successful extra points was stopped as the long snap was high and bounced off of holder Val Halesworth's hands. Dollison picked the ball up and tried to run it in but was quickly tackled. In any case the Sharks had a very comfortable 27-0 lead going into halftime.
New York continued to keep scoring in the second half. This time using a mix of nice running plays by Bella Bluhm and short passes to Laura Baden and the Sharks were on the board again. The drive went 59 yards in 9 plays, the scoring coming on a Karen Mulligan keeper for the final 4 yards. Rookie receiver Anaïs Sumnicht got her first catch of her career in the drive, a 7 yard pickup. Dollison got back on track and split the uprights to give the home team a comfortbale 34-0 lead.
This was the NightMare's third game of the season but they still had yet to get on the scoreboard. That changed on their next possession. While the New York defense has played well this season they have had a tendency to give up some big plays and that is what happened here. Running back Lorie Lindo broke a big run up the middle for 39 yards. She might have scored except for a touchdown saving tackle by Jenkins. Then with the ball on the New York 13-yard line, quarterback Yvonne Howard threw a short pass to her left for a wide open Lindo who caught the pass at the line of scrimmage. She then ran towards the corner of the endzone and was hit by Halesworth. Lindo had enough momentum for the ball to break into the endzone for New England's first score of the season. On the extra point attempt, Jenkins got into the middle of the action again. This time she broke in and blocked the kick to keep the score 34-6.
You would think that Jenkins would be pretty tired at this point, having scored 3 long touchdowns this afternoon. Well, she wasn't done just yet. On the ensuing kick-off, Jenkins' yellowshoes were back in action, this time returning the kick-off 74 yards for a touchdown. In the past 13 years, the Sharks have never returned a kick-off for a touchdown but now in the span of 45 minutes, Jenkins had done it twice. Dollison's extra point attempt was good and the Sharks got their lead back to 40-6 as the third quarter ended.
In the fourth quarter Holloman scored the last New York touchdown of the afternoon. It was a 25 yard run and her second touchdown of the day. Dollison kicked her sixth extra point of the day to make the score 48-6.
With the game clock winding down, the NightMare put together one last drive for the endzone. Relying mainly on the legs of Lindo, New England had a 11 play, 54 yard drive for the score. Howard was able to run it in for the final 4 yards for the score as time ran out on the field. The Sharks might have prevented the score as a quarterback sack by Ruth Martinez and Olga Alcantara pushed the NightMare back for a big loss but on the next play a pass interference got back the yards and then some to set up the score.
It was nice to come back home in front of the home town fans with a victory The win put the Sharks in a 3-way tie for first place with Boston and North Eastern. It was also the 100th game for Sharks' Darleen "Blue" Hall who got the defensive game ball.
The Sharks have a bye next week before they then take on the Philadelphia Liberty Belles in a re-match of the season opener. New York is looking for a repeat over the Liberty Belles and this time the game will be at home in Staten Island, kick-off will be at 3pm (EDT). If you cannot make it to the game, we will be broadcasting live on IYMSportsRadio.com.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New England NightMare | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 12 |
| New York Sharks | 14 | 13 | 14 | 7 | 48 |
Scoring Summary
First Quarter
NY - (14:45) Jenkins 81 yard kick-off return (Dollison kick)
NY - (00:00) Holloman 4 yard run (Dollison kick)
Second Quarter
NY - (11:56) Jenkins 48 yard run (Dollison kick)
NY - (02:00) Jenkins 63 yard run (Run failed)
Third Quarter
NY - (06:52) Mulligan 4 yard run (Dollison kick)
NE - (04:15) Lindo 13 yard pass from Howard (Kick failed)
NY - (02:02) Jenkins 74 yard kick-off return (Dollison kick)
Fourth Quarter
NY - (05:41) Holloman 25 yard run (Dollison kick)
NE - (0:00) Howard 4 yard run (Pass failed)
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