Gazette.Net: Turnovers prove costly for Divas
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After a promising start to its Women’s Football Alliance playoff opener, the D.C. Divas committed numerous mistakes that allowed the Boston Militia to earn a 37-24 victory before roughly 2,500 spectators on Saturday night at the Prince George’s Sports & Learning Complex in Landover. It marked the second year in a row that Boston has ended the Divas’ season in the playoffs.

The Divas (7-2) marched 62 yards on eight plays to claim a 6-0 lead on their opening possession, and they looked poised to add to that advantage on their second possession. Running back Kenyetta Grigsby carried the ball five times for 40 yards on the first drive, but got hurt midway through the second drive. She came back into the game late in the first quarter with the Divas on another long, time-consuming drive and fumbled on a first-down play at the Militia 20-yard line.

The Divas had 99 yards on 17 plays and owned the ball for more than 12 minutes in the first quarter, but the momentum changed quickly after Grigsby’s fumble. On a second and 20 from the Boston 28, Militia quarterback Allyson Cahill lofted a sideline pass toward Adrienne Smith that appeared underthrown, but two Divas’ defenders collided going for the ball. Smith caught the pass, turned and raced for a 72-yard touchdown that tied the game.

The Divas were again bitten by the turnover bug on the second play of their next series, Divas’ quarterback Allison Hamlin attempted to hit Nikki Williams on a quick out pass, but Boston safety Mia Brickhouse jumped the route, intercepted the pass and returned it 36 yards for a touchdown that gave the visitors a 14-6 lead. After netting nearly 100 yards on their first 16 plays from scrimmage, the Divas committed two turnovers in a span of three plays, and Boston has scored two touchdowns in 58 seconds.

“I should have never thrown that pass,’ said Hamlin, an Eleanor Roosevelt High School and University of Maryland graduate. “I should have just thrown the ball out of bounds. I never even looked at [Brickhouse]. She wasn’t covering my receiver, so I didn’t expect her to jump the route the way she did. We played so well in the first quarter, so to be behind at that point was tough.”

After the Divas went three-and-out on their next possession, the Militia embarked on a time-consuming drive and demonstrated their kicking game could provide points as well. Boston went 48 yards in 11 plays and took more than seven minutes off the clock before kicker Ashley Snyder connected on a 24-yard field goal with 2:27 left in the half to give the visitors a 17-6 lead. Snyder’s effectiveness underscored the dramatic difference in special teams play between the two squads, and she would get another chance to display her skills before the half expired.

On their next possession the Divas again went three-and-out, and after Boston blocked Rachelle Pecovsky’s punt the Militia took control at the Divas’ 27. Boston failed to get a first down, but Snyder connected on a 39-yard field goal with 25.8 seconds left in the half to give the Militia a 20-6 lead.

“We knew it wasn’t over at that point,” said Cahill, whose team will advance to face the Chicago Force (9-0) on July 9 in the second round of the WFA playoffs. “They have a good team and we knew they were not going to quit without a fight.”

The Divas got a reprieve midway through the third quarter when Snyder lined up to punt and the snap sailed over her head. In a panic move, Snyder kicked the loose ball and the Divas were awarded possession at the spot plus additional yardage for an illegal kick. Two plays later Grigsby, reached the end zone on a 2-yard run, but Boston blocked Kathryn Hemlock’s extra point attempt, and the Divas trailed 20-12 with 5:52 left in the third quarter.

On the first play of the fourth quarter the Militia got another break. With the Divas facing third and 3 from their own 27, Hamlin initially wanted to set up a screen pas but Divas’ coach Tim Smart called for a time out to change the play. Instead of running a screen, Hamlin attempted to hit Williams on a 10-yard slant pattern. Her pass hit the veteran receiver in stride. But Williams dropped the ball and the Divas were forced to punt.

Pecovsky got off a clean punt this time that went nearly 30 yards, but Brickhouse returned the ball 33 yards to the Divas’ 23. On the third play of the drive, fullback Dorothy Donaldson scored on a 1-yard run to give the Militia a 27-12 lead with just over 13 minutes remaining.

On the Divas’ next possession, panic prevailed. Facing fourth and 16 from their own 27 with 11 minutes remaining, the Divas elected to go for it. Hamlin attempted to hit Tara Stephenson in the flat, but her pass was off the mark, and the Militia took over deep in D.C. territory. Three plays later Snyder hit a 35-yard field goal to give the visitors a 30-12 lead with less than 9 minutes remaining.

The Divas moved 55 yards in six plays, and Grigsby scored her third touchdown of the night on a 2-yard run. But the Militia sealed the verdict by marching 53 yards in seven plays, capped by a 7-yard scoring run from Whitney Zelee with 1:16 remaining. The Divas countered by going 53 yards in six plays and scored on the last play of the game on a 20-yard touchdown pass from Hamlin to Stephenson.

“It’s a tough way to end the season,” said Divas’ linebacker Tiffany Matthews. “We thought we had a good chance to advance. This is a big rivalry game. I think a lot of the rookies didn’t realize what this game means to us. I think we’re the only team that has beaten them in the last three years, and we did it three times. I’m not sure how the other veterans feel, but this is probably it for me. I’ll talk to a lot of the other veterans during the offseason, but I think I’m done.”

tblack@gazette.net