Wearing the Maple Leaf
Local football trio to suit up for Canada at the IFAF Women’s World Championship in June
A Lethbridge presence is ready to tackle the world. The IFAF Women’s World Championship will hit Canadian soil for the first time when the international event takes place June 24–30 in Langley, B.C.
When it does, the Team Canada hosts roster will bring a distinctly southern Alberta flavour with three locals from three different Western Women’s Canadian Football League teams on board.
On Saturday at the University of Lethbridge Stadium, two of those three players were in action and gearing up for the event a little over a month away as Becky Heninger and the Calgary Rage paid a visit to face Wendy Iwaasa and the Lethbridge Steel during the Steel’s regular season home opener.
The Rage came away with the win thanks to a 42-2 decision, but in late June Heninger and Iwaasa will become Team Canada teammates and they’ll be joined by another local, Carly Dyck of the Saskatoon Valkyries.
“It’s going to be amazing,” said Iwaasa, who lines up at receiver the for Steel and will play defensive end for Canada. “(I’m) nervous, but the support from my family, friends and the Steel has been overwhelming and it’s nice to have them 110 per cent behind my back. It makes it easier to leave my little one for two weeks. I’m excited. To play at the Worlds for Team Canada is unreal.
“I’ve kind of progressed. This is my third. In my second season I played Team Alberta and my third year I’ll play Team Canada. This is the highest level I can play at. I’m excited to play Australia first and take them out and then play Finland and Great Britain and see the U.S. in the final.”
Heninger quarterbacked the Rage to a convincing win Saturday afternoon, but was equally excited for the international experience that lies ahead.
“Oh my goodness, I’m over the moon,” she said. “I can’t even describe how I feel about it. A lot of people are like ‘Oh, we don’t get to travel.’ But honestly? In Canada? At home for the Worlds? I didn’t think I was ever going to get this chance again.”
The selection process began last summer as aspiring national team players were identified at the Women’s National Championship in Regina and invited to attend regional selection camps held this past December in Montreal and Moose Jaw.
“That’s where we had Team Alberta, Saskatchewan, Quebec and New Brunswick,” said Iwaasa of the Regina camp. “I know they did some selections to see how we played from there and then they selected 110 women across the nation and some of the dual-citizens in the States. We met in Regina and Montreal for two tryouts and they selected us from there in the second week in January.”
Iwaasa was at work in early January when she received the good news she had earned a Team Canada roster spot.
Inadvertently, so did her coworkers.
“When I got the actual word I was at work. My phone went off and I saw the email. I looked at it and it said ‘Congratulations.’ My other co-worker was there and I just started screaming. I started crying and running around the office. It was insane, the rush I got.”
Iwaasa brings that enthusiasm to the field, said Steel head coach Justin Tillery.
“She just brings a different kind of intensity. She’s really intense in practice and come game time. It seems like she doesn’t have a stop button on her, she just keeps going and going. Her heart and hustle are definitely there and it’s great to see we have a representative from our team this year and a couple of former Steel members in Becky and Carly Dyck playing for the Valyrkies in Saskatoon.
For Heninger, making Team Canada represented a comeback of sorts.
“I had the opportunity to play with the Alberta team and try out, but I had some other things going on and wasn’t able to. I said if I ever get the chance again I’m going to go try out.”
Like Iwaasa, the good news came with an adrenaline rush.
“My heart lept a little bit,” said Heninger. “It was still a little bit of ‘Wow, I can’t believe I made it.’ I hadn’t played for two years and I was coming off a two-year absense. I was very
happy.
“I hope it’s everything I dreamed of, I think it’s going to be crazy. I know a ton of people that are going to come out from the cities in Alberta. I think it’s going to be unbelievable.”
The Team Canada duo snuck a peak down the road to Langley, but Saturday was also about a rematch between the Rage and the Steel as Heninger and her Rage teammates earned the sweep following a 25-21 win over Lethbridge in the teams’ season-opener April 29 in Medicine Hat. Calgary improves to 3-0 while Lethbridge sits at 02.
“We were in position to make plays, we just missed a tackle (and then) another and it has a trickle-down effect,” said Tillery. “There’s not much you can do. We’re going to look at the film, go back and prepare for next week. We’ll keep this short-lived.”
The Steel hit the road next weekend to take on the Edmonton Storm before returning to the U of L Stadium June 3 for the rematch.
“From what we saw, some of our tackling was a bit sloppy and we missed some blocks,”said Tillery. “Our mental game wasn’t quite there yet and Calgary, they came out
and kind of gave us our licks. We have to ice them up and rest and get back to work.”
A couple lengthy carries for touchdowns and taking advantage of some turnovers help set the table for the Rage’s win.
“I couldn’t be happier with the effort,” said Heninger. “The O-line was unbelieveable today and our defence was unbelieveable and everybody played their part. Our receivers, our running backs, everybody did their job and it showed. It was great.”