49th Parallel Cup Preview: Women's Championship

August 18, 2017 seems at once a long time ago and just yesterday.

On a day when Melbourne turned on its weather roulette wheel, the USA Freedom finished up their International Cup campaign.  The result: a seven-point loss to debutante Great Britain, landing the Americans in fourth place from eight teams.  Respectable, but not what they had come to Australia for.

There was sadness, but there was hope for the next IC carnival, which we all thought would be a mere three years later. With new talent coming into the fold, and a new coach in Christina Licata at the helm, the Freedom was ready to take its next step and challenge Ireland and Canada for footballing supremacy.

Then, well… you know.

Through it all, there has been an itch to get back into the footy, not just for the Licata and her charges, but those across the border as well.  Northern Lights coach Tricia Rolfe has had to wait for her own shot to coach the National side, and her compatriots have been hard at work maintaining the standard that brought them an IC premiership and two further Grand Finals berths.

On Saturday, all of the waiting for Licata, Rolfe, and the players comes to an end.  The 49th Parallel Cup women’s match returns after an eight-year hiatus. The Freedom and Northern Lights will meet for the first time since Canada won the IC17 semifinal, and reserves from both countries will play as a curtain raiser.  

2023 USAFL 49th Parallel Cup - Women's Championship
Saturday, August 19th, 2023
Soccer Complex of Racine (SCORe), Franksville, Wisconsin
Women's Reserve Match: Noon USCDT (Live Stream Link)
Women's Reserve Match: 3pm USCDT (Live Stream Link)

This is the seventh 49PC women’s championship game.  The Northern Lights lead 4-2, and have won three games in a row.  The Freedom’s last win, both in the cup and in the all-time series (which stands at 7-2 Canada), was at Darree Fields in Dublin, Ohio in 2012.

Both clubs will bring a mix of veterans of PCs and ICs past, as well as exciting newcomers.  From Drea Casillas and Hillary Perry to Sophie Pfluger and Lia Osterreid, all levels of experience are represented across the four competing sides.  And, from an American point of view, sixteen USAFL clubs will be represented.

The coaching matchup will also be a historic one.  It will be the first PC matchup featuring two former players of their respective programs, and it’s believed to be the first international Aussie Rules match to pit two women head coaches against each other.

For Licata, however, this match is extra special.  She was named Freedom coach back in 2018, and five years of building and molding and recruiting and observing have led to this weekend.

USAFL.com caught up with her to get her thoughts on the Parallel Cup, the journey to it, and the people who have been a part of the ride with her.

USAFL.com: What does it feel like to finally see the Freedom back out on the oval after the long layoff?

Christina Licata: There's a ton of anticipation from players and coaches alike. Speaking for myself, I have been waiting to coach an actual game with this team since 2018, so it has been a long time coming. I'm stoked!

USAFL: How has your approach towards shaping the club changed since you first took over?

CL: Ultimately, the pandemic affected the women's game in the US significantly. The landscape for women's involvement in the sport changed, and we're still rebuilding local teams around the country. The continued growth of women's teams around the nation is paramount to our success as a program. The silver lining is that there is a lot of new talent coming into the league and into the program. While we haven't changed much in terms of our program values and pillars, bringing in this new talent has been very important over the past year. Hard work, openness, team first, and fun have been at the center of the Freedom since I came on as the head coach and these players have truly embraced those values. This 2023 squad is the foundation for the future growth of the program in the coming years.

USAFL: What is it like seeing the influx of new talent come into the league, and from so many different teams?

CL: I always love to see new talent come into the league. Going into the 2023 training camp, it was a very exciting prospect for the coaching staff. We had not seen the majority of players try out for the US squad before, so in many ways didn't know quite what to expect. There were a lot of pleasant surprises. Having representation from teams across the country in the program shows the strength of women's footy in the US - something that the Freedom program will continue to build on. 

USAFL: What has it been like being around this group of athletes, and what is something they have taught you?

CL: This is a very fun group of players. Joy has to be at the center of this game and the 2023 squad has it. There is a very strong competitive spirit within the team. Being around them this year - at camp, at Regional tournaments, and virtually - has re-energized me as a coach. I can't wait to finally be out on the field with them.

USAFL: How important is this match and this rivalry in the context of growing the sport?

CL: After such a long break from international competition for the Freedom, this match is critically important to the program and to recruiting more talent in the future. While the rivalry with Canada goes back a long way and many of these players have been waiting a long time to put on the red, white and blue jumpers, for the majority, this is the first time they will be representing their country on the Freedom. This is a clean slate, a new team, and a new coaching staff. This weekend is just the beginning for this group of athletes. 

USAFL: Give some props to your coaching staff because they're awesome. :-)

CL: I can't say enough about the coaching staff. Senior Coach (Defense) Martin Coventry (Portland) and I have been working together since 2018 and have yet to coach a game for Freedom until now. What a wait! Assistant Coach Brianne Theisen has been my right hand since 2019 and has been critical in aiding player development throughout the selection process. Senior Coach (Forwards) Carly Smolak (San Francisco), and Senior Coach (Midfield) Mark Fischer (Minnesota) have added a wealth of knowledge to the program with their extensive experience in coaching and playing the sport. Smo brings a fire for the rivalry against Canada as a former Freedom player. 

The team has been rounded out by the addition of a group of amazing Assistant Coaches - Janie Green - Midfield (New York), Marie LaVictorie - Defense (Blue Ox), and Liz McAskil - Forwards (New York) who were critical to the success of our training camp as well as our preparation for the 49th Parallel Cup. I'm looking forward to this group of women coaching the Reserves side this weekend.

It is very important to me that women develop as coaches in the United States and the Freedom program has a unique role in that goal. As I sat at the selection table with the coaches at camp, I was thrilled to have so many women at the table involved in this discussion - women who helped build this National program as players, women who helped build their local teams, and women who grew this wonderful sport in a country where most people haven't heard of it. Having played in the first official Nationals in the US in 2005, it has really come full circle for me. 

Ultimately, we wouldn't be where we are without each and every one of these coaches. It's a lot of work and time to dedicate and they do it without reserve.