Whats on Tap - 1 June 2019

Since the end of March, that has been a few USAFL matches here and there, with teams either shaking off the winter cold or preparing for the long seasonal journey with training matches, metro games, and the odd AFLX carnival.

This weekend, however, things kick into high gear.

Nine events across the USA -- including two up in Maple Leaf Land -- punctuate this weekend's Aussie Rules activities.  Attached to each event is the Facebook event page, which will have up-to-date information on venue, start times, and game status should there be inclement weather.

Grab a mate and go and support your local footy club here in the USA!

QUEBEC WOMEN’S CARNIVAL
MONTREAL ANGELS (1-0) V NEW YORK MAGPIES (0-2)
Douglas Hospital Grounds, Montreal, QC - 1:30pm EDT
Event Page

The Montreal Angels welcome in the New York Magpies, who will be combined with members of the Boston Lady Demons, DC Eagles, Philadelphia Hawks and more.  The Magpies, after losses in DC and Philadelphia, look for their first victory of the season.  With a win over Ottawa in the Pony Platter, one round of the AFL Quebec local competition under their belt, and the cheers of last season’s Division 2 National Title behind them, Montreal will try to repeat as champions of the even that they’ve hosted for the last five seasons.  The match will be preceded by a Men’s “Australia vs the World” match at 11:30am.

EAFL ROUND 2
PHILADELPHIA HAWKS (0-0) V NEW YORK MAGPIES (0-0)
Lower Perkiomen Valley Park, Oaks, PA - Noon EDT
Event Page

Originally a three-way matchup with North Carolina, the Hawks open their defense of last year’s D3 Men’s National Championship against their rivals from the Big Apple.  Last season, the Hawks took two out of three matches from the ‘Pies, including the deciding match of the Eastern Regional Championship D1 competition.  That’s just three wins in twenty seasons of the Turnpike rivalry.  Will the Hawks be able to do it again?

TEXAS CUP ROUND 1 – DALLAS
MEN’S: DALLAS DINGOES (1-0), AUSTIN CROWS (0-0), HOUSTON LONESTARS (2-0)
WOMEN’S: DALLAS DINGOES v HOUSTON LONESTARS
Patterson Sports Complex, Dallas, TX - 11am CDT
Event Page

The Texan Triumvirate is back for its three-legged challenge, with the Dallas Dingoes hosting their first USAFL event under their new name.  Both the Dingoes and Lonestars have wins over Oklahoma this season, but now they go out in search of the big fish – the defending D1 champion Austin Crows.  Austin has had a busy spring, coming second-best in the Rob Dollar Cup in March, routing the Bogota Bulldogs in April, and taking out the South Central AFLX Tournament.  Austin has won each of the iterations of this championship, in which each of the teams will meet once in each city; will the champs add another Texas Cup to their case, or will the Lonestars or Dingoes have what it takes?

There will also be a women’s match between the two squads who make up the Texas Heat, as Houston takes on Dallas in a matchup showcasing two season veterans and rookie prospects alike.

BALTIMORE VS NASHVILLE - USAFL MEN'S
BALTIMORE DOCKERS (3-0) v NASHVILLE KANGAROOS (1-0)
Bocek Park, Baltimore, MD - 11am EDT
Event Page

In two meetings last season – once in April in Nashville, and again in the D4 Nationals Semifinals – the Dockers accounted for the Kangaroos by ten and 27 points.  After wins over Carolina and DC in Richmond in April, and another win over the Eagles at DC, Baltimore returns home to Frank C Bocek Park (affectionately nicknamed the Trainyard by your humble author because of the Amtrak trains that speed by) as they look to win their eighth straight match going back to Nationals.  Nashville, meanwhile, is coming off of a big win at home against Chicago, and David Harris and company will hope that their athletic attack an overcome a well-drilled Dockers outfit, led by angular threat Ian Payne.

CHICAGO VS MINNESOTA - USAFL MEN'S
CHICAGO SWANS (0-1) v MINNESOTA FREEZE (0-0)
Waveland Softball Fields, Chicago, IL - 2pm CDT
Event Page

Chicago and Minnesota.  As USAFL Rivalries go, this doesn’t go as far back as some of the others, but my goodness, this one is always a lot of fun.  It wasn’t much fun for the Swans in 2018, as Chicago lost four out of the five matches against the Freeze, including the D2 National Semi-Final.  On that frigid Sunday in October, Minnesota hammered the Swannies by 52 points.  But this is a new day, and Chicago will look to bounce back from their opening loss at Nashville with a win on home soil.  The Freeze, meanwhile, after a practice match against Des Moines, will try to use their height for their first win of 2019.

ARIZONA DESERT DERBY
ARIZONA HAWKS (0-1) vs ARIZONA OUTLAWS (0-0)
Dobson High School, Mesa, AZ - 10am MST
Event Page

Though they had a first, shall we say “memorable”, meeting at last year’s Rob Dollar Cup, the crosstown rivals will meet in an official USAFL match for the first time this weekend, with members of the Las Vegas Gamblers getting a run in for the game as well.  The match pits the Hawks, led by Revolution veteran Jason “Pony” Wilhelm, and the flashy and dashing Outlaws, personified by deft and athletic Joey Lutostanski.  The Outlaws have not rested much since Nationals, with their winter metro season in full effect, and they’ll be in midseason form against the Hawks who come off of their opening loss to San Diego.

SCAFL ROUND 3
ORANGE COUNTY GIANTS (2-0) vs BEACHSIDE SHARKS (LA) (0-1)
SOUTH BAY OUTLAWS (LA) (1-1) vs SAN DIEGO LIONS (1-0 SCAFL, 2-0 Overall)
South Lake Middle School 655 W Yale Loop Irvine, CA - 3pm PDT Start

We’re already halfway through the five round Southern California Regular season, and the Giants have looked great in their new Orange kits, winning both of their matches so far by big margins.  They’ll try to stay in first place against the Sharks, one of three teams represented by the LA Dragons in the comp.  Another LA side, the Outlaws, takes on San Diego as the winners keep pace with, or perhaps even draw ahead of, OC.

BRITISH COLUMBIA AFL
BCAFL Men Round 5: BURNABY EAGLES v SEATTLE GRIZZLIES (1-3 BCAFL, 2-3 Overall)
BCAFL Women Round 2: VANCOUVER VIXENS (0-1) v SEATTLE GRIZZLIES (1-0 BCAFL, 2-0 Overall)

Now into the second half of their BCAFL season, Saleh Tyebjee and the Grizzlies head back across the 49th Parallel to face the Burnaby Eagles, the only one of the four other BCAFL teams they’ve defeated.  The Grizzlies got by Burnaby by three points on April 27th, and are coming off a 29-point victory over Edmonton at home last weekend, which they hope will give them the fuel to pick up four more league points.

The Grizz women are also coming off a win over Edmonton a week ago, and going into their second game of their series against the Vixens seeking to repeat their triumph over them on May 11th, a 62-23 decision.  On that day, Amanda Boe got herself a fistful of goals (that’s five), and Freedom prospect Rhyan Johnson was the best-on.

PEACH STATE SHOWDOWN
ATLANTA KOOKABURAS (2-1) vs ROME REDBACKS (0-1)
NH Decatur Park, Decatur, GA - 2pm EDT
Event Page

The Kookas have been busy little birds to start 2019.  In addition to their local metro and social matches, they have three USAFL games under their belt; wins at Rome and North Carolina, and a hard-fought effort in Louisville despite a 26-point defeat to the River Rats.  In Game 2 of the Peach State Showdown, the Redbacks will attempt to avenge May 11th’s 102-point rout.

METRO EVENTS:

DENVER BULLDOGS: Colorado Cup: Round 1
GOLDEN GATE AFL: GGAFL Round 5
SACRMENTO SUNS: SACAFL: Round 1
PORTLAND AFC: "Bring a Mate" - Sunday