The Chicago Force have a new home, but the same, long-standing goal: win the championship of the Independent Women's Football League ( IWFL ) .
The Force will now play its home games at Winnemac Stadium, 5105 N. Leavitt.
"I see more talent and speed on this year's team [ than past teams ] , and there's no substitute for speed. We didn't have enough of it last year, particularly on defense," said Linda Bache, a former Force defensive standout who is the team's general manager and team owner.
The Force season opener is Saturday, April 3. The eight-game regular-season ends June 5 with a road game at the Kansas City Tribe. Chicago also plays host to the Tribe May 1.
"Our biggest challenge this year will be our games against the defending champion Kansas City Tribe," Bache said. "They are in our division and we play them twice in the regular season, so it's imperative that we're able to at least split with them. To insure hosting rights for the playoffs, we may need to win both games. We also have a challenging game against the Pittsburgh Passion who are former champions and a perennial playoff team."
John Konecki is back as the team's head coach and offensive coordinator, a post he's held since 2006, as so is the team's quarterback: Sami Grisafe.
The team added defensive coordinator Anthony Stone, "who has installed a defense that will create a lot of problems for our opponents," Bache said. Assistant coaches Bill Smith and Al Maldonado also return, and they will be joined by first-year defensive back coach John Clarke.
"This is a really good staff and they're doing a great job with the team," said Bache, 47.
"I think our offense will once again be explosive. I anticipate us putting a lot of points on the board. We've had a few injuries already on that side of the ball which has forced us to make some changes. We'll be running some new stuff on offense, but I can't be specific about that because our opponents read newspapers, too.
"Sami Grisafe is a top player in the league and brings a lot to the table. There's no substitute for having an experienced and talented quarterback."
The Force have four returning offensive linemen, each named to the All-Star team last season: Dawn Pederson, Keesha Brooks, Jamie Menzyk and Stacey Baker. The offense also features wide receivers Trish Harper and Albi Zhubi, who boast speed and athleticism that will really stretch the defenses.
What about the Force defense?
"Our defense is the biggest area of improvement from last year, much of that can be attributed to Coach Anthony Stone," Bache said. "We will have an aggressive defense that will disguise its blitzes and bring pressure in [ a ] myriad [ of ] ways. We've moved some players over to defense that played on offense last year. Both Candace Griffin and Martha Dantuma have blossomed in their new roles in the secondary."
Chicago's top newcomers are wide receiver Jeanette Gray, cornerback Katie Romano, offensive lineman Veronica Soper, wide receiver Dana Vermilye, running back Cat Converse, defensive lineman Tami Engleman and running back Lindsey Jacob.
"One of our most promising rookies was Sol Solis, however she was injured in practice and will not be able to play for some time," Bache said. "I can already see that our coaches have added some interesting things to the playbook on both sides of the ball. It's exciting and it can drive opponents crazy trying to prepare for us."
The Force won its first playoff game last season, but then lost and was eliminated by Kansas City. So, yes, revenge is on Chicago's mind.
The 2008 Force lost in the championship game.
"The team has fallen short the last two seasons," Bache said. "The league has expanded quickly to over 50 teams nationwide, and the level of play has improved at the same pace. The Force has been a top five team in the league since its inception in 2003. We've won our division and our conference, but we have yet to win a national championship. We definitely feel that we can compete for the title this year. We were a top four team last year and we've improved our team and our game since then. What we don't know is how much our opponents have improved. But the biggest variable for us is injuries—we have to stay healthy. If we can minimize the number of injuries and the amount of playing time that players miss due to those injuries, we'll compete for the championship at the end of July. We're fortunate to have an excellent medical staff."
The Force has been a long-time, strong supporter of the LGBT community, particularly because several players and management personnel—such as Bache and Grisafe—are lesbians.
"The LGBT community has always been the foundation of our fan base and remains vital to our continued existence," Bache said. "Our first sponsor—and the only sponsor to be involved for every season—is Spin Nightclub, which is owned by Dave Gassman. Dave sponsors many LGBT sports teams in Chicago, and he's been incredibly generous to the Force each and every year. Miller Lite has been a sponsor for us since 2006 and their support is a game changer. They are the kind of sponsor that elevates the entire organization."
Bache speculated that maybe half of the team identify as LGBT.
"Personally, I retired after the 2008 championship game and I still haven't come to terms with it. I miss it every single day," said Bache, who lives in Rogers Park with her partner of almost seven years, Yvette Holt. "Unfortunately, I'm still dealing with the effects of post-concussion syndrome, so my playing days are over."
