The Chicago Force made a bold statement April 30, stopping the St. Louis Slam 29-7 to keep its record perfect and hand the visitors their first regular-season loss in three years.
"I'm very happy with the way the team played," said Chicago quarterback Sami Grisafe. "The defense played big and the offense executed the way it has in practice. This was a huge win for us because we now control our playoff destiny; we're in the driver's seat."
The Force moves to 3-0, has outscored its opponents 156-7 and is 62-19 overall since its inception eight years ago.
"Things just feel right with this team," said Grisafe, who was named the Spin Nightclub Offensive MVP.
Grisafe threw for two touchdowns to Carolyn Lee, including a highlight reel 15-yarder late in the second quarter into the left corner of the endzone. The Force led 22-7 at halftime.
"We expected this to be a battle, and it was. It was a heavyweight fight, though the score may indicate something else" said Albi Zhubi, one of Grisafe's main offensive targets. "Everyone played well, particularly the rookies, who showed that they can perform."
Such as, Emma Finestone, who had a key interception for the Forceone of the team's four interceptions of St. Louis quarterback Liz Lacy. Finestone was named the Spin Nightclub Defensive MVP.
Brandy Hatcher scored on a two-yard run in the second quarter, giving the Force a 16-0 lead at the time. Running back Jessica Springer, the team's main offensive workhorse, scored a 7-yard touchdown with 4:11 remaining in regulation time to ice the victory. Photo and text by Ross Forman