See this story at BrooklynDaily.com.
By Merle Exit
Brooklyn Daily
The New York Sharks will get to circle around again for another bite of playoffs after the women’s pro-tackle football team defeated the 2013 league champion Carolina Phoenix at Floyd Bennett Field at Aviator Sports Complex last Saturday.
The brutal 60–12 tally marked the Sharks’ highest score this season, and both the offense and the defense contributed to the scoreboard. In fact, two touchdowns were made by defensive players with interceptions.
“Defense set the tone and the offense finished it off,” said head coach Richard Harrigan. “When you take an offense out of their game plan and make their game plan almost null and void, now they have to rely in reacting rather than making you react.”
Wide receiver Brilynn Fields added two more touchdowns to her already record-breaking season during the first quarter with a nine-yard pass and 28-yard pass from quarterback Karen Mulligan.
Phoenix had the ball at the end of the first quarter when linebacker Amber Terrell intercepted the pass sprinting down the field 71 yards to the Sharks end zone for the touchdown.
As the clock ran down, linebacker Telisha Brown made her way through the Phoenix defense for five yards scoring the fourth Sharks touchdown. Then Fields brought in the two-pointer, making the score 26–0 at the end of the first quarter.
Two more Sharks touchdowns made it up on the scoreboard as wide receiver Erka Cottle caught a 44-yard pass from Mulligan, and then the quarterback ran another in.
Phoenix was unable to score up until the end of the half, when Carolina running back Maria Rivera managed to get past the Sharks and send both teams to the locker rooms at 39–6.
During the third quarter, Cottle caught a 44-yard pass from Mulligan, and wide receiver Maggie Natell got another pass of 39 yards. In both cases, the kicks by Julia Coangelo was successful.
Phoenix had its best play when quarterback Jennifer King passed a 67-yarder for the Carolina team final score.
With about eight minutes left in the quarter, rookie Nhadi Brown intercepted another Phoenix pass, running 37 yards into the end zone. The kick was good and there was no scoring in the fourth quarter.
Brown, the daughter of defensive coach and radio broadcaster Pat Brown, was a fan of the Sharks since long before she got to put on the uniform.
“I have always wanted to play football since the age of 4, when I would get to watch the New York Sharks play. When I turned 18 I asked my dad if I could play on this team,” Brown said. “This was my second touchdown this season, and it felt absolute great making it into the end zone.”
The Sharks will be taking on the Pittsburgh Passion for the third time this season on July 12th in the Steel City. A win will put the New York team in the championship game.