Perfect in a couple of significant ways — that’s how the Marymount University Saints finished their second championship women’s flag football season.
The top-seeded Saints capped their undefeated 15-0 spring campaign by winning the Atlantic East Conference tournament with a 2-0 record.
“This was really a great way to cap off the season,” Marymount coach Mike Rivera told ARLnow. “It was a special season.”
In its 15 games, the Saints shut out 14 opponents. Marymount outscored its opponent 484-2.
The Saints’ defense did not allow a point all season. The two points scored against Marymount came on a safety.
In the tournament, Marymount blanked Immaculata University, 35-0, in the semifinals, then Eastern University, 12-0, in the title match. Both games were played at Bishop O’Connell High School on Saturday (April 26).
In the championship game for Marymount, quarterback Cara Vollmer was 19 of 26 passing for 138 yards and a touchdown. She added 71 yards rushing.
Carly Rivera had 10 catches for 64 yards, adding 11 yards rushing. Samantha Bulik had seven catches for 50 yards with a touchdown. Ingrid Penn and Avery DeFazio each had a reception.
On defense, Bulik intercepted a pass that she returned for a touchdown to ice the victory.
“We didn’t play as well as we could in the championship game to make things interesting, but the [players] did a good job of hanging in there and keeping their composure,” Rivera said. “Our quarterback really kept hers and kept moving the ball.”
Also on defense, Leslie Villegas and Yariliz Torres each had three tackles, with Torres notching a sack. Yesley Xante added a pair of tackles; Bulik had two interceptions, five tackles and a break up; Carly Rivera had five tackles; and Vollmer and Penn one each.
In the semifinal, Vollmer was 7 of 9 passing for 102 yards and two touchdowns, and she ran for 51 yards. Carly Rivera had three catches for 38 yards and Bulik and Jaylah Thompson had touchdown receptions.
Torres and DeFazio each caught one pass. On the ground, Penn, Xante, Layne Kaufman and Shantell Villegas had positive yards rushing.
On defense, Ashley Ayala-Mata had four tackles and two breakups. Clara Detweiler, Penn and Carly Rivera had two tackles each. DeFazio broke up a pass. With one tackle each were Bulik, Torres, Villegas, Xante, Torres and Jessica Flores.
Marymount also won last year’s inaugural tourney.
There is not yet an NCAA national tournament for flag football, because it is still an emerging sport.
