Chicago, Il., -- North Park Women's Flag Football faced a tough challenge at home on Sunday, falling to a high-powered Aurora squad with a final score of 38-12. Despite the loss, the Vikings showed flashes of offensive production and defensive grit throughout the afternoon.
The game began with a quick momentum shift for the visitors. On the Vikings' opening drive, Janiya Greenfield's pass was intercepted by Aurora's Emily Gabrelcik and returned 21 yards for a touchdown, giving Aurora an immediate 6-0 lead. Aurora continued to build on their lead in the first quarter, capping a 4-play, 42-yard drive with a touchdown pass from Kaylin Morgan to Jennah Grice, followed by an unsuccessful two-point conversion to make it 12-0.
After Aurora extended their lead to 20-0, the Vikings put together a long 8-play, 66-yard drive where Janiya Greenfield connected with Ava Balmaseda for a touchdown to get North Park on the board at 20-6. However, Aurora responded with two late scores before the half—a 14-yard touchdown pass and a short rushing touchdown—to take a 32-6 lead into the locker room.
The Vikings' defense tightened up in the second half, holding Aurora scoreless in the third quarter and only one score in the second half. The defense was led by Amber Bock and Ashley Wilson, both of whom recorded a team-high 8 tackles. Zoe Bates also made her presence felt in the backfield, recording a sack for a 7-yard loss. In the fourth quarter, North Park added one more score to their total as Greenfield and Balmaseda connected again for their second touchdown of the day, finishing off a quick 2-play drive to bring the score to 38-12.
North Park will have some time to rest their bodies before Senior Night on Wednesday, April 22nd when they host Benedictine University at 6pm.
