Mirror staff reports:
In the first Lingerie Football League Pacific Cup, held Dec. 15 at ShoWare Center in Kent, the Seattle Mist defeated the B.C. Angels by a score of 38-18.
Seattle QB Laurel Creel earned MVP honors. The Mist defense led by Shea Norton held the Angels’ offense to 12 points. (SEE PHOTOS)
The Mist, an original league franchise that has yet to reach the coveted playoffs, has high expectations.
“We’re going to win it all. That’s our expectation every year,” said fourth-year coach Chris Michaelson. “We’re so deep. They’ve been in the system now for four years … so most of them have been grasping the concepts a lot better now.”
The LFL has improved as a product in four years, Michaelson observed, in terms of the caliber and the number of athletes. Coaching throughout the league also has improved, he said.
Playing mistake free is the key to winning a 32-minute game.
“If you make a mistake, it’s hard to recover,” the coach said.
Laurel Creel, of Wasilla, Alaska, returns at quarterback for the Mist. She threw for 294 yards and seven touchdowns last season. One of her main targets is Hopkins, of Ferndale, the team captain who caught 12 passes for five TDs last season.
Shea Norton, of Bonney Lake, returns for her third season at tight end and defensive end. The Sumner High graduate battled through a torn quadricep last season, but is back in top shape and eager to get started.
“Everyone is healthy,” she said. “We have five phenomenal rookies, and a class of 12 returning.”
About the Lingerie Football League
The league began in 2009, and in 2013 features 12 teams from Seattle, Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Cleveland, Green Bay, Jacksonville, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Minnesota, Omaha and Philadelphia competing for a chance to play in the Aug. 31 Lingerie Bowl X. The season kicks off March 30.
The league features scantily clad women playing seven-on-seven tackle football on a 50-yard field. Each offense features a quarterback, center, two running backs and three receivers. There is no punting or field goals. Teams must throw at least two passes every four downs.
Players, who are not paid, wear helmets with clear face shields, shoulder pads, sports bras, tight shorts, elbow and knee pads.
Mist schedule
The Seattle Mist plays two home games at the ShoWare Center in Kent and two road games during the 2013 season. Seattle also plays an exhibition game Saturday, Dec. 15 also at the ShoWare. The league earlier this year shifted its previous fall-winter schedule played from 2009-2011 to a spring-summer schedule in 2013. Upcoming games:
• Saturday, April 6, Green Bay Chill at Seattle Mist, 8 p.m.
• Saturday, May 4, Seattle Mist at LA Temptation, 8 p.m.
• Saturday, July 6, Minnesota Valkryie at Seattle Mist, 8 p.m.
• Saturday, July 20, Seattle Mist at Las Vegas Sin, 8 p.m.
Tickets: www.showarecenter.com, 253-856-6999, $15-$85
Broadcast info – aired in HD at LFLUS.com
Check out a slideshow below from the Dec. 15 game or click here.
Kent Reporter editor Mark Klass contributed to this report.
