Her Next Play 5K

July 18, 2020    ·       ·    News

This summer the Vixen are running in the Her Next Play Virtual 5K. The Her Next Play Virtual 5K brings communities together to get active, train, have fun, and support Her Next Play’s mission to empower more girls, athletes, and women to lead in our communities. Training kicks off July 6th and I'll be working hard preparing all summer to complete the race the week of August 1st -9th. We are running to raise money for Her Next Play. Her Next Play is a non profit whose mission is to develop the next generation of women leaders through sports. Her Next Play programs inspire girls to stay in sports, help girls develop leadership skills through sports, and help female athletes accelerate their careers.
Please consider a donation to support our fundraising goals. Just $25 can help Her Next Play send a girl to a Play Bold Huddle program. $75 can send 5 girls to a SEE US workshop. $100 can fund a Career Coaching Circle. Thank you so much for supporting us! https://runsignup.com/Race/92771/Donate/uqbvKIoxbErsMPQr

#JusticeforGeorge

July 18, 2020    ·       ·    News

On behalf of the WFA and the Minnesota Vixen, the death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020 has left us angry, frustrated and deeply saddened.  We feel for his family, friends, and community, and we struggle with the senselessness of his death and grieve that he should be alive today.
As human beings who care about our neighbors and community members, we must demand better.  Better from our leaders, our systems, ourselves, and each other.  We need to stand together against systematic inequities and discrimination that lead to senseless loss of life, and inequities that impact the daily lives of communities of color. To our players, coaches, and fans of color, we see you and we stand with you.✊🏿✊🏻✊🏾✊🏼✊🏽

2020 Preseason Notes

January 15, 2020    ·       ·    News

By Brian Sweeney The Minnesota Vixen begin their 22nd season of play this year.  Last season the Vixen finished 7-2 with only one regular season loss with the other loss in the WFA Conference Quarter Final Round. With a strong group of returning players and coaches including second year Head Coach Ryan McCauley, the Vixen look to expand their 11 seasons of winning records with 7 of the last 10 including three division titles and two conference titles in that time.  The Vixen are making the jump this season to the Women’s Football Alliance’s top division, Division 1, and are not going to hold anything back.  Will this be the year that the Vixen bring the state of Minnesota a championship?  Here is what is in store for the 2020 season.   Vixen (Div I) opponents 2019 summary. St Louis Slam (Div I) The Vixen will face the Slam both home and away this season.  In 2019, Vixen lost both a regular season game and the quarter finals of the playoffs to the Slam.  While the Slam hold an all-time 3-0 advantage over Minnesota, the Vixen held the Slam to the fewest points scored (16) and were one of the few teams to score a touchdown against the tough Slam defense last season.  The Slam are the 2019 Division II Champions and will also be making the jump to Division I this season.   In 2019 the Slam finished 11-0.   Midwest Mountain Lions (Div III) The Midwest Mountain Lions will be played two times, home and away.  The Mountain Lions are new this season to the WFA.   Cali War (Div I) Cali comes to Minnesota for the first ever meeting between the two teams.  Cali War is both the 2018 and 2019 Div I runners up.  In 2019, Cali War finished 8-1 with their only loss in the National Championship Game.   Iowa Phoenix (Div III) Iowa Phoenix will be played twice, home and away.  Last season, Minnesota won both meetings between the two teams.  All-time Minnesota holds a 2-0 advantage.  In their 2019 inaugural season Iowa finished 2-6.   Boston Renegades (Div I) Minnesota will travel to face Boston this season for the first ever meeting between the two teams. Boston is the 2018, 2019 Division I Champions.  In 2019 Boston finished 10-0.   Lifetime the Vixen have a 2-3 record against their 2020 opponents.   2020 WFA DIV I TEAMS There are eight teams in WFA Division I this season.  The Vixen are one of five teams in the American Conference along with Cali War, Arlington Impact, Dallas Elite and St Louis Slam.  The Division I National Conference teams consist of Boston Renegades, DC Divas, and Pittsburgh Passion.  Which two teams will meet on July 11th for the National Championship?   Keep up to date by following the Minnesota Vixen on social media including Twitter: @MN_Vixen Facebook:  Minnesota Vixen Women’s Football Instagram: @ MN_Vixen Also follow Brian ‘Announcer Guy’ Sweeney across all social media @mnannouncerguy 2020 schedule fb cover

December 17, 2019    ·       ·    News

No photo description available.
Congrats to this year's Vixen nominees for the John and Kathryn Frandson Memorial Scholarship Award for Vixen of the Year. Sam Barber Maria Beck Cynthia Bryant Wanda Dz Carter Taylor Fox Jocelyn Nelson Sarah Stuhr Tilly Tilford
This award goes to those who have impacted their community through their volunteer work as well as being a great teammate and Vixen. There were a lot of great nominees but two players stood out as our finalist, Jocelyn Nelson and Wanda Dz Carter. Congratulations Jocelyn and Wanda! To learn more about the scholarship, visit John and Kathryn Memorial Scholarship Award for Vixen of the Year.

Vixen at the Bank- U.S. Bank Stadium that is.

September 18, 2019    ·       ·    News

The Vixen will be taking the big stage, playing for the first time ever, at the home of the Minnesota Vikings, U.S. Bank Stadium.  As part of the Annual Winter Pigskin Classic, watch as Vixen vs. Vixen clash on the gridiron and battle it out a full 20 minutes in our Red and Black Exhibition Game.  Who will prevail?  Only the score will tell.

 

More about the Winter Classic and the Day's Events

The SPFL is excited to welcome the longest running professional women’s football team, our very own Minnesota Vixen to the 2019 SPFL Pigskin Classic. The Vixen will take the field in an intra-team match-up of existing players and Vixen Alumni on Sunday, October 20th during the halftime of the third game (Invaders vs. Force). The Vixen and the SPFL hope this will lead to not only a high profile exposure for the Vixen as they prepare for 2020, but that we can hope than in 2020 we are able to bring them in the Pigskin Classic with a worthwhile opponent out of their WFA ranks.

 

The Southern Plains Football League (SPFL) is an amateur 9-man adult tackle football league with teams based out of SD/MN/IA. The 6th annual Pigskin Classic will be held on Saturday and Sunday October 19th and 20th, at U.S. Bank Stadium, the home of the Minnesota Vikings, in the heart of downtown Minneapolis MN. Twenty-six adult amateur and semi-pro teams will mix it up for seven games on Saturday and six games on Sunday. Additionally, there will be as many as 30 youth teams, from 3rd-6th grade participating at half time of many of the games on both days. 

 

The projected kickoff times and match-ups are as follows:

Sunday, October 20, 2019

9:00 am Northland Bulls vs. Minneapolis Warriors

11:00 am          Central Iowa Chiefs vs. Madison Warriors

1:00 pm           Fargo Invaders vs. Fox Valley Force With Minnesota Vixen Exhibition Game at half time

3:00 pm            SE MN Warhawks vs. Tri-State Buffalos

5:00 pm            Dakota Wat Eagles vs. Sioux empire Crusaders

7:00 pm            Newton Nite Hawks vs. Tri-City Northstars

 

There will also be a silent auction each day. Follow along at www.mySPFL.com , click on the Pigskin Classic or on the Facebook page: SPFL Winter Pigskin Classic. 

Buy tickets here!

Game Day Playoff Preview @ St. Louis Slam 6-15-19

June 12, 2019    ·       ·    News

The regular season has now come to pass. In his freshman season as a head coach, Ryan McCauley led his Vixen to an impressive seven win season. He and his staff have ten WFA All-American players on their team. The season was nothing short of amazing. But this week, everything changes. The Vixen head back to Saint Louis, the only team to beat them this season, for the opening round of the WFA Division II Playoffs. “It doesn’t matter what we did before this week, who are All Americans are, or anything like that,” says wide receiver coach Jake Potter. “It is now about who is the better team at the end of the game.” It would be rather dismissive for anyone to say that St. Louis is a better team than the Vixen. The two teams actually match up incredibly well. While the Scarlet and Black clad heroines of the gridiron did not pull off the win, it was not because of a lack of effort. “Four big plays are what made the difference between winning and losing the last time we faced them,” states RJ Speidel, Vixen defensive coordinator. “We can hang with them.” With a renewed intensity and exuberance, the Vixen hit the practice field this week after a win over the Division III Iowa Phoenix. The team will need a big day out of the “Cerberus” of running backs as Coach Matt O’Keefe has been affectionately calling his trifecta of dominant running backs in Tank Nelson, Grace Cooper, and Bella McGrath. Look for those three athletes to do what they do best, which is to get through the holes the Vixen o-line provides and move the ball. The Vixen defense will have a tough, yet manageable, time with the Slam’s offense. When asked for her thoughts on what the defense needed to do, veteran linebacker Jodi “Moose” Rehlander said “we need to stick to our assignments and trust the players who got us here.” Make no bones about it, this game is going to be much more than a game. It’s going to be the football equivalent of a twelve round heavyweight boxing fight. St. Louis is on their quest for a fourth Division II Championship. Despite not winning one before, the Vixen are looking to prove that they are a dominant force in women’s football. Saturday night, these two goliaths will clash and force of it will shake the very columns of Valhalla. It’s the playoffs, baby. Ain’t nothing bigger than that. If you cannot make it out to Saint Louis, please watch the game this Saturday at 7PM on Town Square Television or on MNVixen.com.  

Game Recap @ St. Louis Slam 5-25-19

May 27, 2019    ·       ·    News

An undefeated season is a rare event for any team, and the Minnesota Vixen and St. Louis Slam knew that only one of them was walking off the field with a 0 in the loss column after Saturday’s game. In the end, the Vixen took the loss in a hard-fought contest at St. Mary’s High School’s Kresko-Miller Field. Minnesota turned over the ball on downs on their first possession, and St. Louis capitalized on the short field, needing just two plays to go 40 yards for the game’s first score. Minnesota punted on their next possession, but Cil Winton popped the ball out after a Slam completion and the Vixen recovered. The Vixen moved the ball across midfield but were again forced to punt, and Kaylee Neutzling ran it back 92 yards for the Slam’s second score. The teams would trade blows for the rest of the half, but neither would be able to find the end zone, true to form for two top-ten defenses.  Halftime arrived with St. Louis in the lead 14-0. The home team struck first again in the second half, as Slam quarterback Jamie Gaal connected with Neutzling for a 53-yard score early in the third quarter, and St. Louis was in front 21-0. The Vixen offensive engine started to churn toward the end of the third quarter behind strong running from Grace Cooper and quick edge passes that allowed Vixen receiver Kaiya Sygulla to find room after the catch. But the groans from the sideline and stands could probably be heard back home as two consecutive bad snaps inside the 10-yard line kept Minnesota scoreless. However, Minnesota never quit fighting, and with about three minutes left in the game, Vixen quarterback Emily Evans connected with Sygulla for a 35-yard strike. Cooper’s two-point conversion made it 31-8. The final score of the game was a one-yard dive by Jeanette “Tank” Nelson with less than 10 seconds remaining. The two-point try failed. St. Louis added a field goal and touchdown in the fourth quarter for their final total of 31 points. Minnesota (6-1, 2-1 Division 2) now has an unscheduled bye week as the Wisconsin Dragons have forfeited the June 1 game. The Vixen will finish the regular season on the road against the Iowa Phoenix (2-4, 2-0 Division 3) on June 8. St. Louis (6-0, 1-0 Division 2) heads to Cincinnati for a game against the Sizzle (1-5, 1-3 Division 3) before hosting the Columbus (Ind.) Vanguards (5-1, 5-0 Division 3) in their season finale.

Game Day Preview @ St. Louis Slam 5-25-19

May 22, 2019    ·       ·    News

After a truly spectacular performance at home defeating the Iowa Phoenix, the undefeated Vixen head out on the road chasing their perfect season. This week’s foe? The also undefeated St. Louis Slam. This week’s battle between the two goliaths of the Women’s Football Alliance Division II American Conference opponents has major playoff implications for both teams. The Slam have been steamrolling opponents since their return to play after a year’s hiatus. With impressive wins over the Kansas City Titans, the Derby City Dynamite, and the Iowa Phoenix. Averaging nearly 39 points per game through week 11, the Slam boast the number two offense in all of the WFA’s Division II. Scoring and gaining yards seems to be all the Slam seems to do and the Vixen defense, while being stellar this year, are going to have their hands full. Coming off three impressive shut outs in consecutive weeks, the Vixen defense is riding high and looks to continue their success at what Vixen defensive coordinator RJ Speidel calls a “technically sound” St. Louis team. Coach Speidel knows this will be his defense’s hardest battle to date, but believes the Vixen will “slow the Slam’s roll and hopefully lead to a sixth victory”. Veteran Vixen defensive lineman and Hall of Fame player, Cynthia “Red” Bryant says the game is going to come down to who plays better on the line of scrimmage. “It will take another fantastic team effort to come away with a win,” says Vixen quarterbacks coach Shaun Mattson. The Vixen offense has been working extremely hard to continue to move the ball down the field. In their barnburner against the Iowa Phoenix, the Vixen showed they can do it well. “With all the possible respect to the Iowa Phoenix,” says Vixen wide receiver coach Jake Potter, “the Slam is a different team. We are going to need a near herculean effort out of each of our players to pull off a win in St. Louis.” So, will the staunch Slam steamroll through Minnesota or will the voracious Vixen vex St. Louis? There is only one way to find out, and that is to play the game this Saturday in St. Louis. “These types of games are the reason you play football,” say the optimistic Vixen head coach Ryan McCauley. He has done a good job of making sure his Vixen look at this week’s game as just another game, but he fully understands that the winner of this game controls home field advantage through the WFA DII playoffs. The Vixen are set to play the Slam this Saturday at 7PM local time at St. Mary’s High School in St. Louis, Missouri. If you cannot attend the game in person you can tune in on Town Square Television to check out all the action.  

Game Recap vs. Iowa Phoenix 5-18-19

May 19, 2019    ·       ·    News

Vixen continue to roll with big shutout against Iowa by Jodi Rehlander For the Minnesota Vixen, Saturday night’s game against the visiting Iowa Phoenix was a roll call of usual scoring suspects plus a bonus defensive pick six as the home team scored nine times on the way to a 59-0 victory at Kuhlman Field in Edina. Grace Cooper started things off with a 9-yard run, then Emily Evans just overthrew Kate Murphy on a post. Cooper then burst through the right side for 25 yards, and a handful of plays later would score from 12 yards out, her second of the season. Iowa’s first drive was stopped by a huge third-down sack by defensive end Jocelyn Nelson, pushing the Phoenix back to their own 12-yard line. Erin “Tilly” Tilford had a great return on the ensuing punt, but a Vixen holding penalty moved Minnesota back to the Phoenix 25. Jeanie “Tank” Nelson, Bella McGrath and Kaiya Sygulla combined their talents to get another score for Minnesota, an 8-yard run for Nelson. The Phoenix came out throwing on their next possession, but things went awry as Caitlin Hill intercepted the ball and threaded her way back to the end zone for a 50-yard score. The next two times Minnesota had the ball, it was Evans and Sygulla’s turn in the spotlight, with two scores on two plays. The defense also did their part with a fumble recovery, sacks by Nelson and Chelsy Lee, and several tackles in the backfield. It wasn’t all sunshine and roses for Minnesota, who faced a third-and-39 at the end of the first quarter and had trouble with PAT execution. But Connor Jo Lewis and Nelson would each score again (their third and tenth touchdowns of the year, respectively) before halftime, and the Vixen would own a 47-0 lead at the break. In the second half, McGrath and Cooper would score for the Vixen. Minnesota’s defense faced a threat from Iowa after a long pass from Jennifer Trevillian to Shannon Christensen put the Phoenix on the Vixen 17. A pass interference call would give Iowa first and goal from the 7, but once again the Vixen did not break and kept Iowa off the scoreboard. The Vixen (5-0, 2-0 Division 2) now hit the road to face the St. Louis Slam (5-0, 0-0 Division 2) in a Memorial Day weekend match-up that should decide home-field advantage in the playoffs. The Phoenix fall to 2-3 (2-0 Division 3) and will visit the Wisconsin Dragons (4-2, 0-2 Division 2) next Saturday.
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