Category Archives: History
2008 Season Review
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The Sharks played their 2008 home games in Brooklyn, New York at the Aviator Sports Complex.
Click here for the 2008 Sharks statistics
2008 Season | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Date | Opponent | Location | Score | |
April 19th | Baltimore Nighthawks | Aviator Sports Complex | 26 – 6 | |
April 26th | Central PA Vipers | Aviator Sports Complex | 40 – 0 | |
May 3rd | Baltimore Nighthawks | at Baltimore | 54 – 28 | |
May 10th | Boston Militia | at Boston | 26 – 24 | |
May 17th | Boston Militia | Aviator Sports Complex | 14 – 28 | |
May 31st | Pittsburgh Passion | at Pittsburgh | 21 – 28 | |
June 7th | D.C. Divas | 14 – 8 | ||
June 14th | Central PA Vipers | at Harrisburg | 31 – 0 |
(Click on the score to read the game write-up)
2008 IWFL Final Standings | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Eastern Conference | ||||
North Atlantic Division | ||||
Team | Wins | Losses | Ties | Pct. |
p-Pittsburgh Passion | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
New York Sharks | 6 | 2 | 0 | .750 |
Boston Militia | 6 | 2 | 0 | .750 |
D. C. Divas | 4 | 4 | 0 | .500 |
Baltimore Nighthawks | 2 | 6 | 0 | .250 |
Central PA Vipers | 0 | 8 | 0 | .000 |
South Atlantic Division | ||||
p-Orlando Mayhem | 7 | 1 | 0 | .875 |
Atlanta Xplosion | 6 | 2 | 0 | .750 |
Miami Fury | 3 | 5 | 0 | .375 |
Palm Beach Punishers | 0 | 8 | 0 | .000 |
Western Conference | ||||
Pacific Northwest Division | ||||
Team | Wins | Losses | Ties | Pct. |
p-Seattle Majestics | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
Portland Shockwave | 6 | 2 | 0 | .750 |
Corvallis Pride | 2 | 6 | 0 | .250 |
Redding Rage | 0 | 8 | 0 | .000 |
Pacific Southwest Division | ||||
p-Sacramento Sirens | 7 | 1 | 0 | .875 |
Santa Rosa Scorchers | 5 | 3 | 0 | .625 |
California Quake | 3 | 5 | 0 | .375 |
Tucson Monsoon | 1 | 7 | 0 | .125 |
Midwest Division | ||||
p-Detroit Demolition | 7 | 1 | 0 | .875 |
Chicago Force | 5 | 3 | 0 | .625 |
Iowa Crush | 2 | 6 | 0 | .250 |
Detroit Predators | 0 | 8 | 0 | .000 |
Midsouth Division | ||||
Kansas City Tribe | 6 | 2 | 0 | .750 |
Shreveport Aftershock | 2 | 5 | 0 | .286 |
Louisiana Fuel | 1 | 6 | 0 | .143 |
Exhibition Teams | ||||
Team | Wins | Losses | Ties | Pct. |
Carolina Phoenix | 5 | 1 | 0 | .833 |
p-playoff teams
IWFL Eastern Conference | |
---|---|
Atlanta Xplosion | |
Boston Militia | |
Cape Fear Thunder | |
Delaware Griffins | |
D.C. Divas | |
Manchester Freedom | |
Miami Fury | |
Montreal Blitz | |
New England Intensity | |
New York Sharks | |
Orlando Mayhem | |
Palm Beach Punishers | |
Southern Maine Rebels | |
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|
IWFL Western Conference | |
California Quake | |
Chicago Force | |
Corvallis Pride | |
Detroit Demolition | |
Detroit Predators | |
Iowa Crush | |
Kansas City Storm | |
Louisiana Wildcats | |
Portland Shockwave | |
Redding Rage | |
Sacramento Sirens | |
Santa Rosa Scorchers | |
Seattle Majestics | |
Shreveport Aftershock | |
Tucson Monsoon | |
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|
Exhibition Teams | |
Carolina Phoenix | |
Indianapolis Chaos |
2007 Season Review
Home |
Away |
The Sharks played their 2007 home games in Brooklyn, New York at the Aviator Sports Complex.
Click here for the 2007 Sharks statistics
2007 Season | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Date | Opponent | Location | Score | |
April 28th | Miami Fury | at Miami | 48 – 33 | |
May 5th | D.C. Divas | Aviator Sports Complex | 14 – 20 | |
May 19th | Bay State Warriors | at Bay State | 26 – 6 | |
June 2nd | New England Intensity | Aviator Sports Complex | 19 – 0 | |
June 9th | Miami Fury | Aviator Sports Complex | 41 – 18 | |
June 16th | D.C. Divas | at D.C. | 0 – 22 | |
June 23rd | Southern Maine Rebels | 2 – 0 | ||
June 30th | Delaware Griffins | Monsignor Farrell | 27 – 0 | |
Eastern Conference Wildcard Game | ||||
July 14th | Manchester Freedom | at Manchester | 28 – 0 | |
Eastern Conference Championship Game | ||||
July 28th | Atlanta Xplosion | at Atlanta | 7 – 10 |
(Click on the score to read the game write-up)
2007 IWFL Final Standings | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Eastern Conference | ||||
North Atlantic Division | ||||
Team | Wins | Losses | Ties | Pct. |
p-New York Sharks | 6 | 2 | 0 | .750 |
Bay State Warriors | 4 | 4 | 0 | .500 |
New England Intensity | 3 | 5 | 0 | .375 |
Northeast Division | ||||
p-Manchester Freedom | 6 | 2 | 0 | .750 |
Montreal Blitz | 6 | 2 | 0 | .750 |
Southern Maine Rebels | 0 | 8 | 0 | .000 |
South Atlantic Division | ||||
p-Atlanta Xplosion | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
Orlando Mayhem | 6 | 2 | 0 | .750 |
Miami Fury | 3 | 5 | 0 | .375 |
Palm Beach Punishers | 1 | 7 | 0 | .125 |
Western Conference | ||||
Pacific Northwest Division | ||||
Team | Wins | Losses | Ties | Pct. |
p-Seattle Majestics | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
Portland Shockwave | 6 | 2 | 0 | .750 |
Corvallis Pride | 2 | 6 | 0 | .250 |
Redding Rage | 0 | 8 | 0 | .000 |
Pacific Southwest Division | ||||
p-Sacramento Sirens | 7 | 1 | 0 | .875 |
Santa Rosa Scorchers | 5 | 3 | 0 | .625 |
California Quake | 3 | 5 | 0 | .375 |
Tucson Monsoon | 1 | 7 | 0 | .125 |
Midwest Division | ||||
p-Detroit Demolition | 7 | 1 | 0 | .875 |
Chicago Force | 5 | 3 | 0 | .625 |
Iowa Crush | 2 | 6 | 0 | .250 |
Detroit Predators | 0 | 8 | 0 | .000 |
Midsouth Division | ||||
Kansas City Tribe | 6 | 2 | 0 | .750 |
Shreveport Aftershock | 2 | 5 | 0 | .286 |
Louisiana Fuel | 1 | 6 | 0 | .143 |
Exhibition Teams | ||||
Team | Wins | Losses | Ties | Pct. |
Carolina Phoenix | 5 | 1 | 0 | .833 |
p-playoff teams
IWFL Eastern Conference | |
---|---|
Atlanta Xplosion | |
Boston Militia | |
Cape Fear Thunder | |
Delaware Griffins | |
D.C. Divas | |
Manchester Freedom | |
Miami Fury | |
Montreal Blitz | |
New England Intensity | |
New York Sharks | |
Orlando Mayhem | |
Palm Beach Punishers | |
Southern Maine Rebels | |
|
|
IWFL Western Conference | |
California Quake | |
Chicago Force | |
Corvallis Pride | |
Detroit Demolition | |
Detroit Predators | |
Iowa Crush | |
Kansas City Storm | |
Louisiana Wildcats | |
Portland Shockwave | |
Redding Rage | |
Sacramento Sirens | |
Santa Rosa Scorchers | |
Seattle Majestics | |
Shreveport Aftershock | |
Tucson Monsoon | |
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|
Exhibition Teams | |
Carolina Phoenix | |
Indianapolis Chaos |
2006 Season Review
Home |
Away |
The Sharks played their 2006 home games in Brooklyn, New York at Midwood High School.
Click here for the 2006 Sharks statistics
2006 Season | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Date | Opponent | Location | Score | |
April 29th | Indianapolis Chaos | Midwood, Brooklyn | 73 – 0 | |
May 6th | Delaware Griffins | Brooklyn Tech | 48 – 0 | |
May 13th | Manchester Freedom | Midwood, Brooklyn | 20 – 0 | |
May 20th | Southern Maine Rebels | at Southern Maine | 55 – 0 | |
June 3rd | Delaware Griffins | Midwood, Brooklyn | 47 – 0 | |
June 10th | Montreal Blitz | Monsignor Farrell | 53 – 7 | |
June 17th | Montreal Blitz | Montreal | 42 – 27 | |
June 24th | Bay State Warriors | at Boston | 24 – 16 | |
Eastern Conference Wildcard Game | ||||
July 8th | Miami Fury | Monsignor Farrell | 14 – 8 | |
Eastern Conference Championship Game | ||||
July 15th | Atlanta Xplosion | Monsignor Farrell | 14 – 35 |
(Click on the score to read the game write-up)
2006 IWFL Final Standings | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Eastern Conference | ||||
Mid Atlantic Division | ||||
Team | Wins | Losses | Ties | Pct. |
p-New York Sharks | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
Delaware Griffins | 2 | 6 | 0 | .250 |
Southern Maine Rebels | 1 | 7 | 0 | .125 |
North Atlantic Division | ||||
p-Boston Militia | 8 | 7 | 1 | .875 |
Manchester Freedom | 3 | 4 | 0 | .429 |
Montreal Blitz | 3 | 5 | 0 | .375 |
South Atlantic Division | ||||
p-Atlanta Xplosion | 7 | 1 | 0 | .875 |
p-Miami Fury | 7 | 1 | 0 | .875 |
Orlando Mayhem | 3 | 5 | 0 | .375 |
Louisian Fuel | 3 | 5 | 0 | .375 |
Tampa Bay Terminators | 2 | 6 | 0 | .250 |
Western Conference | ||||
Pacific Northwest Division | ||||
Team | Wins | Losses | Ties | Pct. |
p-Portland Shockwave | 7 | 1 | 0 | .875 |
Corvallis Pride | 5 | 3 | 0 | .625 |
Seattle Majestics | 5 | 3 | 0 | .625 |
Eugene Edge | 0 | 9 | 0 | .000 |
Pacific Southwest Division | ||||
p-Sacramento Sirens | 6 | 2 | 0 | .750 |
Santa Rosa Scorchers | 6 | 2 | 0 | .750 |
California Quake | 4 | 4 | 0 | .500 |
Redding Rage | 2 | 6 | 0 | .250 |
Oakland Banshees | 0 | 2 | 0 | .000 |
Midwest Division | ||||
p-Detroit Demolition | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
Chicago Force | 6 | 2 | 0 | .750 |
Kansas City Tribe | 3 | 5 | 0 | .375 |
Detroit Predators | 2 | 6 | 0 | .250 |
Exhibition Teams | ||||
Team | Wins | Losses | Ties | Pct. |
Iowa Crush | 4 | 4 | 0 | .500 |
Indianapolis Chaos | 1 | 6 | 0 | .143 |
Carolina Cardinals | 0 | 5 | 0 | .000 |
Tucson Monsoon | 0 | 6 | 0 | .000 |
p-playoff teams
IWFL Eastern Conference | |
---|---|
Atlanta Xplosion | |
Baton Rouge Wildcats | |
Baystate Warriors | |
Delaware Griffins | |
Manchester Freedom | |
Montreal Blitz | |
Miami Fury | |
New York Sharks | |
Orlando Mayhem | |
Southern Maine Rebels | |
Tampa Bay Terminators | |
|
|
IWFL Western Conference | |
California Quake | |
Chicago Force | |
Corvallis Pride | |
Detroit Demolition | |
Detroit Predators | |
Eugene Edge | |
Kansas City Storm | |
Oakland Banshees | |
Portland Shockwave | |
Redding Rage | |
Sacramento Sirens | |
Santa Rosa Scorchers | |
Seattle Majestics | |
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|
Exhibition Teams | |
Carolina Cardinals | |
Indianapolis Chaos | |
Iowa Crush | |
Tucson Monsoon |
2005 Season Review
The 2005 season was a season of adversity. Before the season even started, starters defensve starters Darleen Hall, Chrissy Hilla, and Lynn Lewis retired. On offense, Anna Tate, Kathy Holloman, Platinum, and Dana Sparling retired. And to add injury to insult, Monica Marsh and Karen Mulligan got hurt during the off-season and missed playing for the year. The loss of players didn’t stop once the season started. Starters Lori DeVivio, Chantal Bauer, Nikki Gwinnett, and Toni Salvatore were lost during the season due to injuries.
It got so bad that Sparling had to come out of retirement for the last 2 games of the regular season. But it wasn’t all bad news on the personnel side. The rookie class of 2005 proved to be the most deep and talented group ever. Megan Antonucci, Leslie Dock, Lisa Doran, Shayna Pinckney, and Mandy Oppel all played in their first season of football. Also joining the team was Junko Tanida. Tandia was a star receiver who previously played for the California Quake and Sacramento Sirens.
Other changes included the coaching staff. Former player Lynn Lewis retired as a player but returned to the team as a head coach. Lewis was in a rare class of being a female head coach of a women’s football team.
Home |
Away |
The Sharks played their 2005 home games in Staten Island, New York at Monsignor Farrel High School.
Click here for the 2005 Sharks statistics
2005 Season | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Date | Opponent | Location | Score | |
April 9th | Bay State Warriors | at Bay State | 41 – 12 | |
April 16th | Southern Maine Rebels | at Southern Maine | 32 – 6 | |
April 23rd | Connecticut Lightning | Monsignor Farrell | 36 – 0 | |
April 30th | Manchester Freedom | at Manchester | 28 – 0 | |
May 14th | Rhode Island Intensity | at Rhode Island | 40 – 6 | |
May 21st | Bay State Warriors | Monsignor Farrell | 9 – 0 | |
June 4th | Souhern Maine Rebels | Monsignor Farrell | 28 – 6 | |
June 11th | Manchester Freedom | Monsignor Farrell | 43 – 0 | |
June 18th | Rhode Island | Monsignor Farrell | 59 – 0 | |
June 25th | Montreal Blitz | Monsignor Farrell | 41 – 7 | |
Eastern Conference Wildcard Game | ||||
July 9th | Southern Maine Rebels | Monsignor Farrell | 26 – 0 | |
Eastern Conference Championship Game | ||||
July 23rd | Atlanta Xplosion | Monsignor Farrell | 0 – 3 |
(Click on the score to read the game write-up)
2005 IWFL Final Standings | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Eastern Conference | ||||
Mid Atlantic Division | ||||
Team | Wins | Losses | Ties | Pct. |
p-New York Sharks | 10 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
p-Southern Maine Rebels | 8 | 2 | 0 | .800 |
Bay State Warriors | 3 | 7 | 0 | .300 |
Manchester Freedom | 3 | 7 | 0 | .300 |
Rhode Island Intensity | 1 | 9 | 0 | .100 |
South Atlantic Division | ||||
p-Jacksonville Dixie Blues | 8 | 2 | 0 | .800 |
Tampa Bay Terminators | 7 | 3 | 0 | .700 |
Orlando Mayhem | 0 | 10 | 0 | .000 |
South Central Division | ||||
p-Atlanta Xplosion | 10 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
Baton Rouge Wildcats | 2 | 8 | 0 | .200 |
f-Texas Revolution | 0 | 6 | 0 | .000 |
Western Conference | ||||
Pacific Northwest Division | ||||
Team | Wins | Losses | Ties | Pct. |
p-Tacoma Majestics | 9 | 1 | 0 | .900 |
p-Corvallis Pride | 8 | 2 | 0 | .800 |
Portland Shockwave | 3 | 5 | 0 | .375 |
Boise Xtreme | 2 | 8 | 0 | .200 |
Eugene Edge | 1 | 9 | 0 | .100 |
Pacific Southwest Division | ||||
p-Sacramento Sirens | 10 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
Santa Rosa Scorchers | 7 | 3 | 0 | .700 |
California Quake | 6 | 3 | 1 | .650 |
Oakland Banshees | 5 | 4 | 1 | .550 |
Redding Rage | 3 | 7 | 0 | .300 |
f-So Cal Bandits | 7 | 3 | 0 | .700 |
Midwest Division | ||||
p-Chicago Force | 8 | 2 | 0 | .800 |
Kansas City Storm | 4 | 5 | 1 | .450 |
Detroit Predators | 4 | 5 | 1 | .450 |
Exhibition Teams | ||||
Team | Wins | Losses | Ties | Pct. |
Connecticut Lightning | 6 | 2 | 0 | .750 |
Miami Fury | 4 | 4 | 0 | .500 |
Tucson Wildfire | 4 | 5 | 0 | .444 |
Des Moines Courage | 4 | 6 | 0 | .400 |
Montreal Blitz | 0 | 4 | 0 | .000 |
Des Moines Courage | 1 | 4 | 0 | .200 |
p-playoff teams
f-folded from league
IWFL Eastern Conference | |
---|---|
Atlanta Xplosion | |
Baton Rouge Wildcats | |
Baystate Warriors | |
Jacksonville Dixie Blues | |
Manchester Freedom | |
New York Sharks | |
Orlando Mayhem | |
Rhode Island Intensity | |
Southern Maine Rebels | |
Tampa Bay Terminators | |
Texas Revolution | |
|
|
IWFL Western Conference | |
Boise Xtreme | |
California Quake | |
Chicago Force | |
Corvallis Pride | |
Detroit Predators | |
Eugene Edge | |
Kansas City Storm | |
Oakland Banshees | |
Portland Shockwave | |
Redding Rage | |
Sacramento Sirens | |
Santa Rosa Scorchers | |
So Cal Bandits | |
Tacoma Majestics | |
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|
Exhibition Teams | |
Connecticut Lightning | |
Des Moines Courage | |
Montreal Blitz | |
Tucson Wildfire |
2004 Season Review
With women’s football spreading across the nation, there were not only more teams, but better quality teams. The 2004 season represented a strong challenge for the New York Sharks. Last season they came within 30 minutes of repeating as IWFL champions. If the Sharks were to win this year they were going to run a gauntlet of some of the best teams in the nation. New York’s schedule included 4 games against teams that went undefeated in 2003 and another game against a team that lost only once. Their oppponent’s 2003 winning percentage was a lofty .815.
To add to the difficulty was a new coaching staff for the Sharks. Coach Ruben Sanchez
Player-wise the Sharks were well stocked. Most of the eastern conference lost 2 veteran receivers returning players Kathy Holloman, a former University of Connecticut track star. Lori DeVivio Lynn Lewis Veronica Simmons Kim Bishop Dana Sparling Beth Nugent Lakisha Grant was back. former NWFA Shauna Seegers lost Cha Chi
Home |
Away |
The Sharks played their 2004 home games in Queens, New York at August Martin High School.
Click here for the 2004 Sharks statistics
2004 Season | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Date | Opponent | Location | Score | |
April 4th | Atlanta Xplosion | August Martin | 28 – 21 | |
April 17th | New Hampshire Freedom | August Martin | 26 – 0 | |
April 24th | Montreal Blitz | August Martin | 20 – 0 | |
May 8th | Chicago Force | at Chicago | 6 – 2 | |
May 15th | Bay State Warriors | August Martin | 45 – 0 | |
May 22nd | Chicago Force | August Martin | 27 – 7 | |
June 5th | Rhode Island Intensity | at Rhode Island | 41 – 16 | |
June 12th | Bay State Warriors | at Bay State | 35 – 0 | |
Eastern Conference Wildcard Game | ||||
June 26th | Chicago Force | August Martin | 40 – 0 | |
Eastern Conference Championship Game | ||||
July 10th | Tampa Bay Terminators | August Martin | 29 – 7 | |
IWFL Championship Game | ||||
July 12th | Sacramento Sirens | at Sacramento | 27 – 29 |
(Click on the score to read the game write-up)
2004 IWFL Final Standings | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Eastern Conference | ||||
Mid Atlantic Division | ||||
Team | Wins | Losses | Ties | Pct. |
p-New York Sharks | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
p-Chicago Force | 6 | 2 | 0 | .750 |
New Hampshire Freedom | 4 | 3 | 1 | .563 |
North Atlantic Division | ||||
Montreal Blitz | 6 | 2 | 0 | .750 |
Bay State Warriors | 0 | 8 | 0 | .000 |
South Atlantic Division | ||||
p-Tampa Bay Terminators | 6 | 2 | 0 | .750 |
p-Atlanta Xplosion | 5 | 3 | 0 | .625 |
f-Orlando | 2 | 6 | 0 | .250 |
Western Conference | ||||
Pacific Northwest Division | ||||
Team | Wins | Losses | Ties | Pct. |
p-Tacoma Majestics | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
p-Corvallis Pride | 6 | 2 | 0 | .750 |
Portland Shockwave | 3 | 5 | 0 | .375 |
Boise Xtreme | 2 | 6 | 0 | .250 |
Eugene Edge | 1 | 7 | 0 | .125 |
Pacific West Division | ||||
p-Sacramento Sirens | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 |
San Francisco Stingrayz | 6 | 2 | 0 | .750 |
Santa Rosa Scorchers | 2 | 6 | 0 | .250 |
Southwest Division | ||||
p-Oakland Banshees | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
San Diego Seacatz | 3 | 5 | 0 | .375 |
California Quake | 0 | 8 | 0 | .000 |
Exhibition Teams | ||||
Team | Wins | Losses | Ties | Pct. |
Jacksonville Dixie Blues | 7 | 1 | 0 | .857 |
Rhode Island Intensity | 3 | 4 | 0 | .429 |
Memphis | 0 | 2 | 2 | .500 |
Southern Maine Rebels | 2 | 4 | 1 | .357 |
Des Moines Courage | 1 | 4 | 0 | .200 |
Carolina Spartans | 0 | 4 | 0 | .000 |
Redding Rage | 0 | 3 | 0 | .000 |
Knoxville Summit | 0 | 3 | 0 | .000 |
Detroit Predators | 0 | 3 | 0 | .000 |
p-playoff teams
f-folded from league
IWFL Eastern Conference | |
---|---|
Atlanta Xplosion | |
Baystate Warriors | |
Chicago Force | |
Montreal Blitz | |
New Hampshire Freedom | |
New York Sharks | |
Orlando Starz | |
Tampa Bay Terminators | |
|
|
IWFL Western Conference | |
Boise Xtreme | |
California Quake | |
Corvallis Pride | |
Eugene Edge | |
Memphis Matrix | |
Oakland Banshees | |
Portland Shockwave | |
Sacramento Sirens | |
San Diego Seacatz | |
San Francisco Stingrayz | |
Santa Rosa Scorchers | |
Tacoma Majestics | |
|
|
Exhibition Teams | |
Detroit Predators | |
Rhode Island Intensity |
2003 Season Review
The New York Sharks began the 2003 season as the defending Independent Women’s Football League (IWFL) Champions. The Sharks looked strong with many veteran players returning for the new season, but there were still some question marks. The biggest concern was with the offensive and defensive lines. New York lost 3 out of 5 starters on the offensive line and 3 out of 4 starters on the defensive line. To make matters worse, defensive end Beth Nugentinjured her knee in training camp and was lost for the season, giving the Sharks only 2 lineswomen, Anna “Tonka” Tate and Debra Wasilewski, returning for the season.
To help fill these holes, the Sharks looked to some new recruits and some veterans who did not play with the Sharks in 2002.
Returning as head coach was Nick Gianatassio. Having one year under his belt to get to know what his players can do, Gianatassio unleashed quarterback Val Halesworth and receivers Val “Peanut” Monaco, Liz “Magic” Presto, and Jen Blum on the rest of the league. The result was the Sharks filled the air with footballs for league records in passing yards and touchdown passes. The passing game was so potent that the Sharks had 50% more passing yards than any other team in the league.
As the Sharks started the season, the question marks seemed to go away as New York rolled over their opponents.
The Sharks played their 2003 home games in Queens, New York at August Martin High School and in Staten Island, New York at Monsignor Farrell High School.
Click here for the 2003 Sharks statistics
2003 Season | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Date | Opponent | Location | Score | |
April 12th | Montreal Blitz | August Martin | 52 – 0 | |
April 19th | Philadelphia Liberty Belles | at Philadelphia | 48 – 0 | |
April 26th | Rhode Island Riptide | Monsignor Farrell | 62 – 0 | |
May 10th | Albany Night-Mares | at Albany | 98 – 0 | |
May 17th | Philadelphia Liberty Belles | Monsignor Farrell | 58 – 0 | |
May 31st | Albany Night-Mares | August Martin | 41 – 0 | |
June 7th | Miami Fury | at Miami | 20 – 6 | |
June 9th | Tampa Bay Terminators | at Tampa Bay | 36 – 0 | |
Eastern Conference Championship Game | ||||
June 26th | Bay State Warriors | August Martin | 20 – 6 | |
IWFL Championship Game | ||||
July 12th | Sacramento Sirens | St. John’s | 30 – 41 |
(Click on the score to read the game write-up)
2003 IWFL Final Standings | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Eastern Conference | ||||
Mid Atlantic Division | ||||
Team | Wins | Losses | Ties | Pct. |
p-New York Sharks | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
Philadelphia Liberty Belles | 3 | 4 | 0 | .429 |
Albany Night-Mares | 1 | 5 | 0 | .167 |
North Atlantic Division | ||||
p-Bay State Warriors | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
Montreal Blitz | 4 | 4 | 0 | .500 |
New Hampshire Freedom | 3 | 5 | 0 | .375 |
Rhode Island Riptide | 2 | 7 | 0 | .222 |
South Atlantic Division | ||||
p-Miami Fury | 6 | 2 | 0 | .750 |
Tampa Bay Terminators | 4 | 5 | 0 | .444 |
Orlando Starz | 1 | 8 | 0 | .111 |
Western Conference | ||||
Pacific Northwest Division | ||||
Team | Wins | Losses | Ties | Pct. |
p-Tacoma Majestics | 7 | 1 | 0 | .875 |
Corvallis Pride | 5 | 1 | 1 | .786 |
Portland Shockwave | 5 | 3 | 1 | .611 |
Eugene Edge | 2 | 6 | 0 | .250 |
Boise Xtreme | 2 | 8 | 0 | .200 |
Pacific Southwest Division | ||||
p-Sacramento Sirens | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
Oakland Banshees | 5 | 5 | 0 | .500 |
California Quake | 3 | 5 | 0 | .375 |
Santa Rosa Scorchers | 1 | 9 | 0 | .100 |
Southwest Division | ||||
p-Chicago Force | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
Dallas Revolution | 4 | 2 | 0 | .667 |
d-Memphis Maulers | 1 | 3 | 0 | .250 |
Oklahoma City Avengers | 1 | 7 | 0 | .125 |
Exhibition Teams | ||||
Team | Wins | Losses | Ties | Pct. |
Atlanta Xplosion | 5 | 1 | 0 | .833 |
San Francisco Stingrayz | 4 | 2 | 0 | .667 |
Detroit Blaze | 0 | 6 | 0 | .000 |
San Diego Seacatz | 0 | 4 | 0 | .000 |
p-playoff teams
f-folded from league
IWFL Eastern Conference | |
---|---|
Albany Night-Mares | |
Baystate Warriors | |
Miami Fury | |
Montreal Blitz | |
New Hampshire Freedom | |
New York Sharks | |
Orlando Starz | |
Philadelphia Liberty Belles | |
Rhode Island Riptide | |
Tampa Bay Terminators | |
|
|
IWFL Western Conference | |
Boise Xtreme | |
California Quake | |
Chicago Force | |
Corvallis Pride | |
Dallas Revolution | |
Eugene Edge | |
Memphis Maulers | |
Oakland Banshees | |
Oklahoma City Avengers | |
Portland Shockwave | |
Sacramento Sirens | |
Santa Rosa Scorchers | |
Tacoma Majestics | |
|
|
Exhibition Teams | |
Atlanta Xplosion | |
San Francisco Stingrayz | |
Detroit Blaze | |
San Diego Seacatz |
2002 Season Review
The New York Sharks joined the Independent Women’s Football League (IWFL) for the 2002 season. The IWFL was a fledgling league only in its second year, playing in the springtime. The league originally started in Austin, Texas but grew to a 14 team league operating in both the United States and Canada. Another 2 cities joined the league as exhibition teams for the 2002 season.
Before the start of the 2002 season, tragedy struck the New York Sharks family. Defensive standout Sharon Pascale was killed in a car accident on Christmas morning. Sharon was a teacher in Brooklyn and was much loved by her family, her students and her teammates. The New York Sharks had dedicated the 2002 season to Sharon and wore her number, “51” over their heart on their uniform.
The Sharks started the 2002 season in a brand new style. They joined a new league, hired a whole new coaching staff, had a new home field, and were now sporting brand new uniforms. The uniforms were black with silver trim and blue numbers. On the left side of the chest was a small blue shark emblem and on the right side was a blue football emblem with the number 51 on it to honor Sharon.
Even though there was a lot different about the Sharks, they continued to do the same old thing, win. Like last season the Sharks continued to dominate each game defensively. The defense gave up only 12 points the entire season while posting 5 shutouts. Linebacker Missy Marmorale led the team in tackles (91) and sacks (8.5) while Lori DeVivio led the team in interceptions with 4. Offensively, the Sharks displayed more scoring punch than ever before. Led by quarterback Val Halesworth (QB rating of 143.1), the Sharks scored close to 40 points per game during the regular season. Also powering the offense was running back Courtney Eaton with 12 touchdowns and wide receiver Valerie “Peanut” Monaco with 7 touchdowns. Lakisha Grantalso made a big splash rushing for 4 touchdowns on opening day, but was injured in the second game and was lost for the season.
Throughout the season the Sharks rolled through their schedule finally finishing the season with a perfect 7-0 record. With that record, the Sharks were on top of the IWFL Eastern Conference and this earned them a trip to the inaugural IWFL Championship game. The championship game was held in Ashland, Oregon on July 6th. The Sharks were facing the tough Austin Outlaws, the IWFL Western Conference champions. Playing on a very hot day, the Sharks defense again came up big, not allowing the Outlaws to score at all. While the offense sometimes stalled, they still were able to put 3 touchdowns on the board to win the game and the IWFL championship, 24-4. The Sharks were World Champions.
It was a fitting ending to a season the team had dedicated to their teammate.
Sharks Hoo-Rah 5-1!
The Sharks played their 2002 home games in Queens, New York at August Martin High School.
Click here for the 2002 Sharks statistics
2002 Season | ||||
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Date | Opponent | Location | Score | |
April 20th | Montreal Blitz | August Martin | 45 – 6 | |
April 27th | Bay State Warriors | August Martin | 40 – 0 | |
May 11th | Detroit Blaze (exhibition) | August Martin | 73 – 0 | |
May 18th | Montreal Blitz | at Montreal | 44 – 0 | |
June 1st | Albany Night-Mares | at Albany | 34 – 6 | |
June 8th | Bay State Warriors | at Bay State | 26 – 0 | |
June 15th | New Hampshire Freedom | August Martin | 64 – 0 | |
June 22nd | Bay State Warriors | August Martin | 22 – 2 | |
IWFL Championship Game | ||||
July 6th | Austin Outlaws | at Oregon | 24 – 4 |
(Click on the score to read the game write-up)
2002 IWFL Final Standings | |||||||
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Eastern Division | |||||||
Team | Wins | Losses | Pct. | ||||
p-New York Sharks | 7 | 0 | 1.000 | ||||
Orlando Starz | 4 | 1 | .800 | ||||
Bay State Warriors | 5 | 4 | .625 | ||||
Montreal Blitz | 4 | 4 | .500 | ||||
Tampa Tempest | 2 | 3 | .400 | ||||
New Hampshire Freedom | 2 | 6 | .250 | ||||
Albany Night-Mares | 0 | 6 | .000 | ||||
Western Division | |||||||
Team | Wins | Losses | Pct. | ||||
p-Corvalis Pride | 7 | 0 | 1.000 | ||||
p-Austin Outlaws | 7 | 1 | .875 | ||||
Oklahoma City Lightning | 5 | 3 | .625 | ||||
Memphis Maulers | 5 | 4 | .556 | ||||
Eugene Edge | 4 | 4 | .500 | ||||
Oregon Thunder | 0 | 8 | .000 | ||||
Tulsa Tornadoes | 0 | 8 | .000 |
p-playoff teams
IWFL Eastern Division | |
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Albany Night-Mares | |
Baystate Warriors | |
Montreal Blitz | |
New Hampshire Freedom | |
New York Sharks | |
Orlando Starz | |
Tampa Tempest | |
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IWFL Western Division | |
Austin Outlaws | |
Corvallis Pride | |
Eugene Edge | |
Memphis Maulers | |
Oklahoma City Lightning | |
Oregon Thunder | |
Tulsa Tornadoes |
2001 Season Review
The New York Sharks prepared for the 2001 season as a member of the Women’s Professional Football League. But there soon became some disagreements between the league and the Sharks on what was expected from each party. The Sharks already had the players set to go so management decided to pull the team out of the WPFL and play the 2001 season as an independent team.
The 2001 season consisted of a 10 game schedule with some games against the WPFL, like the Tampa Tempest and old arch-rival New England Storm but also included other independent teams. Some of these teams were members of other leagues like the IWFL Arizona Titans, while another was a team that had also pulled out of the WFPL, the Syracuse Stings (formerly known as the New York Galaxy).
The season was a strong one for the Sharks as they finished the season with 6-1 record. Offensively the team was led by quarterback Jen Lueck who threw for 8 touchdown passes and running back Kathy Holloman who rushed for 4 touchdowns. The defense was also superb as they shut-out the opposing team 4 times during the season and gave up on average only 5 points per game.
On September 11th, the World Trade Center was attacked. Fear and sorrow surrounded the nation and especially around New York City. The games were postponed for the next 3 weeks as it was difficult for teams to get flights to New York City and playing football just didn’t seem right with Ground Zero being only 10 miles away.
The Sharks re-started the season on October 7th with a victory over the visiting New England Storm. But on this day, the United States started bombing Afghanistan in retalliation of the World Trade Center attack. After the game, the decision to cancel the rest of the season was made. It was not known at the time how difficult it might be for teams to travel to New York. It was said on the radio that the New York City mayor, Rudy Guilliani might seal the city off as was done on September 11th and there was the fear that the New York Sharks could not guarantee the safety of visiting teams.
On October 19th, it was announced that the New York Sharks would be joining the Independent Women’s Football League for the 2002 season. This 12 team league would start playing in the Spring of 2002 and gives the Sharks a chance to get into the playoffs.
The Sharks played their 2001 home games on two fields. They played one of their home games at Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, New york and the other at Kane Stadium in Secaucus, New Jersey.
Click here for the 2001 Sharks roster
2001 Season | ||||
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Date | Opponent | Location | Score | |
July 28th | New England Storm | at New England | 20 – 0 | |
August 4th | Carolina Cougars | at North Carolina | 8 – 10 | |
August 11th | Syracuse Sting | Stony Brook University | 34 – 6 | |
August 18th | Tampa Tempest | at Tampa | 25 – 0 | |
September 1st | Syracuse Sting | at Syracuse | 21 – 14 | |
September 8th | Arizona Titans | at Arizona | 20 – 0 | |
October 7th | New England Storm | Kane Stadium | 19 – 0 |
(Click on the score to read the game write-up)
2000 Season Review
he New York Sharks were members of the Women’s Professional Football League for the 2000 season. This was the inaugural season for the new league which consisted of 11 teams divided into 2 conferences, the American and National conferences. The National Conference was divided into 2 divisions, the East and South divisions. The American Conference was divided into 2 divisions also, the Central and West divisions. The Sharks were in the East Division of the National Conference. League play began on October 14th with each team scheduled to play 10 games. The season would culminate with the WPFL Championship Game on February 3, 2001 in Daytona Beach, Florida.
The Sharks sported a new uniform and logo design for the new league. Their colors were changed to black and blue from the black and white design the year before. The Shark logo was also streamlined for the season. New York opened their season on the road in Providence, Rhode Island as they took on the New England Storm on October 22nd. Running back Natalie Jufer showed early on that she was one of the offensive stars of the new league. Jufer scored the team’s two touchdowns as the Sharks won their first league game, 16-8.
As the season wore on, it quickly became apparent that the league was having financial difficulties. By the end of November, the operations of the league was taken over by one of the teams and the rest of the regular season was cancelled. The sudden changes made by the league to try and salvage the season resulted in a bizarre chain of events where the Sharks had to play 2 games in 2 consecutive days. The league notified the team only 2 days in advance of a change in schedule. The league wanted the Sharks to go to Rhode Island to play the New England Storm in week 8. But the Sharks already had scheduled an exhibition home game against the WCFL New York Gems. It being too late to cancel the home game, the Sharks played the Gems and trounced them 50-12. The next day, the Sharks minus their starters, went to Rhode Island to play the New England Storm. The coaches had decided that this game did not effect the outcome of the standings for the Sharks, so they left the starters in New York to rest. Without any of their starters, the Sharks were overwhelmed and lost 48-12.
The next Saturday, the Sharks and Storm met again. This time it was the first round of the playoffs as they played in the National Conference Wildcard Playoff Game. But even with all of their starters playing in this game, the Sharks played tough but could not get the victory against the Storm. New York lost to New England by the score of 10-7.
The Sharks played their 2000 home games at Mitchell Field in Uniondale, New York.
Click here for the 2000 Sharks roster
2000 Regular Season | ||||
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Date | Opponent | Location | Score | |
October 22nd | New England Storm | at New England | 16 – 8 | |
October 28th | New England Storm | Mitchell Field | 0 – 3 | |
November 4th | Oklahoma City Wildcats | at Oklahoma | 26 – 6 | |
November 11th | Miami Fury | Mitchell Field | 19 – 12 | |
November 18th | New York Galaxy | Mitchell Field | 41 – 0 | |
December 1st | New York Gems* | Mitchell Field | 50 – 12 | |
December 2nd | New England Storm | at New England | 12 – 48 | |
Playoffs | ||||
December 9th | New England Storm | at New England | 7 – 10 |
* exhbition game
(Click on the score to read the game write-up)
2000 WPFL Final Standings | |||||||
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National Conference | |||||||
East Division | |||||||
Team | Wins | Losses | Pct. | ||||
p-New York Sharks | 4 | 2 | .667 | ||||
p-New England Storm | 4 | 2 | .667 | ||||
New York Galaxy | 0 | 4 | .000 | ||||
South Division | |||||||
p-Daytona Beach Barracudas | 6 | 0 | 1.000 | ||||
Miami Fury | 3 | 4 | .429 | ||||
Tampa Tempest | 0 | 6 | .000 | ||||
American Conference | |||||||
Central Division | |||||||
Team | Wins | Losses | Pct. | ||||
p-Minnesota Vixens | 5 | 0 | 1.000 | ||||
p-Colorado Valkyries | 4 | 2 | .667 | ||||
West Division | |||||||
c-Houston Energy | 5 | 2 | .714 | ||||
Austin Rage | 2 | 5 | .286 | ||||
Oklahoma City Wildcats | 0 | 6 | .000 |
p-playoff teams c-league champion
WPFL National Conference | |
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Daytona Beach Barracudas | |
Miami Fury | |
New England Storm | |
New York Galaxy | |
New York Sharks | |
Tampa Tempest | |
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WPFL American Conference | |
Austin Rage | |
Colorado Valkyries | |
Houston Energy | |
Minnesota Vixens | |
Oklahoma City Wildcats | |
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Exhibition Team | |
New York Gems (WCFL) |
Prehistory
Beginnings
The New Yorks Sharks originally started as a women’s flag football team called the Long Island Sharks. They played in international tournaments and were national champions.
In 1999 the Women’s Professional Football League was formed. It consisted of two teams, the Minnesota Vixens and the Lake Michigan Minx. They barnstormed around the country playing each other in what was called the “No Limits” Tour. They had heard about the success of the Long Island Sharks and challenged them to a full contact, tackle football game.
The Sharks accepted the challenge and with two months to prepare, converted their flag football team to a tackle football team. On Saturday, December 11th, the Minnesota Vixens came to Mitchell Field to take on the Sharks. The Vixens were definitely the favorites having played 4 games already and had a 2-2 record.
The Sharks were coached by former New York Jet Bobby Jackson. Before 300 fans on a windy day at Mitchell Field, the Sharks shocked Minnesota, defeating them 12-6. The Sharks scored on two touchdown passes by quarterback Val Halesworth in the third quarter. One score was on a bomb to Natalie Jufer that led to a 71-yard touchdown. The other score was a 17 yard pass to Valerie Monaco.
For more on the game, you can read two New York Times articles, “That’s Football, Ladies” and “Quarterback Plays as Tough as She Talks”.
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Minnesota Vixens | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
New York Sharks | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 12 |
Scoring Summary
Second Quarter
MN – (00:37) 1 yard (Kick failed)
Third Quarter
NY – (01:43) Jufer 71 yard pass from Halesworth (run failed)
NY – (00:00) Monaco17 yard pass from Halesworth (run failed)