The Minnesota Vixen will be left with some lingering questions after they lost their first trip to the Women's Football Alliance Division I National Championship to the Boston Renegades on Saturday night in Canton, Ohio, but whether or not they can play with the best team in the WFA is not one of them.
While Boston topped Minnesota 42-26 for their third straight championship, the Vixen stayed close into the fourth quarter and scored more points against Boston than the Renegades (9-0) had given up in eight games this season (16).
Running back Grace Cooper lived up to her American Conference Offensive Player of the Year title with 202 yards rushing and four scores for the Vixen (8-1) — including a 62 yard run in the second quarter that made it 7-6.
But Boston held Vixen quarterback Errin McIsaac in check as she finished 9-for-19 with 64 yards passing.
Renegades quarterback Allison Cahill threw for 218 yards and three scores — none of them more crucial than a heavily pressured 23-yard touchdown pass to Emily Beniecke as time expired in the first half, giving Boston a 21-6 into halftime.
And while the Vixen would cut the lead to 21-14 on a 40-yard run by Cooper to open the second half, that was as close as they would get the rest of the way.
