If you’re a football fan living in Portland, you may feel a little bereft right now. While the Ducks captivated the nation this fall, Eugene’s kind of far away; Seattle, home to our nearest NFL franchise, is even farther — and besides, it’s the off season for both teams (and with a lockout looming, the Seahawks will be out of play for even longer than usual).
The good news is that there’s a football team right here in Portland in season right now! The Portland Shockwave compete in the Independent Women’s Football League, and they are the real deal. After narrowly missing the playoffs last year, the Shockwave are off to a great start, having soundly beaten the Seattle Majestics 21-0 in last Saturday’s season opener.
The Shockwave are the antithesis of the lingerie football league that’s been garnering headlines recently and of cheesy high school powder puff games. This is legit, full-contact football played by top notch athletes. Watching their home opener last Saturday, I was extremely impressed by what I saw, both in terms of football skills as well as sheer athleticism (for a full game report, check out their website.) Games are a great time — in addition to the gridiron action, there’s a surprisingly good band and a beer garden right next to the north end zone.
The Shockwave plays their home games at beautiful Hillsboro Stadium, and the next one takes place on Saturday, April 30, at 6 pm. Don’t miss it!
