After taking the opening kickoff, Seattle (6-0) scored on their first offensive play when KK Matheny connected with Jade Randle for a 35-yard touchdown pass (2-point try failed) in the first 15 seconds of the game to grab a quick advantage against Atlanta (3-3). The Steam rebounded from the Mist quick score by keeping the West Conference champion scoreless the rest of the quarter while finding the end zone twice themselves.
After Jessica Salazar scored on a 20-yard run with just under six minutes to go (2-point try failed), and Dakota Hughes and Lauran Ziegler teamed up for an 8-yard score via the air (2-point try good) with 1:50 remaining in the opining stanza, Atlanta held a 14-6 lead on Seattle as the second quarter opened. The next 24 minutes of play, which was among the most competitive the LFL has offered this season, saw the Mist holding an 18-14 lead at the half, and the Steam up 28-24 with 10 minutes to play. The score remained unchanged as the teams exchanged possessions for the first four minutes of the final quarter, but Seattle regained the lead with 6:01 to go when Dominique Malloy ran for a 7-yard score (2-point try failed) to put the Mist up by two, 30-28. With more than half the quarter remaining, Steam nation was confident that Hughes would lead Atlanta down the field to regain the lead, something she has a history of. The Steam offense took the field with the ball on their own 15-yard line and 5:45 to work with.
Under the leadership of head coach Dane Robinson, Atlanta has earned a reputation as playing aggressively on both sides of the ball, and he has proven he will take risks. True to the team rep, and her own moniker, the “Gunslinger” went deep on first down, but Michelle Angel picked off the pass at the Seattle 19-yard line and ran it back to the Atlanta 14. It was the first turnover of the game for Atlanta.
Two plays later, Stevi Schnoor carried the rock in from the 5-yard line and then ran for the 2-point conversion extending the Mist lead to 10 points, 38-28. On the Steam’s ensuing drive, the Seattle defense came with big pressure on Hughes that resulted in a sack for a loss on first- down, an incomplete pass on second down, and a one-yard scramble on third down setting up a 4th and 12 before Hughes connected with Jolie Efezokhae for a 10-yard gain.
The turn over on downs gave the Mist the ball at the Atlanta 23-yard line, and Seattle kept the ball on the ground to run out the clock. The fourth quarter saw the Mist rack up 7:18 minutes of possession and 62 total yards compared to 2:42 and just 8 total yards for the Steam. The dominating performance in the final quarter earned the second Legends Cup for the second time for the Seattle franchise.
Stat leaders:
Passing: Hughes (Atlanta) 104 yards (10 of 23 with 2 TDs and 1 INT)
Rushing: Schnoor (Seattle) 45 yards on 9 carries (2 TDs)
Receiving: Ziegler (Atlanta) 83 yards on 8 receptions (2 TDs)
All-Purpose Yards: Ziegler (Atlanta) 83 (all receiving yards)
Tackles: Kiara Williams (Seattle) 6.0 total (all solo) including a sack
Honorable Mention
Atlanta: Salazar scored two touchdowns. Alfye Gore had an interception.
Seattle: Matheny only completed a third of her pass attempts (6 of 18), but three of her six completions were good for TDs. In addition to her game best rushing performance, Schnoor added a pair of catches for 21 yards and a TD. Randle added a second TD catch to her opening play score, and totaled 5.5 tackles (4 S, 3 A), good for second most in the game.
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