The UCF women 麻豆精品 S檚 flag football team left no doubt last weekend about which team reigns supreme at the NIRSA Championship Series National Flag Football Tournament hosted at the University of West Florida in Pensacola.
UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 team 麻豆精品 S淐heck On It 麻豆精品 S� used a fourth-quarter comeback to defeat Florida A&M University 7-6 to successfully defend last year 麻豆精品 S檚 national championship.
UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 suffocating defense was the story of the tournament. The team started with back-to-back shutouts, combining for 80 points, in preliminary action with wins over Campbell University and Ferris State. In the tournament round, UCF continued the tough defense with shutout wins over North Carolina A&T in the quarterfinals and Howard University in the semifinals.聽
UCF outscored opponents 119-6 during the three-day event, giving up its first and only score in the championship game when FAMU took a 6-0 lead late in the first half.
Senior center and corner, Dannica Mosher, said UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 defense set the tone for this year 麻豆精品 S檚 title.
麻豆精品 S淕iving up only 6 points is quite the accomplishment and I thank our incredible defense for that, 麻豆精品 S� she said.
Late in the fourth quarter, tournament MVP Tatianne Dearaujo, reached聽the end zone to tie the game at 6-6. UCF quarterback聽Keimy Milanes then completed a pass to Amanda Hall for a successful point after touchdown and the lead.
FAMU did get the ball back with time on the clock, but Hall intercepted a pass to stop the Rattlers 麻豆精品 S� threat with less than 2 minutes to go.
Check On It was led by Milanes, who suffered a serious knee injury on the first day of last year 麻豆精品 S檚 tournament, Dearaujo and Charlene Thome. NIRSA honored all three women as part of the All-Tournament team. The team is coached by UCF graduate Brandon Baroody, a NIRSA Championship Series Flag Football Hall of Famer.聽
UCF now has 42 All-Americans in the tournament 麻豆精品 S檚 history and Dearaujo is the 17th UCF student to be named tournament MVP. 聽
麻豆精品 S淲hat 麻豆精品 S檚 so special about this team is we 麻豆精品 S檙e much more than that, these girls and Brandon are family, 麻豆精品 S� she said.
Shane Land, assistant director of Intramural Sports at the UCF Recreation and Wellness Center, credits the team 麻豆精品 S檚 hard work ethic for the sustained success.
麻豆精品 S淭hey practice and play in tournaments year round in preparation for the national tournament and that work ethic is what has led to their success, 麻豆精品 S� he said.
UCF men 麻豆精品 S檚, women 麻豆精品 S檚 and co-rec flag football teams have now won 12 national titles since the first tournament in 1979, the most flag football titles of any school in North America.
Baroody has been a part of nine of UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 12 titles as a player or coach.
UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Co-Rec Team also made the final four of the tournament which also features student officials, including three from UCF: Kelsey Jones, Randy Korn and Sammie Fitzell.