Lethbridge Steel
{{Short description|Western Women's Canadian Football League team}}
{{Infobox American football team
| name = Lethbridge Steel
| uniform =
| logo =LethbridgeSteel logo.png
| founded = 2010
| league = WWCFL
| location = Lethbridge, Alberta
| field = University of Lethbridge Community Stadium
| division =Western
| colours = {{color box|#642C91}} {{color box|#FFFFFF}} {{color box|silver}} {{color box|#000000}}
| nickname =
| coach = Mike Peters
| manager =
| league_champ_type =
| league_champs =0
| website = {{URL|http://www.lethbridgesteelfootball.com/}}
|conf_champs=3 (2012, 2013, 2014)|bgcolour=#642C91|fontcolour=white}}
The Lethbridge Steel is a women's football team in the Western Women's Canadian Football League's (WWCFL) Western Conference. The team is based in Lethbridge, Alberta.
Team history
The Steel were founded in 2010 and joined the Edmonton Storm and the Calgary Rockies in creating a new league, the Alberta Female Football League (AFFL). The league played just one season before the three Alberta teams became charter members of the WWCL, joining the Manitoba Fearless and new teams in Winnipeg, Regina, and Saskatoon. The WWCFL began play in 2011 as a seven-team league.{{Cite web |title=Lethbridge Steel - About |url=https://www.lethbridgesteelfootball.com/about/ |access-date=2023-07-15 |website=Lethbridge Steel Football}}
The WWCFL was divided into two conferences, with the three Alberta-based teams forming the Western Conference. In the inaugural WWCFL season the Steel posted a 1-3 record; they lost their first three matches before winning their final regular season game by a score of 34–32 over Calgary. They then lost a re-match against the Rage in the first round of the playoffs.{{Cite web |title=WWCFL 2011 Schedule/Results/Standings |url=https://wwcfl.blogspot.com/p/2011-scheduleresults.html |access-date=2023-07-15 |website=WWCFL}} However, Lethbridge was the host city for the first WWCFL Championship game, in which the Saskatoon Valkyries defeated the Storm to become the first league champions.{{Cite news |last=Menz |first=Kevin |date=2011-08-13 |title=BRIEF: Saskatoon Valkyries league champs |work=The Sheaf |url=https://thesheaf.com/2011/08/13/brief-saskatoon-valkyries-league-champs/ |access-date=2023-07-15}}
Lethbridge had its most successful run from 2012–2014, losing just one regular season game in three seasons and advancing to the WWCFL title game as the Western Conference champion all three seasons. However, the Steel finished as the runner-up all three years, losing the Final to Saskatoon each year.{{Cite news |last=Piller |first=Thomas |date=2014-07-06 |title=Saskatoon Valkyries capture 4th WWCFL championship |work=Global News |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/1435765/saskatoon-valkyries-capture-fourth-wwcfl-championship/ |access-date=2023-07-15}} During this period the Western Conference also expanded to include two new teams, the Northern Anarchy and the Okotoks Lady Outlawz. Okotokz played only the 2013 season before suspending operations.{{Cite news |last=Staffieri |first=Mark |date=2013-05-06 |title=Sky Is the Limit as WWCFL Enters Third Season on Wings of Optimism |work=Bleacher Report |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1629901-sky-is-the-limit-as-wwcfl-enters-third-season-on-wings-of-optimism |access-date=2023-07-15}}
In 2018 the Steel posted a strong regular season with the best defense in the WWCFL, allowing only 33 points against during the regular season.{{Cite news |last=Ferris |first=Danica |date=2019-05-03 |title=Lethbridge Steel looking for redemption as WWCFL season kicks off |work=Global News |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/5237732/lethbridge-steel-redemption-wwcfl-season/ |access-date=2023-07-15}} However, they lost a dramatic first-round playoff match against Edmonton by a score of 45–44, which ended their season.{{Cite web |title=2018 WWCFL Results |url=http://www.wwcfl.ca/results.html |access-date=2023-07-15 |website=WWCFL|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181010163337/http://www.wwcfl.ca/results.html |archive-date=2018-10-10 }}
The WWCFL cancelled its 2020 and 2021 seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic.{{Cite news |last=Lazaruk |first=Les |date=2020-03-30 |title=WWCFL Cancels 10th Anniversary Season Due to COVID-19 Pandemic |work=CJWW |url=https://www.cjwwradio.com/2020/03/30/wwcfl-cancels-10th-anniversary-season/ |access-date=2023-07-15}} The Steel struggled after play resumed in 2022, losing their first game 69–0 and failing to win a game through the 2024 season.{{Cite news |last=Kucey |first=Jaclyn |date=2022-05-01 |title=Lethbridge Steel come out rusty against Calgary Rage in WWCFL season opener |work=Global News |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/8801939/lethbridge-steel-calgary-rage-wwcfl-season-opener/ |access-date=2023-07-15}}
Year by year
| style="background-color:#FFDEE2; border:1px solid #aaaaaa; width:2em;" |
| = Indicates Division Title (regular season) |
| style="background-color:#CCFFCC; border:1px solid #aaaaaa; width:2em;" |
| = Indicates Conference Title |
| style="background-color:#FFCC00; border:1px solid #aaaaaa; width:2em;" |
| = Indicates League Championship |
| class="wikitable" style="width:60%;" | |||
| style="text-align:center; background:#642C91; color:#FFFFFF;"
| Season |League |Conf. | W
|L | Conf. standing | Playoff result
|Ref. |
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor=""
|2011 |WWCFL | Western | 1
| 3 | 3rd | Lost Western Conference Semifinal, 26–14 vs. Calgary Rage |
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="#CCFFCC"
|2012 |WWCFL | Western | 3
| 0 | 1st | Lost WWCFL Final, 64–21 vs. Saskatoon Valkyries |
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="#CCFFCC"
|2013 |WWCFL | Western | 3
| 0 | 1st | Lost WWCFL Final, 27–13 vs. Saskatoon Valkyries |
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="#CCFFCC"
|2014 |WWCFL |Western |3 |1 |2nd |Lost WWCFL Final, 53–0 vs. Saskatoon Valkyries | |||
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor=""
|2015 |WWCFL |Western |2 |2 |3rd |Did not qualify | |||
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor=""
|2016 |WWCFL |Western |1 |3 |3rd |Lost Western Conference Final, 14–4 vs. Edmonton Storm | |||
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor=""
|2017 |WWCFL |Western |0 |4 |3rd |Did not qualify | |||
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor=""
|2018 |WWCFL |Western |3 |1 |2nd |Lost Western Conference Semifinal, 45–44 vs. Edmonton Storm | |||
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor=""
|2019 |WWCFL |Western |2 |2 |3rd |Lost Cross-Conference Final, 53–0 vs. Saskatoon Valkyries | |||
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor=""
|2020 |WWCFL |Western | colspan="4" |Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic | |||
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor=""
|2021 |WWCFL |Western | colspan="4" |Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic | | |||
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor=""
|2022 |WWCFL |Western |0 |4 |3rd |Did not qualify | |||
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor=""
|2023 |WWCFL |Western |0 |4 |3rd |Forfeit Quarterfinal vs. Edmonton Storm | |||
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor=""
|2024 |WWCFL |Western |0 |4 |2nd |Did not qualify | | |||
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor=""
| colspan="3" |Totals (2011–2024) |18 |28 | colspan="3" | |
IFAF competitors
Two members of the Lethbridge Steel have competed in the IFAF Women's World Championship as members of Team Canada, both at the 2017 IFAF Women's World Championship: Wendy Iwaasa and Rebeckah Heninger.{{Cite news |date=2017-01-14 |title=Football Canada Unveils 2017 Women's National Team Roster |work=Football Canada |url=https://footballcanada.com/news/football-canada-unveils-2017-womens-national-team-roster/ |access-date=2023-07-15}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
{{Women's gridiron football leagues}}
{{Alberta Sports}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Steel}}
Category:Canadian football teams in Alberta
Category:Women's ice hockey teams in Alberta
Category:2010 establishments in Alberta