Slam History
Saturday night April 12, 2003, in front of a crowd close to 1,000 fans, owner and then head coach Nancy Simonds led St. Louis’s first women’s full contact football team onto the field at Gateway Tech to take on NWFA opponent the Kansas City Krunch. Simonds, was the first female head coach in the history of the NWFA. Myrt Davis caught a pass on the SLAM’s first possession and went the distance for a touchdown, but the SLAM lost a heartbreaker that inaugural game in overtime. The SLAM struggled that first season matching up against seasoned and NWFA southern powerhouses such as the Oklahoma City Lightning and the Nashville Dream. The SLAM finished the season 3-5. To date, the 03’ season is the only SLAM losing season.
In 04’ the team met its goal by improving its record to 5-3. After a 1-3 start in 05’, including a loss to Southwest Michigan, the SLAM regrouped and won its final 4 games to finish the season 5-3. The team scored 102 points against the Indianapolis Saberkatz to set an NWFA scoring record, but narrowly missed the ultimate goal, the playoffs.
The SLAM took the field in 2006 looking to improve its record and make the playoffs for the first time. Four challenging opponents with the Oklahoma City Lightning, Nashville Dream, Chattanooga Locomotion and Kentucky Karma stood in the way. The SLAM went 6-2 in regular season play losing only to OKC and gained its first playoff birth. Three of the four SLAM opponents went to the playoffs with OKC making it all the way to the finals. The season ended for the SLAM in the second round of the playoffs in Boston Massachusetts.
The SLAM finished the 07’season 8-2. Highlights of the season included home and away victories over the Columbus Comets who made it to the NWFA 07’ championship, and a first ever victory over the Oklahoma City Lightning. The SLAM beat the undefeated Phoenix Prowlers in the first round of the playoffs before losing for the second year in a row in the second round of the playoffs.
In the 08’ season, the SLAM led by, 2-time league leader in tackles, Kelly Kozlen, opened the season in Columbus Ohio. The SLAM beat the Comets 18-16, in a thriller that was decided in the final 2 minutes of the game. Two weeks later the SLAM upset the Chattanooga Locomotion in Chattanooga propelling the team to another milestone by finishing the regular season undefeated and 8-0. The team was awarded a first round bye, but lost to the H-Town Texas Cyclones 13-25 in the 2nd round of the playoffs. The Cyclones went on to win the NWFA 08’ Championship.
The NWFA disbanded in late 2008, and the SLAM opened the 2009 season in a new league, the WFA (womensfootballalliance.com). The SLAM took the field led by inaugural veterans Kelly Kozlen, Myrt Davis, Pat Riggins, Juan Snow, Toya “Turtle” Brown, Robin Morrow and five and four year veterans and starters Liz Lacy, Gail Graff, Chris Hampton, Tanya Rodman, Jocelyn Merriweather and Laure “Frenchy Diaz and several key rookies to settle some unfinished business and bring home the championship.
The SLAM was 7-0 in regular season play behind a high powered offense and a tenacious defense that gave up very few points to opposing teams, and earned the top seed in the playoffs. The record reflected defeating two early unbeatens on the way to an undefeated season. Kelly Kozlen was named Defensive Player of the Year for the American Conference.
The team played with extra passion heading in the playoffs knowing that captain and 3rd year veteran and starter defensive end Elizabeth Williams was due to ship out to Iraq before the championship game. The SLAM beat the 8-0 Las Vegas Showgirls 30-12 and two weeks later beat the also undefeated and former league champion Jacksonville Dixie Blues 40-32 to gain its first trip to the WFA championship to take on the West Michigan Mayhem.
In the Championship game the Mayhem scored on its first possession, and then the game became a war between the defenses. The SLAM scored early in the second half but failed to convert the extra point. The Mayhem countered with a touchdown of its own to push the lead to 14-6. The SLAM responded with a score and the 2-point conversion early in the 4th quarter to tie the game at 14. The SLAM defense buckled down and came up big when 1st year linebacker Rachael Hinkle stripped the ball from a Mayhem running back, on what appeared to be a long gain for the Mayhem, and raced to the SLAM end zone to score the go ahead touchdown.
The SLAM fought off the final Mayhem offensive attacks to win its first championship 21-14. Kelly Kozlen led the team in tackles with 14 on the night and was named the Most Valuable Player of the game. Players held up both the championship trophy and Williams’ jersey #66 in celebration.
SLAM Timeline:
2003: Inaugural Season NWFA, Nancy Simonds, the owner – Team Record 3-5
2004: Record 5-3 – Narrowly miss playoffs
2005: After 1-3 start – including a defeat at the hands of West Michigan – SLAM wins final 4 games of the season and narrowly miss the playoffs. Record 5-3
2006 Record 7-3 – (Regular season 6-2 – Defeat powerhouses Nashville and Chattanooga)
1st Playoff birth
1st round – Defeat Kentucky Karma
2nd Round – Loss to Massachusetts Mutiny
2007 Record 8-2 (Regular season 7-1- Defeat Oklahoma City Lightning for 1st time)
Northern Division Champions
Playoff Birth
1st Round – Defeat undefeated Phoenix Prowlers
2nd Round – Loss to OKC Lightning
2008 Record 9-1 (Regular season 8-0)
Southen Conference – Midwest Division Champions
Playoff Birth
1st Round – Bye
2nd Round – Loss
2009 Record 11-0 (Regular season 8-0)
WFA National Champions
Kelly Kozlen named Defensive Player of the Year – American Conference
Playoff Birth
1st Round – Defeat Las Vegas Showgirls 30-12
Semifinals – Defeat Jacksonville Dixie Blues 40-32
Defensive End Elizabeth Williams plays final game of 09 season and is
deployed to Iraq
Championship – Defeat West Michigan Mayhem 21-14 (Come from behind)
Scoring:
Danielle Cullen run for TD– Extra point failed
Cullen run for TD– Toya “Turtle” Brown 2-point conversion
Rachael Hinkle – defensive strip – TD – Katie Ode Extra Point
Defense:
Kelly Kozlen=14 tackles
Toya Brown=11 tackles
Tiara Pettis=9 tackles
Myrt Davis=3 tackles (2 for loss, 1 sack)
Liz Lacy=Interception
Offense:
Liz Lacy 166 Yds Passing
Gail Graff=4 receptions 36 yards
Chris “The Bus” Hampton=4 receptions 75 yds
Kelly Kozlen named MVP of the game
2010 – Record 10-1 (Regular season 8-0)
National Conference – Central Division Champions
Playoff Birth
1st Round – Defeated Cleveland Fusion
2nd Round – Defeated Jacksonville Dixie Bues
3rd Round – Loss to Columbus Comets
2011 – Record 5-3