Women’s Maple League season has reached its pinnacle, as the Turku Trojans and the Helsinki Wolverines face each other in Myyrmäki, Vantaa, this Saturday. The Trojans are looking for their fourth championship in a row, to match the record currently held by their opponent. The Wolverines are looking to get their first championship since their dynasty run from 2017 – 2020.
The same teams made it to the finals last year, as well. That game went down to the last seconds as Trojans QB Lea Kaszas threw a touchdown pass to Tiia Jansen, before finishing the game with a 2-point conversion pass to Suvi Partanen. The final score of that game was 8-7. With both teams having top notch defenses, it may be another low-scoring final this year. Let’s have a look at both teams and how they got here.
Helsinki Wolverines
The Helsinki Wolverines gained the fourth playoff spot after a 3-5 season. In the semi-final last week, they surprised us all by beating the Tampere Saints, who remained undefeated all through the regular season. Lesson of that game for every coach out there: Practice the extra point and field goal situations.
The Wolverines brings a running threat to the game. With stellar Mari Jääskelä out, the Wolverines offense is full of decent targets for both rushing and passing, so the QB Essi Söderholm and OC Tytti Kuusinen have plenty of options in their playbook for different scenarios.
The Wolverines’ defense can cause trouble on any level of the field. With Anna-Kaisa Saarenpää and Mila Puska in the defensive line there is definite pressure in the box. Linebacker level features legendary Janika Nikander, who recently came back from the United States after a successful season with the DC Divas. Defensive backfield has young stars like Nelli Malk and a 2nd-generation defender Iida Turunen.
Turku Trojans
The Turku Trojans gained the 2-seed in the playoffs with a 5-3 record in the regular season. They faced the Oulu Northern Lights in the semi-finals. The game was a clean sweep with the final score of 41-0.
The Trojans lost arguably one of their best ballers early in the season with WR Kirsti Nirhamo injured, but the Trojans have risen above the situation and their offensive roster is full of playmakers. QB Lea Kaszas has dangerous targets in Tiia Jansen and Suvi Partanen. Jansen made arguably the coolest catch of the league year in the semi-final. The Trojans’ O-line is a top-level crew with Ninni Mäkinen as center. Laura Pulkkinen and Matilda Berndtsson make sure that the opposing defense needs to be prepared for a rushing threat too.
The Trojans’ defense is wild with the backfield occupied by Hilma Kuitunen, Hanna Ropanen and Olga Wasenius, to name a few. The Linebacker department got some serious enforcement a few weeks ago when Essi Saastamoinen got back from the US with the title of Defensive Player of the Year after a mind-blowing season with the DC Divas in the WFA League. Another major mid-season addition to Turku defense is a young superstar, Nana Olavuo, who played with Kansas City Glory in the WNFC league and made the All-Pro Team there. Congrats to both!
Interview with Nana Olavuo
I had a little chat with Olavuo. What made her comeback to Finnish fields and why Turku? “Trojans first reached out to me early on when I was in KC about playing for them. We agreed to wait until after my US season to see how my body feels. I played through some injuries in the US that were healed by the time I came back to Finland, so I felt like I had more left in me. I wanted to get some more games where I can physically play my best football,” she said. “Once I spoke with the coaches and some players about where they saw me helping the team, it felt like the perfect fit for my playing style. I played 2 games for Turku in 2019 and have always had a great relationship with the team, so it was a no-brainer to choose the Trojans”.
“Once I spoke with the coaches and some players about where they saw me helping the team, it felt like the perfect fit for my playing style. "
Olavuo joined the Trojans with just a couple of weeks left in the regular season. What kind of challenges did that bring? “It’s always tricky joining the team late, especially when it’s only 2 regular season games left. The transition was made very easy for me by my coaches and teammates, though. When everyone else knows what they’re doing, it’s easy for them to help another player get in on the playbook quickly. Obviously, it plays a part that I’ve been playing since a kid, with the amount of experience I have of adjusting to different playbooks”. Has Nana brought some new practices and procedures to the Trojans from her time with the Glory? “The coaches and teammates say I’ve brought more speed and physicality into our defense. That’s probably the biggest.”
The Turku Trojans have faced some adversity this year, along with success. What kind of Trojans take the field on Saturday? “Every team faces adversity occasionally; it comes down to how the team handles it. I think that’s made the team stronger, and there has been progress throughout the season. That’s what it’s all about. In the last 3 games the defense has been showing up and not letting in a single point. The offense has been moving the ball, giving us a break and keeping the score high. The energy at practice has been great! Everybody is as locked in as one can be, so you can expect a very energetic, fast and physical team this Saturday”.
Maple Bowl This Weekend
It remains to be seen which of these top teams will hoist the trophy this time. Come and join us at Myyrmäki Stadium on Saturday, August 10th at 1:30 pm and find out! If you can’t make it to Vantaa, be sure to watch the game via Ruutu!
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