Recap vs. Baltimore Burn – June 1, 2002

Recap vs. Baltimore Burn – June 1, 2002

Burn Regain Control of Division Race With 12-6 Win
Baltimore 12, DC 6
By Leah Fahringer

Baltimore, MD – In a game that had major playoff implications, the D.C. Divas traveled to Baltimore for their third contest this season against the Baltimore Burn. The Divas and Burn split their last two meetings, so both teams knew that the third matchup would be a showdown where the winner put themselves in the driver’s seat for a playoff position. Unfortunately for the Divas, the third battle in the 2002 Beltway series went to Baltimore, who prevailed over the Divas by a 12-6 count.

The game started as usual with both defenses controlling the game. A bad snap by the Burn (7-1) on a punt attempt gave the Divas their first good field position of the contest. The Divas (5-2) drove the ball down the field, and Donna Wilkinson plowed into the end zone for the first score of the game to make the score 6-0. The score remained 6-0 at halftime.

The D.C. Divas returned the favor in the second half, with a bad snap on a punt giving the Burn good field position. Baltimore’s Sabrina Thomas caught two key passes on the ensuing drive, one for a first down and the second for a touchdown, which tied the game at 6-6.

The game remained a stalemate until the middle of the fourth quarter when the Burn struck again. Once again, it was Sabrina Thomas who hauled in a pass down the sideline for her second touchdown catch of the game, which made the score 12-6.

The Divas’ desperate attempts to get the ball down the field for a winning score came up short, and the Burn pulled out a critical 12-6 victory. The Divas’ MVPs of the game were Donna Wilkinson on offense and Tessa Nelson on defense.

The D.C. Divas have their first bye week of the season this weekend. The Divas travel to Tennessee on June 15 to take on the Tennessee Venom. The Divas will then host the Burn for the final game of the regular season on June 22 at 7 PM at Eastern High School. With the loss to Baltimore, the Divas must win the final two games of the season to remain in the playoff hunt.