Two days from now, the B.C. Angels will kick off the Lingerie Football League in Canada.
The league is selling the Saturday night match-up against the Regina Rage as an historic first featuring "two of the league's most-promising offences." The LFL has four Canadian teams, all are untested and all have American players bolstering their rosters in key positions.
Regina's most notable import is their quarterback who the league identifies as a "free-agent." The American LFL is on hold in order to bolster the Canadian expansion.
B.C. will start only Canadians on offence at all seven positions. The Angels are ranked No. 1 ahead of Toronto, Regina and Saskatchewan.
The game preview, which was crafted and released by the league earlier this week, puts the Angels over the Rage by at least a touchdown with the teams putting up a combined 52 points.
In addition to the B.C. pivot, Mary-Anne Hanson, there are two Angels who I really can't wait to see what they bring: Stevi Schnoor and Aleesa Garcia. After four months of practice as a member of the team, I know what they can do. We'll see what they put on display under the bright lights.
Schnoor is identified as a breakout star but Garcia isn't singled out in the league's preview. The promoters have missed a step by failing to highlight her, but I know she prefers it this way.
In this video, Garcia doesn't pass, catch or run. She can do all three but here you'll see her nail a crucial block. Then the receiver with the ball, Ashley Petrie, runs another 20 yards for a touchdown. In the fast, violent and high-scoring game of arena football, expect a lot of passing for short gains with the Angels trying to create gaps like this one. Hanson, Garcia and Petrie play flag football together and are provincial champions.
Once the huddle breaks, you can see Garcia line up in a white jersey, bright blue shorts and a royal blue bandana. (Until last week, the players did not have helmets.) She leaves the frame as Petrie slants inside for the pass. Petrie, a shifty runner if there ever was, cuts back outside. Garcia puts her body on the line to make one block and stall Cassandra Strickland, a Las Vegas import. Petrie darts ahead for the score.
VIDEO: B.C. Angels scrimmage July 29 at Burnaby 8 Rinks.
Both Garcia and Schnoor play offence and defence. Schnoor is on the line as a tight end and defensive end. Garcia, B.C.'s fastest footballer and the Angel's back-up quarterback, is a wide receiver and safety.
Standing five-foot-eight at 160 pounds, Schnoor is the most solid player on the Angels roster and is a former national rugby team player although the LFL has misidentified her as a current player and team Canada captain. She continues to play club rugby and played for her country three times in 2009.
Schnoor is hard to pull off her feet, she can tackle in open field and passing to her is like throwing the football at a net -- she makes it look so easy.
Both are true two-way players. Garcia and Schnoor will be difference-makers for the Angels.
The B.C. Angels host the Regina Rage Sept. 25 at the Abbotsford Entertainment and Sports Centre. Kickoff is at 8 p.m.
mstewart@vancourier.com
Twitter: @MHStewart
