Calgary Rage ready for a 'Fearless' semi-finals battle, their first post-pandemic
The Calgary Rage are set to tackle an unfamiliar opponent on Saturday that stands in their way of a berth in the league finals.
The Rage, who finished the regular season with a 3-1 record, will host the Manitoba Fearless at Shouldice Park in the Western Women's Canadian Football League semi-finals.
"They're an athletic team and we've never faced them so there's a lot of question marks going into this game," said quarterback Erin Walton of her Winnipeg-based opponent. "All we can do is be prepared and execute. You know it (comes) down to execution and trust in what we're doing and confidence that we can get the job done."
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE
Kickoff for Saturday's game will be at 2:00 p.m. at Shouldice and the Rage will look to make the most of their home field advantage.
"Oh it's huge to play in Calgary. Home field and to not have to travel," said defensive back Tatrina Medvesak said. "Just be prepared to have our fans out and our support systems here. It's going to be amazing for sure to play the sport we love."
FIRED UP
The Rage returned to the football field this season after the league went on hiatus for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After having your sport taken away from you, the players realized how much they love the game.
Head coach Keith Crawford believes his team is raring to go on both sides of the ball.
"The team is really fired up. I mean we understand what we have to do to win this game," said Crawford. "It's almost like a history maker for us. We have been to this championship game one other time but we didn't do well in that game. Since then, and before then, we've never even been close to the championship game so they're pretty fired up and so are the coaches. We've planned well for it and I think on Saturday you're going to see a pretty strong offensive and defensive team."
The winner of Saturday's game will advance to the league final which will be played on June 25 in Saskatoon.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Minnesota grocery store clerk dies after customer impales him with a golf club, police say
A Minneapolis store clerk died after a customer beat him and impaled him with a golf club, police said. The 66-year-old clerk was attacked Friday at the Oak Grove Grocery, a small neighborhood store in a residential area near downtown Minneapolis. A 44-year-old suspect is jailed on suspicion of murder.
B.C. Amber Alert cancelled, 2-month-old child found safe
Mounties in Surrey, B.C., say the two-month-old child who was the subject of an Amber Alert Saturday afternoon has been found safe.
Shohei Ohtani agrees to record $700 million, 10-year contract with Dodgers
Shohei Ohtani has opted to stay in southern California, and the Toronto Blue Jays have missed out on landing a generational talent.
6 dead, nearly 2 dozen injured after severe storms tear through central Tennessee
Severe storms that tore through central Tennessee killed six people Saturday and sent about two dozen to the hospital as homes and businesses were damaged in multiple cities.
A pregnant Texas woman asked a court for permission to get an abortion, despite a ban. What's next?
Kate Cox, a mother of two in Texas, became pregnant again in August but soon after learned devastating news: Her baby has a fatal condition and is likely to either be stillborn or die shortly after birth.
Every phone call is a goodbye, says Vancouver resident with family in Gaza
Omar Mansour says every phone call with his family in the Gaza Strip might be the last.
Mideast ministers in Ottawa to discuss Israel-Hamas war with Joly, Trudeau
A group of foreign ministers from the Palestinian Authority, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye are in Ottawa today for a quietly planned meeting with Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly to discuss attempts to end the Israel-Hamas war.
Ibrahim Ali found guilty of killing 13-year-old girl in B.C.
A jury has found Ibrahim Ali guilty of killing a 13-year-old girl whose body was found in a Burnaby, B.C., park in 2017.
Nuclear fission may play key role in the creation of heavy elements when neutron stars collide: study
New scientific models are suggesting that nuclear fission may play a key role in the creation of heavy elements in the universe—which, if true, would be the first example of nuclear fission occurring in space.