PORTLAND, Maine â The Women’s Football Alliance (WFA) team, New Hamsphire Rebellion, traveled north to Portland, Maine, on April 13Â to participate in a scrimmage match against their division’s top-ranked team, the Maine Mayhem. Last season, Coach’s Dube final game with the team, the Rebellion lost their season finale to the Mayhem by a score of 41-0. Now, with returning stars, new talent, and a new head coach, the team headed into Maine with a renewed sense of optimism.
What started out as a bright and sunny Saturday afternoon soon gave way to a dreary, battleship-gray sky with rain. Both teams, players and coaches alike, continued playing as the rain poured down. The scrimmage, which drew a handful of fans, served as a tune-up for the regular season, which begins on April 27.
Coach Arasi Chau said he wanted the team to make a âmillion mistakesâ so that he could help correct them in practice. Despite being regularly outnumbered by a larger Maine team, members of the NH Rebellion consistently showed drive and willingness to play.
Led by 2023 All-Americans Kim Bourque and Selina Collins, as well as team captains Nicole Gordon, Marina Dickey, and Kristin Albert, the Rebellion looked ready for the regular season to begin. Having practiced for months at an indoor facility in Hampton, the team ran exercises on both offense and defense, as well as regular plays in which special teams was absent.
Some members of the Rebellion noticed an improvement over where they were last season. Many Rebellion members are no longer rookies. Others are benefiting from increased practice teams even if, for many of them, this means long drives in the evening.
âLast year when we were here scrimmaging them, we got run over,â Collins said. âAfterward, the girls were discouraged. It did not help. This year was a completely different set up. (âŠ) I legitimately could not be more proud of this team right now.â
âScrimmage was really good,â Dickey said. âThere was a lot of improvement since last year â a lot. Communication was great between everybody. Girls were just going one hundred miles an hour, no stop. They didn’t stop, and it was great.â
NH Rebellion travels to Maine again this season for a June 1Â matchup against the Mayhem. Before that, however, there are several more practices leading up to the team’s season opener on April 27Â against the Delaware Diamonds.
The game starts at  6:30 p.m. at the West High School Field on Jack Amero Way, rain or shine. Admission will be free.
