The Pittsburgh Passion mounted a come-from-behind victory Saturday to beat the Utah Falconz to grab the Independent Women's Football League championship 41-37. It took a 21-0 third quarter for the Passion to grab their second consecutive national title and wrap up a second undefeated season.
The Passion have now won 22 games in a row and have claimed two consecutive IWFL championships.
Head coach and co-owner Teresa Conn said the team has been built from the ground up.
“Very few of us had any experience when we started and we have had some great coaching along the way. It’s not hard to figure out who you want to go ask, you just look around the City of Champions and you ask the right people and they teach you their secrets,” said Conn.
Many of those sharing their secrets were current and former NFL players. Hall of Famer Franco Harris is Conn’s co-owner.
Although the Passion does not get a lot of airtime or ink compared to the other professional sports in the region, Conn said they are lucky to be well supported.
“We have the best attendance in the league,” said Conn. “Our fans follow us well and we couldn’t be more grateful.”
The team was launched in 2003 and by 2007 it had captured its first national championship. Since then the team has been a regular contender. Conn is not promising success in the future but she is also not shying away from those who are calling the Passion a dynasty.
“We’ve got an amazing group of women that are very grounded, very driven, they know what it takes and they are willing to pay the price, everything you look for in a champion,” Conn said.
Also in the program, we explore the stigma professionals face when confronting addiction and a CMU professor leads the American Math Olympiad team to victory.
More Essential Pittsburgh segments can be heard here.
