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Sports

Women's Football Team with Evanston Link Heads to Championships

The Chicago Force, a semi-pro women's full tackle football team, which holds regular practices and games in Evanston, will go up against the San Diego Surge Aug. 4 at the Pittsburgh Steelers' stadium.

A Chicago-based, semi-professional women's full-tackle football team you may not know of yet, is heading to its league's national championships at the Pittsburgh Steelers' stadium this weekend. 

The Chicago Force, which holds regular practices at , will face the San Diego Surge, which beat the Dallas Diamonds for one of two final top spots in the Women's Football Alliance League

The Force beat out last year's champion, the Boston Militia, 35-34 on July 21 in its final home game at ETHS, according to the Chicago Force website.

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The team is made up of women ages 20 to 40, according to their website, who hold jobs in real estate, medicine, and blue and white collar positions as well many other professions and backgrounds. 

“From Florida to Oregon and from New England to California, the WFA is the largest and fastest growing league in America,” according to its website.

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The mission of the league is: “To provide exposure for the sport of women’s football while competing at the highest level possible by stressing the importance of discipline, teamwork, sportsmanship and honesty.”

The WFA began play in April 2011 with teams including the Bay Area Bandits, Boston Militia, Chicago Force, Dallas Diamonds, DC Divas, Kansas City Tribe, New York Sharks, Pittsburgh Passion and the San Diego Surge.

Other teams include the Philadelphia Liberty Belles, Columbus Comets, Lone Star Mustangs, St. Louis Slam and the West Michigan Mayhem.

The WFA unified several women’s football leagues.

“This 2011 unification and landmark growth structure echoes that of women's basketball and women's tennis,” says the league. “In addition to delivering fans, the most competitive match-ups seen to-date, this is an imperative threshold to creating a sustainable and blossoming future for the sport.”

Jeff King, WFA president, has said: “This is an exciting time for women's football and the WFA. With 62 teams across the country working together for a common goal, there is nothing we cannot accomplish. We are looking forward to one of the most competitive seasons in women's football history.”

The championship game will be held at 4 p.m. this Saturday at Heinz Field, the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers.  For ticket information, click here

Ken Stone contributed to this report.

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