IFAF Women’s Asia-Oceania Flag Tournament: Day 2 left the favorites still in running

The excitement is palpable as the IFAF Women’s Asia-Oceania Flag Tournament unfolds, showcasing some of the best talent in women’s flag football.

In their second meeting with Team American Samoa at the IFAF Asia-Oceania Continental Championship, the Australian Women’s National Flag Football Team wasted no time, scoring on just their second play. Quarterback Tessa Davis connected with Amelie Prosser-Shaw for a 12-yard pass, then hit wide receiver Olivia Manfre for a stunning 38-yard touchdown. Although the 1-point conversion attempt failed, Australia quickly established a 6-0 lead.

American Samoa responded just three plays later, with quarterback Noella Keresoma finding wide receiver Kaija Powell, who caught all the passes on the drive, including an 8-yard touchdown. However, Powell was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct after spiking the ball, leading to a failed 15-yard extra point attempt.

Despite the tight start, Australia pulled away, scoring three more touchdowns in the first half. Davis threw for scores of 28 yards to Abbie Leyshon and 15 yards to Prosser-Shaw, who capped off the half with a 1-yard touchdown. Emma Vandervelde added a 2-point conversion catch, and Prosser-Shaw completed the day’s scoring with a successful 1-point conversion. The halftime score stood at 27-6 in favor of Australia, and after a scoreless second half, that became the final score.

In the evenly matched Oceania Group C, American Samoa rebounded to defeat New Zealand for the second time in the championship, winning 22-13. In another nail-biter, Manfre caught a late touchdown to propel Team Australia to a 20-19 victory over New Zealand, crowning Australia as the Oceania champions. The Aussies will face the Asia champions tomorrow for the combined championship, while American Samoa secured second place in the group and will play against the loser of the Japan-China match.

In Group A of the Asia championship, Team Japan dominated their games, defeating Hong Kong 44-6, Thailand 41-0, and outpacing Malaysia 47-6 in the semifinals. China also cruised through the day, winning their game against Thailand 48-32 to finish group play at 3-1. In the semifinals, they easily handled the previously undefeated Philippines 33-0.

In Group B, the Philippines shut out India 62-0 before falling to China in the semifinals. Malaysia blanked Jordan 33-0 before their loss to Japan. Jordan finished their tournament on a high note by defeating winless India 26-12.