Well-oiled Machine: Women’s football team’s finale Saturday at Woodbury High School

A group of local women are hoping to do more than merely fill the void between the NFL’s draft and its regular season — they’re also hoping to make a statement.

The Minnesota Machine, a women’s football team, has called south Washington County its home for two months playing four home games at Woodbury High School. Woodbury hosts the Minnesota Machine’s final home game this Saturday, May 19. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. and games are free.

The Machine is a member of the Women’s Football Alliance (WFA) — a league made up of 38 teams from across the nation. The team’s regular season consists of four home and four away games — against the Wisconsin Wolves, the Nebraska Stampede, the Kansas City Tribe, the Wisconsin Dragons and the St. Louis Slam. Home games for the Machine are played under the lights on Saturday night.

Lisa Olson, the team’s owner, has played offensive tackle and defensive tackle for the Machine in the past, but is on the sidelines this year.

“My goal isn’t to make millions or even make a dollar,” Olson said. “It’s to make sure football is here to stay for girls and that they have the chance to continue to play football for a long time.”

Prior to running the Machine, Olson played football for six years between the Indiana Speed and the Minnesota Vixen — a women’s football team that played Chaska High School in the Independent Women’s Football League.

“Growing up, Sundays were a huge deal in our family,” Olson said. “Pretty much by force I fell in love with the game, because the family was always together watching football.”

The Minnesota Machine’s roster is comprised of players from across the state of Minnesota along with players from Wisconsin, California, Iowa, Indiana and Colorado.

Woodbury residents Michelle Goodman and Tiashia Christian and Cottage Grove’s Nicole Fietz are members of the Machine.

Tags: sports, football, woodbury