Remembering the Toronto Triumph

Their one victory in the short-lived LFL Canada saved them from a winless existence, but not LFL infamy

Toronto Triumph

The two teams featured here in previous articles on worst Lingerie/Legends Football league teams, have been the worst team of the 2009-2010 LFL’s inaugural season (the New York Majesty) and the worst all-time LFL team (the Denver Dream). However, there is another team that should not be glossed over when the subject of worst LFL teams arises (in fact, if you Google “worst lfl team” this team is at the top of the results) and that is the short-lived Toronto Triumph. Above are the ladies all pumped up and ready to take the field against the Regina Rage on September 8, 2012. The final score of that game was Rage 40, Triumph 32.

The Toronto Triumph’s official logo

A big part of the reason the Triumph was the worst team in the US LFL during the 2011-2012 season was, besides being an expansion team with many inexperienced players, they lost the majority of their players when they quit after the first game, which was a 48-14 loss to the seasoned Tampa Breeze. The Triumph players who quit cited improper and unsafe equipment and poor coaching as their major grievances. New players were brought aboard to replace most of the ones who quit, only to see the team to three more losses, including a 74-0 blowout by the then-powerhouse Philadelphia Passion, to end the Triumph’s one and only season in the US LFL 0-4.

The Triumph played their second and final season in 2012 in the newly-founded Canadian LFL, which was also the only season for LFL Canada. Even though the Triumph did go 0-4 in LFL USA, joining the ranks of the Majesty and the Dream of winless LFL USA teams, they did manage to pull off a victory over the BC Angels in their final game in LFL Canada to go 1-3. So, with an overall record of 1-7, the Triumph avoided a winless existence, unlike the other two aforementioned teams.

Krista Ford    Misha Highstead Perhaps?

Left: Original Triumph team captain Krista Ford (now Krista Haynes) at the April 30, 2011 Triumph tryouts at Soccer World in Toronto. Krista only played in the Triumph’s debut game against the Tampa Breeze, as she was among the 16 players who quit the team after that one game. Right: This Triumph hopeful, also photographed at the tryouts, was actually Toronto-based Naked News anchor Misha Highstead, whose Naked News persona has always been “Eila Adams.” Misha/Elia probably didn’t have what it took to make the cut for the Triumph’s squad, but that didn’t matter because she did have the right stuff to make it as a nude newscaster and she was really there to cover the tryouts for a feature on Naked News, but that’s another story.

  Monica Bonczak
Left: Former Triumph players Jennifer Mancini, Krista Ford, Sandra Dalla Giustina and Michelle-Crispe pose for a photo to accompany
an article on the walkout by 16 members of the team after their first US LFL game. Monica Bonczak (right) was also among
the players from the original Triumph squad who quit after the first game.

Toronto Triumph Players   Jenny Butler
At left: Donna Paul, Sylvie Manaigre, Andrea Critch, and Marife Villagonzalo at a 2012 promotional event in downtown Toronto. Right: Running
back Jenny Butler in action against the BC Angels on October 27, 2012, which was to be the Triumph’s last game and only victory.

Toronto Triumph    Toronto Triumph
Above left is one of the Triumph’s standout players, quarterback Donna Paul, taking a snap from center during the September 17, 2011
game against the Tampa Breeze. At right, Crystal Hall, Paul, and Jaleesa McCrary, in their visiting white uniforms,
stand for the Canadian national anthem before a game.

The Toronto Triumph’s 2012 Roster
(Linked names go to a current site)

Kem McLean
Kem McLean – 5’5″ 126 lbs WR/C

Stephanie Busutill
Stephanie Busutill – 5’5″ 130 lbs WR/S

Jenny Butler
Jenny Butler – 5’3″ 124 lbs RB/LB

Tiff Russell
Tiff Russell 5’8″ 125 lbs – OL

Sylvie Manaigre
Sylvie Manaigre – 5’3″ 120 lbs – WR

Petshauna Pinnock
Petshauna Pinnock – 5’8″ 140 lbs – DL

Davine Burton
Davine Burton – 5’10” 135 lbs – LB

Mandy Allen
Mandy Allen – 5’1″ 120 lbs – LB

Whitney Paronish
Whitney Paronish – 5’4″ 125 lbs WR/C

Alicia Bell
Alicia Bell – 5’5″ 130 lbs C/DL

Marife Villagonzalo
Marife Villagonzalo – 5’4″ 135 QB

Danisha Payne
Danisha Payne – 5’5″ 125 lbs C

Roxy Rowe
Roxy Rowe – 5’10” 155 lbs TE

Alysha Emeson
Alysha Emeson – 5’2″ 130 lbs TE/DL

Jaleesa McCrary
Jaleesa McCrary – 5’6″ 135 lbs RB/CB

Donna Paul
Donna Paul – 5’4″ 120 lbs QB

Isabelle Gosselin
Isabelle Gosselin – 5’8″ 125 lbs LB

Andrea Critch
Andrea Critch – 5″6″ 126 lbs WR/LB

Crystal Hall
Crystal Hall – 5’6″ 140 lbs WR/MLB

Above are the lowest and highest points during the Toronto Triumph’s existence, both games in their entirety. Left: The December 9, 2011 74-0 route they suffered at the hands of The Philadelphia Passion. An end zone brawl breaks out just after the 39-minute mark. Right: The Triumph’s sole victory against the BC Angels on October 27, 2012, which was also the Triumph’s final game ever.


2011–12 LFL USA Season

Date Opponent Venue Score Record
September 17 Tampa Breeze Ricoh Coliseum Lost, 14–48 0–1
October 28 Baltimore Charm Ricoh Coliseum Lost, 6–42 0–2
December 9 at Philadelphia Passion Sun National Bank Center Lost, 0–74 0–3
January 13 at Orlando Fantasy Citrus Bowl Lost, 18–49 0–4

2012 LFL Canada Season

Date Opponent Venue Score Record
September 8 at Regina Rage Brandt Centre Lost, 32–40 0–1
September 15 Saskatoon Sirens Hershey Centre Lost, 22–44 0–2
September 29 at BC Angels Abbotsford Entertainment & Sports Centre Lost, 27–31 0–3
October 27 BC Angels Hershey Centre Won, 22–8 1–3

 



2011-2012 LFL USA Final Standings

(The only season the Triumph was in the league)

Eastern Conference

Team Wins Loss Ties Pct PF PA Net Pts TD’s Home Record Road Record
Philadelphia Passion 4 0 0 1.000 206 30 176 28 2-0 2-0
Tampa Breeze 3 1 0 0.750 99 109 -10 13 2-0 1-1
Orlando Fantasy 3 1 0 0.750 171 58 113 25 2-0 1-1
Baltimore Charm 2 2 0 0.500 86 85 1 13 0-2 2-0
Cleveland Crush 0 4 0 0.000 74 179 -105 11 0-2 0-2
Toronto Triumph 0 4 0 0.000 38 213 -175 6 0-2 0-2

Western Conference

Team Wins Loss Ties Pct PF PA Net Pts TD’s Home Record Road Record
Las Vegas Sin 4 0 0 1.000 108 64 54 18 2-0 2-0
Los Angeles Temptation 3 1 0 0.750 117 85 32 18 2-0 1-1
Seattle Mist 2 2 0 0.500 122 87 35 18 1-1 1-1
Chicago Bliss 1 3 0 0.250 120 143 -23 18 0-2 1-1
Minnesota Valkyrie 1 3 0 0.250 82 125 -43 11 0-2 1-1
Green Bay Chill 1 3 0 0.250 69 134 -65 10 0-2 1-1

 

 



2012 LFL Canada Final Standings

(The only season of LFL Canada’s short existence)

Team Wins Loss Ties Pct PF PA Net Pts TD’s Home Record Road Record
Saskatoon Sirens 3 1 0 .750 121 99 22 17 1-1 2-0
BC Angels 2 2 0 .500 98 89 9 15 2-0 0-2
Regina Rage 2 2 0 .500 117 128 -11 18 1-1 1-1
Toronto Triumph 1 3 0 .250 103 133 -30 14 1-1 0-2

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4 Comments

  1. I was there for the Triumph’s last game against the BC Angels, which was their one and only victory. The Triumph looked like they finally got their act together and lived up to their name. They could have been a contender if the Canadian LFL would have continued on. I doubt they would have become permanent cellar-dwellers like the Denver Dream was.

  2. No way was Misha Highstead a serious candidate for the team. She was just allowed to get a taste of what the tryouts were like as part of her story for Naked News.

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