East emerged from a hard-nosed, defensive struggle with West to advance to the semifinals of the Cook Inlet Conference flag football playoffs Tuesday night at Anchorage Football Stadium.
A 2-yard touchdown pass from East quarterback Ana Silao to Felila Manu in the second quarter was the game's only score.
"Defense is our strength and it pulled us through tonight," said T-birds coach Megan Beith, who Tuesday was named the CIC's Coach of the Year.
The higher seeds all won Tuesday, with No. 1 Service, No. 2 Dimond and No. 4 South also moving into the semifinals. Service will host South and Dimond will host East in a pair of 6 p.m. semifinals Wednesday.
The third-seeded T-birds improved to 10-5 with the victory and set up a showdown with defending conference champion Dimond on Wednesday night at Dimond Alumni Field with a berth in the CIC championship game on the line.
Neither team could move the ball well in chilly conditions at AFS, causing both team's passing games to stagnate.
"The hands start to go this time of year," Beith said.
West's Maya McPherson had an interception and Sarah Peters had seven pulls for the Eagles, who finished the season 4-11.
The game featured lots of dropped passes and several hard collisions between opposing players and the turf. However, Manu said the low temperatures and physical play didn't bother her much.
"I'm a hockey player," she said.
Beith said the T-birds will need more than a strong defensive effort to defeat Dimond.
"Our offense has to move the ball tomorrow or it's going to be a struggle," she said.
Service 25, Eagle River 6
Julia Miknich scored on a quarterback sneak and threw for three other touchdowns Tuesday, sparking top-seeded Service's 25-6 first-round playoff win over Chugiak.
Miknich showed why she was named the CIC's Offensive Player of the Year. She threw touchdowns to Haleigh Van Allen, Kerianne Hansen and Zoe Bailey to help the Cougars (14-1) to a 19-0 halftime lead.
After eighth-seeded Eagle River (1-14) answered with a third-quarter touchdown, Miknich sealed the victory for Service with a one-yard scoring run.
Dimond 34, Chugiak 0
Tiffany Jackson rushed for 108 yards and three touchdowns to lift Dimond past Chugiak 34-0 in a first-round game of the CIC playoffs.
Jackson carried the ball 11 times and scored on runs of 11, 6 and 26 yards for the second-seeded Lynx, who will play East in a 6 p.m. semifinal game Wednesday.
Dimond (14-1) intercepted Chugiak (2-13) three times, with Jackson, Shameah Keslia-Jones and Trinity Vai all picking off passes. Lauren Hines registered seven pulls and Jackson had five to help shut out the Mustangs, who never got inside the 20-yard line.
Hines and Elizabeth Goodrum both caught touchdown passes from quarterback Nikki Forrey, who connected with Hines on a 4-yard pass and Goodrum from 10 yards out.
South 32, Bartlett 12
South got two touchdowns each from Sabrina Ungaro and Callie Orizotti to earn a 32-12 win over Bartlett Tuesday night at Anchorage Football Stadium.
Bartlett scored the game's opening touchdown, but the fourth-seeded Wolverines scored three times to take a 20-6 halftime lead.
Ungaro scored on runs of 82 and 5 yards, while Orizotti caught a pair of touchdown passes from quarterback McKenzie Smith. Smith also threw a touchdown to Amy Yi.
South will face Service at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Service.
South improved to 9-6 while Bartlett finished the season 6-9.