ATTACK FINDS PLACE TO PLAY AT COLLEGE.

Byline: GIDEON RUBIN Special to the Daily News

The Antelope Valley Attack's facility crisis is over.

At least for this week.

The Attack, a semi-pro women's football franchise in its sixth year of existence, will play its scheduled Saturday home game against the Arizona Venom at College of the Canyons of Valencia at 7 p.m.

The Attack, which plays in the 32-team National Women's Football Association, nearly had to forfeit the game because it couldn't find a facility to play in.

The Attack played at Desert High of Edwards Air Force Base its first five years since becoming the NWFA's first West Coast franchise in 2000.

It is not permitted to use the facility this year because the franchise failed to provide full documentation for all visitors, a breach of the base's strict security regulations, first-year Attack owner Suzy Ligon said.

The franchise's nickname was the Bombers under the previous ownership.

Attack officials and players spent most of last week scrambling to find a facility for Saturday's game when it learned Memorial Stadium was not available for Saturday because of a scheduling conflict.

They were told repeatedly that facilities in the Antelope Valley and beyond, as far away as Ridgecrest and Victorville, were not available because of usage or maintenance issues.

Team officials suspected, but couldn't prove, a gender bias.

Ligon said the Attack would have had to pay the NWFA a $2,500 forfeiture fine.

``I'm just really happy we were able to work this out,'' Ligon said. ``It's good to be this much closer to the Antelope Valley and bringing our game home where it should be.''

The Attack (1-3) have three regular season games remaining. Its July 1 home game against Orange County will be played at Memorial Stadium.

Ligon acknowledged the future viability of the franchise depends on finding an arrangement that will attract fans and sponsors.

``Why would a local business want to sponsor us if we're playing in Long Beach?'' she said.

She said the franchise is considering changing its name to the All-Valley Attack, hoping to bring in players and fans from the San Fernando, Santa Clarita, Crescenta and Simi valleys.

No agreement with COC for next season has been reached, but its central location would seem to be an ideal fit for the franchise's future plans.

Attack players range in age from 21 to their late 40s.

The only requirement for joining the team is that players be 18 years of age and are insured.

Ligon said team officials and players spent hours working the phones trying to find a field to play Saturday's game. She said most coaches were supportive of the endeavor, but noted that administrators, who are typically more sensitive to the potential political fallout, were less so.

She said the franchise faces significant resistance amid the politically conservative Antelope Valley, noting that several players had conflicts with their husbands regarding their pursuit of the sport.

``There is that undercurrent that I sensed, and I think the girls sense too,'' Ligon said.

Said defensive tackle Courtney ``Rookie'' Johnson: ``We think we're being shunned because we're an all-women's team.''

Highland coach Jim Root said he was not aware of the Attack's request to use his school's facility, but said he believes the team's difficulty finding a field has more to do with an area ``facilities crisis'' than gender bias.

Root, a former Palmdale councilman, said he was often criticized in his efforts to build more public recreation facilities.

``Are we trying to keep women off football fields? No,'' Root said. ``Do we have a facilities problem in all sports? Yes we do.''

Regardless of the cause of her team's struggles, Ligon said she is confident her franchise and the NWFA can remain viable.

``I think there's a lot of interest,'' Ligon said. ``A lot of women are supporting their kids and they want to be part of this themselves.''

More information on the Antelope Valley Attack is available by logging onto the team's Web site, avattack.com, or by calling the team's Lancaster-based office at [phone].

gideon.rubin(at)dailynews.com

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