You are reading

Two Astoria women join newly formed Jersey Shore Wave women’s American football team

Megan Stier (left) and Dannielle Ayala (right). Photo: Three B Management

Megan Stier (left) and Dannielle Ayala (right). Photo: Three B Management

Feb. 12, 2025 By Shane O’Brien 

Two Astoria women have joined newly-formed Women’s National Football Conference (WNFC) team the Jersey Shore Wave ahead of the new season of the highest level of professional women’s American football in the United States.

Veteran quarterback Danneille Ayala, an NYU student studying sports management, and rookie wide receiver Megan Stier, a performer and former beauty queen, have both signed with the Jersey Shore Wave ahead of the upcoming WNFC season, which kicks off on March 29.

Both players call Astoria home and will host a Dine and Donate event at Ditmars Boulevard establishment Queen’s Room on Sunday, March 5, to support the Jersey Shore Wave and women’s tackle football.

The team will meet members of the Astoria community between 5 and 9 p.m. at Queen’s Room, located at 36-02 Ditmars Blvd.

Queen’s Room owner Antonia Joannides and her partner Yiannis Vasilas will donate 10% of the evening’s profits to the Jersey Shore Wave to continue supporting and promoting women’s tackle football in the US.

Ayala and Stier both paid tribute to Astoria, praising the local community for their family-like support.

“Astoria feels like family. I couldn’t live anywhere else,” Stier said.

Ayala, meanwhile, said the neighborhood stood out because of its diversity, stating that both the people and establishments in Astoria add to the character of the neighborhood.

“The people are welcoming and friendly,” Ayala said. “The restaurants and bars are top tier.”

Upon signing for the newly-formed Jersey Shore Wave last year, Ayala said she was excited to compete at a high level against top talent in the WNFC. Ayala, a two-time champion of D2 in the Women’s Football Alliance (WFA) and a first-team All-American during her stint in the WFA, praised the Wave for already contributing to the long-standing football tradition in the Tri-State Area.

The Jersey Shore Wave will kick off their WNFC journey with a match-up against the Chicago Winds during week one of the upcoming season.

Now boasting 17 teams across the United States, the WNFC represents the top tier of women’s professional American football and strives to accelerate equity for women and girls in sports through the power of football.

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Southeast Queens leaders endorse Mark Levine for NYC comptroller

Apr. 17, 2025 By Athena Dawson

Cook cited Levine’s experience and problem-solving skills as a reason for her vote of confidence. “Mark is the clear choice to be our City’s next comptroller, and I am proud to back him today and every day. He has the experience and creative problem-solving skills to tackle some of our city’s most pressing issues while protecting New Yorkers from the dangers of Trump and the federal government,”  she shared in a statement. 

Op-ed: The power of representation in healthcare

Apr. 17, 2025 By Dr. Ifeanyi Oguagha

As physicians of color at Joseph P. Addabbo Family Health Center (JPAFHC), we regularly witness how representation in healthcare can save lives. Our patients – who, like us, are predominantly people of color – walk through our doors not only with medical concerns but also often carrying the weight of generations of inequities that have shaped their health outcomes.