The voices in the locker room and in the huddle may be different, but the same story still applies to the Boston Renegades now that the playoffs have arrived.

After a 4-2 regular season that included the franchise’s first losses in six years, the five-time defending WFA Pro Division champions wipe the slate clean when hosting the D.C. Divas on Saturday night in the first round. A win would clinch another trip to the conference title game (most likely) against Pittsburgh, but make no mistake about it, the rest of the league is still chasing the Renegades.

And they know it.

“Pressure is a privilege,” defensive end and captain Danielle Fournier said in an interview before practice earlier in the week. “It’s a privilege to still be in the playoffs. If we still have a target on our back, there’s a reason and we’re happy about that. It means we’re still playing high quality football and we’re on the map. We came into this season like any other one despite some big differences saying ‘nope, our goal is still the same.’ The status is still the same Renegades football is still the same. Our goal is to get to Canton and win a championship. We’re excited for that pressure and that privilege.”

“People still want to take us down,” added fellow captain and wide receiver Stephanie Pascual. “When you win as many games as we have these past few years (42 straight at one point) it’s hard not to. We’ve beaten teams by an insane amount of points and they’re coming back for revenge. They’re smelling blood in the water and thinking this is their time.

“For us, it’s like, alright, we’re not undefeated anymore, but that wasn’t the goal from the beginning. The goal was to win a championship and that’s still the goal.”

The rare hiccups this season – including a close loss to Pittsburgh that determined home field if and when the two should meet again – have shown the Renegades just how hard it is to stay on top, especially with the departure of three massive voices in the room. Without longtime offensive lineman Amanda Alpert, legendary QB Allison Cahill or Swiss army knife Chante Bonds bringing a steady, calming presence, this version of the Renegades has had to figure out who it was on and off the field.

Head coach John Johnson didn’t mince words when asked about how big of an impact the loss of those three has had this season.

“It’s a big, big culture shift,” he said. “You went from a group that played together for…literally like 20 years, you just don’t replace that over night. That takes time. That’s something that has to be developed organically, but we have great players that are in line to do just that and they’re doing that. We miss them, but it’s next person up and it’s time to reshape the culture. It’s a great challenge and one of the best things about coaching.”

“Every season has different challenges and each team is different every year, said Fournier.  “I think the culture the captains have tried to create this year has come across really well. We knew the challenges coming into the season and I think we were all excited about that and also wanted to prove who we were and that we were a different team.”

“The reality is that a lot of our players now have never lost a game,” said Pascual “Coming out of those losses, there was a point of emphasis trying to understand that it’s behind us. Just like you would in a game, you’ve got to forget about that and move on to the next play, the next game, the next practice. I think you’ve got to get punched in the face, knocked down and learn how to get back up…how you bounce back matters.”

Now, with another trip to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the WFA Pro National Championship just two wins away, both the unknown when it comes to playoff performance and the legacy this team is still trying to carry on makes for an interesting dynamic heading into this championship run.

“It’s been a little frustrating because everyone’s used to winning, but when you deal with adversity, champions are forged by adversity,” added Johnson. “I feel like this group has really, really kind of reshaped themselves into that championship mould.

“Now it’s just about going out and executing on Saturday.”