All-WPSL Teams Named
Future’s Defender Lauren Brown receive Honorable Mention
SACRAMENTO, CA phillysoccernews.com (07/26/07) - Players from all three area teams have been named to the Women’s Premier Soccer League selections. Atlantic City Diablos defender Dani Collins has been named to the First team selection. Diablos midfielder Alicia Hall has been named to the second team, while Philadelphia Liberty midfielder Many Moraca and CDSA Future defender Lauren Brown have been named honorable mention.
The WPSL announced their 2007 All-WPSL Teams, including Conference Player, Goalkeeper & Coach of the Year selections. The head coaches and goalkeepers of the West champion Ajax America Women (14-0-0) and East champion New England Mutiny (7-0-3) each were honored as the tops in their respective conferences, while an international from the Midwest champion F.C. Indiana (7-1-0) side was named Player of the Year. The Final Four host team - 2006 & 2007 South Conference champion Tampa Bay Elite (6-0-2) - swept the conference honors for Player, Goalkeepers (in this case) and Head Coach.
F.C. Indiana will go up against Ajax America (Los Angeles, CA) in the first WPSL National Semifinal at 6:30 p.m. this Saturday, July 28th while Tampa Bay will take on New England in the second WPSL National Semifinal at 8:30 p.m. The 2007 WPSL National Final will be played at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 29th.
FIRST TEAM ALL-WPSL:
F Kandace Wilson (AJAX AMERICA)
F Tiffany Weimer (SOCCERPLUS CT)
F Cindy Schofield (TAMPA BAY ELITE)
MF Ouying Zhang (SAN DIEGO W.F.C. SEALIONS)
MF Fatima Leyva (F.C. INDIANA)
MF Meghan Schnur (NEW ENGLAND MUTINY)
MF Maureen Whitney (CALIFORNIA STORM)
D Elisabetta Tona (F.C. INDIANA)
D Dani Collins (AC DIABLOS)
D Sue Weber (LONG ISLAND FURY)
GK Karen Bardsley (AJAX AMERICA)
GK Stephanie Labbe (NEW ENGLAND MUTINY)
SECOND TEAM ALL-WPSL:
F Kelly Freeman (DENVER DIAMONDS)
F Tessa Lennala (SAN DIEGO W.F.C. SEALIONS)
F Kennya Cordner (NORTHAMPTON LAURELS F.C.)
MF Sissi (CALIFORNIA STORM)
MF Brittany Potts (RIVER CITIES F.C.)
MF Brittany Cooper (ALBUQUERQUE LADY ASYLUM)
MF Cami Boswell (AJAX AMERICA)
MF Alicia Hall (AC DIABLOS)
D/MF Hannah Cerrone (ADIRONDACK LYNX)
D Danielle Slaton (F.C. TWENTE3 IL)
D Staci Wilson (PALM BEACH UNITED)
GK Dimitra Poulos (RUSH SALT LAKE CITY)
GK Meghann Burke (RIVER CITIES F.C.)
THIRD TEAM ALL-WPSL:
F Erin O’Grady (NEW ENGLAND MUTINY)
F Kelly Waeckerle (F.C. ST. LOUIS)
F Lee Klopschinski (CLAREMONT STARS)
F/MF Gabriela Demoner (BOSTON AZTECS)
MF Crystal Howard (SONOMA COUNTY F.C. SOL)
MF Elena Terekhova (F.C. INDIANA)
MF Shannon Strong (SAN FRANCISCO NIGHTHAWKS)
MF Kelly Henderson (LONG ISLAND FURY)
MF Audia Sullivan (CENTRAL FLORIDA STRIKERS)
D Krissa Reinbold (UTAH SPIDERS)
D Amanda Harris (SONOMA COUNTY F.C. SOL)
D Jeannette Dyer (TAMPA BAY ELITE)
GK Krystal Robens (MASSACHUSETTS STINGERS)
HONORABLE MENTION ALL-WPSL:
F Kia McNeill (BAY STATE SELECT)
F Amy Dibb (COLORADO SPRINGS UNITED)
F Lisa Wrightsman (F.C. SACRAMENTO PRIDE)
MF Kristen Graczyk (SOCCERPLUS CT)
MF Orly Ripmaster (DENVER DIAMONDS)
MF Samantha Faber (LAMORINDA EAST BAY POWER)
MF Mandy Moraca (PHILADELPHIA LIBERTY)
MF Caitlin Fisher (NEW YORK A.C.)
D Deidre Bass (MIAMI KICKERS F.C.)
D Lauren Brown (CDSA FUTURE)
D Rachelle Riley (ORLANDO FALCONS)
D Christy Bush (MARYLAND PRIDE)
GK Alexandra Kapicka (CHICAGO BREEZE UNITED)
EAST PLAYER OF THE YEAR - Tiffany Weimer (SOCCERPLUS CT)
EAST GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR - Stephanie Labbe (NEW ENGLAND MUTINY)
EAST COACH OF THE YEAR - Tony Horta (NEW ENGLAND MUTINY)
MIDWEST PLAYER OF THE YEAR - Fatima Leyva (F.C. INDIANA)
MIDWEST GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR - Meghann Burke (RIVER CITIES F.C.)
MIDWEST COACH OF THE YEAR - Richard Drake (F.C. TWENTE3 IL)
SOUTH PLAYER OF THE YEAR - Cindy Schofield (TAMPA BAY ELITE)
SOUTH GOALKEEPERS OF THE YEAR - Mallori Loftin-Malachi/Monica Sanchez (TAMPA BAY ELITE)
SOUTH COACH OF THE YEAR - Jim Cote (TAMPA BAY ELITE)
SOUTHWEST PLAYER OF THE YEAR - Brittany Cooper (ALBUQUERQUE LADY ASYLUM)
SOUTHWEST GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR - Dimitra Poulos (RUSH SALT LAKE CITY)
SOUTHWEST COACH OF THE YEAR - Scott De Dycker (DENVER DIAMONDS)
WEST PLAYER OF THE YEAR - Ouying Zhang (SAN DIEGO W.F.C. SEALIONS)
WEST GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR - Karen Bardsley (AJAX AMERICA)
WEST COACH OF THE YEAR - Brian Boswell (AJAX AMERICA)
2007 WPSL Final Four Field Set
SACRAMENTO, CA wpsl.info (07/24/07) - The field for the 2007 Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL) Final Four has been set, as F.C. Indiana finished their regular season with a 2-0 win at F.C. St. Louis last Saturday, qualifying them for their second Midwest Conference title in the past three seasons. The South Conference champions Tampa Bay Elite qualified for the tournament they will host July 28-29 at Pepin-Rood Stadium (Univ. of Tampa) in Tampa, FL with a 2-1 road win over Southwest champ Denver Diamonds on the same day while the No. 17-internationally ranked & undefeated New England Mutiny (North Division) won its fourth East Conference Championship in five seasons with a 2-1 double-overtime win over the Mid-Atlantic Division champion AC Diablos.
No. 7-internationally ranked F.C. Indiana will go up against No. 2-internationally ranked & West Conference champion Ajax America (Los Angeles, CA) in the first WPSL National Semifinal at 6:30 p.m. this Saturday, July 28th.
Last year, the Tampa Bay Elite were one step away from the Final Four, losing in a playoff match to River Cities F.C. by a 3-1 score in St. Louis, MO. Last Saturday, they traveled farther west to Denver, CO to face off with the Southwest Conference champion Denver Diamonds and took that next leap forward with a thrilling 2-1 victory. With three minutes left in the match, former Florida State star Cindy Schofield flicked on a header to the feet of Univ. of South Florida forward Lindsay Brauer who netted the game-winning goal for the Elite over a tough & resolute Diamonds side.
Tampa Bay will take on New England in the second WPSL National Semifinal this Saturday, July 28th at 8:30 p.m. The Mutiny defeated a resilient & gutsy Atlantic City Diablos side in the East Championship in double overtime on Sunday at Agawam H.S. The Diablos defeated 2006 WPSL champions Long Island by a 3-1 score in double OT themselves the night before in the East Semifinal.
ACDiablos’ young star forward Lydia Hastings netted the game-tying goal in the 71st minute to force overtime, but it was U-21 U.S. Women’s National Team member & UConn star Meghan Schnur who scored the gamewinner with two minutes remaining to seal the Final Four berth for New England.
"I usually would pull [the ball] around, but I just went for it," said Schnur, who also scored the first goal of the match on a penalty kick in the 50th minute. "I just kicked it. Yeah, penalty kicks had been on my mind, from my experience at UConn. It didn’t seem like anything was going to give. I’m not going to lie... it was nerve-wracking."
Preliminary & tentative Final Four information has been released by the Tampa Bay Elite. The Semifinals are played on Saturday night while the WPSL National Final will be played at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday. Ticket prices are as follows: Family Weekend Pass - $15 / family of 5 in advance, $20 at the gate; Individual Weekend Pass - $10 / adult, $5 / youth; Single Game Price - $6 / adult; $4 / youth. For advance ticket ordering, contact Tampa Bay Elite General Manager Sandy Stringfellow by e-mail at tbelite.gm@verizon.net or by phone at 1-800-854-0913 (ext. 708).
The WPSL is a 38-team national women’s soccer league with five conferences and is the highest level of women’s soccer in the United States while also holding the distinction of being one of the top leagues in the world. The mission is to provide the highest level of women’s soccer while simultaneously providing affordable, quality family entertainment and positive role models for our youth.
The WPSL Final Four will be held this July 28-29 at Pepin Stadium (Univ. of Tampa) in Tampa, FL. The host team does not automatically qualify for the championship tournament. Representatives from the re-vamped North, Midwest, South, Southwest & West Conferences will fight it out this post-season for the right to claim themselves as the best of the best in the United States.
The West and Midwest Conference champions will receive automatic bids, while the East, South and Southwest Conferences will undergo knock-out rounds for the remaining two Final Four berths.
Trade Winds Blow
EGG HARBOR TWP., NJ phillysoccernews.com (07/05/07) - The AC Diablos and the CDSA Future have completed a four-player trade. The Future sends Lydia Hastings and Maria Sonnerborg to the Diablos. In return the Diablos will send Katie Wieland and Amy Reese to the Future. The trade provides the Future with some strong defenders to boost their back line.
According to Coach Seamus O’Connor his two new players provide depth to their defense and gives him the ability to use different formations during games. The Diablos add two players to their offensive arsenal . Coach Matt Driver is ecstatic about getting two new players to fit into his system and thinks they could provide a boost with playoffs coming up. Sonnerborg has been one of CDSa’s top players. In three games for CDSA, she has scored one goal. She was named PhillySoccerNews.com Player of the Week for the week ending May 27.
Future Suffers Huge Loss On and Off the Field
wpsl.info (06/02/07) - The CDSA Future traveled to beautiful J Birney Crum Stadium on a balmy Saturday night and ended up on the wrong end of a thrilling 3-2 result. The game started well for the Future when in the 22nd minute a pass from the edge of the penalty box by Chelsea Brown was brilliantly redirected to the bottom corner of the Laurels net by Amelia Shane.
Northampton got back even in the 35th minute when a corner from the right was headed home by midfielder Janel Cleffi. The game then flowed from end to end with both teams creating good scoring opportunities. In the 39th minute the Laurels Trinidad and Tobago forward Kennya Cordner got behind the Future defense and finished to put the Future behind 2-1. The Laurels added another goal in the 60th minute when Jenel Cleffi collected a pass from former Lehigh University star winger Lauren Calabrese. CDSA Future did not give up and provided their fans with some hope after Swedish midfielder Maria Sonnerborg scored in the 78th minute after beating her opponent off the dribble.
The Future pushed hard for the equalizer and in the 81st minute were dealt a huge blow when midfielder Chelsea Brown suffered a knee injury. In the last two minutes the Future thought they had scored when Maria Sonnerborg again brilliantly beat her defender and shot low to the corner only to see Laurels goalkeeper Caitlin Corrigan produce a brilliant save.
For Coach O’Connor the result was a disappointment as he felt his players had worked hard enough to get a share of the points. The injury to star midfielder Chelsea Brown was to make Coach O’Connor and his players even more disappointed. Chelsea suffered a season ending ACL injury. Coach O’Connor was clearly upset about this loss, “Chelsea was what this team is all about, she was told she was not good enough to play before and this year she came out with an attitude and desire to show just how good Delaware players can be. She was having such a great season and she was a huge influence on the other players. She may not have been the captain but she certainly was our leader.” Everyone involved with the CDSA Future wishes Chelsea a speedy recovery and we cannot wait to see her play again for the Future.
High-level Women’s Soccer Returns to Dover
doverpost.com (05/16/07) - When the CDSA Future kicks off its season May 19, there will be several familiar faces on the field. In its second year partnered with the Central Delaware Soccer Association, the Future will be a mixture of seasoned veterans and young, local players on both the main team and the reserve group.
“That was a concerted effort,” special assistant coach John Andrade said. “We think a lot of girls can play and play well.” The team plays in the Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL), a United States amateur league that features several American and foreign national players. The team plans to improve by increasing the level of play in Delaware, Andrade said. “This is a building year, but we’re giving the local girls the opportunity to play against the best in the world,” he said. The Future will feature seven local athletes on the main roster, with several more on the reserve team.
Players include current high school players such as Caesar Rodney goaltender Holly Thompson and former local players Chelsea Brown and Kelly Doherty, who currently play for Christopher Newport College. “It is fun to all play together again,” Doherty said. Brown has some experience in the WPSL. She played last year for the AC Diablos out of Atlantic City, N.J. The experience helped her, she said. “It was good to go up there and play against them because it brought my level of play up,” Brown said. Andrade said the team will have an international flavor this year with two Irish players and one from Sweden. “Players like that are going to build a team up,” he said.
The team will have a new coach this season as well. Seamus O’Conner, a native of Galway, Ireland, will take over the helm. A former player for the Athlone Institute of Technology in Ireland, O’Conner has coached teams from New Jersey and Pennsylvania during the past few seasons. Building on the current success in the Delaware youth soccer program is one of the main goals of the Future this season, Andrade said. “What we find is some of the players who are a little weaker, this will help their game,” he said. However, the team plans to compete this season because of the homegrown talent already on the roster, he said. “The youth soccer program in Delaware is better than ever,” he said. The CDSA future will begin its season at 7 p.m. Saturday, May 19, against the Real Shore FC at the Wesley College Stadium.
