Three Teams Set For Final Four
Tampa Bay qualifies with win over Denver; New England wins East
Championship & Midwest race goes to do-or-die playoff match
SACRAMENTO, CA (07/23/07) - Six teams from the East, South & Southwest
Conference battled it out this weekend for two of the automatic berths
into the 2007 Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) Final Four while
River Cities F.C. of the Midwest Conference waited with baited breath as
rival F.C. Indiana finished their regular season slate. When the dust
settled, 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 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 Atlantic City Diablos.
In the Midwest, the No. 7-internationally ranked F.C. Indiana finished
the regular season with a 2-0 win at F.C. St. Louis on Saturday, tying
them for first place with 2006 WPSL National Finalist River Cities. The
two opponents have met twice in league play this season, with RCFC
beating FCI by a 1-0 score at home while being shutout on the road the
week prior 2-0 in Indianapolis, IN. Due to the head-to-head goal
differential, FCI will host the Midwest playoff match on Wednesday night
at 8:00 p.m. in Goshen, IN.
The Midwest champion receives an automatic berth into the WPSL Final
Four, and this match will be a preview of bigger things to come in
women's soccer as both organizations will be a part of the new
professional women's soccer league starting in 2008. The Midwest winner
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.
"The playoffs begin a new season," said RCFC Head Coach Justin McMillian.
"It's the most exciting part of the year and its fun to see great
players elevate their game to a whole new level. Our girls are working
very hard in training and are ready for the post-season."
"We don't necessarily change our training philosophy [in preparation for
the post-season]," said RCFC's 2006 WPSL All-Final Four selection &
Charlton Athletic forward Jennie Nobis. "We are just more excited and
intense at training. F.C. Indiana is a very fast, skilled team. We have
to elevate our game to the next level."
Last year, the Tampa Bay Elite were one step away from the Final Four,
losing in a playoff match to RCFC by a 3-1 score in St. Louis, MO. On
Saturday, they traveled farther west to Denver, CO to face off with the
Southwest's 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. as the Mutiny defeated a resilient
& gutsy Atlantic City Diablos side in the East Championship in double
overtime on Sunday night at Agawam H.S. The Diablos defeated 2006 WPSL
champions Long Island by a 3-1 score in double OT the night before in
the East Semifinal.
ACD's 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." Click
HERE for the video clip from TV-22 (WWLP) of Springfield, MA for action
and post-game reaction from the East champions.
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. For more information on
the WPSL, visit our official website at http://www.wpsl.info or email us
at media@wpsl.info .
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