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June 5, 2012
W-LEAGUE ROUNDUP
Week in review: Sounders Women stay perfect
TUKWILA, Wash. – The Seattle Sounders Women maintained their perfect start to the W-League season as goals by Morgan Manthey and Veronica Perez earned a 2-1 victory against the Colorado Rush on Thursday night at Starfire Stadium.
With their U.S. Women’s National Team players back from training camp, the Sounders Women were able to field a full-strength line-up for the first time, and Alex Morgan, Sydney Leroux and Megan Rapinoe all made an impact as the Sounders opened the scoring in the 18th minute. It was Leroux’s low cross from the left that set up Manthey, who tucked home a close-range finish to put her side ahead.
The Sounders (3-0-0) doubled their lead three minutes after the halftime break as Perez drove home a free kick from 25 yards into the right corner of the net at Morgan had been brought down. Perez had a similar opportunity in the first half, only to shoot just wide, but made no mistake on her second opportunity.
The Rush (3-1-0) asked questions of the Sounders throughout the contest, Lindsey Horan driving a free kick off the crossbar in the first half and Danica Evans forced a good save from Hope Solo in the 41st minute. They were rewarded in the 61st minute as Horan headed home the rebound after Brittany Bock’s shot came back off the crossbar.
The Sounders almost added to their lead late on, Leroux being denied well by Rush goalkeeper Dayle Colpitts, but Seattle would hold on to take all three points.
SATURDAY
ATLANTA SILVERBACKS 2, CENTRAL SC COBRAS 1: The Atlanta Silverbacks maintained their perfect start to the season as goals by Tiffini Turpin and Kristin Burton earned victory against the Central SC Cobras at Atlanta Silverbacks Park.
The Silverbacks (4-0-0) took the lead in the 35th minute as Turpin was played in by Nicole Hill before lifting her shot past Cobras goalkeeper Christina Reuter. Atlanta would then double its lead five minutes after the halftime break as Burton rifled home a finish after a good pass by Elizabeth guess opened up the opportunity.
Central SC (0-3-2) would hit back with 10 minutes to go, Claire Joyce cutting the Silverbacks’ lead in half, but Atlanta held on to claim victory and remain ahead of the Charlotte Lady Eagles on goal difference.
OTTAWA FURY 2, ROCHESTER RAVENS 0: The Ottawa Fury took victory in their home opener against the Rochester Ravens at the Algonquin College Soccer Complex. Goals by Courtney Maitland and Gillian Baggot allowed the Fury to bounce back from their defeat to Hamilton the previous weekend.
Both of the Fury’s goals came from corner kicks, with Maitland opening the scoring in the 34th minute as Kelly Conheeney’s delivery reached her inside the six-yard box to finish. Mallory Outerbridge went close to doubling the lead just before halftime, hitting the outside of the post with her shot, but Ottawa (2-1-0) would add a second with 20 minutes to go as Baggot headed home for her first goal in the W-League.
NEW YORK MAGIC 1, LONG ISLAND ROUGH RIDERS 0: The New York Magic took their first victory of the season, and handed the Long Island Rough Riders their first defeat, as Rashidah Sherman’s goal proved the difference at Iona College.
The Rough Riders (3-1-0) had chances to take the lead before the break, but the only goal of the game would come seven minutes into the second half as Sherman was played in by Yuiko Inoue to give the Magic (1-1-1) the lead. Long Island pressed forward in search of an equalizer, outshooting the Magic 11-4 in the second half, but Caitlin Hoffer recorded six saves to earn the shutout.
D.C UNITED 2, DAYTON DUTCH LIONS 0: Goals by Ashley Manning and Sarah Sample lifted D.C. United Women to a second victory in two meetings with the Dayton Dutch Lions over the weekend, keeping United three points clear of the Fredericksburg Impact in the Eastern Conference’s Atlantic Division.
D.C. (4-0-0) had taken a 3-2 victory in the first meeting between the teams on Thursday night. After a scoreless opening 45 minutes at Miami Valley Hospital Stadium on Saturday, United opened the scoring less than a minute into the second half as Manning was able to latch onto a flicked header and finish into the right corner.
Sample then doubled the lead on the hour-mark, catching up to a ball over the top before finishing first time past advancing Dayton goalkeeper Ashley Daniels, wrapping up victory.
PALI BLUES 1, SANTA CLARITA BLUE HEAT 0: A second half stoppage-time goal by Servet Uzunlar gave the Pali Blues victory against the Santa Clarita Blue Heat and maintained their perfect start to the season.
The Blues (4-0-0) went close to opening the scoring in just the fifth minute, Anne Marie Tangorra hitting the crossbar. Blue Heat goalkeeper Cynthia Jacobo was also sharp throughout the first 45 minutes, denying Sarah Huffman in the 23rd minute after a good one-two with Tangorra created an opening.
After a dour second half that saw few opportunities, the Blues were able to grab victory. Liz Bogus came close from the initial chance, her header being saved by Jacobo, but Bogus was able to regain possession and center for Uzunlar at the top of the six-yard box, and the Australian international finished to give her side victory, and atop the Western Conference standings.
SUNDAY
COLORADO RAPIDS 1, VICTORIA HIGHLANDERS 0: Lynnsey Janes scored the only goal of the game as the Colorado Rapids Women took victory against the Victoria Highlanders, giving them four points from their weekend trip to British Columbia.
After taking a 1-1 draw with the Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Friday night, the Rapids (2-0-1) got their goal with nine minutes to go against the Highlanders (1-5-0). Janes capitalized on a mistake in the Highlanders’ defense to fire home what proved to be the decisive goal.
RESULTS
Wednesday, May 30
Toronto 2, Rochester 1
NJ Wildcats 4, North Jersey 2
Pali 2, LA Strikers 1
Thursday, May 31
Long Island 3, NJ Wildcats 2
D.C. United 3, Dayton 2
Seattle 2, Colorado Rush 1
Friday, June 1
Atlanta 7, FC Jax 0
Quebec City 2, London 1
Virginia Beach 2, Northern Virginia 0
Seattle 1, Victoria 0
Vancouver 1, Colorado Rapids 1
Saturday, June 2
Ottawa 2, Rochester 0
NJ Wildcats 6, NJ Rangers 1
Laval 2, London 1
New York 1, Long Island 0
D.C. United 2, Dayton 0
Pali 1, Santa Clarita 0
Charlotte 3, FC Jax 0
Atlanta 2, Central SC 1
Fredericksburg 5, Northern Virginia 0
Sunday, June 3
Toronto 2, Hamilton 0
Colorado Rapids 1, Victoria 0
SCHEDULE
Monday, June 4
Colorado Rapids at Seattle, 7:30 p.m. PT
Wednesday, June 6
Charlotte at VSI Tampa, 7 p.m. ET
Hamilton at Rochester, 7 p.m. ET
NJ Rangers at NJ Wildcats, 8 p.m. ET
Victoria at Pali, 7 p.m. PT
Thursday, June 7
Charlotte at VSI Tampa, 7 p.m. ET
New York at North Jersey, 8 p.m. ET
Friday, June 8
Charlotte at FC Jax 7 p.m. ET
Pali at Colorado Rapids 6 p.m. MT
Victoria at LA Strikers, 7 p.m. PT
Vancouver at Seattle, 7 p.m. PT
Saturday, June 9
D.C. United at Fredericksburg, 2 p.m. ET
North Jersey at Long Island, 5 p.m. ET
Virginia Beach at Dayton, 5:30 p.m. ET
Toronto at Quebec City, 7 p.m. ET
London at Ottawa, 7 p.m. ET
Sunday, June 10
Atlanta at FC Jax 2 p.m. ET
Pali at Colorado Rush, Noon MT
Toronto at Laval, 3 p.m. ET
Victoria at Santa Clarita, 2 p.m. PT
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