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Battle for First Place Wednesday

June 17, 2002 - Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) News Release


ATLANTA (Monday, June 17, 2002) - A midseason clash of the titans takes place Wednesday, June 19 when the first-place Philadelphia Charge travels to Cary, North Carolina to take on the second-place Carolina Courage in a potential preview of Founders Cup II. Wednesday's meeting will be the second time these two clubs have met in 2002, as Philadelphia defeated Carolina 3-1 on May 25, the Courage's only loss of the season.

Philadelphia brings a 6-1-2 (20 pts.) record into Wednesday's match, while Carolina features a 5-1-3 (18 pts) mark. The Charge and Courage are the only WUSA teams with less than three defeats.

Both teams clearly respect their opponent, realizing that the last matchup between the two clubs was closer than the 3-1 score indicated.

"We finished our chances that day," Philadelphia Head Coach Mark Krikorian said. "It was an even game and both teams had their opportunities. We were fortunate enough to finish, while they were a little less lucky."

With Philadelphia losing Kelly Smith to a season-ending knee injury earlier this month, Frenchwoman Marinette Pichon has scored the club's last three goals and four of the last five for the Charge dating back to the May 25 win over Carolina. Philadelphia is expected to use a 4-5-1 formation on Wednesday with Pichon as the sole forward and Lorrie Fair as the attacking midfielder.

"We have certainly generated many chances in the last couple of games without Kelly and using the 4-5-1, so we are happy with that look so far," Krikorian stated. "We are also pleased with Lorrie's play as the attacking midfielder. This is a learning process for Lorrie and the team."

"Pichon makes such outstanding goals. She just seems to find a hole in your defense," Carolina Head Coach Marcia McDermott said. "With the way they hold possession, the quality of her runs is incredibly dangerous. She's a great addition to the league."

While Philadelphia lost Smith to the knee injury, Carolina has added German superstar Birgit Prinz to the lineup since the loss to Philadelphia. Prinz has two goals and one assist in three games. Carolina now boasts one of the most physically imposing pair of forwards in the WUSA in 5-foot-10 Danielle Fotopoulos and the 5-foot-9 Prinz. Krikorian knows that Philadelphia will need a team effort to slow down the high-scoring Carolina tandem.

"You have to be organized in defending," Krikorian said. "You can't defend them one-on-one, the two players are just too good. You have to have a team approach and sometimes rely on luck."

A victory would not only move Carolina into first place, but also equal last season's point total when the Courage went 6-12-3 (21 pts). Both clubs are riding unbeaten streaks as Philadelphia has not lost in four games and Carolina has not seen defeat in its last three matches.

"Right now, Philly is the class of the league," McDermott said. "So you can't help but be motivated to go after them and after a chance at first place."

FREEDOM ON A ROLL: Watch out for the Washington Freedom as Jim Gabarra's squad has gone 2-0-2 during the last four games. Washington went 2-4-1 in its first seven matches of the 2002 season, and the Freedom was outscored 12-8. The addition of three key players - German midfielder Steffi Jones, goalkeeper Siri Mullinix and forward Mia Hamm - has ignited the Freedom's 2-0-2 streak, during which it has outscored opponents 7-2. In addition, WUSA Rookie of the Year Candidate Abby Wambach has scored three goals and added one assist in her last two matches to rank second in WUSA scoring with six goals and four assists for 16 points. However, defensive midfielder Lindsay Stoecker suffered a knee injury in Saturday's 4-0 win over San Diego and is expected to miss the remainder of the season. Stoecker, who underwent an MRI on Monday, was diagnosed with an ACL tear in her left knee. Washington's current success will be tested on Saturday, June 22 when the Freedom hosts Carolina in the PAX Game of the Week.

HAT TRICK HAS MILBRETT ON PACE TO BREAK SCORING RECORD: New York's Tiffeny Milbrett is on pace to break her own WUSA scoring record after registering the league's first hat trick of 2002 in Saturday's 4-3 loss at San Jose. After 10 games last season, Milbrett had seven goals and two assists for 16 points as New York compiled a 5-1-4 record (14 pts). After 10 matches this year, she has a WUSA-leading 18 points (7g, 4a) despite the Power's 2-7-1 (7 pts). If she maintains her current average of 2.0 points per game (she missed the April 27 match due to national team duty), Milbrett would register 38 points for the regular season. Although the Power has 11 matches remaining, Milbrett is expected to miss the July 20 game due to U.S. national team duty for a July 21 match against Norway in Blaine, Minnesota. Saturday's hat trick was the second of Milbrett's WUSA career. She had three goals in a 3-1 win over Boston on June 22, 2001. Milbrett (two career hat tricks), Atlanta's Charmaine Hooper (one hat trick) and Philadelphia's Liu Ailing (one hat trick) are the only WUSA players to score three goals in a game.

CAROLINA ROAD WARRIORS CONTINUE TO ROLL: After defeating the Atlanta Beat at Herndon Stadium 3-1 on Saturday, June 15, the Carolina Courage remains the only undefeated team on the road. With a 3-0-2 record away from SAS Stadium, the Courage has outscored its opponents 10-6 while remaining just two points behind the first place Philadelphia Charge. With a little less than half of the season left, the Courage has surpassed the number of road victories from the 2001 season. With 11 points through five road matches, the Courage has already surpassed its road-point total from 2001 (2-7-1, 7 pts.). The 10 goals scored by Carolina on the road this year have equaled the total amount of road goals from last season. SCORING OUTBREAK IN SAN JOSE: San Jose is undefeated in its last four matches (3-0-1). One reason for this recent success is the increase in scoring. The CyberRays have scored nine goals during their four-game unbeaten streak. During the team's first six games, San Jose had scored seven goals (1.17 goals per game). Since then, the team has been finding the back of the net at a torrid pace (2.25 goals per game). Brazilian forward Katia has been one of the driving forces behind this offensive surge. Scoring five goals in her last four games, Katia is tied for the league-lead in goal scoring with seven, equaling her 2001 output. Once the lowest scoring team despite leading the league in shots (160) and shots on goal (85), San Jose is now tied for second in the WUSA in total goals scored with 16.

The four goals scored in Saturday's win over the New York Power set a San Jose club record for most goals in a half as well as a game.

BURT TO PARTICPATE IN THIS WEEK'S WUSA.COM CHAT: Carolina defender Staci Burt will be the featured guest on this week's WUSA.com live web chat on Tuesday, June 18. The chat will begin at 8:00 p.m. (ET) and will last approximately 40 minutes. Burt will be on hand to answer fan questions. Fans can submit questions before and during the chat. For more information, log on to www.WUSA.com.

MILBRETT AND LILLY SCHEDULED TO APPEAR ON NBC'S TODAY SHOW TUESDAY MORNING: New York Power forward Tiffeny Milbrett, the 2001 WUSA Most Valuable Player, and Boston Breakers midfielder Kristine Lilly, the most capped player in world soccer history, are scheduled to appear on NBC's TODAY show Tuesday, June 18 at approximately 7:30 am ET. Milbrett and Lilly are scheduled to join co-anchor Katie Couric outdoors on the Today set to discuss the success of the U.S. men's national team at World Cup Korea/Japan and the rising popularity of soccer in the United States.

WUSA Game Previews (Week Eleven)

Wednesday, June 19, 2002 - Philadelphia Charge (6-1-2, 20 pts.) at Carolina Courage (5-1-3, 18 pts.) - 7:00 p.m. (ET) - Fox Sports South (Carolina); CN8 (Philadelphia) (Season Series: Philadelphia leads 1-0-0) (All-time Series History: Series tied 2-2-0)
The battle for first pace takes place Wednesday at SAS Stadium. Philadelphia is the only team to beat Carolina in 2002, as the Charge downed the Courage 3-1 on May 25 at SAS Stadium. Marinette Pichon scored two goals in the victory. Both clubs are coming off victories this past weekend, as Carolina put forth another strong effort in a 3-1 win at Atlanta, while Philadelphia shut out high-scoring Boston 1-0 at Villanova Stadium. Watch out for the team that scores first, as both Philadelphia and Carolina are 4-0 in 2002 when they record the first goal of the match.

Key Players to Watch: With Kelly Smith out for the season due to a knee injury, Pichon (5g, 1a, 11pts) is clearly Philadelphia's go-to player on offense. The Frenchwoman has scored the club's last three goals and four of the last five for the Charge dating back to the May 25 win over Carolina. Carolina's offense features the dangerous trio of Danielle Fotopoulos (6g, 2a, 14pts - 4th in the WUSA), newcomer Birgit Prinz (2g, 1a, 5pts in just three games) and playmaker Hege Riise (3g, 5a, 11pts). Two of the WUSA's best goalkeepers, Philadelphia's Melissa Moore (WUSA leading 0.78 GAA) and Carolina's Kristin Luckenbill (WUSA leading 52 saves), lead two of the WUSA's top defenses.

Key Matchup: (Carolina midfielder Hege Riise versus Philadelphia midfielder Stacey Tullock) - Philadelphia's goal will be to shut down the Carolina attack before it reaches the likes of Prinz and Fotopoulos. Many coaches consider Riise to be the WUSA's best playmaker, and the rookie Tullock will look for help from her Charge teammates in slowing down the Norwegian international.

The "Inside Scoop": Carolina will be looking to avenge the May 25 loss. Two major changes since that match are Carolina's addition of Prinz and Philadelphia's loss of Smith to knee surgery. Look for Philadelphia to go with a 4-5-1 formation using Pichon as the frontrunner and midfielder Lorrie Fair playing behind Pichon as an attacking midfielder. Philadelphia was successful in using a long ball style of play in the 1-0 win over Boston on Saturday. Philadelphia has not lost in four matches and Carolina has not lost in its last three games.

They Said it: "We know that Philadelphia wants to hold possession, switch the point of attack repeatedly, and dictate the tempo of the game. We've had the most success when we have been able to disrupt their style, counter well, and hold possession for significant portions of the game." - Carolina Head Coach Marcia McDermott.

Referee: Sandy Hunt. Assistant Referees: Jon E. Wilson, Sandra Serafini. 4th Official: Abbas Piran.

Saturday, June 22, 2002 - Carolina Courage (5-1-3, 18 pts.) at Washington Freedom (4-4-3, 15 pts.) - 4:00 p.m. (ET) - PAX TV (National Broadcast) (Season Series: Series tied 0-0-1) (All-time Series History: Series tied 2-0-2)
The "Road Warriors" of the WUSA (3-0-2 away from SAS Stadium) head to the nation's capital as Carolina faces the Freedom at RFK on Saturday. This will be Carolina's second trip to Washington this season. The last meeting between these two resulted in a 1-1 tie on May 18. Washington has not lost in four straight matches, scoring seven goals in that span. The Courage looks to extend a league-best five-game unbeaten streak on the road. With the return of Mia Hamm to the lineup, the Freedom has recorded six goals in its last two matches. Washington will get its first look at Carolina forward Birgit Prinz, who has recorded a point in each of her three WUSA matches.

Key Players to Watch: Carolina's Danielle Fotopoulos (6g, 2a, 14 pts.) has scored a goal in three straight matches (as of June 17) after recording the game-tying goal versus the Atlanta Beat last Saturday. The team's leading point-getter is currently tied for fourth among the league leaders in scoring. Hege Riise (3g, 5a, 11 pts.) has notched an assist in four consecutive games after registering her fifth of the season on Saturday. With the assist, Riise has recorded a goal or an assist in a season-high seven straight matches. Prinz (2g, 1a, 5pts.) has made an immediate impact on Carolina since arriving from Germany. The Carolina striker recorded a point in three straight matches for the Courage. Washington's Abby Wambach (6g, 4a, 16 pts.) recorded three goals this past week to move into second place among the WUSA's leading scorers. Wambach is the only rookie to rank among the top 10 scorers in the league. Since making her 2002 debut last Wednesday, Hamm (2g, 1a, 5 pts.) has helped lead her team to two straight victories. The Washington star has scored a goal in the Freedom's last two matches. Goalkeeper Siri Mullinix (2-2-3, 0.96 GAA) recorded her second straight victory, registering six saves versus San Diego on Saturday. Mullinix ranks second in the WUSA in goals against average (0.96) and first in save percentage (86.0%).

Key Matchup: (Carolina forward Birgit Prinz versus Washington defender Jennifer Grubb) - Grubb will anchor a defense that will try to shut down the potent German striker. Prinz has yet to be held scoreless in a WUSA match. Grubb will need to battle Prinz off the ball, not giving the German star any opportunities in the box.

The "Inside Scoop": Both teams have had success in the past few weeks. Washington has remained undefeated in its last four matches and is quietly moving up in the WUSA standings. The Freedom has scored six goals in its last two matches while allowing only one. The Courage is riding a three-game unbeaten streak. Carolina's offense has exploded for nine goals in its last three games. This will be the first meeting with both Hamm (Washington) and Prinz (Carolina) in each team's lineup.

They Said it: "Abby Wambach was a handful for us in our first meeting. We need to do a better job denying her opportunities in our defensive third. Many of those came off counterattacks. We have to play better in transition defensively and holding possession will help us do that." - Carolina Head Coach Marcia McDermott on Washington.

Referee: Todd Perry. Assistant Referees: Diane Driggers, Brenda Wright. 4th Official: John E. Schmitz.

Saturday, June 22, 2002 - New York Power (2-7-1, 7 pts.) at Boston Breakers (2-5-4, 10 pts.) - 7:00 p.m. (ET) - AT&T 3 (Boston); MSG (New York) (Season Series: Boston leads 1-0-0) (All-time Series History: New York leads 3-1-0)
Both teams will be looking to get back into the win column as the Power heads to Boston to face the Breakers in a week six rematch. Despite falling to the Breakers 2-1 on May 18, New York leads the series 3-1-0. Boston's Dagny Mellgren has recorded four goals versus the Power, including two in the May 18 victory for the Breakers, to lead her team in scoring versus New York. Tiffeny Milbrett, who recorded her second career hat trick last Saturday, has notched five goals versus the Breakers, including the league's first-ever hat trick on June 22, 2001. New York is winless in its last three matches but has not had trouble finding the back of the net. The Power has recorded 16 goals this season (tied for second in the league). Boston has been held to three goals in its last three matches and will be looking for the "triple-threat" of Mellgren, Kristine Lilly and Maren Meinert to take advantage of the league's lowest rated defense (2.60 goals per game).

Key Players to Watch: New York's Milbrett (7g, 4a, 18 pts.) moved to the top of the scoring list in the WUSA after recording her second career hat trick last Saturday. Prior to Saturday's scoring surge, the Power had never scored a regular season goal versus the San Jose CyberRays. Milbrett has had a hand in 11 of the Power's 16 total goals. Linda Ormen (2g, 3a, 7 pts.) and Anita Rapp (2g, 1a, 5 pts.) look to strengthen the New York attack. Boston's Meinert (4g, 6a, 14 pts.) leads her squad in points; however, she is looking for her first goal since May 11. Mellgren (6g, 12 pts.), who leads the Breakers in goals scored, has notched the last five scores for Boston. Mellgren, who has had the most success for Boston versus the Power (four goals), is ranked sixth in the league in scoring. Goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc (2-5-4, 1.55 GAA) is currently ranked second in saves in the WUSA with 48.

Key Matchup: (New York forward Tiffeny Milbrett versus Boston defender Kate Sobrero) - Milbrett has scorched the Breakers with five goals and two assists in the previous four meetings. Sobrero will have the task of keeping the New York forward off the scoresheet. In their last meeting on May 18, Milbrett was held to an assist (2-1 win for Boston).

The "Inside Scoop": Boston's last victory came against the Power. The Breakers have scored three goals in their last five games and will be looking for some offensive results versus the league's lowest rated defense (2.60 goals per game). New York has not had any trouble finding the back of the net (1.60 goals per game), scoring seven goals in their last three games. The Power will try to take advantage of the lowest ranked offense (1.27 goals per game) in the WUSA by looking for the team's first shutout of the season.

They Said it: "It should be very interesting to see the Norwegians playing against each other. During the last match, Mellgren tallied twice against us. Like the last game, this should be a very offensive, and entertaining game." - New York Power Head Coach Pat Farmer on Boston.

Referee: Kari Seitz. Referee Assistants: Kelly Lee, Thomas Supple. 4th Official: Jeffery Cukor.

Saturday, June 22, 2002 - San Jose CyberRays (5-3-2, 17 pts.) at Atlanta Beat (5-4-1, 16 pts.) - 7:00 p.m. (ET) - WB 36 (Atlanta); Fox Sports Bay Area (San Jose) (Season Series: Atlanta leads 1-0-0) (All-time Series History: Atlanta leads 3-0-1)
In a rematch of Founders Cup I, the Beat will play host to the CyberRays on Saturday. With the 2-1 victory over the CyberRays on May 18, the Beat remains unbeaten versus San Jose during the regular season (3-0-1). San Jose is unbeaten in its last four matches, outscoring their opponents 9-4. The CyberRays' trio of Katia, Sissi, and Pretinha has combined for five goals and four assists during the team's undefeated streak. Atlanta has won four of its last five matches, including the 2-1 victory over the CyberRays.

Key Players to Watch: San Jose's Katia (7g, 1a, 15 pts.) is tied for the league lead in goals scored while ranking third among the WUSA leaders in scoring. The Brazilian forward has scored five goals in San Jose's last four matches. Sissi (5a, 5pts.) leads San Jose in assists and is currently tied for second in assists in the WUSA. Brandi Chastain (3g, 1a, 7 pts.), this week's WUSA Player of the Week, has already surpassed her goal-scoring total from 2001 (2) after a two-goal performance last Saturday. Michelle French (1g, 2a, 6 pts.), who recorded two assists last Saturday versus New York, is only one assist shy of her 2001 season total (5). Atlanta's Charmaine Hooper (5g, 10 pts.) returns to the lineup after serving a one-game suspension. The league leader in game-winning goals (4) has notched three of the Beat's last four game-winning tallies, including an 89th-minute goal in Atlanta's 2-1 victory over San Jose on May 18. Homare Sawa (2g, 5a, 9 pts.) has already surpassed her 2001 points total (8) with her second goal of the season on Saturday. Goalkeeper Briana Scurry (5-4-1, 1.30 GAA) had her scoreless streak of 375 minutes snapped with a goal by Carolina's Danielle Fotopoulos on Saturday. Scurry leads the league in shutouts with four and is tied with San Jose's LaKeysia Beene for the most career clean sheets (11).

Key Matchup: (San Jose defender Thori Bryan versus Atlanta forward Charmaine Hooper) - Bryan, the backbone of the San Jose defensive line, will use her speed to shut down the ever-dangerous Hooper. The Canadian striker has recorded five regular season goals versus the CyberRays, including an 89th-minute game-winning goal on May 18.

The "Inside Scoop": San Jose is riding a four-game unbeaten streak after defeating the New York Power on Saturday 4-3. The last defeat the CyberRays experienced was the 2-1 loss to Atlanta on May 18. Atlanta lost its first match in its last five games this past Saturday. The Beat's team-high, four-game winning streak began with the May 18 victory over San Jose. Atlanta has never lost a regular season match versus San Jose.

They Said it: "We've been playing pretty confidently lately, and the way we played last time against Atlanta gave us confidence. We're going to go in there and see what we can get out of this game.'' - San Jose CyberRays Head Coach Ian Sawyers on Atlanta.

Referee: Peter Kokolski. Referee Assistants: Bill P. Dittmar, Griff B. Sims. 4th Official: Patrick Baker.

Sunday, June 23, 2002 - Philadelphia Charge (6-1-2, 20 pts.) at San Diego Spirit (2-6-2, 8 pts.) - 8:00 p.m. (ET) - Cox 4 (San Diego) (Season Series: San Diego leads 1-0-0) (All-time Series History: Philadelphia leads 2-1-1)
Philadelphia will head to San Diego to face the Spirit in a week six rematch. The Charge will be looking to avenge its only loss of the season as San Diego defeated Philadelphia 1-0 on May 19. Despite the loss, Philadelphia leads the all-time series 2-1-1 versus the Spirit. The Charge is undefeated in four straight matches and has remained atop the WUSA standings all season. San Diego has dropped four straight after handing the Charge its first and only loss of the season. The Spirit has been outscored 11-2 in those four matches.

Key Players to Watch: Philadelphia's Marinette Pichon (5g, 1a, 11 pts.) is tied for the team lead in scoring (tied with Kelly Smith) and is tied for seventh among the WUSA leaders in points. Pichon has recorded four of the last five goals for the Charge. Goalkeeper Melissa Moore (6-1-2, 0.78 GAA) recorded her third shutout last Saturday, setting a new single-season team record for wins (6). Moore is among the top 'keepers in the WUSA, leading the league in goals against average (0.78), wins (6), and winning percentage (77.8%). San Diego's Zhang Ouying (4g, 2a, 10 pts.) leads the team in scoring and is tied for 10th among the league leaders in points. Rookie Lori Lindsey (1g, 4a, 6 pts.) will look to set up Zhang and try to spark an offense that has scored two goals in its last four matches. Forward Shannon MacMillan (3g, 3a, 9 pts.), who is second on the team in scoring, is doubtful for this weekend's match due to a strained right foot.

Key Matchup: (Philadelphia defender Heather Mitts versus San Diego forward Zhang Ouying) - Mitts anchors a defense that is tops in the WUSA (0.78 goals per game). She will have the task of keeping the Spirit's leading scorer from finding the back of the net.

The "Inside Scoop": The Spirit has dropped four straight matches, scoring only two goals to move into seventh in the WUSA standings. Philadelphia is undefeated in four straight and will look to avenge its only loss of the season (1-0 at San Diego, May 18). Philadelphia has allowed only three goals on the road while boasting the league's best defense (0.78 goals per game). San Diego's only victories of the season have come at Torero Stadium (2-3-0).

They Said it: "It is obvious that Philadelphia is at the of the top of the standings for a reason. They lost arguably the best player in the league (Kelly Smith) and are still producing. Marinette Pichon is filling the role nicely and will be a difficult assignment for our team.'' - Interim Head Coach Kevin Crow on Philadelphia.

Referee: Jesse Johnson. Referee Assistants: Emiliano Monje, Sara Kraus. 4th Official: Bryan Elliott.

TEAM INJURY REPORTS AS OF 6/17/02
ATLANTA BEAT: OUT - D Lisa Krzykowski (L broken ulna); PROBABLE - F Sun Wen (left adductor strain).
BOSTON BREAKERS: OUT - F Ragnhild Gulbrandsen (foot surgery); PROBABLE - GK Tracy Ducar (R knee articular cartilage lesion).
CAROLINA COURAGE: OUT - D/M Erin Baxter (R ankle sprain); F Kim Yankowski (lower back strain); PROBABLE - Carla Overbeck (R knee surgery); D Danielle Slaton (broken nose).
NEW YORK POWER: OUT - GK Gao Hong (R wrist surgery); D Jenn O'Sullivan (L knee ACL/PCL tear); D Christie Pearce (R knee sprain).
PHILADELPHIA CHARGE: OUT - M Kelly Smith (R ACL tear); QUESTIONABLE - GK Melissa Moore (R knee sprain); PROBABLE - M Stacey Tullock (Plantar fascitis); M/F Marinette Pichon (R quad strain); M Zhao Lihong (L calf pull); M Liu Ailing (L foot contusion).
SAN DIEGO SPIRIT: OUT - M Jen Mascaro (L foot broken); DOUBTFUL - F Shannon MacMillan (R foot strain); QUESTIONABLE - D Joy Fawcett (L calf strain); D Rhiannon Tanaka (L ankle sprain).
SAN JOSE CYBERRAYS: OUT - F Megan Horvath (L knee meniscus tear); DOUBTFUL - F Kim Clark (R ankle sprain); PROBABLE - D Gina Eagleson (L ankle sprain); D Kelly Lindsey (R knee surgery); GK Linnea Quiñones (R ankle sprain).
WASHINGTON FREEDOM: OUT - D Lindsey Stoecker (L ACL tear); PROBABLE - F Mia Hamm (L knee thigh bone lesion). SEASON ENDING INJURIES: PHILADELPHIA - F Rakel Karvelsson (R ACL tear).

NATIONAL TEAM DUTY AS OF 6/17/02
ATLANTA BEAT: None.
BOSTON BREAKERS: None.
CAROLINA COURAGE: None.
NEW YORK POWER: None.
PHILADELPHIA CHARGE: None.
SAN DIEGO SPIRIT: None.
SAN JOSE CYBERRAYS: None.
WASHINGTON FREEDOM: None.

suspension Summary 6/17/02

Player Team Suspension Reason

Kylie Bivens Atlanta Beat 6/22 vs. San Jose 4 Non-Consecutive cards accumulated

Kristy Whelchel New York Power 6/22 at Boston Red Card 6/15 at San Jose

Warning Summary 6/17/02

Player Team Reason

Thori Bryan San Jose CyberRays 3 Non-Consecutive Yellow Cards Accumulated (A caution in the next game will result in a 1 game suspension =4 non-consecutive cards accumulated)

Kelly Lindsey San Jose CyberRays 3 Non-Consecutive Yellow Cards Accumulated (A caution in the next game will result in a 1 game suspension =4 non-consecutive cards accumulated)

Wynne McIntosh New York Power 3 Non-Consecutive Yellow Cards Accumulated (A caution in the next game will result in a 1 game suspension =4 non-consecutive cards accumulated)

TEAM-BY-TEAM NOTES

ATLANTA BEAT: Although Homare Sawa scored first, Atlanta was unable to hold the lead and went down 3-1 to Carolina on June 15 at Herndon Stadium ... The loss snapped a four-game winning streak and five-match unbeaten streak ... Carolina is the only team Atlanta has never defeated, as the Courage hold a 4-0-1 all-time advantage over the Beat ... Goalkeeper Briana Scurry had gone 376 minutes without allowing a goal until Carolina scored in the 45th minute ... Going into the match versus the Courage, the Beat had never been defeated when scoring first ... The Beat had compiled a record of 13-0-3 when scoring first ... On June 17, Atlanta traded defender Anna Kraus to San Diego for the Spirit's 2003 second round pick in the WUSA Draft ... Atlanta then elevated defender Amanda Cromwell to the club's 18-player active roster ... Cromwell had started the last four games since Lisa Krzykowski went down with a broken wrist ... Kraus has not seen any game action during the regular season ... Sawa and Nikki Serlenga are tied for second in the WUSA with five assists each ... Cindy Parlow continues to lead the WUSA in fouls suffered with 32.

BOSTON BREAKERS: Following Saturday's 1-0 loss at Philadelphia, Boston is on a two-game losing streak and a four-game non-winning streak ... In the last eight days, the Breakers have played three games and have one tie and two losses ... Breakers are now 1-5-1 on the road ... Only San Diego, with an 0-3-2 mark away from home, is worse than Boston on the road ... Maren Meinert, Karina LeBlanc and Chrisy McCann remain the only players on the Breakers roster to have played every minute of every game this season ... Meinert has four goals and six assists for 14 points and is tied with Carolina's Danielle Fotopoulos in fourth place in the WUSA scoring race ... Dagny Mellgren ranks sixth in WUSA scoring with six goals and no assists for 12 points ... Mellgren's six goals are tied for third in WUSA goal scoring ... Boston reserve goalkeeper Kristin Slater, injured forward Ragnhild Gulbrandsen and reserve defender Kalli Kamholz drove six hours to Philadelphia on Saturday afternoon to arrive 10 minutes prior to the Breakers/Charge game ... Slater donned a blue Breakers jersey while sitting in the stands ... In true team fashion, Slater wore No. 23 in support of starting keeper Karina LeBlanc ... Upon arriving in Boston on Sunday after the week-long road trip, Kristine Lilly spoke at the Boston Globe All-Scholastics Award Ceremony ... Breakers backup goalkeeper Tracy Ducar will celebrate her 29th birthday on Tuesday and Dagny Mellgren will turn 24 on Wednesday ... Boston has been shut out three times this season: the first vs. Atlanta on May 25 (1-0); the second vs. Washington on June 1 (0-0) and Saturday vs. Philadelphia (1-0).

CAROLINA COURAGE: Carolina earned a crucial three points on the road, defeating Atlanta 3-1 at Herndon Stadium on Saturday, June 15 ... After Atlanta scored the first goal, Danielle Fotopoulos scored in the 45th minute to even the match ... Unni Lehn notched the game winner (her second goal of the season), Birgit Prinz added an insurance goal, her second as well ... Courage midfielder Hege Riise, who set up Prinz's goal in the 78th minute, extended her point-scoring streak to a WUSA-high seven games ... Riise's five assists are tied for second in the WUSA ... Fotopoulos, who led the Courage in scoring last year, is tied for second in the WUSA in goals (6) with Washington's Abby Wambach and Boston's Dagny Mellgren ...Fotopoulos ranks second in the WUSA in total shots (440) and shots on goal (21) ... After scoring only 28 goals in all of 2001, Carolina has the WUSA's most explosive offense this season ... Through nine games, the Courage has scored a league-high 17 goals, including nine in the club's last three matches ... Goalkeeper Kristin Luckenbill continues to lead the WUSA with 52 saves ... At 3-0-2, Carolina is the only WUSA team that has not lost on the road in 2002.

NEW YORK POWER: A wild second half that saw a combined six goals scored resulted in a 4-3 loss to San Jose for New York on June 15 ... Tiffeny Milbrett scored her second career hat trick, but New York was unable to stop San Jose from scoring four goals in the second half ... Through 10 games this season, the Power has compiled a 2-7-1 record for seven points, placing the club in last place of the WUSA standings ... Through 10 games last season, New York had a 5-1-4 record for 19 points and was tied for first place in the standings ... Defender Kristy Whelchel picked up a red card in the 87th minute against San Jose, the second one of the year for the Power ... Whelchel will sit out the next match when the Power travels to Boston ... The Power did not receive a single red card all of last year ... In addition New York Head Coach Pat Farmer was ejected from the match after disagreeing with a referee's call in the 51st minute ... New York is tied for third in WUSA scoring at 1.60 goals per game ... However, New York is allowing 2.60 goals per match, the most in the WUSA ... The Power has allowed a WUSA-high five goals in the first 15 minutes of play and a WUSA-high six goals in the final 15 minutes of action.

PHILADELPHIA CHARGE: Marinette Pichon's fifth-minute goal was all the Charge needed to extend their home-unbeaten streak to five with a 1-0 win over Boston on Saturday ... With the goal, Pichon is now tied for the team-lead in scoring with 11 points (5g, 1a) ... The French forward/midfielder has scored four of the last five goals for the Charge ... With a 3-0-2 mark at Villanova Stadium, the Charge has outscored its opponents 9-4 ... Philadelphia is 5-0-3 in their last eight matches at home ... Goalkeeper Melissa Moore recorded her third shutout of the season on Saturday to lower her league-leading goals against average to 0.78 ... In her last three matches, Moore has allowed only one goal ... With a 6-1-2, Moore has set a new single-season team mark for wins ... With Pichon's goal in the fifth minute on Saturday, the Charge became the last team to register a goal in the first 15 minutes of action ... Philadelphia is the only team to not allow a goal during the first 15 minutes of action in 2002 ... The Charge is now 11-1-0 all-time when scoring the first goal ... They have never lost a match when leading at halftime, holding a 9-0-0 record ... Through 10 weeks Philadelphia remains the league's stingiest defense (0.78 goals per game).

SAN DIEGO SPIRIT: San Diego dropped its fourth straight with a 4-0 loss to Washington on Saturday ... The Spirit is 1-13-4 all-time when allowing the first goal ... The four-game losing skid is the first in the club's history ... San Diego has allowed two or more goals in seven of the 10 games this season ... In two consecutive road games, the Spirit has allowed three or more goals ... The Spirit has trailed at the half in four consecutive matches ... After starting the season with nine goals in the first three matches, San Diego has registered four goals in its last seven ... The Spirit is tied for sixth in team offense (1.30 goals per game) and seventh in team defense (2.00 goals per game) ... San Diego's two victories have come at home ... San Diego has drawn even with its opponents in goal scoring at Torero Stadium (8-8) ... San Diego has allowed 12 of the 20 total goals allowed during the first 45 minutes of play this season.

SAN JOSE CYBERRAYS: San Jose extended its unbeaten streak to four games after a 4-3 victory over the New York Power on Saturday ... Brandi Chastain, this week's WUSA Player of the Week, recorded two goals and setup the game-winning penalty kick in the 88th minute ... Katia recorded her seventh goal of the season, converting a PK for the victory ... The Brazilian striker has registered five goals in her last four games ... She is currently tied for the league lead in goal scoring ... The four goals scored by the CyberRays are a team record for goals scored in a half as well as a game ... The three goals surrendered by San Jose were the most allowed in a CyberRays victory ... The seven total goals scored in Saturday's match tied the WUSA record for most combined goals in a single game (April 20 - San Diego 6, New York 1) ... With Tiffeny Milbrett recording a hat trick versus the CyberRays, two of the four league hat tricks came agianst San Jose (Charmaine Hooper - April 9, 2001) ... The converted penalty kick in the 35th minute by New York was the first successful PK versus the CyberRays this season ... Michelle French's two assists against New York gave the midfielder/defender her first mulitple assist match of her career ... Thori Bryan extended her minutes-played streak to 2,985, the longest in the WUSA ... The San Jose defender has played in every minute of every match for the CyberRays ... On June 11, San Jose defeated Arsenal Ladies FC of England 2-1 in an exhibition in Tulsa, Okla. ... Kim Clark and Katia each netted goals for the CyberRays.

WASHINGTON FREEDOM: Washington defeated San Diego 4-0 on Saturday, putting together back-to-back victories for only the second time in team history ... Abby Wambach registered two goals versus the Spirit to move into second place among the league's leading scorers (6g, 4a, 16 pts.) ... Mia Hamm made her 2002 WUSA debut last Wednesday and has come off the bench in each of the team's two previous matches to record two goals and an assist ... Hamm's first goal of the 2002 season was the game-winner versus Boston on June 12 (2-1) ... Since Hamm's return, Washington has outscored its opponents 6-1 ... Goalkeeper Siri Mullinix is undefeated in her last four starts, allowing only two goals ... Mullinix ranks second in goals against average (0.96) among the top WUSA goalkeepers ... Mullinix leads all 'keepers with a 86.0% save percentage ... The Freedom ranks seventh in team offense (1.36 goals per game) and fourth in team defense (1.27 goals per game) ... Washington has already equaled its win total at home (3) from the 2001 season.



Women's United Soccer Association Stories from June 17, 2002


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