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Charge Off to Record Start

May 13, 2002 - Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) News Release


ATLANTA (Monday, May 13, 2002) - Many experts in the soccer community questioned Philadelphia Head Coach Mark Krikorian and his staff prior to the inaugural WUSA season when they selected players for the new team, but Krikorian's upstart squad surprised the entire soccer community by finishing fourth in the league's 2001 season before losing a heartbreaking match to Atlanta in the playoffs. Fast-forward to 2002 and the 4-0 Charge is off to a record-setting start and those same experts are now pegging Philadelphia as a favorite to make it to Founders Cup II on August 24 at Herndon Stadium in Atlanta.

Owners of the WUSA's only four-game winning streak in the league's short history, Philadelphia is conquering opponents in impressive fashion. The Charge features the WUSA's top scoring offense at 2.75 goals per game and is scoring goals fit for a highlight reel. But Philadelphia is more than a scoring machine, as the Charge has the league's second stingiest defense, allowing just one goal per game.

Unlike other WUSA teams that have some of the best-known players in women's soccer, Krikorian's club currently does not feature some of the higher profile names. U.S. national team starter Lorrie Fair was promoted as the team's marquee player during the club's inaugural campaign, but the Charge's 2002 success is clearly a team effort.

"We look at everything collectively," Krikorian said. "We defend and attack as a team and each of our players will give some of themselves for the betterment of the team."

Led by current WUSA Player of the Week Kelly Smith, Philadelphia's offense features many options and may have the league's deepest group of forwards. Saturday's 3-1 victory over Washington was a prime example of the Charge's depth up front. Since French star Marinette Pichon had played in a World Cup qualifier May 9 in Europe, little-used Erin Martin stepped up and scored two goals to propel Philadelphia into sole possession of first place.

"We have a variety of different players we can go to," Krikorian added. "Marinette wanted to start, but she understood and Erin went out there and scored two goals. The selflessness of this team has been very instrumental in our success."

After seeing action in just 13 games in 2001 due to an ankle injury, Smith is showing how dominant a player she can be now that she is healthy and fit. The English national team star is second in WUSA scoring with three goals and two assists for eight points. Her combination of skill, size and athletic ability also has made her a marked player, as she currently ranks second in the WUSA in fouls suffered with 15.

"Kelly made a 100 percent commitment in the offseason to get herself fit," Krikorian said. "She had the collection of skills, but we knew that she had to make that commitment to her fitness and she did. She's a multi-faceted player who realizes now that the sky's the limit. She can be as good a player as she wants to be."

Philadelphia travels to San Diego this weekend for a Sunday match against the Spirit. Following last year's 2-0-2 start, the Charge went 3-5-1 before finishing 9-8-4. Krikorian is focused on the next game, and looks to instill that same focus in his players.

"We use the same approach we've gone with from the beginning," Krikorian stated. "We'll take it one game at a time. If you start looking down the road too much, then you might not end up down that road. It's a 21-game season and we're only four games into it."

FOUNDERS CUP REMATCH SATURDAY ON PAX-TV: On Saturday, May 18 the Atlanta Beat will head to San Jose to face the CyberRays at 4:00 p.m. (ET) on PAX TV. The game will mark the first time these two teams have faced each other since Founders Cup I on August 25, 2001. In that match, Bay Area (now San Jose) defeated Atlanta 4-2 on penalty kicks after a thrilling 3-3 tie at the end of regulation..

San Jose is currently in third place in the WUSA with a 2-2-1 mark. The CyberRays are coming off a thrilling 1-1 tie with the San Diego Spirit on May 12.

Atlanta (1-3-1) is tied for last in the league standings. The Beat was unable to hold on to a 3-1 lead late in the second half versus the New York Power on Saturday, May 11, resulting in a 3-3 tie.

DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS: Carolina is off to its best start due to the league's stingiest defense. Allowing less than one goal per match (0.75), the Courage has won games due to tenacious defense. Carolina has gone from the worst defense (1.90 goals per game in 2001) to the best thanks in part to stellar play by goalkeeper Kristin Luckenbill. The Carolina 'keeper leads the WUSA in goals against average (0.75), saves (34) and save percentage (91.9%). Credit also has to go to the defense. Carolina's defense digs in early, not allowing a goal during the first 45 minutes of action in 2002. The Courage has not trailed an opponent the entire season.

WUSA STARS BATTLE EACH OTHER IN WORLD CUP QUALIFYING: This past week Norway had two World Cup Qualifying matches. Five international stars missed WUSA action this weekend due to Norwegian national team duty. Dagny Mellgren (Boston), Anita Rapp (New York), Linda Ormen (New York), Unni Lehn (Carolina) and Hege Riise (Carolina), led Norway to a 1-1 tie with the Ukraine on May 12. In a WCQ match three days earlier, Mellgren netted a hat trick, leading Norway to a 3-1 victory. The victory qualified Norway for the 2003 World Cup in China. Fellow WUSA member, Marinette Pichon recorded France's only goal of the match. Pichon returned to Philadelphia following the match versus Norway. She played 23 minutes in her club's 3-1 victory over Washington.

FRENCH TO PARTICPATE IN THIS WEEK'S WUSA.COM CHAT: San Jose defender Michelle French will be the featured guest on this week's WUSA.com live web chat on Tuesday, May 14. The chat will begin at 8:00 p.m. (ET) and will last approximately 40 minutes. French 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.

THE STREAK CONTINUES: Philadelphia Charge forward and WUSA Player of the Week Kelly Smith recorded a goal and an assist in Saturday's 3-1 win over the Washington Freedom. Both scores extended Smith's current streak of consecutive regular season matches with at least a goal or an assist to seven (a WUSA record), dating back to August 6, 2001. Smith, this week's WUSA Player of the Week, has recorded a point in eight straight matches for the Charge, including the playoffs. This year, Smith has registered three goals and two assists in four matches, leading the Charge to a 4-0-0 start. The English international currently ranks second in the league in scoring with eight points.

LAST-MINUTE HEROICS: Both New York's Krista Davey and San Diego's Sherrill Kester became unlikely heroes following this weekend's WUSA action. Behind 3-2 with time winding down, 80th-minute substitute Davey recorded her first career goal during stoppage time to draw the Power even with the Beat 3-3. The goal was scored less than 20 seconds from the final whistle. It was the second straight outcome at Herndon Stadium that was determined by a goal in stoppage time (Charmaine Hooper scored in stoppage time to lead Atlanta to a 1-0 victory over Washington on April 27). On Sunday, May 12, San Diego trailed San Jose 1-0 heading into stoppage time. Kester, who came in during the 75th minute, became the hero for the Spirit as she netted the game-tying goal three minutes into stoppage time. The goal was scored with less than five seconds left in the match. The score gave San Diego its second straight draw on the road. The goal was also Kester's first of her career.

SCORING STILL UP: With 19 games completed in the 2002 season, 63 goals have been scored. That's an average of 3.32 goals per match. The league is on pace to record 278 goals on the season. That's 43 more goals than last season's total of 235. There have been four instances where a team was unable to find the back of the net during a match in 2002. Through the first 19 matches of the 2001 season a team was shut out 12 times.

WUSA Game Previews (Week Six)

Saturday, May 18, 2002 - Atlanta Beat at San Jose CyberRays - 4:00 p.m. (ET) - PAX TV (National Broadcast) (All-time Series History: Atlanta leads 2-0-1)
In a rematch of Founders Cup I, the Atlanta Beat will travel to San Jose to face the CyberRays. The Beat holds a 2-0-1 lead in the three previous regular season matches. Atlanta has outscored San Jose 6-1 all-time in those matches. The last time these two teams faced each other in regular season action was on August 9, 2001 at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta. The Beat defeated the CyberRays 4-0 to claim the regular season title. Atlanta's Charmaine Hooper, who recorded a hat trick in that match, has scored four of the six total regular-season goals recorded by the Beat versus the CyberRays. San Jose forward Christina Bell has scored the lone goal for the CyberRays in this regular season series.

Key Players to Watch: Atlanta's Hooper (2g, 4 pts.) recorded her second goal of the season last week versus New York. Hooper will look for continued success versus the CyberRays, having scored four goals in three regular season matchups as well as a goal in last year's Founders Cup. Atlanta's offense came to life last Saturday when Sun Wen (1g, 2 pts.) and Kylie Bivens (1g, 2 pts.), notched their first scores of the 2002 season. Goalkeeper Briana Scurry (1-3-1, 1.80 GAA) has been successful versus the CyberRays, allowing only one goal in three regular season appearances. San Jose's Pretinha (2g, 4 pts.) leads all CyberRays in scoring. Forward Kim Clark (1g, 2 pts.) recorded her first goal of the season on Sunday while making her first start of 2002. LaKeysia Beene (2-2-1, 1.20 GAA) was just seconds away from her 10th career shutout on Sunday. However, a late goal by San Diego in stoppage time resulted in Beene's first draw of the season.

Key Matchup: (San Jose forwards Katia and Pretinha versus Atlanta defenders Sharolta Nonen and Dayna Smith) - Finishing has emerged as an early season concern for the CyberRays and Nonen and Smith will be keying on San Jose's Brazilian duo of Katia and Pretinha. San Jose currently leads the league in shots; however, the CyberRays rank seventh in the league in scoring (1.20 goals per game). Atlanta's defense, anchored by Nonen and Smith, is second only to Philadelphia in the shots per game allowed (10.4) and is ranked fourth in team defense (1.80 goals per game).

The "Inside Scoop": Both teams were merely seconds away from registering three points last weekend. However, late goals during stoppage time in both contests resulted in each club only receiving one point on the weekend. Atlanta will be looking to earn three points this weekend, which could catapult the Beat in the standings. San Jose, which is undefeated in the month of May (1-0-1), will be looking to for its first home victory of the month.

They Said it: "San Jose is one of the most dangerous teams because they can turn up the heat in the blink of an eye. They are the most experienced team in the league I think with Brandi (Chastain), Sissi, Pretinha, Katia, and Tisha (Venturini-Hoch). They can appear dormant for a stretch and then BOOM, the Brazilian triangle lights up and puts you on your heels." - Atlanta Beat Head Coach Tom Stone on San Jose.

Referee: Faith Rossi. Assistant Referees: Sarah Kraus, Robert Sabella. 4th Official: Yader Reyes.

Saturday, May 18, 2002 - Carolina Courage at Washington Freedom - 4:00 p.m. (ET) - No TV (All-time Series History: Washington leads 2-0-1)
Washington holds a 2-0-1 lead in the all-time series versus the Courage. The Freedom has outscored Carolina 6-3 in the three matches played between these two teams. The last meeting between these two teams took place on June 30, 2001. In that match, Washington's Erin Fahey recorded her first career shutout in her first start with a 2-0 win over the Courage at RFK Stadium. No current player on either squad has recorded more than one goal in this series.

Key Players to Watch: Carolina's Danielle Fotopoulos (3g, 6 pts.) has recorded three goals in four matches, including a 35th-minute tally that got the Courage on the board early versus Boston on Saturday. Returning to Carolina's roster after missing action due to Norwegian national team duty will be midfielders Hege Riise (1g, 1a, 3 pts.) and Unni Lehn. One of the league's top goalkeepers Kristin Luckenbill (3-0-1, 0.75 GAA) anchors the WUSA's best defense, allowing just under a goal per match. Washington will rely heavily on rookie sensation Abby Wambach (2g, 3a, 7 pts.). The first-year striker has recorded at least a goal or an assist in every match she has played for the Freedom, including a goal last weekend versus Philadelphia. Monica Gerardo (2g, 1a, 5 pts.) and Jacqui Little (2g, 4 pts.) will add to the Freedom attack.

Key Matchup: (Carolina defender Erin Baxter versus Washington forward Abby Wambach) - Wambach has been exceptional for the Freedom. Last week's WUSA Player of the Week has two goals and three assists in five matches. The Courage's gritty center back, Erin Baxter will be relied upon to neutralize her former college teammate. Both Baxter and Wambach played for the 1998 NCAA Champion Florida Gators.

The "Inside Scoop": Carolina (3-0-1) is one of only two undefeated teams in the WUSA and will look to extend its road-winning streak to three matches this season. Last season, Carolina had recorded only two victories on the road. Washington will head home for the first time in nearly a month after a three-game road trip in which the Freedom went 1-2-0. The Freedom will look to remain undefeated versus the Courage while winning its second straight home match of the season.

They Said it: "We will have to win the midfield matchups and control Abby Wambach. They keep possession extremely well. We must prevent them from taking a lead and not allow them to dictate tempo." - Carolina Courage Head Coach Marcia McDermott on Washington.

Referee: Peter Kokolski. Assistant Referees: Sandra Serafini, Kelly Lee. 4th Official: Mike Stutt.

Saturday, May 18, 2002 - Boston Breakers at New York Power - 7:00 p.m. (ET) - MSG (New York) (All-time Series History: New York leads 3-0-0)
New York holds a 3-0-0 lead all-time in its series versus Boston. New York has outscored the Breakers 10-5 in the three previous meetings. The last meeting between these two teams took place on July 26, 2001. New York defeated Boston 4-2 in that match, snapping a four-game losing streak for the Power while sweeping the season series versus the Breakers. Tiffeny Milbrett leads all New York players with five goals versus the Breakers, including the league's first-ever hat trick (June 22, 2001). Boston's Maren Meinert and Dagny Mellgren have each recorded two goals versus the Power.

Key Players to Watch: Meinert (4g, 2a, 10 pts.) extended her point-scoring streak to five matches after registering the game-tying goal in the 65th minute in Saturday's 1-1 draw at Carolina. The league's leading scorer will be aided by the return of Norwegian national team star Dagny Mellgren (1g, 2 pts.) who missed the Breakers last match due to World Cup Qualifying. Defender Kate Sobrero made her first appearance of the 2002 season after suffering a meniscus tear in her left knee. Milbrett (3g, 1a, 7 pts.) recorded her third goal of the season in a 3-3 tie with the Atlanta Beat on Saturday. Her 84th-minute goal sparked a late rally by the Power that resulted in a point, the team's first since opening day. Minna Mustonen (1g, 1a, 3 pts.) recorded her first career goal on Saturday. The return of Anita Rapp (1g, 2 pts.) and Linda Ormen (1g, 2a, 4 pts.) should spark an offense that exploded for three goals versus the Beat on May 11.

Key Matchup: (Boston defender Kate Sobrero versus New York forward Tiffeny Milbrett) - Milbrett has recorded five goals and an assist in three games versus the Breakers. Her 11 points marks the most Milbrett has scored against one team in the WUSA. Sobrero will be making only her second appearance of the season and will be the backbone of a defense that must contain the New York striker. The Boston defender suffered a meniscus tear in her left knee and made her 2002 WUSA debut last weekend versus Carolina.

The "Inside Scoop": Both teams rallied to tie last weekend's matches. Meinert's goal in the 65th minute drew the Breakers even with the Courage, earning Boston a point. Krista Davey's goal in stoppage time, capped off a New York comeback after falling behind 3-1 to Atlanta. New York will be looking for its first home win of the season. The Power is the only team that has not tasted victory at home. Boston (0-2-1 away from Nickerson Field) will be looking for its first road win of the season.

They Said it: "It should be very interesting to see the Norwegians playing against each other. This should be an offensive match that will be entertaining for the fans." - New York Head Coach Pat Farmer on facing Boston.

Referee: Todd Perry. Referee Assistants: Steven Taylor, John Konstantinidis. 4th Official: Mark Gorak.

Sunday, May 19, 2002 - Philadelphia Charge at San Diego Spirit - 8:00 p.m. (ET) - Cox 4 (San Diego); CN8 (Philadelphia) (All-time Series History: Philadelphia leads 2-0-1)
Philadelphia holds a 2-0-1 all-time lead versus San Diego. The Charge has outscored the Spirit 6-1 in the previous three meetings. The last time these two met was on August 9, 2001. A late goal by Kelly Smith lifted the Charge to a 1-1 tie with San Diego. Smith leads all current Charge players with two goals versus San Diego. Tara Koleski recorded the only goal for San Diego in this series.

Key Players to Watch: Midfielder/forward Smith (3g, 2a, 8 pts.) is playing some of the best soccer in WUSA right now. Smith scored the "insurance" goal and registered an assist in the Charge's 3-1 win over Washington to extend her regular season point-scoring streak to seven games, dating back to August 6, 2001. French international Marinette Pichon (1g, 1a, 3 pts.) should return to the starting lineup, adding to an already potent offense. Mandy Clemens (1g, 1a, 3 pts.) scored in her second straight match with her first assist of the 2002 season. San Diego's Zhang Ouying (3g, 2a, 8 pts.) and Shannon MacMillan (2g, 1a, 5 pts.) showcase an offense that ranks second in the WUSA (2.00 goals per game). Goalkeeper Jamie Pagliarulo (1-2-2, 1.64 GAA) has been sensational in net for the Spirit. Despite allowing an early goal to San Jose on Sunday, Pagliarulo tied a club record for saves in a match with eight. Her performance allowed the Spirit to get back into the match and leave Spartan Stadium with a point.

Key Matchup: (Philadelphia defender Heather Mitts versus San Diego forward Zhang Ouying) - Mitts, who helped the Philadelphia defense hold San Diego to only one goal in three games last year, will have to meet the challenge of stopping the speedy and skillful Zhang. Zhang leads an offense that scores 2.00 goals per game while Mitts leads a defense that allows only 1.00 goal per match.

The "Inside Scoop": Philadelphia is off to its best start in team history. One of only two undefeated teams and in sole possession of first place in the WUSA, the Charge looks to extend its league record four-game win streak. San Diego looks to become the first team to knock off Philadelphia after tying the defending WUSA champion San Jose CyberRays on Sunday. San Diego has never defeated Philadelphia and was shut out in the only meeting at Torero Stadium (2-0, April 22, 2001).

They Said it: "They're a dangerous team with different personalities. They showed what they are capable of doing in the win over New York. We have to take it one game at a time and we're looking forward to our trip to San Diego.'' - Philadelphia Charge Head Coach Mark Krikorian on San Diego.

Referee: Jesse Johnson. Referee Assistants: Alex Del Angel, Jr., Emiliano Monje. 4th Official: Sandra Belmont.

TEAM INJURY REPORTS AS OF 5/13/02
ATLANTA BEAT: PROBABLE - D Nancy Augustyniak (R knee patellar tendonitis); F Cindy Parlow (R ankle contusion); F Sun Wen (left adductor strain).
BOSTON BREAKERS: OUT - GK Tracy Ducar (R knee articular cartilage lesion); F Ragnhild Gulbrandsen (foot surgery). CAROLINA COURAGE: OUT - D Carla Overbeck (R knee surgery). NEW YORK POWER: OUT - GK Gao Hong (R wrist surgery); D Jenn O'Sullivan (L knee ACL/PCL tear).
PHILADELPHIA CHARGE: OUT - F Rakel Karvelsson (R ACL tear); PROBABLE - D Jenny Benson (L knee); D Erica Iverson (R foot sprain); F Kelly Smith (L knee); M Zhao Lihong (L foot).
SAN DIEGO SPIRIT: OUT - M Jen Mascaro (Broken L foot).
SAN JOSE CYBERRAYS: Questionable - M Theresa Wagner (right knee tendonitis); PROBABLE - D Danielle Borgman (foot strain); D Kelly Lindsey (lower back strain).
WASHINGTON FREEDOM: QUESTIONABLE - F Mia Hamm (L knee thigh bone lesion).

NATIONAL TEAM DUTY AS OF 5/13/02
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 5/13/02

Player Team Suspension Reason
Erica Iverson Philadelphia Charge 5/19 vs. San Diego 2 Yellow Cards (5/11 vs. Washington)

Warning Summary 5/13/02

Player Team Reason
None

TEAM-BY-TEAM NOTES

ATLANTA BEAT: Atlanta came out firing on goal in the second half of the match versus New York Saturday evening, scoring three goals in the second period, but it was not enough as New York came back to tie the game 3-3 on a Krista Davey goal in stoppage time ... Down at halftime 1-0, Charmaine Hooper, Kylie Bivens and Sun Wen scored to take the lead 3-1 with only eight minutes left in regulation, but two late Power goals resulted in the draw ... The Beat smashed its 2002 team records to date notching 19 shots in the game with seven on goal. The previous high for the Beat was eight shots with six on goal ... "Parlow and Hooper were wonderful," said Atlanta Head coach Tom Stone. "They really set the tone for the entire team." ... All five of the Beat's goals this year has come in the second half of action ... Conversely, 66% of all goals scored on the Beat have come in the second half ... Kylie Bivens started the match in the midfield for the Atlanta versus New York ... Bivens had been playing right marking back for the Beat in the previous games this season and for the U.S. national team ... Bivens, who scored Atlanta's second goal, made an immediate impact in the Beat's offense as she won balls in the midfield and distributed up to the attacking players ...The Beat is 5-1-2 all time in the regular season when Bivens notches a point ... The July issue of Ebony magazine will feature none other than Beat defender Sharolta Nonen as one of America's Super Singles ... Despite limited playing time due to an ankle injury, Cindy Parlow's 15 fouls suffered are second in the WUSA ... Charmaine Hooper has been offside a WUSA-high 10 times.

BOSTON BREAKERS: Boston Breakers forward Maren Meinert now leads the league in scoring after notching her fourth goal of the season in the 65th minute of the Breakers 1-1 tie against Carolina on Saturday at SAS Soccer Park ... Meinert has four goals and two assists for 10 points, two more than San Diego's Zhang Ouying and Philadelphia's Kelly Smith ...Dagny Mellgren, who returned Monday from Norwegian national team duty, had three goals in Norway's 3-1 win over France on Thursday, May 9 to qualify Norway for World Cup China 2003 ... In Norway's second World Cup qualifier, Norway tied Ukraine, 1-1, on Sunday ... Keri Raygor made her debut at forward in the 1-1 draw against Carolina ... Raygor, who is still not 100 percent and playing with a slight hamstring pull, was very active up front alongside Meinert ... The Breakers have already had five different starting lineups - the only players to start and play in every game and every minute this season are Maren Meinert and Chrisy McCann ... The Breakers are 0-1-1 without Kristine Lilly in the lineup ... Kate Sobrero played 53 minutes in her first appearance this season ... Boston averages a WUSA-low 9.6 shots per game, but the Breakers make the most of their opportunities as Jay Hoffman's squad ranks third in WUSA scoring at 1.8 goals per game.

CAROLINA COURAGE: Carolina's Danielle Fotopoulos scored in the 35th minute to put the Courage up 1-0, but Boston came back as the Courage and Breakers tied 1-1 at SAS Stadium Saturday evening ... The Courage's Kristin Luckenbill is one the main reasons the Courage are unbeaten so far this season ... "Lucks" boasts the WUSA's best goals against average (0.75) and save percentage (91.9%) ... Fotopoulos' 16 shots rank third in the WUSA and her 9 shots on goal are tied for second in the league ... Carolina has the league's stingiest defense, allowing just 0.75 goals per game ... The Courage allowed a WUSA-high 1.90 goals per outing in 2001 ... Carolina's offense ranks fifth in the WUSA, averaging 1.50 goals per game ... Although German star Birgit Prinz won't join the Courage until after her German club FFC Frankfurt battles Umea of Sweden on May 23 to crown the first-ever European club champion, she is staying sharp in the meantime, playing for Bundesliga leader Frankfurt ... In action over the weekend, Prinz paced her club to its fourth consecutive Bundesliga Cup title, by pouring in three goals in Frankfurt's 5-0 dismantling of Hamburg in Berlin.

NEW YORK POWER: Midfielder Krista Davey's goal in stoppage time gave the Power its first point since April 13, as New York tied the Atlanta Beat 3-3 Saturday evening at Herndon Stadium ... Davey was an 80th-minute substitute ... Tiffeny Milbrett and Minna Mustonen also scored for the Power ... Milbrett is tied for fourth in WUSA scoring with three goals and one assist for seven points ... Milbrett is tied for second in the WUSA with nine shots on goal ... The Power averages a WUSA-high 2.67 goals per game on the road, but New York is scoring a WUSA-low 0.50 goals per match at home ... Don't leave a Power match early as New York has scored a WUSA-high four goals in the final 15 minutes and allowed a WUSA-high four goals during that same final 15-minute time frame.

PHILADELPHIA CHARGE: Two goals by Erin Martin helped lead Philadelphia to its fourth straigh victory on Saturday after defeating Washington 3-1 ... With the win, Philadelphia remains undefeated and in sole position of first place in the WUSA ... The four straight victories set the WUSA record for consecutive wins ... Kelly Smith, this week's WUSA Player of the Week, recorded an goal and an assist in the 3-1 win over the Freedom, extending her point-scoring streak to seven regular season matches, dating back to August 6, 2001 ... Philadelphia, last year's most potent offense (1.67 goals per game in 2001), has continued to find the back of the net as the league's number one offense (2.75 goals per game) this season ... The Charge has allowed only one goal, while averaging 2.00 goals per game in two road matches ... Philadelphia has never trailed at the half this season ... The Charge went 6-0-0 (during the regular season) in 2001 when leading at the half ... The only time Philadelphia has ever lost when leading at the half was during a heartbreaking 3-2 loss to Atlanta in the 2001 WUSA Playoff Semifinals ... With 11 goals scored in 2002, the Charge are 31% to its goal total (35) in 2001.

SAN DIEGO SPIRIT: A goal in stoppage time by Sherrill Kester rallied the Spirit to a 1-1 tie with the San Jose CyberRays on Sunday ... With the tie, San Diego remains undefeated on the road this season ... The goal was Kester's first of her career ... Ranked second in scoring in the WUSA (2.00 goals per game), San Diego has scored only one goal in its last two matches ... San Diego was scoreless for 237 minutes before Kester's goal ... San Diego has used five different starting lineups and five different forward lines this season ... Shannon Boxx played in her 26th consecutive match for the Spirit on Sunday ... Jamie Pagliarulo recorded her 101st career save in the 63rd minute of Sunday's match versus San Jose ...The Spirit has recorded seven goals in three home matches, while tallying only three goals in two road games ... Of the 10 goals scored by the Spirit, San Diego has distributed its scoring, registering five in the first half and five in the second .

SAN JOSE CYBERRAYS: After leading the entire match, a goal in stoppage time by San Diego resulted in the CyberRays first tie of the 2002 season on Sunday ... Kim Clark's goal in the 44th minute was the first of the season for the San Jose forward ... Despite leading the league in shots (73), San Jose is ranked seventh in the league in team offense (1.20 goals per game) ... "We're making some all-stars out of goalkeepers this season" - San Jose Head Coach Ian Sawyers on his team's scoring difficulties ... San Jose, which had the WUSA's best home record in 2001 (6-3-1), is currently 1-1-1 at Spartan Stadium ... San Jose has scored three of its six goals in the final 30 minutes of its 2002 matches, while allowing three of the six goals scored against them in the final 15 minutes ... When allowing the first goal, the CyberRays are 1-1-1 ... San Jose is also 1-1-1 when scoring first ... San Jose is currently riding a two-game undefeated streak dating back to May 5.

WASHINGTON FREEDOM: Despite a goal by rookie Abby Wambach, the Freedom fell to the Philadelphia Charge 3-1 on Saturday afternoon ... With the goal, Wambach has now recorded a goal or and assist in every match she has played for the Freedom ... The Freedom are one of only two teams (San Diego the other) to have three or more players record more than one goal this season ... Washington is one of only two teams (Philadelphia the other) to have not recorded a tie ... Washington will be looking for its second straight home victory after defeating San Jose 2-1 on April 21 ... Washington has been on a three-game road trip and has not played a match at RFK in nearly a month ... The Freedom has been outscored 5-3 in the teams previous two home matches ... The Freedom is ranked second in the WUSA in shots for (68). However, Washington is ranked sixth in team offense (1.40 goals per game) ... The Freedom's match versus Carolina on Saturday, May 18 will be the first part of a doubleheader with Major League Soccer's D.C. United.

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Women's United Soccer Association Stories from May 13, 2002


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.


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