Charmaine Hooper to Become First Woman to be Inducted into the United Soccer Leagues Hall of Fame

Published on November 6, 2002 under Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA)
Atlanta Beat News Release


ATLANTA (November 6, 2002) - Atlanta Beat forward and Canadian National Team captain, Charmaine Hooper, will be honored tomorrow by being inducted into the United Soccer Leagues Hall of Fame. Hooper is among four players and three coaches, with a combined 17 championships in USL, Major League Soccer and US Open Cup, to be honored.

The United Soccer Leagues, which is presenting Hooper with the honor, is the umbrella body of the A-League, D3 professional league, Professional Developmental League (PDL), W-League and Super Y-League. With 120 adult outdoor teams in five separate leagues, the USL is the second largest organization of sports leagues in the U.S., trailing only Minor League Baseball.

It was in the W-League, with the Rockford Dactyls in 1995-97 and the Chicago Cobras in 1998-00, that Hooper gathered the credentials to earn entry into the USL Hall of Fame. Hooper is the only W-League player to lead the league in scoring three times (1995, 1999, 2000). As a member of the Rockford Dactyls, Hooper tallied 31 points. Three years later as a member of the Chicago Cobras, Hooper led the league in points (52) and goals (23) and was honored as the W-1 Most Valuable Player. She led the Cobras to the W-1 Championship game the following two years, claiming the title in 2000 after leading the league in scoring for the third time, with 13 goals and five assists for 31 points.

Currently Hooper is a member of the Atlanta Beat of the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA). For two years, Hooper has led the Beat in scoring and was the team's Most Valuable Player both seasons. Hooper is also considered the pioneer of women's soccer in Canada, where she has been a member of the Canadian Women's National Team since it's creation 16 years ago. Hooper is the Canadian Women's National Team's all-time leader in caps (88) and goals scored (55).

She continues to be a force in the women's game. Hooper and the Canadian National Team are currently competing in the Gold Cup, where they will be trying to qualify for the 2003 Women's World Cup. In the first round of competition, Hooper notched six goals to help lead Canada to the tournament semifinals. Canada will face Mexico tomorrow in the semifinals of the Gold Cup, while the U.S. Women's National Team will face Costa Rica in the other semifinal. The winners of the semifinal matches will automatically qualify for the 2003 Women's World Cup, to be held in China.

The list of honorees for tomorrow's induction includes U.S. National Team stars Chris Armas, Tony Sanneh and Brian McBride. Each player starred in the USL before going onto the MLS and U.S. National Team fame. Sanneh has since moved from the MLS to the German First Division. The coaches being inducted include Pat Ercoli, Bob Gansler and Dennis Viollet.

The Atlanta Beat is one of eight professional women's soccer teams that make up the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA), the world's premier women's soccer league. Tickets for the 2003 season are on sale now and can be purchased by calling 1-877-SOCCER-1. For more information on the Atlanta Beat log onto www.theatlantabeat.com.

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