Courage's Luckenbill Earns WUSA's Top Honor
Published on May 1, 2002 under Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA)
Carolina Courage News Release
ATLANTA (Wednesday, May 1, 2002) â During the month of April, Carolina's Kristin Luckenbill led the WUSA in saves with 19 while leading her team to a 2-0-0 start. Spirit striker Zhang Ouying led all WUSA players in scoring (eight points) while helping her club finish 1-1-1 for the month. For their performances, the Courage goalkeeper and San Diego forward have been named the WUSA Co-Players of the Month for the month of April.
Luckenbill, who was named WUSA Player of the Week for the week ending April 28, 2002, helped Carolina to an undefeated start and a share of the WUSA league lead with two sensational performances versus San Jose and San Diego. Despite having played in one fewer game than most other goalkeepers in the league, Luckenbill has the most saves (19) and has the highest save percentage (90.5%) in the WUSA. The Carolina âkeeper tied the WUSA record for saves in a match with 12 while facing a WUSA season-high 15 shots on goal versus the CyberRays on April 27.
Zhang completed her first month of WUSA play as the league's leading scorer. In three matches, the speedy Chinese international has tallied three goals and two assists for a total of eight points for San Diego in April. She has recorded a point in every match for the Spirit and needs only to notch points in two consecutive games to tie the club record five-game point streak held by Tara Koleski. Zhang recorded two goals and an assist in the Spirit's record-setting 6-1 win over the New York Power on April 20.
Luckenbill and Zhang, who both captured 23 points in the voting, outdistanced Boston midfielder Maren Meinert (4 pts.), Philadelphia forward Kelly Smith (3 pts.) and San Diego forward Shannon MacMillan (2 pts.). The WUSA's Player of the Month is selected at the end every month throughout the regular season by a panel of journalists from the Professional Soccer Reporters Association.
Women's United Soccer Association Stories from May 1, 2002
- Carolina's Luckenbill and San Diego's Zhang Named Co-Players of the Month - WUSA
- Courage's Luckenbill Earns WUSA's Top Honor - Carolina Courage
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