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First Place Showdown Looms

May 20, 2002 - Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) News Release


ATLANTA (Monday, May 20, 2002) - It will be a classic battle of the WUSA's best offense versus the league's stingiest defense when the Philadelphia Charge and Carolina Courage meet Saturday, May 25 at SAS Soccer Park. Many in the soccer community believe this could be a preview of Founders Cup II in Atlanta on August 24.

Carolina (3-0-2, 11 pts.) looks to continue its unbeaten streak, while first-place Philadelphia (4-1-0, 12 pts.) hopes to rebound from Sunday's 1-0 loss at San Diego. Philadelphia, which leads the WUSA in scoring at 2.20 goal per game, had not scored less than two goals in a match prior to the loss to the Spirit. Charge attacking midfielder Kelly Smith had a WUSA record seven-game point-scoring streak come to an end on Sunday. Smith had tallied four goals and four assists over the regular-season streak.

"San Diego obviously did a terrific job of keeping Kelly Smith off the score sheet," said Carolina Head Coach Marcia McDermott. "They are so multi-faceted in their ability to attack. They have one of the best 1 v 1 players in the whole league that right now is a dominant goal scorer. Then, when you turn your attention to the players who are supposed to be their attacking players - their front-runners - you find speed, sophistication and quality finishing."

Philadelphia leads the all-time series 2-1, including a 5-1 thrashing of Carolina on August 5, 2001, the last meeting between the two clubs. However, the Courage defeated the Charge 2-0 on July 7 in the only meeting in the Research Triangle. Additionally, Carolina has a whole new outlook and many new players in 2002 compared to the 2001 version which never made it above fifth place in the WUSA standings. Led by goalkeeper Kristin Luckenbill, the Courage continues to lead the WUSA in team defense, allowing a league-low 0.80 goals per game.

"Their role is like a roof on a house," McDermott recently told The Herald Sun when asked about her defense. "Their job is not to let the rain in."

Although Philadelphia is right behind Carolina in team defense, allowing just one goal per game, fans should look for plenty of scoring opportunities from Carolina's combination of Hege Riise and Danielle Fotopoulos and Philadelphia's triple threat of Smith, Mandy Clemens and Liu Ailing. The matchup also features many defenders, including Carolina's Danielle Slaton and Philadelphia's Heather Mitts, who like to go forward into the offensive third of the field.

"They are committed to attacking from the back, and both of their outside backs are outstanding one-on-one players who serve a good ball into the box," McDermott added. "We have a tremendous amount of respect for Kelly Smith, but Philadelphia has so many other players that can cause you problems all over the field. We have to prepare for the whole team."

Saturday's match is the first of three meetings between the two clubs this season. Although Philadelphia stumbled at San Diego, the first-place Charge is still the team to beat says McDermott.

"Philadelphia is imposing its will on the league right now. This is a match in which everyone has to bring her best game."

SAN JOSE CAN CREATE, BUT CAN THEY FINISH?: Can a team that currently ranks eighth in league scoring actually be considered one of the most exciting offenses to watch in the WUSA? Most WUSA coaches will agree that the San Jose CyberRays, who currently are tied (with Atlanta) for last in WUSA scoring at 1.17 goals per game, possess one of the league's most potent offenses. After all, San Jose leads the WUSA in shots (95) and shots on goal (53), but unfavorable bounces, the ever present woodwork and poor finishing have plagued the CyberRays' ability to find the back of the net. In Saturday's 2-1 loss to Atlanta, San Jose outshot the Beat 22-10, but was unable to finish on numerous opportunities, including a corner kick by Michelle French that caromed off the crossbar in the 54th minute and a shot by Kim Clark that hit the left post in the 77th.

"We're playing awesome soccer and those chances, when they do come, will be plentiful, once we start sticking them in," San Jose goalkeeper LaKeysia Beene said after the loss to Atlanta.

"(San Jose) causes as many problems for us as any team we'll play," Atlanta Head Coach Tom Stone stated after the match.

The CyberRays are only 1-2 in games in which they outshoot their opponent. Most within the organization believe it is only a matter of time before the high number of scoring opportunities result in goals.

"Our fans deserve us to be scoring six or seven goals a game, and we'd love to do that," said Head Coach Ian Sawyers.

PARITY CONTINUES AS SEVEN TEAMS ARE WITHIN FIVE POINTS OF EACH OTHER: Although Philadelphia and Carolina have received deserved recognition for their fast starts, the Charge and Courage don't have to look to far behind to see nearly every team not far behind the two league leaders. Only five points separate the first-place Charge (12 pts.) and the three clubs tied for fifth place - Atlanta, Washington and San Jose (7 pts. each).

"This league is like a race, not a long one, but that is why there is so much parity." Boston Head Coach Jay Hoffman said. "These are the games that make this league so exciting."

LAST-MINUTE SCORING: Goal scoring has come down to the wire in last few weeks. A number of games (43.5 percent) have been decided in the last 15 minutes of action. Most recently, the San Jose CyberRays fell to the Atlanta Beat with an 89th minute goal by Charmaine Hooper. In fact, San Jose has had its matches decided in the final eight minutes of action four times (out of six games) this season.

This is not solely the case for the CyberRays as 26.4 percent of all goals scored this season have come in the final 15 minutes of action. Teams such as Atlanta, Boston, Washington, San Diego and New York have all been on the receiving end of a late rally.

PAGLIARULO TO PARTICPATE IN THIS WEEK'S WUSA.COM CHAT: San Diego goalkeeper Jaime Pagliarulo will be the featured guest on this week's WUSA.com live web chat on Tuesday, May 21. The chat will begin at 8:00 p.m. (ET) and will last approximately 40 minutes. "Pags" 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.

ONE STREAK ENDS, THE OTHER CONTINUES: Philadelphia Charge midfielder/forward Kelly Smith had scored in seven straight regular season matches, dating back to August 26, 2001 prior to her team being shut out by San Diego on May 19. The streak was the longest in WUSA history. During that time Smith had recorded four goals and four assists while leading Philadelphia to a 6-2-1 record.

Boston's Maren Meinert recorded an assist during the Breakers' 2-1 victory over New York on Saturday. With the assist, Meinert extended her point-scoring streak to six matches. She has now scored a goal or an assist in every Boston Breakers match this season. If Meinert can record a point versus Atlanta on Saturday, she will tie Smith for the league's longest all-time regular season point-scoring streak.

STILL GOING: The Carolina Courage battled back to tie the Washington Freedom on Saturday, May 18. With the tie, Carolina remained the only undefeated team with a 3-0-2 record. The WUSA record for undefeated matches at the start of a season is six. That was set by the 2001 Atlanta Beat, which started the inaugural season 3-0-3 before losing its first match of the year to the Courage on June 2. If Carolina can tie or defeat the Philadelphia Charge this weekend, the Courage will tie Atlanta's mark with a chance to set a new record the following weekend versus the New York Power. WUSA Game Previews (Week Seven)

Saturday, May 25, 2002 - San Diego Spirit at New York Power - 4:00 p.m. (ET) - PAX TV (National Broadcast) (Season Series: San Diego leads 1-0-0) (All-time Series History: Series tied 1-1-2) In a rematch of week two's record setting outing (April 20, 2002 - highest scoring match [6-1] and most goals in a game by a team with six), the New York Power hosts the San Diego Spirit. The all-time series between these two teams is tied at 1-1-2. San Diego has outscored New York 7-3 in the four previous meetings. The last meeting between these two squads took place on April 20, 2002 at Torero Stadium. In that match, San Diego rattled off six straight goals in a 6-1 victory over the Power. Both Shannon MacMillan and Zhang Ouying each recorded two goals and an assist in the lopsided victory, leading all Spirit players in scoring versus New York. Tammy Pearman is the leading scorer versus San Diego with two career goals.

Key Players to Watch: San Diego's Julie Foudy (1g, 3a, 5pts.) recorded her first career WUSA goal during Sunday's victory over the Philadelphia Charge. MacMillan (2g, 2a, 6pts.) recorded her second assist of the season on Foudy's game-winning goal on Sunday. Goalkeeper Jaime Pagliarulo (2-2-2, 1.36 GAA) recorded her first shutout of the 2002 season, registering six saves versus the WUSA's highest scoring offense. Currently tied for third in scoring in the WUSA, Tiffeny Milbrett (3g, 2a, 8 pts.), who ranks third in the WUSA in scoring, notched her second assist on Saturday during the Power's 2-1 defeat at the hands of the Boston Breakers. Anita Rapp (2g, 4pts.) recorded her second goal of the season versus Boston.

Key Matchup: (New York defender Christie Pearce versus San Diego forward Shannon MacMillan) - MacMillan torched the Power in week two, scoring two goals and an assist. Pearce will look to use her speed to shut down MacMillan and the San Diego offense (currently tied for second in scoring - 1.83 goals per game). Pearce will anchor a defense that is currently ranked last, allowing 2.50 goals per match.

The "Inside Scoop": San Diego is currently among the league leaders in goal scoring. However, the Spirit has only recorded two goals in its last three matches. The Spirit (2-2-2) has registered both victories at home while recording two ties on the road. San Diego's offense has not been explosive on the road, scoring only three of the team's 11 goals away from Torero (1.50 goals per game). New York is the only team in the WUSA to not have a home victory. The Power is coming off its third straight home loss after falling to the Breakers 2-1 on Saturday. New York will also look to avenge the week two thrashing (6-1) at the hands of San Diego at Torero Stadium on April 20.

They Said it: "Like I said earlier this year, I think that San Diego has the best personnel in the league with Joy Fawcett back and the addition of Zhang Ouying. With Sara Whalen back, we have made a couple of moves on the defensive end that gives us more pace, which should help us against this very good offensive team."- New York Power Head Coach Pat Farmer on San Diego.

Referee: Faith Rossi. Assistant Referees: Kelly Lee, Brenda Wright. 4th Official: Steve Karaduzovic.

Saturday, May 25, 2002 - Boston Breakers at Atlanta Beat - 7:00 p.m. (ET) - WB36 (Atlanta); AT&T 3 (Boston) (Season Series: Boston leads 1-0-0) (All-time Series History: Boston leads 2-1-1) The Breakers hold a 2-1-1 lead in the all-time series versus Atlanta. In this series, Boston holds a 5-3 edge in scoring over the Beat. The last meeting between these two teams took place on April 20, 2002. In that match, Boston defeated Atlanta 3-1 during the Breakers 2002 home opener at Nickerson Field. Angela Hucles was the star of the match for Boston, recording a goal (the game-winner) and an assist. Maren Meinert leads all Boston players with two goals versus the Beat in this series. No player for Atlanta has scored more than one goal versus the Breakers.

Key Players to Watch: Boston's Meinert (4g, 3a, 11pts.) currently leads the league in scoring and has recorded a goal or an assist in all six appearances during the 2002 season. Dagny Mellgren (3g, 6pts.), this week's WUSA Player of the Week, is coming off a two-goal performance versus the Power on Saturday. Kristine Lilly rounds out the team's leading scorers with two goals and two assists for six points on the season. Karina LeBlanc (2-2-2, 1.83 GAA) recorded eight saves in the 2-1 victory over New York. Atlanta's Charmaine Hooper (3g, 6 pts.) recorded her second game-winning goal of the 2002 season in 2-1 win over the San Jose CyberRays on Saturday. Hooper has recorded the game-winner in both of Atlanta's victories this season. Nikki Serlenga (3a, 3pts.) registered an assist on both Beat scores on Saturday. This was Serlenga's first ever multiple assist match in the WUSA. Goalkeeper Briana Scurry (2-3-1, 1.67 GAA) recorded seven saves versus the CyberRays on Saturday.

Key Matchup: (Boston forward Dagny Mellgren versus Atlanta defender Nancy Augustyniak) - Mellgren is coming off a two-goal performance versus New York and will be looking for her second goal versus the Beat this season. Mellgren scored an early goal versus the Beat in the April 20 meeting. Augustyniak will have the job of marking the Norwegian star. After being sidelined early on with patellar tendonitis, Augustyniak has been solid on the field, limiting opponents in scoring opportunities. Augustyniak will look to hold Mellgren in check this weekend.

The "Inside Scoop": Both teams are coming off road victories. Boston defeated New York 2-1 on Saturday and will look to carry the momentum into Herndon Stadium. Atlanta earned its first road victory of the season, a 2-1 win over the defending WUSA champion San Jose CyberRays last Saturday. After a slow start, the Beat's offense is gelling, recording five goals in its last two matches.

They Said it: "Our games versus Boston are always very competitive, and the points are crucial since so many teams are bunched up in the middle of the standings right now. Boston gets great movement on attack from their front two and they counterattack better than anyone in the league." - Atlanta Beat Head Coach Tom Stone on Boston.

Referee: Sandra Hunt. Assistant Referees: Sharon Wheeler, Griff B. Sims. 4th Official: Brian D'Amato.

Saturday, May 25, 2002 - Philadelphia Charge at Carolina Courage - 7:00 p.m. (ET) - CNNSI-Regional (Carolina); CSN (Philadelphia) (First Meeting in 2002) (All-time Series History: Philadelphia leads 2-1-0) Philadelphia holds a 2-1-0 all-time versus Carolina. The Charge has outscored the Courage 8-3 in the previous three meetings. The last time these two clubs met was on August 5, 2001. The Charge defeated Carolina 5-1 in that match. Liu Ailing (three goals) and Mandy Clemens (two goals) led Philadelphia to its largest margin of victory. Both Liu and Clemens lead all Charge players with three goals versus the Courage. Hege Riise has recorded two goals against Philadelphia to lead all Carolina players.

Key Players to Watch: Philadelphia is coming off its first loss of the 2002 season after being shut out 1-0 at the hands of San Diego on Sunday. Kelly Smith (3g, 2a, 8pts., tied for third in WUSA scoring) leads the league's most potent offense (2.20 goals per game). Goalkeeper Melissa Moore (4-1-1, 1.00 GAA) is coming off her first defeat of the season, recording six saves in the 1-0 loss to the Spirit. Carolina is the only undefeated team in the league thanks in part to Riise's (2g, 1a, 5pts.) second goal of the season during the 51st minute of the 1-1 tie with the Freedom on Saturday. Danielle Fotopoulos (3g, 1a, 7pts.), who leads the team in scoring, registered her first assist of 2002 during the draw. Goalkeeper Kristin Luckenbill (3-0-2, 0.80 GAA) tallied six saves in her second straight tie on Saturday.

Key Matchup: (Philadelphia forward Kelly Smith versus Carolina defender Danielle Slaton) - Smith is one of the most explosive strikers in the WUSA. Slaton, the number one overall pick in the 2002 WUSA Draft, will anchor a defense that will look to shutdown Smith and the league's most potent offense. Smith and company will look to rebound after being shutout for the first time since July 7, 2001. Look for Tiffany Roberts to try and slow down Smith in the midfield.

The "Inside Scoop": The league's top offense (Philadelphia) will face the league's best defense (Carolina) in a battle for first place in the WUSA. With the Charge's loss last week, Carolina remains the only undefeated team in the league. Philadelphia was shut out for the first time in 14 matches (including the playoffs) on Sunday. Carolina will be looking to become only the second team to start the season undefeated through the first six matches (Atlanta did it in 2001).

They Said it: "Both teams are aggressive attacking the flanks. Kelly Smith and Marinette Pichon are both so dangerous. Both teams are going to get their chances. We are simply going to have to finish our opportunities." - Carolina Courage Head Coach Marcia McDermott on Philadelphia.

Referee: Kari Seitz. Referee Assistants: Sarah Kraus, Kim Oberle. 4th Official: Abbas Piran.

Sunday, May 26, 2002 - Washington Freedom at San Jose CyberRays - 10:00 p.m. (ET) - No TV (Season Series: Washington leads 1-0-0) (All-time Series History: Series tied 2-2-0) In a series that is tied 2-2-0, Washington will head to Spartan Stadium to face the CyberRays. Both teams have netted five goals in the last four meetings. The last time these two teams faced each other was on April 20, 2002. In that match, Washington defeated San Jose 2-1 for the Freedom's first victory of the season. Meredith Beard came off the bench to score the game-winner in 82nd minute. Katia leads all CyberRays players with two goals in this series. Mia Hamm is the only player for the Freedom to record more than one goal versus the CyberRays.

Key Players to Watch: Abby Wambach (3g, 3a, 9pts.) recorded her third goal of the season in a 1-1 tie with Carolina on Saturday. The Washington rookie has now registered a goal or an assist in every match she has appeared in this season. Wambach was instrumental in the Freedom's 2-1 victory over the CyberRays earlier this season, recording assists on both Washington goals. Goalkeeper Siri Mullinix (0-1-1, 1.55 GAA) made her first start of the 2002 season, recording six saves in the 1-1 draw with Carolina. San Jose's Katia (2g, 1a, 5pts.) recorded her second goal of the season last Saturday. Sissi (2a, 2pts.) was responsible for setting up the CyberRays score. Goalkeeper LaKeysia Beene (2-3-1, 1.33 GAA) made five saves in her match versus Atlanta. The San Jose 'keeper allowed the game-winning goal with time winding down for the second straight match.

Key Matchup: (Washington forward Abby Wambach versus San Jose central defenders Thori Bryan and Kelly Lindsey) - Wambach, the Freedom's first draft pick in February, tallied a pair of assists in the first meeting of these teams in April and since then has scored three goals to rank second in WUSA scoring. Bryan and Kelly, part of the league's third best defense (1.33 goals per game) will look to shut down the Washington striker. That is something that no team has been able to accomplish so far this season.

The "Inside Scoop": On Saturday, Washington became the first team in the WUSA to have a lead versus the Carolina Courage this season. However, a second-half goal erased the lead, resulting in a 1-1 tie. San Jose is coming off another heartbreaking loss. For the second straight week, the CyberRays have allowed a goal with time winding down. San Jose has had six of it eight total goals against scored at Spartan Stadium. Washington's last victory came on the road with a 3-0 win over the San Diego Spirit (May 5, 2002).

They Said it: "I think this is a very even matchup and games will be decided on mistakes and the ability to capitalize on those mistakes.'' - Washington Freedom Head Coach Jim Gabarra on San Jose.

Referee: Arnold Baldeaux. Referee Assistants: Chris Strickland, Alex Del Angel, Jr. 4th Official: Dinesh Singh.

TEAM INJURY REPORTS AS OF 5/20/02

ATLANTA BEAT: OUT - D Lisa Krzykowski (L broken ulna); PROBABLE - D Nancy Augustyniak (R knee patellar tendonitis); F Cindy Parlow (Fractured nose); F Sun Wen (left adductor strain); M Nikki Serlenga (R hamstring strain); F Kelly Cagle (bone bruise R leg).
BOSTON BREAKERS: OUT - GK Tracy Ducar (R knee articular cartilage lesion); F Ragnhild Gulbrandsen (foot surgery); PROBABLE - D Kate Sobrero (L knee meniscus tear).
CAROLINA COURAGE: QUESTIONABLE - D Carla Overbeck (R knee surgery); PROBABLE - D/M Erin Baxter (concussion)
NEW YORK POWER: OUT - GK Gao Hong (R wrist surgery); D Jenn O'Sullivan (L knee ACL/PCL tear); PROBABLE - M (L knee hyperextension).
PHILADELPHIA CHARGE: OUT - F Rakel Karvelsson (R ACL tear); M Zhao Lihong (L foot);
SAN DIEGO SPIRIT: OUT - M Jen Mascaro (L foot broken);
SAN JOSE CYBERRAYS: DOUBTFUL- M Theresa Wagner (R knee tendonitis); PROBABLE - D Danielle Borgman (foot strain); D Kelly Lindsey (lower back strain)
WASHINGTON FREEDOM: DOUBTFUL - F Mia Hamm (L knee thigh bone lesion); PROBABLE - M Bai Jie (L MCL strain).

NATIONAL TEAM DUTY AS OF 5/20/02

ATLANTA BEAT: None.
BOSTON BREAKERS: GERMANY - Bettina Wiegmann.
CAROLINA COURAGE: None.
NEW YORK POWER: None.
PHILADELPHIA CHARGE: None.
SAN DIEGO SPIRIT: None.
SAN JOSE CYBERRAYS: None.
WASHINGTON FREEDOM: None.

suspension Summary 5/20/02

Player Team Suspension Reason None

Warning Summary 5/20/02

Player Team Reason
Nikki Serlenga Atlanta Beat 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: In a rematch of Founders Cup I, Atlanta defeated San Jose 2-1 on Saturday, May 18 at Spartan Stadium ... Charmaine Hooper headed in her third goal of the season and second game winner off a corner kick from Nikki Serlenga in the 89th minute for the dramatic victory ... Cindy Parlow's first goal of the season put Atlanta up early as her header found the back of the net in the ninth minute ... Parlow's goal was the first time Atlanta had scored in the first half this season ... Hooper, the Beat's 2001 leading scorer, is slightly ahead of her scoring pace from last season ... Through six games in 2001, Hooper had two goals and one assist for five points ... Through six games this season she has three goals for six points ... Hooper's six points tie her for seventh in WUSA overall scoring and her three goals are tied for second in the league ... Parlow's 18 fouls are tied for second in the WUSA ... Atlanta has the WUSA's top shooting percentage as 63% of the Beat's shots have been on goal ... The Beat has taken 60 shots with 38 hitting the target ... However, Atlanta has converted only 11.9% of its total shots (5th in the WUSA) and scored 18.9% of its shots on goal (7th in the WUSA).

BOSTON BREAKERS: Dagny Mellgren scored two goals, including the game-winning goal, as the Breakers defeated New York 2-1 on Saturday at Mitchel Athletic Complex ... The win was a first in four games for Boston in the head-to-head series against New York ... Goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc had eight saves, many of them of the spectacular variety ... In just her second week back in action, Breakers defender Kate Sobrero played her first full game of the season ... She has recorded 143 minutes in two games ... The Breakers are now 1-0-1 with Sobrero in the lineup in 2002 ... Without Sobrero in the lineup, Boston is 1-2-2 overall ... Alexa Borisjuk and Sarah Dacey each recorded their first WUSA career assists Karina LeBlanc is now second behind Carolina's Kristen Luckenbill in save leaders with 34 ... Boston is third in the league in goals scored with 1.83 goals a game but it is also seventh goals allowed at the same average (1.83 goals against) ... Maren Meinert is leading the league in scoring with 11 points on four goals and three assists ... Boston leads the WUSA in shooting percentage, as the Breakers have converted a WUSA-high 18.3% of total shots and have scored on 39.3% of shots on goal, nearly 10 percentage points higher than second-place Philadelphia in converting shots on goal ... Boston has allowed a WUSA-high 89 shots (14.8 per game).

CAROLINA COURAGE: Hege Riise scored in the 51st minute as Carolina tied the Washington Freedom 1-1 Saturday afternoon at RFK Stadium ... Carolina is the WUSA's lone unbeaten team at 3-0-2 (11 pts.) ... Despite a rare mistake that led to Washington's lone goal, goalkeeper Kristin Luckenbill came up big again, registering six saves to secure the victory ... "Lucks" is one the main reasons the Courage is unbeaten this season ... She is at the top of every goalkeeping statistic in the WUSA, including saves (40), goals against average (0.80), winning percentage (80%) and an amazing 90.9 % save percentage ... The Courage has trailed for a total of 21 minutes all season long ... Forward Danielle Fotopoulos is tied for sixth in WUSA scoring (3g, 1a = 7pts.) ... Her 24 shots rank second in the WUSA ... Carolina leads the WUSA in fouls suffered with 94 ... German Player of the Year Birgit Prinz will join the Courage on Saturday ... Prinz, whose German national team claimed the 2001 European Championship last summer, may be arriving as a double European champion ... Her club team, FFC Frankfurt will battle Umea of Sweden on May 23 to crown the first-ever European women's club champion ... If Frankfurt is successful, Prinz's club team would likely claim the coveted "treble" - A domestic league championship, a domestic cup championship, and the European club championship all in the same season ... The 24 fouls suffered by Carolina in the 1-1 draw at Washington set a WUSA high for a team in the fouls suffered category.

NEW YORK POWER: Despite repeated scoring chances, New York once again fell victim to a late defensive lapse as the Boston Breakers defeated the Power 2-1 Saturday at Mitchel Athletic Complex ... Anita Rapp scored her second goal of the season, but Dagny Mellgren's 88th-minute goal did in the Power ... New York has allowed a WUSA-high five goals in the final 15 minutes of games this season ... The Power has also allowed a WUSA-high four goals in the first 15 minutes of matches ... New York is still looking for their first win at home this season, being the lone WUSA club without a home win in 2002 ... Last year, the Power recorded a 4-3-3 record at Mitchel Athletic Complex ... New York leads the WUSA in road scoring, averaging 2.67 goals per game away from home ... However, the Power is last in scoring at home at 0.67 goals per match ... Tiffeny Milbrett ranks third in WUSA scoring (3g, 2a=8pts.) ... Midfielder Jen Lalor leads the WUSA with 13 shots on goal ... Lalor has yet to score in 2002.

PHILADELPHIA CHARGE: The Charge was shut out for the first time in 14 straight matches (including the playoffs) with a 1-0 loss to the San Diego Spirit on Sunday ... The loss was the first of the season for Philadelphia ... Despite the loss, the Charge remains in first place in WUSA standings ... With the shutout, midfielder/forward Kelly Smith had her league-record seven-game regular season point-scoring streak come to an end ... During the streak, Smith had registered four goals and four assists ... Charge first-round pick in the 2002 WUSA Draft Stacey Tullock saw her first action of the season ... The Arizona State product entered the match in the 81st minute for Mandy Clemens ... The Charge remains the highest scoring offense (2.20 goals per game) while sporting the league's second best defense (1.00 goal per game) ... The Charge allowed only its second goal on the road versus the Spirit ... Philadelphia has had the league's best road defense, allowing less than one goal (0.67) per match away from Villanova Stadium.

SAN DIEGO SPIRIT: The Spirit became the first team to hand the Charge a loss as San Diego defeated Philadelphia 1-0 on Sunday evening ... The victory was the first for San Diego since April 20 ... Julie Foudy recorded her first career WUSA goal in the 1-0 win over the Charge ... "I am happy for her, when Julie plays well, we play well. That goal was huge for her confidence and for us to get a good start in the game. People have been saying that she is not scoring goals, but that is not her job, if she can give us one or two game winners a year, I will be happy." - Head Coach Carlos Juarez on Foudy's goal ... Shannon MacMillan recorded her second assist of the season on Foudy's game-winning goal ... Goalkeeper Jaime Pagliarulo recorded her first shutout of the season (fifth of her career), holding the league's top offense scoreless ... With the win, San Diego is now 8-0-3 when scoring first, 7-0-2 when leading at the half and 8-0-0 when leading in the 75th minute ... San Diego has held its opponents scoreless for 136 minutes ... The Spirit is at .500 for the eighth time in its history.

SAN JOSE CYBERRAYS: San Jose dropped it's fourth straight regular season decision to the Atlanta Beat 2-1 on Saturday afternoon ... Despite Katia's second goal of the season, the CyberRays allowed a late goal for the seocnd straight match, resulting in the 2-1 loss ... San Jose has not been able to score more than one goal since its home opening 2-1 victory over the Boston on April 13 ... Saturday's loss to the Beat marked the fourth time this season (six matches) that the CyberRays have given up a a goal in the 82nd minute or later to lose or tie ... The CyberRays have shot the ball 95 times (15.8 shots per game) in their first six matches; however, San Jose has scored only seven goals this season ... San Jose has scored on only 7.4% of its total shots and 13.2% of its shots on goal, both WUSA lows ... LaKeysia Beene faced her first penalty kick of the season on Saturday and recorded her first PK save ... Last season opponents scored only two of the four PKs against Beene ... With the loss to the Beat, Atlanta is the only team in which San Jose has not defeated during regular season ... Thori Bryan extended her minutes played streak to 2,625 (including the playoffs) with a full 90 versus Atlanta last Saturday.

WASHINGTON FREEDOM: Washington became the first team to take the lead versus the Carolina Courage last Saturday ... However, the Freedom were unable to hold onto the lead as the match ended in a 1-1 tie ... Abby Wambach recorded her third goal of the season during that match ... Wambach has scored a goal or an assist in every match she has played in for the Freedom ... The Freedom took part in a doubleheader with D.C. United (MLS) on Saturday ... The fifth largest crowd in WUSA history (20,105) witnessed the 1-1 draw between the Freedom and Courage ... Goalkeeper Siri Mullinix made her first start of the 2002 season on Saturday ... The Freedom 'keeper recorded six saves on the afternoon ... Washington is currently ranked sixth in total offense (1.33 goals per game) and tied for fifth in defense (1.67 goals per game) ... The Freedom are second only to San Jose in shots per game (14.3).



Women's United Soccer Association Stories from May 20, 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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