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Four stars battle for ESPY award

July 15, 2003 - Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) News Release


ATLANTA -- (July 15, 2003) - Three international stars and a championship winning goalkeeper will represent the Women's United Soccer Association when the biggest names in sports gather for the 11th Annual ESPY Awards on Wednesday, July 16.

Philadelphia's Marinette Pichon, San Jose's Katia and Carolina's Birgit Prinz and Kristin Luckenbill are up for Best Female Soccer Player. Fan voting, which has closed, was available on the ESPN and WUSA Web sites. The ESPY honors top performances from the 2002 season.

ESPN will broadcast the award ceremony at 9 p.m. ET from Hollywood's Kodak Theatre. Jamie Foxx will host the event, which celebrates top achievements, relives memorable moments and recognizes top performers and performances from the past year in sports.

Pichon, who was named the WUSA'S MVP in 2002, finished fourth in scoring to lead the Philadelphia Charge to the playoffs. The 27-year-old French national team standout won Player of the Week honors twice and was Player of the Month for June last season.

Katia, a member of the Brazilian national team, captured the WUSA scoring title with 15 goals and six assists in 2002. The 36 points were the best output in the league's first two seasons. Katia, known for her exciting play, was also honored with the 2002 most exciting Goal of the Year.

After a last place finish during their inaugural season, the Carolina Courage hoisted the Founders Cup last August. The tandem of Luckenbill and Prinz spearheaded the turnaround. Luckenbill became the first goalkeeper to record more than 100 saves, easily eclipsing the mark with 114. The Dartmouth graduate garnered honors for Goalkeeper of the Year for her regular season performance, and helped lead the Courage to a 3-2 victory over Washington at the Founders Cup.

No one made such an impact in limited time as Prinz. The German national team member scored 32 points in only 14 games last year, leading the league in points per game (2.13). Prinz saved her best for last, scoring the game-winning goal during Founders Cup II.

All the nominees except Pichon will be in attendance on Wednesday. Pichon and the Charge will play host to the first-place Atlanta Beat on Wednesday evening. The other three will attend post-ceremony parties and Luckenbill will play in the ESPY Golf Tournament.

New York's Tiffeny Milbrett won the ESPY last year, the first season that a Best Female Soccer Player award was handed out. Washington's Mia Hamm took home honors for Best Soccer Player in 2000 and 2001 before it was split into men and women's categories after the creation of the WUSA. Hamm was also named Best Female Athlete in 2000.



Women's United Soccer Association Stories from July 15, 2003


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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