In a Flash: WNY at Washington
June 14, 2013 - National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Western New York Flash News Release
The Matchup: Saturday's game will be the second of four meetings between the two teams, as they played to a 1-1 draw back on April 20th. In that game, also at Maryland SportsPlex, Samantha Kerr scored her first goal of the year in the 85th minute but a converted penalty kick, just two minutes later, tied the game. The last two games will take place at Sahlen's Stadium on June 28th and July 31st.
Where to Watch: The Flash and all participating NWSL teams will stream games live on the Internet throughout the 2013 season. Flash fans can find today's game video by clicking the link above.
Fans can join the conversation by following the official Flash Twitter account (above) and by using the designated hashtags for the game: #WNYF, #WASvWNYF, #NWSL
Where We Stand: The Flash (4-2-2, 14 points) have become one of the league's top contenders, jumping into fourth place in the NWSL after stringing together a five-game unbeaten streak that was capped by a 3-0 rout of top-seeded Sky Blue last week. Washington (1-4-2, 6 points), on the other hand, has only won one game this season - a 4-2 over Seattle back on May 16th. With six points, they sit in seventh place in the league.
Familiar Faces: Fans will recognize a number of players on the Spirit roster. Lori Lindsey, a member of the USWNT and the 2012 WNY Flash Championship roster, will wear the armband for a Washington team that features goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris. Harris played a key role in the Flash's 2011 WPS Championship run; she would go on to win Coast Guard Goalkeeper of the Year honors after making a key save in penalty kicks. Defender Candace Chapman was also a part of that 2011 team, while Stephanie Ochs and Tori Huster were on the 2012 roster.
National Team Duties: Both teams will see some key faces missing from their roster, as multiple national teams have made call-up over the past week. The Flash will be without offensive threats Abby Wambach, Carli Lloyd and Samantha Kerr, while the Spirit are missing Ali Krieger, Diana Matheson and Robyn Gayle. Wambach (who leads the league with six goals), Lloyd and Krieger are all currently with the USWNT who get set to face the Korea Republic on June 15th and June 20th.
Kerr earned a call to train with the Australian National team, who faced New Zealand in a closed-door match on June 13 and again on June 16th. In the first game, Kerr entered as second half substitute for the Matildas. Matheson and Gayle were both added to the Canadian roster, who play in Germany on June 19th.
Terrapin Connection: Down three offensive players, the Flash activated amateur player Ashley Grove who was with the team during preseason. Grove, like Wambach, is a Rochester native. After graduating in 2011, Grove returned to Maryland in 2012 as a student-assistant coach. She played collegiate soccer at the University of Maryland and, in 2011, was a member of the W-League's Rochester Ravens.
The Spirit also made a few roster changes recently. With Krieger gone, the team called-up reserve defender Danielle Hubka who also played at Maryland. A 2012 graduate, Hubka was coached by Grove in her senior campaign.
Washington Adds a Couple More: In addition to Hubka, the Spirit will have a few more fresh faces on their side of the ball. The team signed US U-23 defender Toni Pressley on June 3rd and Mexican midfielder Teresa "Lupita" Worbis who began training with the team on May 30th.
On The Road Again: After a four-game homestand, the Flash will return to the road for four games. With a draw and win to open the trip, the Flash will play Saturday at Washington before finishing the span with a Wednesday game (June 19th) at Chicago. Western New York will eventually return to Rochester on June 23rd when it hosts Seattle for its "Pit Stop for Camp Good Days" game.
Washington Well-Rested: The Spirit have not played a game in nearly three weeks, with their last contest coming back on May 25th. On that day, Washington fell to Boston, 3-0, at Dilboy Stadium.
Game Eight Recap: The Flash stunned Sky Blue FC for the second time this season, with a 3-0 shutout last Saturday. It was the second time the Flash have beaten Sky Blue this year as they remain the only team to post wins against the New Jersey team. Wambach, Lloyd and Kerr combined for all eight points of the game, with each scoring a goal in the contest. Wambach assisted on Kerr's goal, the first of the game, before the Matilda returned the favor for the game's final goal. Lloyd scored unassisted near the end of the first half to make it 2-0.
Despite being outshot 15-12, the Flash posted their first shutout of the year with Adrianna Franch making five saves.
The Quest for Four: This season, the Flash will aim for its fourth title, this time in the newly formed NWSL. The Flash are back-to-back-to-back Champions, winning three different championships in the three different leagues since 2010.
In that year, the then-Buffalo Flash went undefeated in the W-League, defeating the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 to take the league crown. The following season, the WNY Flash won the WPS Championship in their first year as a member of the league. The Flash claimed the crown on penalty kicks in front of a league-record crowd. It took penalty kicks again for the team to win its third, coming away with a 2-1 victory over the NY Fury in the WPSL-Elite last year.
The Kit: The Flash announced that Sahlen Packing Co. would serve as the team's official jersey sponsor for the 2013 season. Joe Sahlen, owner of the Buffalo-based packaging company, started the Flash in 2008 and the Sahlen's family has been tied to the team ever since. Sahlen Sports Park in Elma serves as the official practice facility of the Flash, while the team will play home contests in Rochester at Sahlen's Stadium.
Third Time's a Charm? After the folding of the WUSA and the WPS, the NWSL will look to create a sustaining women's professional soccer league. The NWSL is backed by US Soccer, the Canadian Soccer Association and the Mexican Football Federation.
All teams were allocated players from the respective countries and rosters were then filled out through drafts and free agent signings.
There are eight clubs competing in the league. They are: the Boston Breakers, the Chicago Red Stars, FC Kansas City, Portland Thorns FC, Seattle Reign FC, Sky Blue FC, the Washington Spirit and the Western New York Flash.
Next Game: The Flash end their June road trip on Wednesday, June 19th with a 7:30 p.m. (ET) game at Chicago. The two teams met at Sahlen's Stadium on May 24th with the Flash winning 2-1.
National Women's Soccer League Stories from June 14, 2013
- Reign FC Set For Match With Thorns FC - Seattle Reign FC
- Reign FC to Host U.S. U-20 National Team - Seattle Reign FC
- Red Stars to Take Part in U.S. Soccer Hosted USMNT Viewing Party in Grant Park June 18 - Chicago Stars FC
- In a Flash: WNY at Washington - Western New York Flash
- Breakers Prepare for Rematch with Sky Blue FC - Boston Breakers
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