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NWSL National Women's Soccer League

Last Week around the Leagues

by Fran Stuchbury
June 6, 2023 - National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)


This past week the Buffalo Bandits won their fifth National Lacrosse League championship, the National Women's Soccer League franchise destined for California's Bay Area announced it will be known as Bay FC, and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's Quebec Remparts won their third Memorial Cup. Highlights from this week come from the National Lacrosse League, Premier Lacrosse League, National Women's Soccer League, Major League Soccer, Canadian Premier League, United Soccer League Championship, United Soccer League One, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. American Hockey League, ECHL , United States Football League, Canadian Football League, XFL, Indoor Football League, Women's National Basketball Association, Pro Volleyball Federation, and American Ultimate Disc League.

LACROSSE

National Lacrosse League

Holding the Colorado Mammoth to an NLL Finals record low four goals, the Buffalo Bandits win the 2023 NLL Cup, winning 13-4 on the night and winning the series two games to one in a rematch of the 2022 NLL Finals. Dhane Smith (Kitchener, Ont.) was named Finals MVP, after recording two goals and seven assists in Game 3 to lead the Bandits. For the series, Smith totaled nine goals and 14 assists for 23 points. His 49 points during the postseason is a new league record. The Finals MVP was voted upon by the players from across the NLL's 13 other franchises and took into account all three games of the series. Dhane Smith becomes the 12th player in NLL history to win a regular season MVP and Finals MVP in their career. With the victory, the Bandits claim their fifth NLL title, good for a tie for third by any NLL franchise (Halifax, trailing the Albany FireWolves and Toronto Rock franchises with six), and their first since 2008.

Full highlights from the Buffalo Bandits' 13-4 win over the Colorado Mammoth in Game 3 of the NLL Finals. The Bandits win their first championship since 2008!

Premier Lacrosse League

Best of Under The Helmet - Week 1

Connor Kelly scores for the Waterdogs as they take home their first win of the Premier Lacrosse League season.

SOCCER

National Women's Soccer League

The National Women's Soccer League expansion club starting play in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2024 unveiled its name, brand, crest and visual identity to guide the club as it unites the Bay Area and inspires professional excellence on and off the pitch. The new franchise, co-founded by global investment firm Sixth Street in partnership with U.S. Women's National Team legends Brandi Chastain, Danielle Slaton, Leslie Osborne and Aly Wagner, will be known as Bay FC.

Bay Area NWSL team hosts launch party in SF

Morgan Weaver scored a stoppage time stunner to lead the Portland Thorns over Angel City FC in the UKG Challenge Cup.

OL Reign announced that Lesle Gallimore has been named General Manager of the club. Gallimore now oversees all areas of the club's first team operations. Gallimore joins the club after serving as commissioner of the Girls Academy (GA) since June 2020, when the development program was first formed. "Today is truly a special day for our club. Lesle has dedicated her life to this sport and helped pave the way for so many young athletes throughout the United States, especially within our local soccer community," said CEO Vincent Berthillot. "Her decades of experience, her leadership qualities and her love for our club will be a strong addition to the overall success of OL Reign. ‚¬Â

Major League Soccer

The Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) fell 1-0 to Club León in the second leg of the Concacaf Champions League Final on Sunday night at BMO Stadium. Leon, who won the first leg 2-1 in Mexico on Wednesday night, won the series 3-1 on aggregate to win the Champions League for the first time in club history.

LAFC and Club León faced off in the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions League final. Intensity was shown from the jump on both sides and LAFC had a close chance in the second minute. In the 20th minute, Lucas Di Yorio scored from the center of the box to put León on the board 1-0. León continued to dominate on possession following their first goal, knocking off numerous shots before the half. LAFC battled HARD to level the score in the 2nd half with several close attempts and corner kick opportunities. However, León held on tight through 10 minutes of added time, emerging victorious as the 2023 CONCACAF Champion League winners.

Canadian Premier League

MUST SEE - Brem Soumaoro scores game-winning screamer in the final minute for York United!

USL Championship

Officials from Indy Eleven and Keystone Group today were joined by state and city leaders for a ceremonial groundbreaking for Eleven Park, a transformational riverfront neighborhood development anchored by a multi-purpose soccer stadium that will serve as a permanent home for Indy Eleven. Demolition will begin immediately and continue over the next few months. Anchored by a 20,000-seat multipurpose stadium that will be the permanent home for Indy Eleven's men's and women's professional teams, the Eleven Park development will also include more than 600 apartments, 205,000 square feet of office space, 197,000 square feet of retail space and restaurants, hotels, public plazas and green space, parking, and more.

The USL Championship announced the Team of the Week for Week 12 of the 2023 regular season with the Charleston Battery's Trey Muse voted the Championship Player of the Week presented by Konami eFootball after recording a 10-save shutout in the Battery's 2-0 victory against Rio Grande Valley FC on Saturday night at H-E-B Park.

USL League One

Noe Meza | USL League One Player of the Week

HOCKEY

Quebec Major Junior Hockey League

The Québec Remparts won the 2023 Memorial Cup presented by Kia by defeating the Seattle Thunderbirds 5-0 at the Sandman Centre. The Remparts got goals from five different skaters during the final to help give Québec its third Memorial Cup trophy and its first since 2006. Their victory on Sunday night also marked the fourth Memorial Cup tournament in a row that a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) team has claimed the title. The Remparts are the first to win their league's regular season title, their league's championship trophy and the Memorial Cup all in the same season since the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies achieved the feat in 2019.

Vsevolod Komarov and Kassim Gaudet, and Zachary Bolduc each scored a goal and tallied an assist, and William Rosseau had a 31-save shutout as the Quebec Remparts defeated the Seattle Thunderbirds to capture their third Memorial Cup in franchise history.

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) released its 2023-2024 regular season schedule, promising an action-packed season for hockey fans across Quebec and Atlantic Canada. The 612-game campaign is set to kick off on Friday, September 22, 2023 with fourteen teams hitting the ice on opening night. The Commissioner's office carefully crafted the schedule with the bulk of games played on weekends to maximize fan engagement while ensuring that players also prioritize academics. A total of 88% of the games have been scheduled between Thursdays and Sundays, as well as on holidays.

American Hockey League

The Hershey Bears (10-3) captured the Richard F. Canning Trophy as Eastern Conference Champions and advanced to the Calder Cup Finals for the 24th time in franchise history following a 1-0 victory over the Rochester Americans (8-6) in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals at Blue Cross Arena. Hershey won the best-of-seven series four games to two. The Bears will extend their league record by making their 24th appearance in the Calder Cup Finals, where they will face the winner of the Western Conference Finals between the Coachella Valley Firebirds and the Milwaukee Admirals.

Here are the highlights

ECHL

The Fort Wayne Komets have announced that they have declined to renew head coach Ben Boudreau's contract for the upcoming season. Boudreau, 38, coached the Komets the last four seasons, compiling a regular season record of 134-96-19-8, ranking him seventh all-time in head coaching wins, and leading the Komets to a Kelly Cup Championship in 2021. The St. Catharines, Ontario, native also logged two seasons as an assistant coach with the Komets before being named the 29th head coach in Komet history in 2019. With his father Bruce, the Boudreau's joined Ken and Ron Ullyot as the second father and son to coach the Komets.

The Florida Everblades took a 2-0 series lead over the Idaho Steelheads in the 2023 Kelly Cup Finals thanks to a 5-3 victory on the road. The Everblades managed to hold off a late comeback by Idaho in order to skate back to Florida halfway home in the series. The Everblades, ECHL affiliate of the Florida Panthers, are seeking their second straight Kelly Cup title.

Federal Prospect Hockey League

The Federal Prospects Hockey (FPHL) recently held the Expansion Draft for the two newest teams in the FPHL, Baton Rouge, LA and Wytheville, VA. Each new team was allowed to draft 12 players from the other teams in the league.

FOOTBALL

United States Football League

USFL Top 10 plays from week 8

XFL

The XFL announced that St. Louis Battlehawks wide receiver Marcell Ateman has signed a contract with the Buffalo Bills and Darrius Shepherd has also agreed to terms with the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League. The first overall draft pick by the Battlehawks in 2023, Ateman played in seven games for St. Louis, ranking second on the team with 13.6 yards/reception and third with 259 receiving yards. Ateman posted a season high of seven catches and 99 receiving yards in Week 9 vs. Seattle. The 2023 XFL Special Teams Player of the Year, Shepherd appeared in all 10 games for the Battlehawks and racked up a league-leading 907 kick return yards. Shepherd recorded three games with more than 132 kick return yards, including an XFL-best 190 in Week 3 vs. the D.C. Defenders. Also a key part of the St. Louis offensive attack, Shepherd ranked fourth in the XFL in receptions (48), tied for second in receiving touchdowns (6) and was sixth in receiving yards (519).

Seattle Sea Dragons Quarterback Ben DiNucci packs up to head to Denver after getting a mini-camp invite from the Broncos. In this exclusive Player 54 clip the XFL standout talks about the opportunity to play in the NFL again and introduces the cameras to his dog, Beaux.

Canadian Football League

BC Lions co-general manager/head coach Rick Campbell announced that due to unexpected family matters, special teams coordinator Don Yanowsky will not be able to continue coaching with the team this season. In addition, the club also announced the return of Mike Benevides as special teams consultant. Benevides returns to the Lions after a 12-year stint from 2003-14 where he served as both special teams and defensive coordinator before being promoted as the club's 24th head coach for the final three seasons.

After falling short in the 109th Grey Cup, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers have returned their core for the 2023 CFL season along with the return of a familiar face. All-Star receiver Kenny Lawler rejoins an impressive roster in Winnipeg as the Blue Bombers look to once again capture the Grey Cup in 2023.

The Toronto Argonauts will try to go back-to-back in 2023 following their win in the 109th Grey Cup. Quarterback Chad Kelly takes the starting spot under centre and receiver Kurleigh Gittens Jr. looks to build upon his breakout season while linebacker Jordan Williams and defensive lineman Folarin Orimolade further bolster the Argonauts defense.

Indoor Football League

Week 11 Plays of the Week!

BASKETBALL

Women's National Basketball Association

Breanna Stewart averaged 26 PPG, 10 PPG and 3.0 SPG to be named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week taking home her first POW honors with the New York Liberty.

Arike Ogunbowale takes home Western Conference Player of the Week honors after averaging 26.7 PPG, 4.3 RP, and 3.3 APG to help lead the Dallas Wings to a 2-1 record to start the season.

NBA G League

Matas Buzelis, a consensus five-star high school prospect projected by ESPN as the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, has signed with NBA G League Ignite, General Manager Anthony McClish. "It's a dream come true to join Ignite," Buzelis said. "I have the opportunity to develop in a professional system as I continue to strive toward my goal of playing in the NBA. I look forward to joining the team in Henderson and getting to work. I want to thank my coaches, trainers and teammates for preparing me for this opportunity. I also want to thank my family for their endless love and support throughout my journey. ‚¬Â

The Salt Lake City Stars, the official NBA G League affiliate of the Utah Jazz, have finalized an agreement with Steve Wojciechowski (wo-ju-HOW-skee) to become the team's new head coach. Formerly the head coach of Marquette University for seven seasons, Wojciechowski (commonly known as Wojo), becomes the Stars' fifth head coach since the team relocated to Salt Lake City in 2016. I'm honored and excited to be named the head coach of the Salt Lake City Stars," said Wojciechowski. "My family and I have lived in Park City for the last two years, so it is special that this opportunity comes in the place I have grown to love. I am looking forward to working with the Jazz and Stars staff to foster an environment of growth and development for the players in the program as we pursue a G League championship. I am eager to get started in preparation for the 2023-24 season. ‚¬Â

BASEBALL

Minor League Baseball Plays of the Week

OTHER SPORTS

Pro Volleyball Federation

In cooperation with the Pro Volleyball Federation, Nebraska Pro Volleyball is bringing women's professional volleyball to Omaha. The Omaha-based team announced head coach Shelton Collier, revered for his knowledge of the game and respect for players, who brings more than 40 years of coaching experience and coaching education at the national, international and Olympic levels. Coach Shelton Collier said, "This is a tremendous opportunity to coach in Omaha, the premier volleyball market in the country. It is especially exciting for our players to have a passionate fan base and unique resources that will allow our players to have an exceptional experience here. ‚¬Â

The Omaha-based pro-volleyball team, owned by Danny White, Jason Derulo and Chris Erickson, announced its head coach

Pro Volleyball Federation opened its player signing period with a bang, as nearly two dozen players have signed with Pro Volleyball Federation teams since the start of the league's free agency signing period. The signings were highlighted by Atlanta making Leah Edmond the first player to sign with a Pro Volleyball Federation team, along with the inking of superstar athletes like Morgan Hentz (Atlanta), Tori Dilfer Stringer (Atlanta), Sydney Hilley (Omaha), Claire Chaussee (Grand Rapids), Camila Gomez-Hernandez (Grand Rapids), and Emiliya Dimitrova (Grand Rapids) to play in the league's inaugural season. Overall, 23 players signed contracts with Pro Volleyball Federation teams during the first week of the free agent signing period, led by 12 player signings by Atlanta and head coach Todd Dagenais.

American Ultimate Disc League

The TOP 10 plays from Week 5 of the 2023 AUDL season!

Did we miss anything newsworthy or fun? Have a nomination for next week's column? Contact us today and let us know.

Check out the National Women's Soccer League Statistics



National Women's Soccer League Stories from June 6, 2023


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