Newcomers Making an Impact

July 1, 2002 - Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) News Release

ATLANTA (Monday, July 1, 2002) – Heading into the 2002 season, WUSA Commissioner Tony DiCicco realized it was time for a new philosophy regarding the recruitment of international players. With WUSA coaches now taking on a greater role, a new breed of international attacking players is making a major impact during the league's second season.

Carolina's German superstar Birgit Prinz, Philadelphia's French international Marinette Pichon and San Diego's Chinese standout Zhang Ouying are just three of the newcomers who are making their presence felt in the WUSA. Pichon leads the WUSA with nine goals, Ouying is the Spirit's top scorer and Prinz has dominated opposing defenses since her June 1 debut, scoring six goals and adding four assists in just seven games.

DiCicco credits the league's eight coaches with identifying the WUSA's new crop of international stars. Prior to the league's first season, DiCicco and WUSA Vice President of Player Personnel Lauren Gregg recruited the league's international players. Not every WUSA team had a head coach during the early stages of the league's formation and DiCicco and Gregg relied on their years of managing the U.S. women's national team and numerous overseas contacts to sign many of the world's best players. Following the league's inaugural season in 2001, the natural progression of having coaches recruit all of their players occurred.

"The coaches did a wonderful job of watching talent during the offseason," DiCicco said. "We felt it made more sense to have coaches fill their needs and they had great success."

"As coaches looked to improve their teams, they identified attacking players that can win games," Gregg said. "We have certainly seen our international players have that kind of impact for their teams."

With the league up and running and a season under its belt, the emphasis shifted from established performers to players that fill attacking roles. The 2001 season featured 21 attacking players (forwards and midfielders) and 10 defensive (defenders and goalkeepers) internationals. In 2002, only three defensive players remain and there are 27 internationals that play up front or in the midfield.

"The focus has been on frontrunners this year and it has paid off for most teams," DiCicco added. "It usually takes awhile for these athletes to adapt to a new league and a different culture, but players like Birgit Prinz jumped into the league right away. I didn't think she would have that kind of impact right away."

Prinz and Pichon have been on fire during June. Prinz tallied six goals and four assists in six matches and Pichon scored six goals in five games.

"Pichon's a very creative player that runs well off the ball," Atlanta Head Coach Tom Stone said after the French star scored two goals in a 3-1 win over the Beat on June 29. "I would say that she and Dagny (Mellgren) are the two best at running off the ball. She's definitely someone you need to keep an eye on and even given a half chance she's dangerous."

DiCicco echoes Stone's comments on Pichon. Although he had seen her compete against the U.S. in international competition, DiCicco felt Philadelphia Head Coach Mark Krikorian took a risk with the selection of Pichon since she had never been evaluated in a World Cup or an Olympic tournament as France had failed to qualify.

"We thought it was a risk when Mark came to us and said he wanted to sign Pichon," DiCicco said. "We knew she was dangerous, but we certainly didn't know she would turn out to lead the league in goals, especially with Kelly Smith sidelined."

Although the emphasis of the WUSA is on developing new talent such as Abby Wambach, Danielle Slaton and Jena Kluegel, DiCicco acknowledges that there are additional international markets -- Italy and Russia are just two examples -- that are producing exciting players. In addition, he believes Boston's Ragnhild Gulbrandsen has the potential to become a star in the WUSA. The 25-year-old forward is best known for scoring against the United States when Norway defeated the Americans 3-2 in the gold medal game at the Sydney Olympics. After missing the Breakers' first 12 games with an injured foot, Gulbrandsen made her WUSA debut on June 29 in a 1-1 draw against San Jose.

"She's a force to be reckoned with," said DiCicco when asked about Gulbrandsen. "She'll be exciting to watch once she is 100 percent."

Breakdown of WUSA International Players

2001 2002

Forward 11 12

Midfielder 10 15

Defender 7 2

Goalkeeper 3 1

CAROLINA'S TWIN TOWERS ARE UNSTOPPABLE: Is there a forward tandem in the WUSA more dangerous than Carolina's Birgit Prinz and Danielle Fotopoulos? Not in recent weeks since the German national team star arrived. Prinz had an incredible eight-point week this past week, scoring three goals and two assists, while vaulting the Carolina Courage into a two-way tie for first place in the WUSA. Saturday night Prinz scored her sixth goal in seven games to lead Carolina to a 3-0 win over San Diego. The 24-year-old Prinz also added an assist later in the match. The German international has now registered a goal or an assist in each of her seven WUSA games since joining the team in late May. Prinz leads the WUSA in per game scoring (goals and assists) with 2.29 points per game.

"Birgit is just so critical to us because she draws so much attention and creates so many more opportunities for her team around her and she's so deadly with the chances she gets," Carolina Head Coach Marcia McDermott said after Saturday's victory. "Her consistency is so valuable."

"Obviously we rely on her to score goals and she does it," Fotopoulos said. "I love playing with her and she adds so much more to our team. The other team has more people to mark now and I think that makes us scarier and more offensive-minded."

Prinz has made a major impact, but don't forget the WUSA's number two scorer – Fotopoulos. The U.S. national team standout has eight goals and four assists for 20 points. She has also registered a goal or an assist in her last seven WUSA games. In fact, Carolina's offense has scored a WUSA-high 27 goals (2.08 per game) in just 13 games. The Courage scored 28 goals during the entire 21-game regular season in 2001. A modest Fotopoulos credits the club's defense for the success in the attack.

"Our offense comes from our great defense," Fotopoulos said. "Our defense is so organized, they push forward, our outside wing-backs get forward for us and that makes it easier for us and gives the other team more people to cover."

MAMA MIA: Hamm Back and Lighting it Up: It's only been four games and she still hasn't played more than one half in a specific match, but Mia Hamm's impact on the Washington Freedom could propel Jim Gabarra's squad into the WUSA playoffs. Hamm has four goals and one assist in her four games since returning from offseason knee surgery. She's seen action in just 152 minutes, an average of 38 minutes per game, while playing herself back into shape.

Saturday evening in a 4-1 win over New York, Hamm scored two goals. She tallied her first in the 28th minute to give the Freedom (5-5-3) a 3-0 lead. On that first goal, the third time proved to be a charm on the play for Hamm. Her initial strike in the box was turned away, as was her header, but then her third shot found the back of the net. Hamm continues to regain strength and speed in her knee, but she is still not 100 percent. Following Saturday's match, the 2001 FIFA World Player of the Year estimated that she was "at 85 percent."

"Scoring goals does something for my confidence, but I don't want to be a player that comes off the bench," Hamm said after Saturday's game. "I want to play a full 90 minutes."

Hamm would put another one in the back of the net to ensure the win for the Freedom in stoppage time. Tracey Milburn passed the ball to Jacqui Little who placed the ball onto Hamm's right foot. Hamm took a shot from 30 yards out to hit the top left corner of the net.

"When I was warming up, I hit one exactly like that, and that was probably the last shot I took in the warm-ups," she said of her fourth goal of the season. "I don't usually score goals like that. Probably one of the positive things about this injury (knee surgery) is that it has caused me to have to hit balls different ways. The last three years I've been just trying to pound them in the back of the net. I actually finished this one, I didn't just shoot it."

Washington is 3-1 since Hamm returned from her knee surgery (which took place Feb. 26). She had six goals and added four assists for 16 points to lead the Freedom in scoring in 2001.

WUSA HAS ONE MILLIONTH FAN PASS THROUGH THE TURNSTILE: Eleven-year-old Sara Colucci, a defender for R.C. United who will enter the sixth grade in the fall at Rochester (N.H.) Middle School, was welcomed at the June 29 game between the San Jose CyberRays and Boston Breakers as the WUSA's one millionth fan. San Jose captain Brandi Chastain and Boston captain Kristine Lilly met Sara as she passed through the turnstile at Boston University's Nickerson Field with her parents, Joe and Sue, and her 7 ½-year-old brother Matt. Sara – whose face was painted as a soccer ball in blue-and-white Breakers colors – received autographed jerseys from both players, an autographed game ball, balloons and was invited to participate in the pregame coin toss on the field. Her family's tickets were upgraded to VIP seats.

``It's kind of funny, because I wasn't expecting this,'' Sara said before the game. ``I'm really excited about going down on the field.''

The WUSA drew 680,705 fans in 2001, its inaugural season, and going into Saturday's four matches had drawn 315,071 fans this season, a total of 995,776. The CyberRays-Boston game was the first WUSA match Saturday and drew an attendance of 7,014. As of July 1, total WUSA regular season attendance for the league's first two seasons is 1,024,244, an average of 7,644 per game.

PICHON CONTINUES TO DOMINATE WUSA DEFENSES: French national team star Marinette Pichon scored two goals to lead Philadelphia to a 3-1 win over Atlanta Saturday, June 29. Pichon scored the first goal on a header and the third goal from 20 yards out, blasting a shot past Briana Scurry. She now has a league-leading nine goals and has scored four times in the last three games. She also has scored eight of the last 12 Charge goals. She had two multi-goal games in June and scored all but three of the Charge's goals in the month.

"When you play against one forward and it's Pichon, it's like playing against three," Atlanta Head Coach Tom Stone said after the match. "She is very creative and runs off the ball so well."

TOUGH LUCK CONTINUES FOR WHALEN: New York midfielder/defender Sara Whalen, who suffered a knee injury in the 60th minute of the Wednesday, June 26 match against the Carolina Courage, will miss the remainder of the 2002 season for the Power. A member of the 1999 Women's World Cup champions, Whalen suffered a total tear of her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her right knee and will need surgery to repair the damage. No timetable was set as to her impending surgery or ensuing recovery. The University of Connecticut product has had some bad luck this year. She suffered a broken rib which punctured her lung on February 12 while colliding with San Diego forward Shannon MacMillan during the WUSA World Stars game in Fort Lauderdale. She had returned ahead of schedule in early May and recently began to become a threat to opposing teams from the outside midfield for New York.

Whalen played and started in 10 games for the Power, totaling one assist and three shots on goal. Her absence may be missed most in the midfield, where she was an extremely hard working player both offensively and defensively.

BOXX TO PARTICPATE IN THIS WEEK'S WUSA.COM CHAT: San Diego midfielder Shannon Boxx will be the featured guest on this week's WUSA.com live web chat on Tuesday, July 2. The chat will begin at 8:00 p.m. (ET) and will last approximately 40 minutes. Boxx 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.

HEGE RIISE – "THE PLAYMAKER": In the 20th minute of Saturday's San Diego at Carolina match, midfielder Hege Riise recorded her 10th assist of the season. The Norwegian international has assisted on more than a third of Carolina's total goals. Riise's 10 assists currently lead the league and ties the season high for assists in the WUSA (Boston's Kristine Lilly and San Jose's Sissi both had 10 in 2001). Riise, who finished 2001 with eight helpers, now holds the record for career assists with 18.

NEW YORK'S WOES CONTINUE: Interim Head Coach Charlie Duccilli's debut saw the Power lose 4-1 to the Freedom on Saturday, June 29. New York has now dropped six straight matches. Entering week 12 the Power had tied the previous WUSA record of four straight losses (held by San Diego [2002], Carolina [2001] and New York [2001]). After Saturday's result and a previous loss on Wednesday, June 26, New York now holds the longest losing streak in WUSA history.

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE THE ROAD: The Carolina Courage continues to find success on the road in 2002. After defeating the San Diego Spirit 3-0 on Saturday, Carolina's road record moved to 5-0-2. The Courage is the only team in the WUSA that has yet to taste defeat on the road. The Courage has outscored its opponents on the road 16-9. The five wins away from SAS Stadium by the Courage have already equaled the most road wins produced by any team during the 2001 season.

Carolina was the worst team away from home in 2001 with a record of 2-8-1.

WUSA Game Previews (Week Thirteen)

Wednesday, July 3, 2002 – Atlanta Beat (6-5-1, 19 pts.) at Washington Freedom (5-5-3, 18 pts.) – 7:00 p.m. (ET) – CSN-DC (Washington); Fox Sports South (Atlanta) (Season Series: Atlanta leads 1-0-0) (All-time Series History: Atlanta leads 4-0-0)

The Beat will look to remain perfect against the Freedom as Atlanta heads to RFK on Wednesday. Atlanta holds a 4-0-0 record all-time versus Washington, including a dramatic 1-0 victory on April 27. Charmaine Hooper nailed home the game-winning goal for the Beat in stoppage time to secure Atlanta's fourth-consecutive victory over the Freedom. This will mark the first time Atlanta's defense will face Washington striker Abby Wambach (missed last meeting due to national team duty). It will also be the first meeting between the Beat and Mia Hamm during the 2002 season.

Key Players to Watch: Atlanta's Hooper (6g, 1a, 13 pts. – tied for 10th among WUSA scoring leaders) will look to lead the Beat offense against the Freedom. The Canadian striker has recorded six of the team's 16 goals while leading the league with four game-winning goals. Forward Cindy Parlow (4 g, 1a, 9 pts.) and midfielder Homare Sawa (2g, 5a, 9 pts.) round out the Atlanta attack. The three are responsible for six of the club's last seven goals. Goalkeeper Briana Scurry (6-5-1, 1.42 GAA) leads the league in shutouts (4) and is tied for third in winning percentage (54.2%). Washington's offense exploded for four goals on Saturday. Led by Hamm (4g, 1a, 9 pts.), who scored two goals in the victory, the Freedom tied a team record for goals scored in a match. Despite being held scoreless in her last two matches, forward Abby Wambach (6g, 4a, 16 pts. – tied for eighth among WUSA scoring leaders) is the only rookie to rank in the top 10 in scoring. Goalkeeper Siri Mullinix (3-3-3, 1.16 GAA) leads the league in save percentage (81.0%) and ranks second in goals against average (1.16).

Key Matchup: (Atlanta defender Sharolta Nonen versus Washington forward Abby Wambach) – This will be Wambach's first encounter with the Beat. She will try to use her skill and size to cause problems for the Atlanta defense. Nonen will have to use her speed and quickness to try and counter the Washington forward.

The "Inside Scoop": Washington has won three of its last four matches to move one point behind third place Atlanta. Since the return of Hamm to the Freedom lineup, Washington has rattled off 11 goals in four matches. Atlanta will be playing its second of four straight road games and will look to win its fifth straight over Washington. The Beat is currently 3-3-0 on the road while the Freedom holds a 3-2-1 record at RFK.

They Said it: "Washington's a different team with Mia, Steffi Jones and Abby (Wambach) who all did not play against us the first time we met. They are a better team than when we saw them in April." – Atlanta Head Coach Tom Stone on Washington.

Referee: Sandra Hunt. Assistant Referees: Steven Taylor, Michael Stutt. 4th Official: Ken Kaplan.

Thursday, July 4, 2002 – San Jose CyberRays (5-4-3, 18 pts.) at Carolina Courage (8-2-3, 27 pts.) – 7:00 p.m. (ET) – No TV (Season Series: Carolina leads 1-0-0) (All-time Series History: San Jose leads 3-1-0)

In an Independence Day matchup, the San Jose CyberRays head to Cary, N.C. to battle the Carolina Courage. San Jose will look to avenge a 2-1 loss to Carolina in week three. Hege Riise's 85th-minute goal downed the defending WUSA champions to give the Courage its first-ever victory over the CyberRays. San Jose will get its first look at German striker Birgit Prinz this week. The CyberRays are nine points behind the Courage in the standings and will look to make up ground on the team from Cary by snapping Carolina's three-game win streak.

Key Players to Watch: San Jose's Katia (8g, 1a, 17 pts. – seventh among WUSA scoring leaders) recorded her eighth goal of the season on Saturday, surpassing her goal-scoring total from last season. The Brazilian striker has recorded four goals in the club's last four matches. Sissi (7a, 7 pts.) is tied for second in assists in the WUSA. Brandi Chastain (3g, 2a, 8 pts.) is one point behind her 2001 point-scoring total (9) and has exceeded the total number of goals scored from last season (2). Carolina's Birgit Prinz (6g, 4a, 16 pts. – tied for eighth among WUSA scoring leaders), this week's WUSA Player of the Week, has recorded a goal or an assist in every match of her WUSA career. Both she and Danielle Fotopoulos (8g, 4a, 20 pts. – second among WUSA scoring leaders) are currently riding a seven-game point-scoring streak. Goalkeeper Kristin Luckenbill (8-2-3, 1.31 GAA) leads the league in saves (72). Tied for the lead in wins (8), Luckenbill tallied her second shutout of the season on Saturday.

Key Matchup: (San Jose defender Thori Bryan versus Carolina forward Birgit Prinz) – Bryan will get her first look at the German star this week. The San Jose defender will attempt to shut down the Carolina forward which is something no other team in the WUSA has been able to do.

The "Inside Scoop": This is the final match of a three-game road-trip for the CyberRays. San Jose is 2-1-1 in its last four matches and has the exact record the team had through the first 12 matches of 2001. Carolina has won its last three games, scoring nine goals during that stretch.

They Said it: "We are going to have to be incredibly organized defensively. It will be important to get numbers behind the ball. Sissi is as creative as anyone in the league. We can't allow her to set play. Katia is so dangerous. We have to limit the number of shots she takes in the game." – Carolina Head Coach Marcia McDermott on San Jose.

Referee: Arnold Baldeaux. Assistant Referees: Sandra Serafini, Dongho Kim. 4th Official: Daniel A. Burak.

Saturday, July 6, 2002 – Boston Breakers (3-5-5, 14 pts.) at San Diego Spirit (2-7-3, 9 pts.) – 4:00 p.m. (ET) – PAX TV (National Broadcast) (Season Series: Series tied 0-0-1) (All-time Series History: San Diego leads 3-0-1)

Five points separate these two squads as Boston travels to San Diego on Saturday. The Breakers battled back to tie the Spirit 2-2 in the last meeting between these two teams (April 27). Boston is undefeated in its last two matches (1-0-1) and has outscored its opponents 6-3 during that stretch. The Spirit is winless in its last six matches and will be looking for the team's third victory at home. Both of San Diego's wins in 2002 have come at Torero Stadium.

Key Players to Watch: Boston's Maren Meinert (6g, 7a, 19 pts. – tied for third among WUSA scoring leaders) is one of the league most complete players, ranking in the top 10 in both goals and assists. The German forward notched her seventh assist on Saturday, tying her 2001 total. Dagny Mellgren (8g, 2a, 18 pts. – tied for fifth among WUSA scoring leaders) and Kristine Lilly (3g, 7a, 13 pts. – tied for 10th among WUSA scoring leaders) round out the Breakers' attack. The "Big Three" (Meinert, Mellgren and Lilly) are responsible for 17 of the team's 20 total goals on the season. San Diego's Zhang Ouying (5g, 2a, 12 pts. – 12th among WUSA scoring leaders) has recorded both of the Spirit's two goals during the month of June. With Shannon MacMillan (3g, 3a, 9 pts.) missing the last two matches due to a strained right foot, the Spirit has relied on both Sherrill Kester (1g, 2 pts.) and Shauna Rohbock (2g, 4 pts.) to fill the void. Both of Rohbock's goals were recorded against the Breakers on April 27.

Key Matchup: (Boston's "Big Three" versus San Diego's defense) – San Diego's defense will have to contend with one of the league's most dangerous trios (Meinert, Mellgren and Lilly). The three are responsible for 85 percent of Boston's goal scoring. The Spirit's defensive squad will need to hold all three players in check in order to shutdown Boston's attack. Also, look for Norwegian Ragnhild Gulbrandsen to come off the bench and add a late spark.

The "Inside Scoop": Boston is four points out of the final playoff spot and will be looking to position itself to make a run at postseason play with a win over the Spirit. The Breakers are undefeated in their last two matches and will be looking to make it three straight with a win in San Diego. The Spirit is winless in its last six matches. San Diego has allowed 15 goals (of a total 24) during that span.

They Said it: "Anytime you play a team ahead of you in the standings it is very important to get the result, especially when it is a home-and-home series. We match up very well with Boston and often provide fans with entertaining and exciting matches. I see this to be no different." – San Diego Spirit Interim Head Coach Kevin Crow on Boston.

Referee: Rachel Woo. Referee Assistants: Chris Strickland, Sandra Belmont. 4th Official: Arnold Baldeaux.

Sunday, July 7, 2002 – New York Power (2-10-1, 7 pts.) at Philadelphia Charge (8-1-3, 24 pts.) – 7:00 p.m. (ET) – CSN (Philadelphia); MSG (New York) (Season Series: Philadelphia leads 1-0-0) (All-time Series History: Philadelphia leads 2-1-1)

The New York Power travels to Villanova Stadium to take on the first place Philadelphia Charge on Sunday. A penalty kick by Kelly Smith in the 89th minute gave the Charge the 2-1 victory on April 27 to give Philadelphia a 2-1- lead in the all-time series. Philadelphia is currently riding a seven-game unbeaten streak while the Power has lost six straight. New York will be looking to give interim Head Coach Charlie Duccilli his first career victory while trying to hand the Charge its first home-loss of the season.

Key Players to Watch: New York's Tiffeny Milbrett (8g, 7a, 23 pts. – first among WUSA scoring leaders) is riding a four-game point-scoring streak. The Power forward has had a hand in 71 percent of New York's offense. Emily Janss (5g, 1a, 11 pts.) is second on the team in scoring, despite coming off the bench in seven of the 13 games played. Linda Ormen (2g, 3a, 7 pts.) has been a constant threat for the Power up top. Philadelphia's Marinette Pichon (9g, 1a, 19 pts. – tied for third among WUSA scoring leaders) is one of the main reasons Philadelphia is atop the WUSA standings. Pichon leads the league in goals scored (9) while wreaking havoc on opposing defenses. Defender Heather Mitts (3a, 3 pts.) has recorded an assist in three straight matches. Melissa Moore (8-1-3, 0.83 GAA) is the only WUSA goalkeeper to have a goals against average below 1.00. She is tied for second in shutouts (3) and save percentage (80.0%) and leads the league in winning percentage (79.2%).

Key Matchup: (New York defender Kristy Whelchel versus Philadelphia forward Marinette Pichon) – Whelchel will have her hands full with the speedy French striker. Pichon leads the WUSA with nine goals. Whelchel and her defensive mates will look to keep Pichon in check. Pichon looked very impressive in the first meeting between these two teams, but was held scoreless.

The "Inside Scoop": This matchup features two teams heading in opposite directions in the WUSA standings. New York has lost a WUSA-record six straight matches. Philadelphia has not lost a match in seven straight, dating back to May 19. Philadelphia is one of only two teams undefeated at home (Boston is the other), recording a 4-0-2 record at Villanova Stadium.

They Said it: "New York is a talented group that has the ability to put a number of goals on the board. We will definitely need to be at our best if we expect to win." – Philadelphia Charge Head Coach Mark Krikorian on New York.

Referee: Jennifer Bennett. Referee Assistants: Diane Driggers, Brenda Wright. 4th Official: Adam Smeltz.

TEAM INJURY REPORTS AS OF 7/1/02

ATLANTA BEAT: OUT – D Lisa Krzykowski (L broken ulna); PROBABLE - M Liping Wang (R knee contusion); F Sun Wen (left adductor strain).

BOSTON BREAKERS: PROBABLE - F Ragnhild Gulbrandsen (foot surgery); GK Tracy Ducar (R knee articular cartilage lesion).

CAROLINA COURAGE: OUT –F Kim Yankowski (lower back strain); PROBABLE - Carla Overbeck (R knee surgery); D/M Erin Baxter (R ankle sprain).

NEW YORK POWER: None.

PHILADELPHIA CHARGE: OUT - M Kelly Smith (R ACL tear); PROBABLE – GK Melissa Moore (R knee sprain); M Stacey Tullock (Plantar fascitis); F Erin Martin (R groin); M Zhao Lihong (L calf pull); M Liu Ailing (L foot contusion).

SAN DIEGO SPIRIT: QUESTIONABLE – F Shannon MacMillan (R foot strain); PROBABLE – D Rhiannon Tanaka (R hamstring strain)

SAN JOSE CYBERRAYS: QUESTIONABLE - Kim Clark (L ankle sprain); F Maren Hendershot-Brown (Flu); PROBABLE - D Kelly Lindsey (R knee surgery.); D – Michelle French (R leg strain).

WASHINGTON FREEDOM: PROBABLE - F Mia Hamm (L knee thigh bone lesion); F Bai Jie (L MCL sprain); M Pu Wei (L calf strain).

SEASON ENDING INJURIES: NEW YORK – D Sara Whalen (R knee ACL tear); PHILADELPHIA - F Rakel Karvelsson (R ACL tear); SAN JOSE– F Megan Horvath (L knee meniscus tear); WASHINGTON – D Lindsey Stoecker (L ACL tear).

NATIONAL TEAM DUTY AS OF 7/1/02

ATLANTA BEAT: None.

BOSTON BREAKERS: None.

CAROLINA COURAGE: None.

NEW YORK POWER: None.

PHILADELPHIA CHARGE: None.

SAN DIEGO SPIRIT: None.

SAN JOSE CYBERRAYS: None.

WASHINGTON FREEDOM: None.

suspension Summary 7/1/02
Player Team Suspension Reason
None

Warning Summary 7/1/02
Player Team Reason
None

TEAM-BY-TEAM NOTES

ATLANTA BEAT: Atlanta was defeated 3-1 at Philadelphia on Saturday, June 29 as Marinette Pichon's two goals led the Charge ... Sun Wen, who entered the match in the 50th minute, scored the Beat's only goal in the 80th minute ... She collected a Kylie Bivens pass at the top of the penalty area, dribbled by two defenders and shot the ball into the lower right corner of the goal for her second goal of the season ... With a 3-2-0 record in June of 2002, the Beat's all-time June record is 5-3-2 ... Atlanta's July record is also a winning one at 3-2-2 ... The only month the Beat does not have a winning record is April, as the Beat is 1-2-2 all-time in the opening month of the season ... Atlanta lost its fifth game of the season on Saturday ... Last season the Beat won the regular season championship with a mark of 10-4-7 with 37 points ... Atlanta is currently 6-5-1 with 19 points ... Although the Beat has lost one more game than all of last season, it can still surpass last season's win total, as the team has nine games remaining in the season ... The Beat went 5-3-1 in its remaining nine games in 2001 ... Charmaine Hooper's four game-winning goals lead the WUSA ... Hooper ranks second in the WUSA in fouls committed with 36, one behind Washington's Abby Wambach ... Cindy Parlow has suffered a league-high 36 fouls ... Goalkeeper Briana Scurry leads the WUSA with four shutouts ... Atlanta ranks eighth in the WUSA in total shots (132) and shots on goal (74).

BOSTON BREAKERS: Kristine Lilly notched her third goal of the season when she scored in the 26th minute to draw Boston even in a 1-1 draw against San Jose on June 29 at Nickerson Field ... The Breakers midfielder has played two of her strongest all around games in the last two weeks ... She had one goal and three assists in those two matches ... The goal against San Jose was her first since May 4 vs. Philadelphia ... Maren Meinert's seventh assist came on her helper to Lilly in Saturday's 1-1 tie vs. San Jose ... Meinert is tied for third among WUSA leading scorers with six goals and seven assists for 19 points ... Rookie Monica Gonzalez played another strong game at defensive midfield vs. San Jose ... The Mexican national team regular had a shot on goal in the 53rd minute that forced San Jose goalkeeper LaKeysia Beene to make a good save ... Karina LeBlanc and Chrisy McCann remain the only players on the Breakers roster to have played every minute of every game this season ... Norwegian striker Ragnhild Gulbrandsen made her WUSA debut on June 29 against San Jose ... She entered the game in the 80th minute, replacing Dagny Mellgren ... Mellgren (8 goals) and Meinert (6) are tied with Carolina's Birgit Prinz and Danielle Fotopoulos as the highest scoring tandem in the WUSA ... Mellgren's eight goals are tied for second in the WUSA ... Lilly has suffered 27 fouls, the fourth highest total in the WUSA ... LeBlanc's 53 saves rank third in the WUSA ... With a 2-0-4 record at home, Boston is one of only two WUSA teams (Philadelphia is the other) that has not lost at home in 2002.

CAROLINA COURAGE: Carolina picked up two more victories last week, defeating New York 3-2 on Wednesday, June 26 and downing San Diego 3-0 on Saturday, June 29 ... Birgit Prinz had two goals and Hege Riise chipped in with one in the 3-2 win at New York ... Prinz and the WUSA's only two Danielle's – Slaton and Fotopoulos – each scored in Saturday's 3-0 win over San Diego at SAS Stadium ... Fotopoulos, who led the Courage in scoring last year, is currently second in the WUSA in scoring with eight goals and four assists for 20 points ... Since Prinz's arrival, the Courage has been on a tear, going 5-1-1 ... Carolina's German striker has registered a goal or an assist in every game she has played ... In seven matches, Prinz has recorded six goals and four assists, and now ranks eighth in the WUSA in points scored ... The Courage, which scored only 28 goals in all of 2001, has the WUSA's most productive offense this season ... Through 12 games, Carolina has scored a WUSA-high 27 goals ... The Courage has three of the WUSA's top 10 scorers with Fotopoulos (2nd), Riise (tied 5th) and Prinz (tied for 8th) ... The WUSA's longest point-scoring streaks this season have the Courage written all over them. ... Riise registered a goal or an assist in seven straight games, from April 27 to June 15 ... Now Danielle Fotopoulos and Birgit Prinz have tied that mark and both of their streaks are still active at seven games ... Slaton has lived up to the mighty expectations that accompany being the number one overall pick in the 2002 WUSA Draft ... The U.S. national team defender has emerged as a vocal leader of a stingy Courage defense that has allowed only 1.31 goals per game (3rd lowest in the WUSA) ... Slaton has also energized the WUSA's most explosive offense (2.08 goals per game), contributing three goals already in 13 games ... The Courage is the WUSA's only unbeaten road team, featuring a 5-0-2 record away from SAS Stadium.

NEW YORK POWER: Following the Power's 3-2 loss to Carolina on Wednesday, June 26, New York became the second team in league history (San Diego was the first) to make a coaching change as Head Coach Pat Farmer was relieved of his duties and replaced by Assistant Coach Charlie Duccilli on an interim basis on June 27 ... However, the Power still struggled as Mia Hamm had two goals to give Washington a 4-1 victory over New York on Saturday, June 29 at Mitchel Athletic Complex ... Although the Power sits in last place, Tiffeny Milbrett remains one of the league leaders in goals scored and in overall points ... The New York co-captain is currently tied for second place in the WUSA with eight goals ... Milbrett leads the league with 23 points (8g, 7a) ... When Milbrett tallied her sixth assist of the season on June 26, against the Carolina Courage, she set a new single season record ... She broke Sara Whalen and Nel Fettig's 2001 record of five assists ... Milbrett added one more assist on June 29 and currently has seven assists on the season ... Milbrett's 1.92 points per game (goals and assists) rank third among all WUSA players ... Through 13 games this season, the Power has allowed 38 goals (2.92 goals per game) ... New York allowed only 25 goals all of last season ... Carolina, which allowed 40 goals in 2001, holds the record for most goals allowed in a WUSA regular season ... The Power's offense is the third highest scoring attack in the WUSA, averaging 1.62 goals per match ... New York is 1-6-0 at home this season ... Last year, the Power recorded a 4-3-3 record at Mitchel Athletic Complex ... New York has been offside just 20 times in 2002, the lowest total of the eight WUSA teams ... Power matches are high scoring on the road, but unfortunately it goes both ways as New York averages 2.33 goals per game away from home and allows 3.83 goals per match on the road.

PHILADELPHIA CHARGE: The Charge extended its team-record undefeated streak to seven games with a 3-1 win over Altanta on Saturday ... Marinette Pichon netted two goals in the victory, giving her nine goals on the season (WUSA league-leading) ... Pichon has scored eight of the last 12 Charge goals ... Pichon's 1.73 points per game ranks fourth in the WUSA ... With the victory, Philadelphia remains undefeated at home (4-0-2) in 2002 ... Dating back to last season, Philadelphia is 6-0-3 in its last nine home matches ... Goalkeeper Melissa Moore leads the WUSA in goals against average (0.83), winning percentage (79.2%) and is tied for the lead in wins (8) ... She ranks second in save percentage (80.0%), saves (56) and is tied for second in shutouts (3) ... Philadelphia is the only team to not allow a goal during the first 15 minutes of action ... The Charge ranks second in team offense (1.92 goals per game) and first in team defense (0.83 goals per game) .. To date, Philadelphia's +13 goal differential is the largest in WUSA history ... The Charge has been in first place the entire season ... Philadelphia is ranked sixth in the league in total shots (155) and shots on goal (75) ... Philadelphia finished the month of June with a 3-0-3 record.

SAN DIEGO SPIRIT: San Diego remains winless in its last six matches after falling to Carolina 3-0 on Saturday ... The six-game winless streak (0-5-1) is the longest in team history ... San Diego has been shut out four times this season, recording the fewest goals in the WUSA with 14 ... The Spirit is 1-14-5 lifetime when allowing the first goal ... San Diego has allowed two or more goals in eight of the 12 matches this season ... San Diego has allowed three or more goals in three consecutive road games... The Spirit has lost four consecutive road games and has trailed at the half in six consecutive games...San Diego has trailed at the 75th minute in five of six games...During the six-game winless streak, the Spirit has allowed its opponent to score first in each match ... After starting the season with nine goals in the first three matches, the team has scored five in the last nine ... The Spirit has played a woman down 81 minutes this season, allowing one goal and scoring one goal... San Diego has registered five goals in its last eight matches ... San Diego has drawn even with its opponents in goal scoring at Torero Stadium (9-9) ... San Diego has allowed 15 of the 24 total goals allowed during the first 45 minutes of play this season ... San Diego ranks eighth in team offense (1.17 goals per game) ... The Spirit is seventh in the league in team defense (2.00 goals per game).

SAN JOSE CYBERRAYS: In the second match of a three-game road trip, the San Jose CyberRays tied the Boston Breakers 1-1 on Saturday ... Katia scored her eighth goal of the season, surpassing her 2001 goal scoring total of seven ... Katia's 1.42 points per game ranks 10th in the WUSA ... Sissi recorded her seventh assist of the season on Saturday, tying her for second among the WUSA assist leaders ... With the draw, San Jose moves to 5-4-3 on the season ... After the first 12 matches in 2001, the CyberRays had the same exact record ... Defender Thori Bryan extended her minutes-played streak to 3,165 ... Bryan has played in every minute of every match (including the playoffs) for San Jose ... Bryan is also one of only three CyberRays to have played every minute of all 12 matches this season ... Defender Michelle French and goalkeeper LaKeysia Beene have each tallied 1,080 minutes this season ... Brazilians Katia, Sissi and Pretinha have recorded 53.7 percent of the CyberRays points ... The three have notched 10 of the team's 18 goals and nine of San Jose's 18 assists ... San Jose is currently ranked sixth in the league in team offense (1.50 goals per game) ... The CyberRays' defense ranks second in the league (1.25 goals per game) ... The CyberRays defeated the Memphis Mercury (W League) 3-0 in an exhibition on Tuesday, June 25 in Memphis ...Kim Clark recorded a goal while Katia netted two in the victory.

WASHINGTON FREEDOM: The Freedom tied a team record for goals scored in a match with a 4-1 win over New York on Saturday ... Mia Hamm recorded two goals in the victory ... The two-goal performance was the first of the season for Hamm ... Defender Skylar Little registered her first career goal in the victory ... Steffi Jones recorded her first career point in the WUSA with an assist on Little's goal on Saturday ... Since Hamm's return, the Freedom has gone 3-1-0, outscoring its opponents 11-5 ... Hamm's 2.25 points per game ranks second in the WUSA ... Forward Abby Wambach is the only rookie to rank in the top 10 in scoring (6g, 4a, 16 pts.) ... In two seasons, defender Jennifer Grubb has played every minute of every game for the Freedom (3,060) ... Goalkeeper Siri Mullinix leads the league in save percentage (81.0%) and ranks second in goals against average (1.16) ... The Freedom is one win away from tying the team's point total from 2001 ... Washington's offense is tied for fourth in the WUSA (1.54 goals per game) ... The Freedom's team defense ranks fourth (1.39 goals per game) ... Washington ranks third in the league in total shots (166) and shots on goal (86) ... The Freedom finished the month of June with a 3-1-2 record.

Women's United Soccer Association Stories from July 1, 2002

• Newcomers Making an Impact - WUSA
• Carolina's Prinz Named Player of the Week - WUSA
• Charge Continue Home Field Dominance - Philadelphia Charge

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