Power on a Roll

May 12, 2003 - Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) News Release


ATLANTA (Monday, May 12, 2003) - With the New York Power's come-from-behind 3-2 victory over the Boston Breakers on Saturday, May 10, Tiffeny Milbrett and company have now won three consecutive games for the first time in club history. Krista Davey's game-winning goal, her second in as many weeks, came in the 89th minute, giving the Power (3-3-0, 9pts) the win over the visiting Breakers and moving the club into a third place tie in the WUSA standings. New York had lost eight consecutive matches (dating back to 2002) before the club's current win streak.

"Even from the start of the season we have shown some real perseverance," said Davey. "We started off real rocky with the three straight losses, but since we have found a way to win, even though at times we probably should not have."

Rookie Christie Welsh, the second overall pick in the 2003 WUSA Draft, has four goals in her last three games to lead New York. After going scoreless in her first three matches, the former Penn State star is playing with confidence. Her four goals rank third in the WUSA.

After struggling with confidence for so long, Power Head Coach Tom Sermanni believes the entire club is now entering matches knowing that they can win.

"This win works wonders for our confidence, going into games knowing you have a chance to win - and be behind - and come back to win is definitely a big boost for us and the players," said Head Coach Tom Sermanni after Saturday's victory over Boston. "I have said from day one that the character and the spirit of this team is just incredible. They went out tonight and proved me right again with regards to that."

THE BEST IN 2002, NOW THE CAROLINA COURAGE AND PHILADELPHIA CHARGE ARE EACH 0-4: After winning the regular season title and Founders Cup last year, Carolina has started the season with four consecutive losses following Saturday's 3-1 loss at San Jose. In frighteningly familiar fashion, Carolina opened the 2001 season by going 0-4 and dropping its fourth match on the road against San Jose. Carolina finished in last place in the WUSA in 2001, losing 12 games. The Courage, which went 12-5-4 in 2002, didn't drop its fourth match last season until July 27, 17 games into the season. The loss of playmaker Hege Riise to a season-ending knee injury in the second game was a major blow to the Courage, but Kristin Luckenbill, last year's WUSA Goalkeeper of the Year, made her first start of the season in the loss at San Jose, after recovering from a preseason thumb surgery. In addition, defender Carla Overbeck saw action for the first time since returning from maternity leave.

"It's so important to put together a full 90 minutes, and we're struggling doing that," Carolina Head Coach Jay Entlich said following Saturday's loss at San Jose. "We played 60 minutes of sound soccer, and then we let our guard down. Sure enough, one look at the scoreboard and we're three goals down."

Former U.S. national team captain Overbeck believes things will turn around for Carolina. The 34-year-old defender has seen the highs (2002) and the lows (last place in 2001) while a member of the Courage.

"I think it's just a matter of getting used to people, with a new coach and seven new people on the roster," said Overbeck. "We have to gain confidence and not drop our heads when we allow goals. It's a long season; we have time to turns things around."

Danielle Slaton, the 2002 WUSA Defensive Player of the Year, knows that allowing 2.8 goals per game (Carolina allowed just 1.43 goals per game in 2002) will have to change for the Courage to bounce back.

"It's frustrating to be in this position," Slaton said. "We're going to have to stick together through this and believe in ourselves. We have to focus and play with heart for a full 90 minutes. This rut we're in isn't about the new coach or the system we play, it's about the players on the field."

Philadelphia is also 0-4 following the May 10 3-1 loss at Washington. The Charge has lost a record four consecutive games. Dating back to last season the team has lost six straight. Philadelphia finished second during the 2002 regular season with a 11-4-6 record.

With frontrunner Marinette Pichon out due to French national team duty, and injuries to striker Kelly Smith, and starting midfielders Lorrie Fair and Pavlina Scasna, Charge Head Coach Mark Krikorian fielded a makeshift squad against Mia Hamm and company. The WUSA's stingiest defense in 2002 while allowing just 1.05 goals per game, Philadelphia has allowed 13 goals (3.3 per game) in 2003, the highest per game average in the league. However, the Charge's coaching staff and players remain optimistic.

"I've said for two years, the difference between the margin of victory and defeat in this league is very, very small," Krikorian explained. "Sometimes you create enough chances where you get enough breaks and you get decent results, and other times you don't get those results."

ALL-STAR TICKETS ON SALE; HYUNDAI TO TITLE SPONSOR 2003 ALL-STAR GAME: The world's best female soccer players will descend upon North Carolina for the ultimate showcase of soccer when the 2003 Hyundai WUSA All-Star Game is held at SAS Stadium in Cary, NC on Thursday, June 19 at 7:30 pm ET. WUSA President/CEO Lynn Morgan joined Tiffany Roberts and Birgit Prinz of the Carolina Courage and Atlanta Beat standout Cindy Parlow at a news conference today in Cary to discuss details surrounding the Hyundai WUSA All-Star Game.

Featuring an American Stars vs. World Stars format, the Hyundai WUSA All-Star Game is expected to be a World Cup preview, as all of the top players who are expected to compete in the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup will be in Cary for the three-day event. Game tickets go on sale today - May 12 -- at 1:00 p.m. ET. Soccer fans can purchase tickets at all Triangle area Kroger and Hecht's stores or by calling the Courage ticket office at (919) 573-7626. Tickets are also available by calling Ticketmaster at (919) 834-4000 or by going online at www.ticketmaster.com. Individual ticket prices range from $15 - $35, while group tickets can be purchased for as low as $13.

A WUSA charter sponsor, Hyundai will serve as the title sponsor of the All-Star Game. The match will officially be known as the 2003 Hyundai WUSA All-Star Game. Hyundai supports soccer through key partnerships with the WUSA, FIFA and the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO). WUSA All-Stars will arrive June 17 and are scheduled to participate in many soccer-themed events and festivities, providing soccer fans access to all of the players. Soccer Week kicks off with the All-Star Youth Clinic on Tuesday, June 17 at 3:30 p.m. ET at SAS Stadium. More than 200 local-area youth soccer players will participate in the hour-long clinic. After many of the All-Stars test their golfing talents at the SAS-WUSA All-Star Golf Tournament at Prestonwood Country Club the morning of Wednesday, June 18, the Time-Warner Cable WUSA All-Star Skills Competition will take place that evening at 7:30 p.m. ET, as WUSA standouts will dazzle fans with their skills in a three-event competition. An autograph session will follow the Time-Warner Cable WUSA All-Star Skills Competition.

On June 19, WUSA general managers will conduct league meetings during the morning and the Hyundai WUSA All-Star Luncheon will take place at 12 noon ET. The highlight of Soccer Week will be the Hyundai WUSA All-Star Game on Wednesday evening. Once again, all of the All-Star players will be signing autographs in the Maytag Autograph Alley following the All-Star Game.

Soccer fans have the opportunity to vote for their favorite WUSA players who will compete in the Hyundai WUSA All-Star Game by going online at www.WUSA.com. Fans will make up one block of voting to select the 11 starters for the WUSA American Stars and the WUSA World Stars squads. The other two blocks that vote on the starting lineups are coaches/GMs and members of the media. Each voting block consists of 33.3 percent of the vote. The starting lineups for the both teams will be announced on Tuesday, June 3. Five additional reserve players will be announced on June 9. The reserve players will be selected by the two All-Star head coaches in conjunction with WUSA Commissioner Tony DiCicco.

Head coaches for each team will be decided based on regular season performance and will be determined by June 1.

MIA HAMM "TRADING PLACES" WITH TODAY SHOW'S ANN CURRY MAY 14: Washington Freedom forward Mia Hamm will be in the TV studio on Wednesday , May 14 as she trades places with NBC's "Today" news anchor, Ann Curry. This is part of "Today's" week-long series "Trading Places" that begins on Monday, May 12.

Instead of reading the news, "Today's" Ann Curry might be screaming "GOOOOAAAAALLLLL," as she gets her chance to be Hamm for the day. As Hamm, Curry will scrimmage with the Washington Freedom of the Women's United Soccer Association, and partake in other team activities for the day. In fact, Curry trained with the Freedom last week at RFK Stadium. Hamm, the world's all-time leading scorer, will field some of Curry's regular duties for the day, live on "Today."

BRAZILIAN BREAKOUT: Saturday's 3-1 victory over the Carolina Courage was a Brazilian show from beginning to end. The CyberRays three Brazilian players - Katia, Pretinha and Sissi - each had a goal in the same game for the first time since they have been on the team together. Altogether the Brazilians combined for eight points (3g+2a) of the 10 credited to the CyberRays. The fifth game of the season is the latest first goal for Katia (the WUSA's leading scorer in 2002) in her WUSA career. She scored in the second game of 2001 and the third of 2002 (also against Carolina). Pretinha scored the first goal in WUSA history - against the CyberRays - for the Washington Freedom in the inaugural game on a penalty kick and for the CyberRays in their 2002 opener. The team's playmaker, Sissi had only one goal in each of her first two WUSA seasons.

"I felt like I had a monkey on my back, said Katia on finally scoring her first goal in the CyberRays' fifth game. "I was talking to this monkey telling him `You have to get out of here!' Tonight he left me alone and let me score."

HOW TO WIN A SPOT ON THE BENCH: Beginning with the May 3 match in Atlanta, San Jose midfielder Sissi has been used off the bench in the second half rather than as a starter, which she had been in 42 of her previous 44 WUSA games. The CyberRays are 2-0 since the switch, and all four of the goals they've scored in those games have been with Sissi on the field. She was directly involved in three of those goals. Here's the rundown:

Date Opponent Time of goal Goal scorer
Assists
5/3 Atlanta Beat 69th Brandi Chastain Sissi
5/10 Carolina Courage 53rd Pretinha Katia
Carolina Courage 65th Katia French, Sissi
Carolina Courage 67th Sissi French, Chastain

LET'S PLAY TWO ON SATURDAY: Atlanta's Cindy Parlow and Briana Scurry will join San Jose's Brandi Chastain, LaKeysia Beene and Thori Bryan in a quest to play two games in two different cities on Saturday, May 17. The five players are in camp with the U.S. national team in preparation for the May 17 match versus England at 1 pm ET. The five players could see action against England during the day and in the San Jose at Atlanta match at 7 pm ET. Current plans call for the athletes to travel to Atlanta via car (a little more than two hours on Interstate 20) and arrive at Herndon Stadium by 6 pm ET at the latest. Playing two games in two days in nothing new to Scurry. On April 26 in Washington, the Beat 'keeper played 90 minutes against Canada in game one and then played the full 90 in the Atlanta's match versus the Freedom immediately following the U.S. contest. U.S. Head Coach April Heinrichs will trim the 24-player roster down to 18 on Friday.

TIETJEN TWINS TO BE ON WUSA.COM CHAT THIS WEEK: Philadelphia defender Jennifer Tietjen-Prozzo and New York's Margaret Tietjen will be the featured guests on this week's WUSA.com live web chat on Tuesday, May 13. The chat will begin at 8:00 p.m. (ET)/5:00 p.m. (PT) and will last approximately 30 minutes. Both sisters 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.

WUSA Game Previews (Week Seven)

Saturday, May 17, 2003 - Philadelphia Charge at New York Power - 4:00 p.m. (ET) - PAX TV (National Broadcast); (Season Series: New York leads 1-0-0) (All-time Series History: Series tied 3-3-1)

For the first time in team history the New York Power won its third consecutive match with a 3-2 victory over Boston on Saturday, May 10 at Mitchel Athletic Complex. Midfielder Krista Davey recorded the game-winning goal for the second straight match with an 89th-minute tally. Philadelphia extended its losing streak to four games with a 4-1 loss at Washington on Saturday, May 10. Defender Jennifer Tietjen-Prozzo provided the lone score for the Charge in the 33rd minute to cut the Freedom's lead to 2-1. The last meeting between these two teams resulted in a 5-4 victory for the Power on May 3, 2003. New York's Christie Welsh notched two goals as both teams combined to tie the WUSA record for goals in a game (9 - also Boston at San Diego - July 6, 2002).

Key Players to Watch: Philadelphia's Marinette Pichon (1g, 1a, 3 pts.) missed last week's match due to French national team duty. Pichon has record four goals and an assist for nine points all-time versus the Power (four matches). Midfielder Melanie Hoffmann (1g, 2a, 4 pts.) leads the Charge in scoring this season. Hoffmann extended her point-scoring streak to three games with an assist on defender Tietjen-Prozzo's goal versus Washington on May 10. Rookie Deliah Arrington (1g, 2 pts.) will fill in for the injured Kelly Smith (recovering from knee surgery). Arrington recorded her first career WUSA goal versus the Power on May 3. New York's Welsh (4g, 8 pts. - tied for 4th among WUSA scoring leaders) has recorded a goal in three consecutive games. The rookie registered her first career multiple-goal game versus the Charge on May 3. Goalkeeper Carly Smolak (3-3-0, 2.83 GAA) has won three consecutive matches. Smolak holds a 1-1-0 record with a 3.50 goals against average versus the Charge all-time (two matches). Midfielder Davey (2g, 4 pts.) registered the game winning goal versus Boston on May 10. Davey has already equaled her goal scoring total from the 2002 season.

Key Matchup: (Philadelphia defender Jenny Benson versus New York forward Christie Welsh) Benson will have her hands full with the crafty Power striker. Benson and her defensive mates will look to keep Welsh in check. In the last match-up, Welsh recorded two goals against the Charge, winning MET-Rx Player of the Week honors. Welsh has scored a goal in three consecutive games.

The "Inside Scoop": New York has won three straight games for the first time in team history. For the first time in club history, Philadelphia has lost four straight games to start the season off. The Charge has lost five straight road games, dating back to July 31, 2002. Philadelphia will be without the services of midfielder Kelly Smith for six weeks. Smith tore the meniscus in her right knee during the May 3 match versus New York.

They Said it: "I expect both teams to play a better defensive match then the last time we met" - New York Power Head Coach Tom Sermanni on this weekend's match versus Philadelphia.

Referee: Sandra Hunt. Assistant Referees: Christopher Price, Martha Sinclair. 4th Official: Steve Karaduzovic.

Saturday, May 17, 2003 - Carolina Courage at Washington Freedom - 5:00 p.m. (ET) - Triangle TV (Carolina); CSN-DC (Washington); (Season Series: Washington leads 1-0-0) (All-time Series History: Washington leads 4-1-2)

Carolina dropped its fourth straight match with a 3-1 loss at San Jose on Saturday, May 10. Midfielder Venus James tallied Carolina's lone goal during stoppage time. Washington extended its WUSA-record, 14-game regular season unbeaten streak with a 4-1 victory over Philadelphia on Saturday, May 10. Forward Abby Wambach notched her first career WUSA hat trick in that match. The last meeting between these two teams resulted in a 2-1 victory for the Freedom on April 5 at SAS Stadium. Forward Mia Hamm recorded a goal (the game-winner) and an assist in that match.

Key Players to Watch: Carolina's Birgit Prinz (2g, 4 pts.) has been held scoreless in the Courage's last two matches. Prinz has registered three goals and an assist all-time versus the Freedom (three matches). Forward Danielle Fotopoulos (1g, 2a, 4 pts.) is tied with Prinz as the team's leading scorer. In seven meetings with Washington, "Fotop" has registered a goal and four assists for six points. Goalkeeper Kristin Luckenbill (0-1-0, 3.00 GAA) made her 2003 season debut on Saturday, May 10 at San Jose. Luckenbill holds a 1-2-1 record with a 2.35 goals against average versus the Freedom all-time (four matches). Washington's Jacqui Little (2g, 2a, 6 pts. - tied for 9th among WUSA scoring leaders) will be looking for her first career goal versus the Courage. J. Little has notched two assists all-time versus Carolina (six matches). Defender Steffi Jones (2a, 2 pts.) recorded her second assist of the 2003 season during the 4-1 victory over Philadelphia (May 10). Jones has one assist in three matches versus Carolina (all-time). Defender Jennifer Grubb extended her minutes-played streak during the regular season to 4230. Grubb has played in every minute of every match for the Freedom.

Key Matchup: (Carolina forward Birgit Prinz versus Washington defender Jennifer Grubb) Grubb will anchor a Washington defense that will be focused on stopping Carolina's top offensive threat. Allowing 0.80 goals per game the Washington defense will have their hands full with Prinz who averages a goal a game versus the Freedom all-time.

The "Inside Scoop": Washington has not tasted defeat in over 14 regular season matches (WUSA record). The Freedom is also undefeated at RFK Stadium in eight straight regular season matches, dating back to July 3, 2002. Carolina has matched the franchises worst start with a 0-4-0 record this season. Washington (2-0-1) has never lost to Carolina at RFK Stadium. Five player from both the Courage and Freedom have been called up to U.S. national team duty for this Saturday, May 17 versus England (Tiffany Roberts -Carolina; Danielle Slaton - Carolina; Siri Mullinix - Washington; Mia Hamm - Washington; Abby Wambach - Washington).

They Said it: "Carolina is a very hard-working team that's pretty much built around Hege Riise, and how she goes their team goes. For the first year and a half, we had the upper hand in results. Our games have been traditionally high scoring. I think they have a lot of diverse attacking personalities that have given us problems. And Prinz, I don't think anyone in the league has found a way to stop her." - Washington Freedom Head Coach Jim Gabarra on Carolina.

Referee: Faith Rossi. Assistant Referees: Ken Kaplan, Melanie Johnson. 4th Official: Andrew Chapin.

Saturday, May 17, 2003 - San Jose CyberRays at Atlanta Beat - 7:00 p.m. (ET) - No TV (Season Series: San Jose leads 1-0-0) (All-time Series History: Atlanta leads 4-2-1)

San Jose's "Brazilian Connection" (Katia, Sissi and Pretinha) led the CyberRays to a 3-1 victory over the Carolina Courage on Saturday, May 10. During a span of 14 minutes, the three Brazilian internationals registered a goal each to give San Jose a 3-0 lead. Atlanta battled the San Diego Spirit to a 1-1 tie on Saturday, May 10. Forward Maribel Dominguez tallied the equalizer in the 75th minute for the Beat. The last meeting between these two teams resulted in a 1-0 victory for San Jose at Herndon Stadium on May 3, 2003. Defender Brandi Chastain scored the games only goal in the 69th minute to give the CyberRays its first-ever victory in Atlanta.

Key Players to Watch: San Jose's Sissi (1g, 3a, 5 pts. - tied for 11th among WUSA scoring leaders) is tied for the league lead in assists. The Brazilian playmaker has recorded an assist in three straight matches for San Jose. Forward Katia (1g, 2a, 4 pts.) registered her first goal of the 2003 season on Saturday, May 10. Katia has recorded three goals for six points versus the Beat all-time (seven matches). Forward Pretinha (1g, 1a, 3 pts.) notched her first goal of the season during San Jose's 3-1 victory over Carolina on May 10. Pretinha has tallied one assist all-time versus Atlanta (seven matches). Atlanta's Dominguez (6g, 2a, 14 pts. - 1st among WUSA scoring leaders) registered her sixth goal of the season in the Beat's 1-1 tie with San Diego on Saturday, May 10. Dominguez was held scoreless for the first time in her WUSA career versus the CyberRays on May 3. Rookie Abby Crumpton (2g, 2a, 6 pts. - tied for 9th among WUSA scoring leaders) notched her second assist of the 2003 season during the Beat's 1-1 tied with San Diego. Crumpton ranks third in the WUSA in points per 90 minutes (2.86). Forward Charmaine Hooper (1g, 3a, 5 pts. - tied for 11th among WUSA scoring leaders) has had more success versus San Jose than any other WUSA team. The Canadian international has tallied six goals and two assists for 14 points versus the CyberRays all-time (six matches).

Key Matchup: (San Jose defender Thori Bryan versus Atlanta forward Maribel Dominguez) In the May 3 game Bryan helped hold Dominguez scoreless, the only game this season in which she failed to record a goal. Dominguez leads the league in pointes per game with 2.80. Bryan and San Jose's defense ranks third in the WUSA allowing 1.00 goal per game.

The "Inside Scoop": San Jose won its first-ever match in Atlanta on May 3. The victory over the Beat was the first for the CyberRays on the road in 363 days, dating back to a 1-0 victory on May 5, 2002 in New York. Five players from both teams have been called up to U.S. national team duty for this Saturday, May 17 versus England (Briana Scurry - Atlanta; Brandi Chastain - San Jose; Cindy Parlow - Atlanta; LaKeysia Beene - San Jose; Thori Bryan - San Jose).

They Said it: "We are very excited to get another crack at San Jose. Whenever you don't perform as well as you hoped, you look forward to meeting that challenge again and this time it comes only 14 days after our last meeting. San Jose is the only team to beat us this season, so our team is looking forward to this challenge and won't need much motivation heading into this game. Six of the eight teams have gotten off to a good start this season and there is not a lot of room for error. Our objective is to continue getting good results to stay near the top of the standings, so that we are in striking distance of the top, towards the end of the season." - Atlanta Beat Head Coach Tom Stone on San Jose.

Referee: Todd Perry. Assistant Referees: Brenda Wright, Karalee Sutton. 4th Official: Patrick Baker.

Sunday, May 18, 2003 - Boston Breakers at San Diego Spirit - 8:00 p.m. (ET) - Cox4 (San Diego); (Season Series: Boston leads 1-0-0) (All-time Series History: Series tied 3-3-1)

San Diego extended its unbeaten streak to four games with a 1-1 tie with Atlanta on Saturday, May 10. Julie Fleeting gave the Spirit the early lead before Atlanta tied the match in the 75th minute. Boston dropped its first game since April 12 with a 3-2 loss at New York on Saturday, May 10. Forward Maren Meinert tallied two goals in the losing effort. The last meeting between these two teams resulted in a 2-1 victory for the Breakers on April 5 at Torero Stadium. Dagny Mellgren and Meinert each notched a goal in the Boston victory.

Key Players to Watch: Boston's Meinert (6g, 1a, 13 pts. - 2nd among WUSA scoring leaders) registered her third career multiple-goal game with two goals versus New York on May 10. Meinert has recorded three goals and five assists versus San Diego all-time (seven matches). Forward Dagny Mellgren (3g, 1a, 7 pts. - 8th among WUSA scoring leaders) missed Boston's last match due to Norwegian national team duty. Mellgren has tallied five goals for 10 points versus San Diego all-time (eight matches). Defender Monica Gonzalez (1g, 2a, 4 pts.) is third on the team in scoring. Gonzalez has already eclipsed her point total from the 2002 season (1). Forward Allie Sullivan (1a) will be facing her former squad (Boston) this weekend. Sullivan may fill in for the missing Fleeting (Scottish national team duty). Forward Christine Latham (1g, 1a, 3 pts.) registered her first career WUSA goal on April 5 versus Boston. Latham likely be filling in for the missing Shannon MacMillan (due to U.S. national team duty). Goalkeeper Jaime Pagliarulo (2-1-1, 1.00 GAA) made five saves in the Spirit's 1-1 tie with Atlanta on May 10. "Pags" has a 2-1-1 record with a 2.20 goals against average versus the Breakers all-time (six matches).

Key Matchup: (Boston forwards Maren Meinert and Dagny Mellgren versus San Diego defenders Kim Pickup and Kerry Connors) The San Diego Spirit will be without Joy Fawcett (national team duty) and Pickup and Connors will need fill the void left by its 2002 team MVP. Meinert and Mellgren have combined to produce 57 percent of the total goals scored by Boston on San Diego.

The "Inside Scoop": Boston will be looking for its first-ever victory at Torero Stadium (0-3-0). The last trip for Boston to San Diego result in the highest scoring game in WUSA history (5-4 San Diego victory on July 6, 2002). Both teams are off to their best starts in team history. Seven players from both teams have been called up to U.S. national team duty for this Saturday, May 17 versus England (Shannon MacMillan - San Diego; Aly Wagner - San Diego; Julie Foudy - San Diego; Joy Fawcett - San Diego; Kristine Lilly - Boston; Kate Sobrero - Boston; Angela Hucles - Boston). San Diego will be without the services of Julie Fleeting due to Scottish national team duty.

They Said it: "We'd like to go into this Boston match knowing that in first game (a 2-1 loss on Opening Day) that we were on our heels, but that in second game (a 1-1 tie) we played them more level, and that we can even up the series in the third game. They are certainly a quality team. We know they were missing the Mugneret-Beghe and Mellgren this past weekend, which is a big loss. With all their players, they are a very dangerous team and maybe the most exciting attacking team in the league."- San Diego Spirit Head Coach Omid Namazi on Saturday's match versus Boston.

Referee: Misail Tsapos. Assistant Referees: Sandra Belmont, Diane Driggers. 4th Official: Pat Novak.

TEAM INJURY REPORTS AS OF 05/12/03
ATLANTA BEAT: QUESTIONABLE - M Nikki Serlenga (R hip flexor); PROBABLE -D Nancy Augustyniak (Concussion); D Ifeoma Dieke (L calf strain).
BOSTON BREAKERS: OUT -GK Tracy Ducar (tendonitis in both knees); M Devvyn Hawkins (L foot stress fracture); PROBABLE - F Ragnhild Gulbrandsen (L Foot Bone Bruise).
CAROLINA COURAGE: OUT - M Hege Riise (R ACL tear).
NEW YORK POWER: OUT - D Sara Whalen (R ACL tear); D Kristy Whelchel (R ACL tear); QUESTIONABLE - GK Saskia Webber (Calf Strain - R); PROBABLE - D Lauren Orlandos (Hamstring Strains); D Cheryl Salisbury (Calf Strain - R);.
PHILADELPHIA CHARGE: OUT - F Kelly Smith (R meniscus tear); M Pavlina Scasna (L foot tendonitis); PROBABLE - F Marinette Pichon (L knee contusion).
SAN DIEGO SPIRIT: None.
SAN JOSE CYBERRAYS: PROBABLE - D Kelly Lindsey (R knee contusion); D Dianne Alagich (Gastro Intestinal Virus).
WASHINGTON FREEDOM: None.

NATIONAL TEAM DUTY AS OF 05/12/03
ATLANTA BEAT: GK Briana Scurry (USA); F Cindy Parlow (USA).
BOSTON BREAKERS: M Kristine Lilly (USA); D Kate Sobrero (USA); M Angela Hucles (USA).
CAROLINA COURAGE: M Tiffany Roberts (USA); D Danielle Slaton (USA).
NEW YORK POWER: D Christie Pearce (USA); F Tiffeny Milbrett (USA)
PHILADELPHIA CHARGE: M Lorrie Fair (USA).
SAN DIEGO SPIRIT: F Shannon MacMillan (USA); M Aly Wagner (USA); M Julie Foudy (USA); Joy Fawcett (USA); F Julie Fleeting (Scotland).
SAN JOSE CYBERRAYS: D Brandi Chastain (USA); D Thori Bryan (USA); GK LaKeysia Beene (USA).
WASHINGTON FREEDOM: F Mia Hamm (USA); F Abby Wambach (USA); GK Siri Mullinix (USA).

suspension Summary 05/12/03

Player Team Suspension Reason
None

Warning Summary 05/12/03

Player Team Reason
None

TEAM-BY-TEAM NOTES

atlanta beat: Atlanta battled San Diego to a 1-1 draw at Herndon Stadium on Saturday, May 10... Forward Maribel Dominguez tallied her sixth goal of the season... Dominguez leads the league in scoring with six goals, two assists for 14 points... Dominguez also leads the WUSA in total shots (23)... Rookie Abby Crumpton tallied her second assist of the 2003 season on Dominguez' goal... Crumpton ranks third in the WUSA in points per 90 minutes (2.86)... Forward Cindy Parlow was also credited with her first assist of the 2003 season on Dominguez' goal... Goalkeeper Briana Scurry leads all WUSA goalkeepers in goals against average (0.60) and shutouts (2)... Atlanta leads the league in team offense (2.60 goals per game) and team defense (0.60 goals per game).

boston breakers: Boston dropped its first match since April 12 with a 3-2 loss at New York on Saturday, May 10... The Breakers' loss was their fourth at Mitchel Athletic Complex in three seasons ... Boston is now 0-1-1 in May ... Maren Meinert's two goals gives her a goal or assist in five of six games this season ... Meinert now has two multiple point games this season and 12 career multiple point games ... Meinert is the Breakers all-time leader in points with 66 ... Ragnhild Gulbrandsen made her season debut on May 10... The Norwegian forward played the final 13 minutes and had a shot on goal seconds into entering the game ... Breakers rookie Marcia Wallis started and played 77 minutes... Wallis created a number of chances for the Breakers. In the 77th minute she had two great chances that went wide ... Kristine Lilly notched her third assist of the season on Meinert's second goal... Lilly now has 50 career points (11 goals, 28 assists)... Boston ranks fourth in team offense (1.83 goals per game) and fifth in team defense (2.17 goals per game).

carolina courage: Carolina dropped its fourth straight with a 3-1 loss at San Jose on Saturday, May 10 at Spartan Stadium... Forward Venus James notched her first goal of the 2003 season in the 3-1 loss to San Jose... Carolina's match at Washington on May 17 will be part of a WUSA/MLS doubleheader with D.C. United... The four straight defeats equals the franchise's worst start... Goalkeeper Kristin Luckenbill (thumb surgery) and defender Carla Overbeck (maternity leave) returned to the lineup on May 10... Midfiedler Hege Riise will undergo surgery on Thursday, May 15 for a torn ACL in her right knee (suffered on April 19)... Midfielder Unni Lehn will return to the Courage lineup after serving national team duty (Norway)... Lehn registered a goal as Norway defeated Belgium 6-0 in European Championship qualification... Carolina ranks eighth in team offense (1.00 goal per game) and sixth in team defense (2.75 goals per game).

new york power: New York extended its winning streak to three games with a 3-2 victory over Boston on Saturday, May 10 at Mitchel Athletic Complex... Midfielder Krista Davey tallied the game-winning goal for the second straight week for the Power... Davey, who registered two goals in 2002, notched her second goal of the 2003 season in the 89th minute of Saturday's match... Rookie forward Christie Welsh notched her fourth goal of the season versus Boston... Australian international Joanne Peters recorded her first career WUSA goal on May 10... Tiffeny Milbrett tallied two assists during the May 10 contest to give the WUSA's all-time leading scorer 71 points during her career... New York's three-game win streak is the longest in team history... New York ranks third in team offense (2.00 goals per game) and seventh in team defense (2.83 goals per game).

philadelphia charge: Philadelphia extended its losing streak to four games with a 4-1 loss at Washington on Saturday, May 10... Midfielder/Defender Jennifer Tietjen-Prozzo scored Philadelphia's only goal of the match... Both midfielder Melanie Hoffmann and defender Heather Mitts were credited with assists on Tietjen-Prozzo's goal... Hoffmann has now registered an assist in three consecutive matches... Midfielder Kelly Smith will be out of action for six weeks after having arthroscopic surgery to repair a mieniscus tear and bone lesion in her right knee... Philadelphia has dropped five straight regular season road match (dating back to July 31, 2002)... The team's last road victory came on June 19, 2002 (3-1 at Carolina)... Philadelphia ranks fifth in team offense (1.50 goals per game) and eighth in team defense (3.25 goals per game).

san diego spirit: San Diego extended its unbeaten streak to four games with a 1-1 draw with Atlanta at Herndon Stadium on Saturday, May 10... Forward Julie Fleeting got the Spirit on the board with her fourth goal of the season in the 67th minute... Forward Shannon MacMillan was credited with her third assists of the season on the goal... Fleeting has a team-high, four-game goal scoring streak (tying Tara Koleski in 2001)... Goalkeeper Jaime Pagliarulo is unbeaten in her last three start with a 1.00 goals against average... 2-1-2 (8 pts.) is the best record and points total after five games in club history... Lisa Krzykowski returned to Atlanta last weekend where she played for two seasons with the Beat...The Spirit is unbeaten at Herndon Stadium all-time (1-0-1)... San Diego ranks sixth in team offense (1.40 goals per game) and is tied for third in team defense (1.00 goal per game).

san jose cyberrays: San Jose defeated Carolina 3-1 on Saturday, May 10 at Spartan Stadium... The CyberRays' three Brazilian internationals each registered a goal in a span of 14 minutes in that match... Katia tallied her first goal of the 2003 season... Sissi, the team's leading scorer registered her first goal of 2003 as well as her third assist of the season... Pretinha also recorded her first goal of the season on May 10... San Jose's 3-2-0 start this season is the best in club history... Midfielder Michelle French notched two assists versus Carolina on May 10... San Jose has now won two straight games... The CyberRays rank seventh in team offense (1.20 goals per game) and is tied for third in team defense (1.00 goal per game).

WASHINGTON FREEDOM: The Washington Freedom extended its unbeaten streak to 14 regular season games with a 4-1 victory over Philadelphia on Saturday, May 10 at RFK Stadium... Forward Abby Wambach registered her first career hat trick on May 10... The hat trick was the first in Freedom history and seventh in WUSA history... Forward Mia Hamm notched fourth goal of the season on a 79th-minute penalty kick... Hamm has recorded five penalty kick goals in her WUSA career (WUSA record)... The Freedom is unbeaten at home in eight straight regular season games (dating back to July 3, 2002)... Washington's match with Carolina this week is part of a WUSA/MLS doubleheader with D.C. United... Washington ranks second in team offense (2.40 goals per game) and second in team defense (0.80 goals per game).



Women's United Soccer Association Stories from May 12, 2003


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