WPS Weekly - Week 2

April 20, 2011 - Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) News Release

Week 2 was an eventful weekend that included a game winning goal by Atlanta Beat Rookie Meghan Lenzcyk, the WPS ‚¬â„¢ first-ever postponement of a match, and the WPS debut and first franchise win for the Western New York Flash. Saturday ‚¬â„¢s schedule was set to have two games kicking off at 7 pm ET, but despite every effort to move forward, the weather forecast remained ominous and tornado-filled. The Philadelphia Independence home opener against South Florida ‚¬â„¢s magic Jack was postponed leaving only one game to be played Saturday night.

Down south in Atlanta, under clearer skies, the Beat took on Sky Blue FC for the first time in 2011. In a well-contested match, both teams were able to develop some dangerous scoring opportunities, but it wasn ‚¬â„¢t until the 50th minute that Rookie Meghan Lenzcyk found herself on the end of pass cutting across the top of the box from teammate India Trotter. Sky Blue FC Goalkeeper Karen Bardsley met the pass at the top of the box but her attempt at a sliding clearance richocheted off the charging Lenczyk and went bouncing towards an empty goal. Despite the all out effort form Sky Blue FC Defender Carrie Dew, Lenczyk would earn the first goal of her professional career, which would ultimately prove to be the game winner. Sky Blue FC outshot the Beat 18-4, with at least eight of those shots coming off the foot of English International Eniola Aluko in the match. But that didn ‚¬â„¢t phase Beat Goalkeeper Alli Lipsher, who turned in her first clean sheet of the season.

Sunday ‚¬â„¢s game took top billing for the weekend as the 2011 expansion team, the Western New York Flash, made their WPS debut against the Boston Breakers at Harvard Stadium. It didn ‚¬â„¢t take much time to establish that the game would be exciting. Less than five minutes in, the Flash had their first scoring opportunity as Caroline Seger poked a ball past the Breakers Goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, only to have her shot cleared off the line on a sliding effort by Breakers Defender Stephanie Cox. In the 31st minute of play, the Breakers again escaped a close call as Defender Alex Scott managed to turn away a beautifully headed ball from Flash Defender Brittany Bock, to keep the game scoreless. The tie was broken in the 66th minute as rookie Alex Morgan assisted Christine Sinclair for the first goal in franchise history for the Flash. Gemma Davison, a second half sub for the Flash, would make her mark in the match in the 90th minute as she made a solo effort, dribbling through the Breakers defense and firing off a far-post shot to put the Flash up by 2. But, the Breakers would not go quietly, cutting the Flash lead in half a minute and a half into stoppage time. Breakers forward Lauren Cheney would initiate the opportunity when she fired off a shot that was on frame, but saved by Flash goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris. The save ricocheted off the cross bar and back out to Kelley Smith who was waiting at the goal mouth to head in her first goal of the season. The game would end moments later, with the Flash earning their first victory 2-1 over the Breakers.

2010 WPS Regular Season Standings

W L T P GF GA +/-

Breakers 1 0 0 3 4 1 - -

Flash 1 0 0 3 2 1 - -

Atlanta Beat 1 1 0 3 2 4 - -

Sky Blue FC 0 1 1 1 2 3 -2

Independence 0 0 1 1 2 2 -2

magicJack - - - - - - - -

Saturday

Atlanta Beat 1, Sky Blue FC 0

Philadelphia Independence, magicJack (Postponed)

Sunday

Boston Breakers 1, Western New York Flash 2

Lipsher saves Atlanta, wins Player of the Week honor

Goalkeeper Alli Lipsher's heroic performance in the Atlanta Beat's victory Saturday over Sky Blue FC has been honored with the Women ‚¬â„¢s Professional Soccer's Player of the Week award for Week 2.

This is the first weekly honor for Lipsher, who joined the Beat as a free agent during the offseason after playing for the Boston Breakers for the past two season. The Beat had two winners in its expansion season last year, with goalkeeper Hope Solo (Week 16) and forward Eniola Aluko (Week 19).

Lipsher, a 25-year-old Hawaiian goalkeeper out of Duke University, made 11 saves as the Beat evened its record to 1-1-0 with a 1-0 triumph. Aluko spearheaded a Sky Blue attack that took 18 shots but couldn't get past the Beat keeper.

The WPS Player of Week is selected by a panel of journalists from the North American Soccer Reporters.

Week 1: Allie Long (Sky Blue FC)

Week 2: Alli Lipsher (Atlanta Beat)

US Women ‚¬â„¢s National Team Back in Camp

Twenty-nine players including 25 WPS stars reported to West Palm Beach, FL on Monday for a three-week training camp called by US Women ‚¬â„¢s National Team Head Coach Pia Sundhage. Players will train Monday through Friday of each week with the WPS players traveling to the sites of their club ‚¬â„¢s matches on the days before the games, and then returning to national team camp the day after. Sundhage will soon have to whittle down her roster to 21 players for the upcoming Women ‚¬â„¢s World Cup in Germany this summer.

WPS Players in USWNT Camp (By Position):

GOALKEEPERS (4): Nicole Barnhart (Philadelphia Independence), Ashlyn Harris (Western New York Flash), Jill Loyden (magicJack), Hope Solo (magicJack)

DEFENDERS (7): Rachel Buehler (Boston Breakers), Stephanie Cox (Boston Breakers), Whitney Engen (Western New York Flash), Amy LePeilbet (Boston Breakers), Heather Mitts (Atlanta Beat), Christie Rampone (magicJack), Becky Sauerbrunn (magicJack)

MIDFIELDERS (10): Yael Averbuch (Western New York Flash), Shannon Boxx (magicJack), Tobin Heath (Sky Blue FC), Meghan Klingenberg (magicJack), Lori Lindsey (Philadelphia Independence), Carli Lloyd (Atlanta Beat), Kelley O ‚¬â„¢Hara (Boston Breakers), Heather O ‚¬â„¢Reilly (Sky Blue FC), Megan Rapinoe (Philadelphia Independence), Lindsay Tarpley (magicJack)

FORWARDS (4): Lauren Cheney (Boston Breakers), Alex Morgan (Western New York Flash), Amy Rodriguez (Philadelphia Independence), Abby Wambach (magicJack)

WPS Week 3 Preview

Saturday, April 23 | magicJack vs. Boston Breakers (7:00 pm ET)

FAU Soccer Stadium | Boca Raton, FL

- This is the home opener for magicJack at FAU Soccer Stadium, and after having their game postponed last weekend, will mark the start of the season for the South Florida team.

- magicJack will open their season without Goalkeeper Hope Solo who will serve be serving a suspension carried over from the 2010 season.

- Saturday will mark the highly anticipated professional debut of 2010 MAC Hermann Trophy Winner Christen Press (magicJack).

- The Championship-winning duo of Christie Rampone and Mike Lyons will once again be a driving force behind a WPS team. Rampone and her former trainer, Lyons, led Sky Blue FC to a Championship in the WPS ‚¬â„¢ inaugural season.

Sunday, April 24 | Atlanta Beat vs. Western New York Flash (6:00 pm ET)

KSU Soccer Stadium | Kennesaw, GA (Fox Soccer Channel)

- This will be the first-ever meeting between these two teams.

- After arriving this past Monday, five-time FIFA World Player of the Year Marta is expected to make her 2011 debut with the Flash on Sunday.

- Sunday will mark the last of three consecutive home games for the Beat and the first nationally televised match of the season from KSU Stadium.

Sky Blue FC and Philadelphia Independence have scheduled byes in week 3.

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Women's Professional Soccer Stories from April 20, 2011

• WPS Weekly - Week 2 - WPS
• Lipsher Named WPS Player of the Week - Atlanta Beat

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