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WUSA Stars Provide Highlights

April 7, 2003 - Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) News Release


ATLANTA (Monday, April 7, 2003) - The 2003 Women's United Soccer Association kicked off on April 5 and the world's best female soccer players did not disappoint. World Cup-bound WUSA stars such as Mia Hamm, Charmaine Hooper, Dagny Mellgren and Brandi Chastain all were victorious in week one, as WUSA matches averaged a combined three goals per game this past weekend.

In front of a nationally televised audience on ESPN2, Hamm and the Washington Freedom came out looking for revenge against the Carolina Courage in a rematch of Founders Cup II. Hamm and Abby Wambach scored to help Washington nullify an early Birgit Prinz goal as the Freedom defeated the Courage 2-1 at SAS Stadium. Atlanta then rolled over New York 5-0, as four Beat players scored. Boston's defense stopped San Diego for 88 minutes and withstood a late charge by the Spirit as the Breakers won 2-1 in Head Coach Pia Sundhage's debut. Mellgren and Maren Meinert scored for Boston, providing the Breakers with as many road wins in 2003 as the team had last season when it went 1-8-2 away from Nickerson Field. Recently acquired Katie Barnes gave San Jose a spark in leading the CyberRays to a 1-0 victory over Philadelphia in the final game on opening day.

Week two of the WUSA season will feature a scaled back schedule highlighted by Boston's visit to Atlanta in a nationally televised match on PAX TV Saturday, April 12 at 4 pm ET. The Breakers will have their hands full with Cindy Parlow and the high-scoring Beat squad that found the back of the net five times in week one. New York will look to stabilize a defense that allowed five goals at Atlanta when the Power travels to RFK Stadium to take on the Washington Freedom. New York defeated Washington 4-1 on April 13, 2002 in its lone trip to the nation's capital last year. San Jose, Philadelphia, San Diego and Carolina have the weekend off.

HIGH-SCORING ATLANTA: A year ago, it took five games for the Atlanta Beat to score five goals. In 2001, Atlanta opened the season with two scoreless ties and it took six games to score five goals in the WUSA's inaugural campaign. Saturday evening Atlanta scored a team-record five goals in one game as the Beat hammered New York 5-0 at Herndon Stadium. Charmaine Hooper led the Beat as she played an integral role in the development of all five goals. The Canadian national team star had one goal and one assist on the night while taking five shots, all of which were on goal. Known for its stingy defense (second in the WUSA in 2002), Atlanta ranked fifth in WUSA scoring in 2002. Atlanta Head Coach Tom Stone looked to improve team speed in 2003, and opening night for the Beat provided a look at what WUSA opponents will see this season.

"Our speed all over the field was good tonight," Stone said following Saturday's victory. "There's nothing you can really do about players that are fast."

SHOW ME THE WAY TO SAN JOSE: Last week, Katie Barnes arrived in San Jose after being cast off by the Carolina Courage. The second-year player out of West Virginia University wondered if her playing career was over. In her first game with the CyberRays, Barnes showed she belonged in the WUSA by scoring her first professional goal as she found the back of the net in San Jose's 1-0 win over Philadelphia. A surprise starter, she played on the right flank and hammered home a pass from Katia in the 32nd minute.

"I'm relieved to get that monkey off my back," said Barnes, who spent a portion of her Saturday watching her former Courage teammates lose to Washington on ESPN2. "I'm blessed to be playing here and making the most of it."

"I didn't know how to celebrate,'' she added. "I just grabbed Brandi and lifted her up in the air, and then it occurred to me: `I just picked up Brandi Chastain!'"

MIA BACK WITH A VENGEANCE: Washington's Mia Hamm not only played the full 90 minutes in a WUSA game for the first time since the 2001 season, she was involved in all Freedom goals in Washington's 2-1 win over the Carolina Courage on Saturday. She scored the game winner and also had an assist. For her performance, Hamm was named the league's MET-Rx Player of the Week. Just before halftime, Hamm assisted Abby Wambach on Washington's first goal on a deftly placed free kick into the penalty area to bring the Freedom back into the match from a 1-0 deficit. She then notched the game-winner in the 59th minute to exact revenge on the Courage for her team's 3-2 loss at Founders Cup II eight months ago. Hamm (along with Wambach) regularly tracked back on defense to assist against Carolina's Birgit Prinz and Danielle Fotopoulos. The two-time FIFA World Player of the Year had a significant impact on her Freedom teammates.

"It's hard when you're not on the field," explained Washington defender Jennifer Grubb. "When you aren't out there for 90 minutes, or not in the action, it can be difficult. But she is such a strong personality. It's nice to have her back."

HARD LUCK SPIRIT: The San Diego Spirit entered the 2003 WUSA season with high expectations. After all, a new coach, the top draft pick and other new players gave San Diego plenty of reasons for the club's optimistic attitude. However, season number three in the WUSA brought on the exact same result ... a loss. Already lacking depth defensively, the Spirit suffered a significant blow on Friday, April 4 when star defender Joy Fawcett was at a San Diego hospital undergoing arthroscopic surgery to her right ankle to repair bone spurs. The U.S. national team starter was the key component to Head Coach Omid Namazi's new tactical formation that featured a three-defender alignment with Fawcett as the anchor in the center of the back line. Without Fawcett, Namazi started with a 4-5-1 lineup, switching to a 4-4-2, trying a 3-5-2 and finishing in a 3-4-3.

"It's frustrating, because our whole game plan had to be changed the day before the game and we hadn't practiced (the new one)," Namazi said after the game. "Any time you go through that, you're going to have some negative effects. It took us out of our rhythm."

Although San Diego was lacking in personnel, Boston goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc came up big against the Spirit, making eight saves, including two point blank stops in the final minutes of action to preserve the victory. Fawcett may be back in time for San Diego's next match, an April 19 trip to New York to take on the Power. San Diego has a bye next weekend.

ATLANTA'S KYLIE BIVENS TO BE ON WUSA.COM CHAT THIS WEEK: Atlanta defender Kylie Bivens will be the featured guest on this week's WUSA.com live web chat on Tuesday, April 8. The chat will begin at 8:00 p.m. (ET) and will last approximately 30 minutes. Bivens, who scored in the Beat's 5-0 win over New York on Saturday, 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 Two)

Saturday, April 12, 2003 - Boston Breakers at Atlanta Beat - 4:00 p.m. (ET) - PAX TV (National Broadcast); (Season Series: First Meeting) (All-time Series History: Atlanta leads 3-2-1) Atlanta and Boston are both coming off impressive victories last weekend. The Beat tied the WUSA record for largest margin of victory with a 5-0 dismantling of the New York Power on Saturday, April 5. Four different Atlanta players scored a goal in the match, including newcomers Maribel Dominguez and Abby Crumpton. The Breakers recorded their first-ever season-opening win with a 2-1 victory at San Diego last Saturday. The road victory equals the season total for Boston from last season. Both squads will be looking to move to 2-0-0 while taking an early lead in the WUSA standings with a victory this weekend.

Key Players to Watch: Boston forward Dagny Mellgren (1g, 2 pts.) and midfielder Maren Meinert (1g, 2pts.) continued where they left off during the 2002 season. Both international stars found the back of the net to lead the Breakers to a 2-1 victory at Torero Stadium last Saturday. Midfielder Kristine Lilly (1a, 1 pt.) extended her league-record, point-scoring streak to 11 games with her assist on Mellgren's goal in the eight minute on Saturday. The "Big 3" continue to be a vital part of Boston's offensive attack. Atlanta's Charmaine Hooper (1g, 1a, 3 pts.) helped lead the Beat to a 5-0 thrashing of the New York Power last weekend. The Canadian international continues to add to her point total as the team's all-time leading scorer (24g, 7a, 55 pts.). Atlanta newcomer Dominguez (1g, 1a, 3 pts.) made an impact in her WUSA debut. The Mexican international registered her first career WUSA goal and assist while creating havoc on the New York defense Saturday evening. Goalkeeper Briana Scurry (1-0-0, 0.00 GAA) recorded her first shutout of the season on Saturday. Scurry is currently the league's all-time leader in shutouts with 14.

Key Matchup: (Boston defender Monica Gonzalez versus Atlanta forward Charmaine Hooper) Boston's Gonzalez will look to prevent Hooper from creating chances offensively in the Breakers penalty area. Hooper's physical style allows the Atlanta forward to make plays and produce scoring opportunities for her teammates.

The "Inside Scoop": The all-time series between these two teams is a close one with Atlanta leading 3-2-1. The Beat holds a 2-1-0 record over the Breakers at home, outscoring Boston 4-2. The last meeting between these two teams at Herndon Stadium resulted in a 3-1 victory for the Beat. The Breakers will be looking for their first-ever victory at Herndon Stadium (0-2-0). Boston Head Coach Pia Sundhage recorded her first WUSA victory last weekend.

They Said it: "The Boston attack involves many different personalities, with the triangle of death (Mellgren, Meinert and Lilly). There is a lot to deal with when those three come at you. We've got to be prepared defensively, because Boston can hurt you from different angles and they usually play well in the preseason. We're going to focus on having a good week of training, so we can get our minds set on moving to 2-0 to start the season." - Atlanta Head Coach Tom Stone on this weekend's match versus Boston.

Referee: Rachel Woo. Assistant Referees: Steven Taylor, Sarah Kraus. 4th Official: Ed Barnes.

Saturday, April 12, 2003 - New York Power at Washington Freedom - 7:00 p.m. (ET) -Metro Channel (New York); (Season Series: First Meeting) (All-time Series History: Washington leads 4-2-0) Coming off a 2-1 victory at Carolina, the Washington Freedom will look to move to 2-0-0 in the WUSA standings this weekend. New York will look to bounce back from a dismal 5-0 loss at Atlanta last weekend. The Power will be without defenders Kristy Whelchel (ACL) and Sara Whalen (ACL) as well as Australian internationals Cheryl Salisbury and Joanne Peters (due to national team duty) .

Key Players to Watch: New York's Tiffeny Milbrett is always a threat whenever she sets foot on the field. Rookie forward Christie Welsh made her WUSA debut last week. Defender Christie Pearce showed promised by pushing up as an added attacking presence for the Power on Saturday. Washington's Hamm (1g, 1a, 3pts.) scored the game-winning goal for the Freedom on Saturday. The two-time FIFA World Player of the Year played her first full 90 minutes since the 2001 season (August 11, 2001). Wambach (1g, 2 pts.) drew the game even for the Freedom versus Carolina. Her diving header sparked Washington en route to the victory. Washington goalkeeper Siri Mullinix (1-0-0, 1.00 GAA) shut down the potent Carolina offense last Saturday. The victory over Carolina was the 13th of her WUSA career (Fifth all-time).

Key Matchup: (New York forwards Tiffeny Milbrett and Christie Welsh versus Washington defenders Jennifer Grubb, Emmy Barr, Skylar Little and Carrie Moore) - The Washington defense had success in shutting down Carolina's potent attack last Saturday. With attacking runs into the Freedom area, Milbrett and Welsh will look to cause a lot of problems for the Freedom defense. Milbrett and the Power have had some success finding the back of the net at RFK Stadium (New York has recorded seven goals in three matches at the stadium).

The "Inside Scoop": The Power owns a winning record a RFK stadium (2-1-0), while outscoring the Freedom 7-3. The only meeting between these two clubs at RFK Stadium during the 2002 season resulted in a 4-1 opening day victory for New York. The Power has never started off the season 0-2-0 and will look to avoid that with a win on Saturday. Both New York and Washington will be without their Australian internationals (Salisbury and Peters for New York - Kelly Golebiowski for Washington), while the Freedom will be without Bai Jie (China) due to national team duty. New York head coach Tom Sermanni will be looking for his first WUSA victory.

They Said it: "This team (New York) has been very direct, getting the ball up to (Tiffeny) Milbrett as quickly as they can with not a lot of midfield play. They have a lot of team speed. They've given us some troubles, mostly Milbrett. In games where she is allowed to run at us and get in behind our defense, she pretty much has single-handedly beaten us. When that doesn't happen, we seem to have the upper hand." - Washington Head Coach Jim Gabarra on the New York Power.

Referee: Misail Tsapos. Assistant Referees: Bill Dittmar, Michael Stutt. 4th Official: Martha Sinclair.

TEAM INJURY REPORTS AS OF 04/07/03
ATLANTA BEAT: PROBABLE - F Conny Pohlers (L knee contusion); D Ifeoma Dieke (R hamstring strain).
BOSTON BREAKERS: OUT - F Ragnhild Gulbrandsen (L Foot Bone Bruise).
CAROLINA COURAGE: OUT - GK Kristin Luckenbill (L thumb surgery); D Carla Overbeck (maternity leave)
NEW YORK POWER: OUT - D Sara Whalen (R ACL tear); D Kristy Whelchel (R ACL tear)
PHILADELPHIA CHARGE: OUT - GK Hope Solo (Lumbar disc herniation); PROBABLE - F Trina Maso de Moya (R ankle tendonitis); M Erin Misaki (R knee effusion). SAN DIEGO SPIRIT: OUT - D Joy Fawcett (R ankle surgery); D Amy Sauer (L ankle surgery); PROBABLE - F Kerry Connors (L Achilles Tendonitis).
SAN JOSE CYBERRAYS: OUT - GK Dawn Greathouse (R elbow strain); QUESTIONABLE - D Kelly Lindsey (R knee contusion); PROBABLE - M Tisha Venturini-Hoch (R knee contusion)
WASHINGTON FREEDOM: PROBABLE - M Lori Lindsey (R ankle sprain)

NATIONAL TEAM DUTY AS OF 04/07/03
ATLANTA BEAT: None.
BOSTON BREAKERS: None.
CAROLINA COURAGE: None. N
EW YORK POWER: M Joanne Peters (Australia); D Cheryl Salisbury (Australia).
PHILADELPHIA CHARGE: None.
SAN DIEGO SPIRIT: None.
SAN JOSE CYBERRAYS: D Diane Alagich (Australia)
WASHINGTON FREEDOM: M Kelly Golebiowski (Australia); M Bai Jie (China)

suspension Summary 04/07/03

Player Team Suspension Reason None

Warning Summary 04/07/03

Player Team Reason None

TEAM-BY-TEAM NOTES

ATLANTA BEAT: Four different players (including two newcomers) scored goals for the Atlanta as the Beat downed the New York Power 5-0 on Saturday, April 5 at Herndon Stadium... Charmaine Hooper, Kylie Bivens and Maribel Dominguez each recorded a goal and an assist in the match... Rookie forward Abby Crumpton registered her first career WUSA goal in that match... The 5-0 victory was the largest margin of victory on a WUSA opening day... The Margin of victory also tied the WUSA record, set by the San Diego Spirit (April 20, 2002 6-1 victory over the Power)...The 15 total points (goals and assists) recorded by the Beat was the most in team history... Goalkeeper Briana Scurry registered her first shutout of the 2003 season on Saturday... Scurry is the all-time leader in shutouts with 14... With the victory Atlanta remains undefeated all-time versus the Power.

BOSTON BREAKERS: Dagny Mellgren and Maren Meinert each scored a goal as the Boston Breakers defeated the San Diego Spirit 2-1 on Saturday evening at Torero Stadium... Midfielder Kristine Lilly notched an assist on Mellgren's goal in the eighth minute, extending her league-record point-scoring streak to 11 games... Rookie midfielder Sarah Popper registered her first career WUSA point, assisting on Meinert's game winning goal in 68th minute... Goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc tallied her first victory of the season, registering eight saves on the night... The win was the first season-opening victory for the Breakers in team history... Boston has equaled the total number of road victories from the 2002 season (1-8-2)... Head Coach Pia Sundhage notched her first career WUSA win on Saturday.

CAROLINA COURAGE: Carolina jumped out to an early lead; however, the Courage fell to the Washington Freedom 2-1 at SAS Stadium, kicking off the 2003 WUSA season...Birgit Prinz got the Courage on the board in the sixth minute... Unfortunately, two unanswered goals by the Freedom resulted in the loss for Carolina... Midfielder Hege Riise missed a key penalty kick opportunity in the 53rd minute... The goal would have given the Courage a 2-1 lead... However, the shot sailed well wide (left) of the target... Rookie goalkeeper Meghann Burke made her WUSA debut on Saturday, making four saves versus the Freedom ... First-year coach Jay Entlich was unsuccessful in his attempt for his first career WUSA victory... Carolina does not see action this week and will face the Boston Breakers on April 19... Goalkeeper Kristin Luckenbill is expected to be back in net for the Courage's next game.

NEW YORK POWER: The New York Power was unable to find the back of the net, falling to the Atlanta Beat 5-0 on Saturday evening at Herndon Stadium... A number of new faces took the field for the Power, including forward Christie Welsh, goalkeeper Carly Smolak and defender Shannon Boxx... The margin of victory for Atlanta (+5) tied the WUSA record, previously held by the San Diego Spirit (April 20, 2002 also versus the Power)... The Power was without defenders Kristy Whelchel (ACL) and Sara Whalen (ACL) as well as Australian internationals Cheryl Salisbury and Joanne Peters (national team duty)...The Power has now extended its losing streak to five games (dating back to July 27, 2002)... Tom Sermanni will be looking for his first WUSA victory this Saturday.

PHILADELPHIA CHARGE: The Philadelphia Charge dropped its first-ever season opener with a 1-0 loss at San Jose on Saturday evening at Spartan Stadium... The Charge now holds a 0-4-0 record at Spartan Stadium, registering only two goals in four tries... The match marked the return of Kelly Smith, who came in for Anne Makinen in the 62nd minute... 2002 WUSA MVP and Offensive Player of the Year Marinette Pichon was held scoreless versus the CyberRays for the third straight time... Including a 1-0 loss last year in the semifinal round of the Founders Cup playoffs, the Charge has gone 286 minutes without a goal. Philadelphia last scored a goal on August 7 when Stacey Tullock registered a tally in the 73rd minute in a 1-1 tie at home against the CyberRays... GK Hope Solo is on the injured list with a herniated disc in her lower back... She is expected to miss at least another week of action.

SAN DIEGO SPIRIT: The San Diego Spirit fell to the visiting Boston Breakers 2-1 on Saturday evening at Torero Stadium... The loss was the team's third straight opening day defeat in the club's history... Boston jumped out to a 2-0 lead before Canadian international Christine Latham netted her first WUSA goal in the 89th minute... The match marked the first time that defender Joy Fawcett missed a Spirit match due to an injury... Fawcett underwent surgery on her right ankle (she expected to miss two to four weeks)... The match marked the debut of a number of new faces on San Diego's roster... Aly Wagner, Latham, Ronnie Fair, Lisa Krzykowski, Andrea Alfiler, Jen Nielsen, Kerry Connors, and Allie Sullivan all suited up for the Spirit for the first time on Saturday.

SAN JOSE CYBERRAYS: A goal by newly acquired Katie Barnes in the 32nd minute gave the San Jose CyberRays a 1-0 victory over the Philadelphia Charge on Saturday evening at Spartan Stadium... Barnes' goal was the first of her WUSA career... Brazilians Katia and Pretinha both recorded assists on the goal... Goalkeeper LaKeysia Beene notched her 13th career shutout in the 1-0 victory... She is currently second all-time in shutouts among WUSA goalkeepers... With the victory, San Jose moves its all-time home record versus Philadelphia to 4-0-0, outscoring the Charge 9-2...Defender Thori Bryan notched a full 90 minutes in Saturday's match... Bryan has played in every minute of every regular season match for the CyberRays (3,870).

WASHINGTON FREEDOM: Mia Hamm and Abby Wambach led the Freedom to a 2-1 victory over defending WUSA Champion Carolina Courage on Saturday at SAS Stadium... Hamm notched a goal and an assist in the match, including the game-winner in the 59th minute... Wambach's goal came in the 44th minute off a Hamm free kick...With the victory, Washington remains undefeated versus Carolina on the road (3-0-1)... The Freedom extended its road undefeated streak to six games, dating back to July 3, 2002... Washington also extended its overall undefeated streak to 10 games (dating back to June 29, 2002), tying the WUSA record.



Women's United Soccer Association Stories from April 7, 2003


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.


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