WPS Award Winners

Last week, WPS announced their annual award winners. There were several good candidates in each category and no clear cut choice in any. However, the winning candidate was certainly deserving in each case.

Michelle Akers Player of the Year - Veronica Boquete, Philadelphia Independence

Boquete scored five goals and four assists after joining the Independence in June. She scored the only goal in three 1-0 victories over a four game stretch in late July. The Independence had a 9-1 regular season record with her in the starting lineup. Boquete was definitely a major factor on Philly's strong challenge for first place.

My choice would have Boquete as well, but with Christine Sinclair almost even with her.

WPS Defender of the Year - Whitney Engen, Western New York Flash

Engen played the full 90 minutes in 17 of the Flashes' 18 matches. She was able to shut down many of the league's top forwards and helped Western New York to becoming the best defensive team in the league with a 1.00 goals against average.

My choice would have been Engen, but there were several good candidates including Engen's teammate Ali Riley and Nikki Krzysik from Philadelphia. I thought that Jen Buczkowski was overlooked in the nominating process and should have been given top consideration as well.

US Coast Guard Goalkeeper of the Year - Ashlyn Harris, Western New York Flash

Harris led the league in goals against average with 1.00 average per match. She also tied for the league lead in shutouts with five, while playing every minute of every match for the Flash. Her quick reflexes enabled her to make many great saves during the season.

My choice would probably have been Jen Branam. While her goals against was quite a bit higher than Harris', her defense was often a patchwork with players being injured or away with national team duty. However, I can't really argue with Harris, who was a deserving choice.

US Soccer Federation Rookie of the Year - Christen Press, magicJack

Press scored eight goals in her rookie season, the fifth best total in WPS. The Stanford alum is one of only four players ever to score a hat trick in league play, doing so in 4-0 victory over Boston on July 30. She uses her great speed to get behind defenses and is becoming more adept at timing her runs to greatest advantage.

Press would have been my choice as well. Keelin Winters, Sinead Farrelly, and Alex Morgan all had great rookie seasons, but to me, Press had the biggest impact on her team's performance.

WPS Coach of the Year - Paul Riley, Philadelphia Independence

Riley wins the award for the second consecutive year and deservedly so. He is one of the game's best strategists and gets the most out of his roster, one that has far fewer national team players than either Western New York or magicJack.

Riley was definitely my choice, but consideration must also go to Aaran Lines who did a fine job with the expansion Flash.

Citi Sportswoman of the Year - Nikki Krzysik, Philadelphia Independence

On the field, Krzysik was as solid as a rock, playing all 1620 minutes of the regular season in helping the Independence to finish second in WPS. Off the field, Krzysik has helped lead international philanthropic efforts that took her overseas with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes where she led clinics and shared her experience and love of the game with the participants of the women’s soccer league in Honduras. She has proven to be a leader both on and off the field.

This award was voted on by players and coaches only. But even though we could not vote on this award, I believe Krzysik was an outstanding choice.

PUMA Golden Boot Award - Marta, Western New York Flash

Marta wins this award for the third consecutive year. She scored 10 goals for the season, with seven coming in the last six matches, when the Flash were battling the Independence for first place. She edged out teammate Christine Sinclair, who played in one more match than Marta did. Interestingly, although Sinclair played in one more match, Marta actually saw one more minute of action than Sinclair.

magicJack Advances to Semifinals

In a very strong performance, magicJack defeated the Boston Breakers 3-1 on Wednesday evening to advance to the WPS semifinal on Saturday. magicJack will meet the Philadelphia Independence in Chester, Pennsylvania.

There were no surprises in the magicJack lineup for the match. Tony DiCicco elected to start Taryn Hemmings instead of Stephanie Cox on the back line, with Amy LePeilbet playing left back.

magicJack came out of the blocks fast, putting pressure on the Breakers' net from the opening whistle. Sophie Schmidt's shot from 25 yards sailed over the crossbar in just the second minute of action.

magicJack broke on top just a few minutes later. Sarah Huffman hit a cross from the far right side. The ball curved away from Boston goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, eluding her and finding a wide open Abby Wambach just eight yards out on the back post. She easily finished into the open net and magicJack was up 1-0 in just the sixth minute.

magicJack continued to pressure the Breakers' defense. Shannon Boxx put one just over the crossbar from 20 yards in the 8th minute. Later, Christen Press' shot from 18 yards was deflected wide by Naeher.

Boston's first good chance came in the 29th minute as Amy LePeilbet's pass found Lauren Cheney cutting across the box, but her shot went just wide of the left post.

Both teams suffered injuries in the first half. Meghan Klingenberg took an awkward fall landing on her arm in the 15th minute. She came off with what appeared to be an arm or wrist injury and was replaced by Elli Reed. Tina Ellertson suffered a hamstring injury later in the half. It was while Ellertson was off the field that Boston evened the score.

LePeilbet took a free kick from 40 yards out, sending it to the center of the penalty area. magicJack managed to head the ball clear but not out. Leslie Osborne nodded the ball back to the center where Keelin Winters volleyed it one-time inside the right post from nine yards out to tie the score. Ellertson was quickly subbed out for Lydia Vandenbergh after the goal.

magicJack nearly retook the lead in the 37th minute as Megan Rapinoe's shot from the left side beat Naeher, but struck the left post and was cleared by Boston. Just a minute later, Rapinoe had another chance as Huffman sent a pass to Press who headed it to Rapinoe, but her shot rolled just wide of the right post.

Boston had a good opportunity right before intermission, with another LePeilbet free kick into the penalty area. But Winters couldn't quite get into position to head the ball on goal and her attempt sailed well wide of the net. The match was tied at the half.

magicJack started the second half right where they left off as Rapinoe sent Press through the Boston defense, but her shot hooked just wide of the right post. But in the 56th minute, things began to fall apart for the Breakers.

Huffman received the ball just to the right edge of the penalty area and made a one-on-one move against Hemmings. Hemmings reached out her right foot and tripped the magicJack midfielder. A penalty was awarded and Abby Wambach scored her second goal of the match, with Naeher guessing wrong, to make it 2-1 for the home team.

Press had another chance just a minute later, but she skied a shot over the bar on a good opportunity from 18 yards out. Rapinoe set up Huffman just minutes later, but her shot also went well over the bar.

magicJack put the game away in the 61st minute as Press was making a run into the right side of the penalty area. She cut back on Hemmings and with Naeher bearing down on her, she hit a beautiful cross that caught Rapinoe in stride and USWNT midfielder headed the ball into the net from six yards to make it 3-1.

With their backs against the wall, the Breakers attempted to insert some offense into the match. Hobbled Kelly Smith came in for Hemmings in the 69th minute. Nikki Marshall subbed in for Aya Sameshima in the 79th minute. For awhile after Smith came in, Boston appeared to be dangerous and Smith definitely gave them a temporary spark, but the English striker is not nearly 100% healthy and her abilities were limited.

In 75th minute, Kelley O'Hara's shot from 22 yards was on frame, but easily handled by Jill Loyden. After that, Boston looked exhausted and really offered no significant threat.

magicJack outshot Boston 17-8 and led in shots on goal by an 8-2 margin. It was fairly dominating performance by the women from south Florida, who had been one of the toughest home teams in the league during the regular season.

magicJack will now travel to Philadelphia where they will meet the second place Independence at PPL Park in Chester at 4 pm on Saturday.

magicJack 3, Boston Breakers 1

mJ-Abby Wambach (Sarah Huffman) 6'
Bos-Keelin Winters (Leslie Osborne) 31'
mJ-Abby Wambach pk 57'
mJ-Megan Rapinoe (Christen Press) 61'

magicJack-Jill Loyden, Marian Dalmy, Christie Rampone, Tina Ellertson (Lydia Vandenbergh 33), Becky Sauerbrunn, Shannon Boxx, Sophie Schmidt (Omolyn Davis 86), Megan Rapinoe, Sarah Huffman (Nikki Washington 86), Abby Wambach, Christen Press.

Boston-Alyssa Naeher, Alex Scott, Rachel Buehler, Taryn Hemmings (Kelly Smith 69), Amy LePeilbet, Leslie Osborne, Keelin Winters, Meghan Klingenberg (Elli Reed 16), Aya Sameshima (Nikki Marshall 79), Lauren Cheney, Kelley O'Hara.

YC-Buehler (Bos) 17, Hemmings (Bos) 35, Winters (Bos) 81.
Shots-magicJack 17, Boston 8.
SOG-magicJack 8, Boston 2.

Press Scores Hat Trick as magicJack Romps to Victory

Rookie Christen Press scored three times to lead magicJack to a 4-0 shutout over the Boston Breakers. The victory moves magicJack into a third place tie with Sky Blue. A good crowd of over 3000 saw the match in Boca Raton.

With both teams entering the contest in a tie for the fourth and final playoff berth, this was a key win for magicJack. The loss puts Boston in a desperate position, now three points behind both magicJack and Sky Blue.

Abby Wambach opened the scoring for the hosts. The magicJack player/coach scored her first goal since returning from the World Cup, assisted by fellow USWNT player Megan Rapinoe in the 16th minute.

From then on, it was the Christen Press show as she scored in the 36th, 76th, and 83rd minute, with Wambach, Marian Dalmy, and Nikki Washington assisting. It was the fourth hat trick in WPS history, the third of the 2011 season. Press now has eight goals, tied with Tasha Kai and just one behind league-leader Christine Sinclair.

Boston was credited with just one shot for the match, while magicJack attempted 16 shots. The Breakers were playing without two top forwards in Kelly Smith and Lauren Cheney, both of whom suffered injuries at the World Cup.

Jill Loyden earned the shutout for magicJack, who are now 6-6-2 and tied with Sky Blue at 19 points in third place. They will host Sky Blue for the second consecutive Wednesday night match in Boca Raton, in a game that will go a long way to deciding third place and home field advantage for the first round of the playoffs.

The Breakers fall to 4-7-4 for the season. Boston now has an uphill battle, trailing both Sky Blue and magicJack by three points in the standings, and having one less match remaining than magicJack. They face the unenviable task of traveling to Rochester to face Western New York on Wednesday evening.

Philadelphia Closes in on WNY with 3-1 Victory

The Philadelphia Independence were only able to match half of last week's output, but it was more than enough as they defeated magicJack 3-1. The depleted magicJack squad only had 13 players active for the match.

Kia McNeill opened the scoring in the 29th minute. A corner kick opportunity led to the goal, with Danesha Adams getting the assist. It was McNeill's first WPS goal.

Veronica Boquete doubled the lead just six minutes later. Tina DiMartino sent Boquete through and Phiadelphia had equaled their halftime lead of a week ago.

Tasha Kai scored her fourth goal of the season just after the start of the second half, on a header after Joanna Lohman had sent in a cross.

Christen Press got magicJack on the scoreboard in the 56th minute, but that was all magicJack was to get. Val Henderson gets the victory in goal for Philadelphia.

Philadelphia raises their record to 5-2-3, good for 18 points and second place behind Western New York. magicJack falls to 5-4-0 and they remain in 3rd place at the halfway point in their season. The Independence now have a short break before facing Sky Blue in a midweek match on July 6. magicJack's next match is also against Sky Blue on July 9.

WPS Standings at the World Cup Break:
(1) Western New York 6-1-2, 20 pts; (2) Philadelphia 5-2-3, 18 pts; (3) magicJack 5-4-0, 14 pts; (4) Sky Blue FC 3-3-3, 12 pts; (5) Boston 3-5-3, 12 pts; (6) Atlanta 1-8-3, 6 pts.

magicJack Gets First Road Win in Atlanta

MagicJack defeated the Atlanta Beat 3-2 on Saturday evening, earning their first road win of the season. The victory keeps magicJack in second place in WPS.

Ella Masar opened the scoring for magicJack, just three minutes into the contest, as Johanna Rasmussen set her up at the six yard box.

Meghan Lenczyk tied the match for the home side in the 20th minute. It was Atlanta's first goal in well over three and a half matches.

But just before intermission, Christen Press made it 2-1 for visiting magicJack on a cross from Nikki Washington.

Things got worse for Atlanta when Rasmussen scored a goal of her own just a couple minutes into the second half to make it 3-1.

Atlanta bounced right back on a goal by newly-acquired Kacey White in the 53rd minute, assisted by Megan Jesolva. In spite of the Beat's pressure, magicJack was able to hang on for the 3-2 victory.

Atlanta's record falls to 1-7-2. They will host Boston next Sunday. MagicJack raises their record to 6-2-0. They play the Independence next Saturday in Philadelphia.

Klingenberg Helps Breakers To 2-1 Victory

There are few better feelings in sports than to get an opportunity to help beat a team that just traded you. Meghan Klingenberg did just that on Sunday evening. Klingenberg who was traded by magicJack to Boston last week, scored the game's second goal and it proved to be the difference as the Breakers defeated magicJack by a 2-1 margin.

With many national team players in New Jersey for today's USWNT match against Mexico, the starting lineups for both teams were quite different. Both principals in the recent trade, Klingenberg and magicJack's Nikki Washington, were in the starting lineup against their old teams.

Boston opened the scoring in just the 8th minute. After a nice buildup, Klingenberg sent a nice cross to the middle, but it appeared to be cleared out of trouble by magicJack's defense. However, Katie Schoepfer collected the ball just outside the eighteen and she hit a high lob of a shot that couldn't have been placed more perfectly, going just under the crossbar, just inside the right post, and just out of reach of leaping magicJack keeper Brett Maron.

The Breakers made it 2-0 in the 19th minute as Liz Bogus hit a right-footed cross from the left sideline to Klingenberg who was making a run down the center of the field. Klingenberg volleyed a one-timer from 10 yards into the left side of the net on what was one of the better goals of the season.

Boston had several chances in the final seconds of the first half as magicJack struggled to clear the ball after a cross was sent all the way through the penalty area.

Tina Ellertson was asked to mark English striker Kelly Smith and the two battled throughout the match, with Ellertson holding Smith in check for much of the time. Meanwhile, Ella Masar was once again very active on the offensive end and sent at least one shot just over the crossbar. magicJack outshot Boston in the first half, but many of their shots were from distance and harmless.

The score remained at 2-0 until the 67th minute, as Sarah Huffman sent a long ball over the top of the Boston defense. There appeared to be a lack of communication between Alyssa Naeher and her defense, and the Boston keeper got caught in no-man's land. Christen Press got just behind the defense and cut in front of Naeher intercepting the ball and finished into an empty net.

While magicJack did have chances in the closing minutes, they were unable to draw even. Their record falls to 4-2-0. They remain in 2nd place with 11 points. Boston raises their record to 3-5-1 and 10 points, good for 3rd place.

MagicJack now travels to Atlanta for a match next Saturday against the Beat. Boston must travel to New Jersey to face Sky Blue next Sunday.

WPS Standings:
(1) Western New York 6-0-2, 20 pts; (2) magicJack 4-2-0, 11 pts; (3) Boston 3-5-1, 10 pts; (4) Philadelphia 2-2-3, 9 pts; (5) Sky Blue FC 2-3-2, 8 pts; (6) Atlanta 1-6-2, 5 pts.

magicJack Remains Unbeaten; Philly Defeats Breakers

magicJack 2, Atlanta Beat 0

Rookie Christen Press scored her first WPS goal and Ella Masar added another as magicJack won their third straight by a 2-0 margin over Atlanta in Boca Raton.

Press, who led all scorers in college with 26 goals in 2010, scored her first professional goal with magicJack. Her goal came in the 64th minute, after Ella Masar had opened the scoring in the 24th minute. The Stanford alum was the number four overall selection in the January draft. Masar's goal was her second of the season.

Hope Solo earned the shutout for magicJack, who outshot Atlanta by a 12-2 margin. This was the second shutout of the season for magicJack.

magicJack has a bye week before heading to Rochester to play the league's other unbeaten team, Western New York, on May 22 in what should be an interesting matchup. Atlanta, whose record fell to 1-3-1, will return home to face Philadelphia next Sunday.

Philadelphia Independence 2, Boston Breakers 0

The Independence played an all-round solid match in defeating the Breakers 2-0 tonight in Chester, Pennsylvania. It was the first home match and the first victory of the season for Philadelphia.

Both goalkeepers were sharp early on. In the 17th minute, Tina DiMartino found Tasha Kai alone on the left side, but Breakers' keeper Alyssa Naeher slid out to stop Kai's shot.

Later in the half, Kelly Smith was able to control a loose ball at the 18 and after a quick touch to the left, unleashed a wicked shot in tight space that Nicole Barnhart was just barely able to tip over the crossbar. Later, Smith nearly sent Alex Scott through, but a sliding Barnhart was able to thwart that effort.

Philadelphia finally broke through in the 41st minute on a great effort by Tasha Kai. Leigh Ann Robinson sent a long ball out of the back to start the play. Kai was able to fend off Boston defender Ifeoma Dieke to get her shot off past Naeher. The ball hit the right post, rebounding in front of the net. Kai hustled to the ball and finished with a diving header, just ahead of Dieke, to put the Independence up 1-0.

Philadelphia continued to pressure into the second half. Tina DiMartino made a long run from the right sideline to the top of the box, before finding Amy Rodriguez on the left side. Rodriguez struck a low shot that Naeher made a terrific save on, only to have Lianne Sanderson find the rebound and knock it home from an extreme angle on the far side of the net.

From that point forward, the Independence controlled the match. Boston's players looked more and more weary as the match wore on, perhaps a by product of having several USWNT players on their team who had just concluded a vigorous training camp in Florida.

For her part, Naeher tried to keep her team in the match, making several nice saves in the second half. She twice disappointed Laura del Rio with nice saves and stopped Sinead Farrelly on yet another. Naeher dodged a bullet in the 81st minute as Lori Lindsey's blast from 22 yards sailed over the net.

Philadelphia's defense was strong throughout the match and were able to keep the Boston attack in check. Their midfield did an excellent job of controlling the field and linking with forwards Kai, Rodriguez, and del Rio.

The Independence earned a well-deserved victory for their performance and evened their record at 1-1-1. They are now tied for 4th place with four points. Boston dropped to 2-3-0 and sit in 3rd place for the moment.

Philadelphia travels to Atlanta to meet the Beat next Sunday. Boston travels to Rochester to face league leading Western New York on Friday night.

WPS Standings
(1)Western New York (3-0-1, 10 pts); (2)magicJack (3-0-0, 9 pts); (3)Boston (2-3-0, 6 pts); (4)Philadelphia (1-1-1, 4 pts); (5)Atlanta (1-3-1, 4 pts); (6)Sky Blue FC (0-3-1, 1 pt).

2011 magicJack Preview

magicJack
Coach: Mike Lyons (1st year)
2010 Record: 8-9-7 (4th place)
Home Stadium: FAU Soccer Field (Boca Raton, FL)

Roster:
Goalkeepers (3): Jillian Loyden, Brett Maron, Hope Solo.
Defenders (6): Marian Dalmy, Tina Ellertson, Nikki Marshall, Christie Rampone, Becky Sauerbrunn, Meghan Schnur.
Midfielders (8): Shannon Boxx, Amanda DaCosta(R), Omolyn Davis(R), Sarah Huffman, Meghan Klingenberg(R), Sophie Schmidt(R), Lindsay Tarpley, Kacey White.
Forwards (6): Lisa De Vanna, Ella Masar, Rebecca Moros, Christen Press(R), Johanna Rasmussen, Abby Wambach.
(R) denotes true rookie; returning players in bold.
Probable World Cup players: Solo, Rampone, Boxx, Schmidt, Tarpley, De Vanna, Wambach, and possibly Sauerbrunn.

Pretty much everything is new with this team…ownership, location, general manager, coach, name, and most of the team. If it weren’t for Freedom veterans like Abby Wambach, Sarah Huffman, and Becky Sauerbrunn, one could almost call this a completely new franchise.

Lost in all of the changes and confusion of the offseason is that magicJack has put together quite a solid team. They are reasonably strong at every position and have actually added a number of offensive players that should make them even more dangerous. Add Lindsay Tarpley, Kacey White, Ella Masar, Christen Press, and Johanna Rasmussen to an already solid offense with Abby Wambach and Lisa De Vanna and you have the makings of a very potent attack.

Even though this team has four rookies, it is a largely veteran team. But this team will be missing a lot of key players during the World Cup and continuity could be a problem. Even so, magicJack appears to have players to step in at every position and still be competitive.

Goalkeepers: Once magicJack brought Hope Solo into the fold, it really just becomes a question of how many games will she be able to play for her new team. Still recovering from shoulder surgery, she just made her first game appearance against England last weekend. It is a bit of a quandary from a USWNT point of view. She needs the game action, but how much can she risk the shoulder for the time being?

Last season was a year of distractions, between Athletica folding, tweetgate, and the surgery. But absent all of that, when Solo is on top of her game, there isn’t a better goalkeeper in the world. Backing her up will be two keepers that are used to that role. Jill Loyden, last year’s Red Star starter, backed Solo up in Saint Louis during 2009. Brett Maron was Solo’s backup in Atlanta. Both have experience as a starter, with Loyden being called up for national team duty on occasion.

Defenders: There won’t be many teams that can boast the veteran back line that magicJack will field coming into the 2011 season. Marshall is probably the only one you couldn’t call a seasoned veteran and the only one that hasn’t appeared on the senior national team. But what a rookie season she had. Overlooked when it came to rookie of the year voting, she made an impact both on defense and at striker.

The other five defenders are all experienced. Christie Rampone brings her 234 national team caps to magicJack after captaining (and sometimes coaching) Sky Blue for two seasons. A great leader on and off the field, Rampone is a professional in every sense of the word. Becky Sauerbrunn, also a candidate for the WC team, is the only other returnee. She has not missed a minute of action in two WPS seasons, the only player that can say that.

Three more defenders were brought in as free agents and all are excellent players. Marian Dalmy was a strong right back, with good height and the ability to make overlapping runs. Meghan Schnur played left back for Sky Blue and is very solid. Veteran Tina Ellertson joins her Washington Huskie teammate Solo with magicJack. Ellertson is a two-time WPS All-Star, is good in the air and has great speed, especially for a center back.

Midfielders: Here you have your classic blend of experience and youth, long-time national team players like Shannon Boxx and Lindsay Tarpley with young college talent like Klingenberg and Schmidt. The only returning player in the group is Sarah Huffman.

Boxx and Tarpley have combined for 265 caps on the USWNT. Boxx has been the starter at defensive mid for the USWNT for several years. She is strong in the air and has become more of an offensive threat since WPS has started. Tarpley is one of the most intelligent players on the field. Whether playing midfield or forward, she is always looking for the best option and is very unselfish.

The other two veterans on the team, Sarah Huffman and Kacey White, have both had short stints on the national team. Huffman is a consistent, hard-working midfielder, and has been with this franchise back to its W-League days. To me, White has always been underrated. She has good speed, attacks well from the outside and usually serves the ball into her forwards with accuracy.

The rookies on this team are quite intriguing as well. It’s really hard to call Sophie Schmidt a rookie. After all, she does have 58 caps with the Canadian National Team. Ultimately, Schmidt may be the best midfielder this team has. Meghan Klingenberg also has national team experience, both on the junior and senior levels. There is a possibility that Klingenberg may move to outside back for magicJack. Jamaican Omolyn Davis has a lot of talent, which hopefully coach Mike Lyons will be able to harness, while Amanda DaCosta had an excellent career at Florida State and looks to move up to the next level.

Forwards: Abby Wambach has been the focus of this team’s offense for the past two years and that probably won’t change. But Wambach has more weapons around her now, which may give her more room to operate in the middle. Unfortunately, nagging injury problems with her foot seem to have slowed her, although she is gamely trying to play through it. When healthy, she is the best in the world in the air and has scored well over 100 goals for the USWNT.

Lisa De Vanna’s 2010 WPS season got cut short following a broken leg in the Asian Cup. Her speed is a nice complement to Wambach’s strength. De Vanna scored six goals for the Freedom back in 2009. One player that had a strong 2010 season was Ella Masar. Masar scored eight goals for the Red Stars last year and quickly became a fan favorite.

In what could be regarded as a steal, magicJack obtained Johanna Rasmussen from Atlanta. Rasmussen was the Beat’s best player at times last year, and she can switch between forward and wing with relative ease. MagicJack also gets help from the draft in Stanford’s Christen Press. Press scored 26 goals for the Cardinal last year. Rounding out the forwards is returnee Rebecca Moros who adds versatility to the roster. Moros has played defense, midfielder, and forward for the Freedom over the past two years.

Outlook: In spite of the huge roster turnover, this team has the elements to compete for the title. They have a nice blend of youth and veterans and are strong at every position. But will this team ever be at full strength. Wambach’s injury could be a problem and she did not appear to be fully healthy in the recent match against England. Solo also made an appearance in that match, but is coming off from a long recovery from shoulder surgery. In addition, several key players will be absent during the World Cup.

You also have to wonder if some of the older veterans on the team will start to slow down. Talented as they are, Rampone is now 35, Boxx is 33, Wambach is 30, while Solo and Ellertson are fast approaching 30. And Boca Raton is not going to be the coolest spot to play summer matches. Their home advantage may not be as strong either, with the smallest seating capacity in a new home. Over the last two seasons, the Freedom had an excellent home record at 12-4-6 and a fairly dismal road record at 4-12-6.

This team is strong enough to compete. They have the talent, leadership, speed, strength, and depth necessary. But they are also going to need things to break their way, especially with respect to health and quickly developing into a cohesive unit.

Scurry, Freedom Add Five Players in WPS Draft

Briana Scurry got her first cap, so to speak, as a general manager at the 2011 WPS Draft. It was just two years ago that she was selected in the 5th round of the 2009 WPS Draft. Her first venture into the general manager's seat yielded several fine draft choices for the Washington Freedom.

Washington entered the draft with about enough players for a bridge game and had a lot of holes to fill. The first trade on draft day proved to be quite a shocker. Washington was able to obtain the number three overall pick and a player to be named later from Atlanta, for the Freedom's 2012 first round pick. The player to be named later is widely reported to be talented Johanna Rasmussen, although that has yet to be confirmed by either team as far as I can tell.

So now armed with two consecutive first round picks, the Freedom were able to scoop up Meghan Klingenberg and Christen Press back-to-back, and presumably add Rasmussen on top of it all. Talk about a productive start to the draft!

Klingenberg, who just received her first cap for the USWNT at the Four Nations Tournament, is a highly regarded midfielder out of North Carolina. She played several positions in college, but excelled at left midfield for the Tar Heels. She had six goals and eleven assists in her senior year and earned 24 assists over her career.

In many respects, both in size and skill set, she reminds me of Tina DiMartino, although Klingenberg generally plays a wider position. She is fast, very good with the ball at her feet, and manoeuvers well in traffic. She usually gives good service from the wing and can be a real pest when defensively pressuring the opponent's back line.

With the 4th overall selection, Washington chose high scoring Christen Press out of Stanford. Press scored 71 goals at Stanford, including 26 her senior season. She was recently awarded the MAC Hermann Award as the best college player of 2010. She can also set up others, assisting on 41 goals at Stanford. Press has good speed and obvious finishing ability, but can she take it to the next level? I believe so.

At the 10th selection, they tapped into their own Washington Freedom Futures to draft midfielder Omolyn Davis out of George Mason. For the Futures, she had seven goals and three assists in 12 games last year. She hit double-digits in goals in both 2009 and 2010 with the Patriots.

Considered to be one of the most creative players in college soccer, Davis is sure to be a crowd pleaser if she put that talent to work in the pro ranks. She has also spent some time with the Jamaican National Team.

At number 17, Washington got perhaps the steal of the draft in Amanda DaCosta. Many people tabbed her as a first round selection and it was surprising that she fell all the way down to this position, but it was the Freedom's good fortune. DaCosta follows other Florida State talents like Becky Edwards, India Trotter, Mami Yamaguchi, and Sarah Wagenfuhr into the WPS. Very quick and an excellent passer, DaCosta should prove to be a welcome addition to the Freedom midfield.

With their final selection at number 22, the Freedom drafted Katie Fraine, goalkeeper out of the Florida. Fraine earned 10 shutouts in each of her final two seasons at Florida, with a goals against average of just over 0.70 each season. Like Press, Fraine played for Pali Blues of the W-League last season. At 5-10, she has good height and with Erin McLeod likely to be with her Canadian teammates at the World Cup, Fraine could see playing time fairly quickly.

All in all, the Freedom have to get very high grades in this draft.

As Expected...Morgan and Farrelly Go 1-2

The two players that most people thought would go 1st and 2nd in the 2011 WPS draft were indeed the first two players taken. Western New York selected Alex Morgan of California and the USWNT, followed by Philadelphia choosing Sinead Farrelly of Virginia.

Washington traded for Atlanta's first round selection, which changed the complexion of the draft quite a bit. They chose Meghan Klingenberg of North Carolina with the 3rd overall pick, followed by Christen Press of Stanford at 4th. The consensus had been that Atlanta would choose Press at number three before the trade was made.

It was no surprise that the Independence chose Lauren Fowlkes at number five, once she slipped past the first four picks. The Boston Breakers chose midfielder Keelin Winters at six, followed by Atlanta choosing defensive midfield specialist Kylie Wright with the 7th pick and Western New York getting Portland Pilot left back Elli Reed at number eight.

Virginia, Portland, UCLA, Oklahoma, Wake Forest, and Notre Dame each had two players selected from their programs. Surprisingly, some smaller schools were represented well, too, with players being selected from George Mason, Harvard, Niagara, James Madison, and UC-Irvine. Traditional powers North Carolina and Stanford only had one each. The Big Ten was entirely shut out of the proceedings.

Some teams went with players having local ties with at least one of their selections. Philadelphia chose local product Farrelly from Havertown and later selected James Madison midfielder Teresa Rynier from Leola, Pennsylvania. Boston selected Harvard forward Katherine Sheeleigh in the 3rd round. Western New York chose Niagara goalkeeper Ashleigh Bowers in the 4th round.

Perhaps the oddest selection, at least to me, was Philadelphia choosing Caitlin Farrell with the 11th overall pick. It was odd in that Philadelphia chose Farrell with the 58th selection in the 2010 draft. That's right, same team, same player, two different years. Not to mention, she moved up 47 spots.

One international player, Omolyn Davis, was chosen by Washington. Davis, a midfielder for George Mason, has experience with the Jamaican National Team.

Several high profile players did not enter the draft. Sophie Schmidt, who many considered to be a 1st round selection and a player from the Canadian National Team, reportedly did not enter the draft. Nor did highly regarded defender Hannah Cerrone out of Boston College. North Carolina midfielder Ali Hawkins also reportedly was not interested in playing pro soccer.

As for my mock draft....well let's just say I got the first two right and leave it at that.

Here are the players selected in the 2011 WPS Draft:

First Round
1) Western New York-Alex Morgan, F, California (Diamond Bar, California)
2) Philadelphia-Sinead Farrelly, MF, Virginia (Havertown, Pennsylvania)
3) Washington-Meghan Klingenberg, MF, North Carolina (Gibsonia, Pennsylvania)
4) Washington-Christen Press, F, Stanford (Palos Verdes Estates, California)
5) Philadelphia-Lauren Fowlkes, D, Notre Dame (Lee's Summit, Missouri)
6) Boston-Keelin Winters, MF, Portland (Englewood, Colorado)
7) Atlanta-Kylie Wright, MF, UCLA (Rancho Santa Margarita, California)
8) Western New York-Elli Reed, D, Portland (Park City, Utah)

Second Round
9) Philadelphia-Jennifer Stoltenberg, F, Oregon (Mission Viejo, California)
10) Washington-Omolyn Davis, MF, George Mason (Kingston, Jamaica)
11) Philadelphia-Caitlin Farrell, D, Wake Forest (Fort Myers, Florida)
12) Boston-Whitney Palmer, F, Oklahoma (Plano, Texas)

Third Round
13) Western New York-Rose Augustin, MF, Notre Dame (Silver Lake, Ohio)
14) Atlanta-Meghan Lenczyk, F, Virginia (McLean, Virginia)
15) Philadelphia-Lauren Barnes, D, UCLA (Upland, California)
16) Sky Blue FC-Alyssa Mautz, MF/F, Texas A&M (O'Fallon, Missouri)
17) Washington-Amanda DaCosta, MF, Florida State (Katonah, New York)
18) Philadelphia-Bianca D'Agostino, MF, Wake Forest (Longmeadow, Massachusetts)
19) Boston-Katherine Sheeleigh, F, Harvard (New Vernon, New Jersey)

Fourth Round
20) Western New York-Ashleigh Bowers, GK, Niagara (Liverpool, New York)
21) Sky Blue FC-Lauren Alkek, D, Oklahoma (Victoria, Texas)
22) Washington-Katie Fraine, GK, Florida (Titusville, Florida)
23) Philadelphia-Teresa Rynier, MF, James Madison (Leola, Pennsylvania)
24) Boston-Tanya Taylor, F, UC-Irvine (Buena Park, California)

Draft analysis coming soon...

A Whole Different Game - 2011 WPS Draft Preview

Last year, at the time of the draft, we had nine teams in WPS vying for the top players in college soccer. This year, there will only be six.

Last year, there were 64 players chosen. This year, there will be only 24.

Last year, while teams all had different needs and certainly some were in better shape than others, all of the teams were entering the draft in fairly similar situations. This year, it ranges from Philadelphia and Sky Blue, both of which have nearly full rosters already, to Boston and Western New York, who have some holes to fill but are pretty far along, to Atlanta which has a lot of work to do, to Washington which couldn't even field an indoor team at the present time.

Which I guess brings us to another point. For ease and familiarity purposes, I will refer to that particular franchise as the Washington Freedom for now.

And then there's the fact that with two more teams out of action, there are still a lot of quality free agents on the market to fill roster spots. But then again, depth will be more important this year with the World Cup pulling several players away from their teams for varying lengths of time.

This year's draft will be webcast live on the WPS website.

So first, let's look at each team and where they are now (at least with respect to personnel):

Atlanta Beat
Current Roster: GK-None; D-Keeley Dowling, Cat Whitehill, Tina Ellertson, Kat Reynolds, Lauren Sesselmann; MF-Carli Lloyd, Lori Chalupny, Johanna Rasmussen, Kristina Larsen; F-India Trotter.
Where They Draft: 3, 7, 14
What They Need: Scorers (and a lot of them); a goalkeeper: a holding midfielder; depth everywhere. They'll probably fill a forward spot with Christen Press with the 3rd pick. Uncertainty about Solo makes their goalkeeping situation a big question mark, but with so many free agent keepers, I don't know if they'll draft one. Lots of different possibilities with that 7th pick.

Boston Breakers
Current Roster: GK-Alyssa Naeher, Ashley Phillips, Kelsey Davis; D-Alex Scott, Amy LePeilbet, Rachel Buehler, Stephanie Cox, Ifeoma Dieke, Kasey Moore; MF-Jordan Angeli, Leslie Osborne, Liz Bogus, Nikki Washington, Kelly Smith; F-Lauren Cheney, Kelley O'Hara, Taryn Hemmings.
Where They Draft: 6, 12, 19, 24
What They Need: Depth everywhere, an attacking mid/wing, another forward. No team will likely get hit harder by the World Cup than the Breakers. They could potentially lose their entire starting back line plus their best attacking players during parts of June and July. They should be able to get a quality player at the 6th pick.

Philadelphia Independence
Current Roster: GK-Val Henderson; D-Heather Mitts, Allison Falk, Nikki Krzysik, Frida Magnusdottir, Leigh Ann Robinson, Kia McNeill, Estelle Johnson; MF-Jen Buczkowski, Megan Rapinoe, Lori Lindsey, Tina DiMartino, Joanna Lohman; F-Amy Rodriguez, Lianne Sanderson, Tasha Kai, Danesha Adams.
Where They Draft: 2, 5, 9, 11, 15, 18, 23
What They Need: Midfield depth, backup keeper, defensive depth. Philadelphia has a nearly full roster and unlike last year, they are loaded with draft picks. In addition, Jeff Kassouf of The Equalizer is reporting that Philly has signed Veronica Boquete and Laura del Rio. If he's right, and he usually is, then Philadelphia is loaded with attacking options. They are probably one of the few teams that can afford to use a draft choice on a goalkeeper. Farrelly will likely be their midfield choice at the 2nd pick. I think they'd like Fowlkes at the 5th, but will she still be there?

Sky Blue FC
Current Roster: GK-Karen Bardsley, Jen Branam; D-Anita Asante, Brittany Taylor, Kristi Eveland, Carrie Dew, Danielle Johnson, Kiersten Dallstream, Michelle Wenino; MF-Kendall Fletcher, Carolyn Blank, Heather O'Reilly, Tobin Heath, Angie Kerr, Allie Long; F-Eniola Aluko, Laura Kalmari, Casey Nogueira.
Where They Draft: 16, 21
What They Need: A forward and depth. Sky Blue is already sporting a crowded roster and they only have two lower picks in the draft. So barring a trade, they should make the least draft day noise.

Washington Freedom
Current Roster: GK-Erin McLeod; D-Becky Sauerbrunn, Nikki Marshall; F-Abby Wambach
Where They Draft: 4, 10, 17, 22
What They Need: What don't they need. Wambach and McLeod will miss time for the World Cup. I'm sure somewhere here, there's a plan. Let's hope it starts unfolding tomorrow at the draft.

Western New York Flash
Current Roster: GK-Ashlyn Harris, Brittany Cameron; D-Whitney Engen, Candace Chapman, Ali Riley, Kandace Wilson, Kaley Fountain, Brittany Bock; MF-Yael Averbuch, McCall Zerboni, Caroline Seger, Beverly Goebel; F-Christine Sinclair. Note that they are also rumored to have Becky Edwards, but I have yet to see definitive confirmation of that.
Where They Draft: 1, 8, 13, 20
What They Need: At least two forwards, one of which will be Alex Morgan, attacking mids, depth everywhere. They have already built a fairly solid foundation for an expansion team, but scoring is at a premium in this league, so they must go offense in this draft.

I must say that this draft, past the first three or four selections, will be very hard to predict, because we don't know what is in the works as far as free agent signees. Teams have to draft for depth this year, because of the World Cup. It also means that teams will be looking for versatile players who can possibly fill several roles.

So, with much trepidation, here are my predictions for this year's draft:

1) Western New York - Alex Morgan, F, California (There has been very little doubt that she would be the number one pick for quite some time. She already has made an impact on the USWNT and besides being a great player, she has the added attraction of being the one player in this draft that may already be a drawing card).

2) Philadelphia - Sinead Farrelly, MF, Virginia (Paul Riley has stated that he is looking to fill some midfield slots and Farrelly is considered the best midfielder in college soccer. Additionally, she is from the Philadelphia area).

3) Atlanta - Christen Press, F, Stanford (Next to Morgan, she is the highest ranking forward in a year where there is a shortage of impact players in that area. Great speed and a nose for the goal, but taking it to the next level has proven difficult for many a top college scorer).

4) Washington - Lauren Fowlkes, D/MF, Notre Dame (One of the very few players in this draft that has size and skills, which is a highly sought after commodity. I've penciled in three or four different players at this slot and I'm still not confident, because Washington could go many different directions here).

5) Philadelphia - Elli Reed, D, Portland (If Fowlkes is still available, Philly will grab her in an instant. But if she's not, Riley likes outside backs that can jump into the attack and Reed fits that bill. Lauren Barnes and Meghan Klingenberg are possibles here, too.)

6) Boston - Meghan Klingenberg, MF, North Carolina (Good skills, solid UNC pedigree and I don't think Tony DiCicco can pass her up. Lilly's retirement makes Klingenberg all the more attractive here).

7) Atlanta - Amanda DaCosta, MF, Florida State (With Heath gone, DaCosta gives Atlanta a player with solid skills and good playmaking ability).

8) Western New York - Sophie Schmidt, MF, Portland (A very good player with national team experience. Only drawbacks are that she is an international and she will be at the World Cup).

9) Philadelphia - Lauren Barnes, D, UCLA (Another solid defensive player, although a little shorter than one might like at center back).

10) Washington - Meghan Lenczyk, F, Virginia (After the top two at forward, Lenczyk has the potential to take it to the next level).

11) Philadelphia - Keelin Winters, MF, Portland (Philly adds depth at midfield with Winters. A tough, gritty player and hard worker).

12) Boston - Jessica Tsao, D, Portland (Yet another Pilot and Boston fills in much needed depth with this talented outside defender).

13) Western New York - Rose Augustin, MF, Notre Dame (WNY continues to add attacking players with Augustin. She had 11 goals and 10 assists for the national champions).

14) Atlanta - Megan Jesolva, MF, California (Could potentially be the steal of the draft if she continues to improve. U-23 experience and while she will probably not be a big scorer, she can do a lot of things well).

15) Philadelphia - Kristin Arnold, GK, Texas A&M (With so many selections, Philadelphia has the luxury of using one for a keeper and Arnold is probably the best from the college ranks).

16) Sky Blue - Danielle Toney, F, Penn State (I probably have her more highly ranked than most people, but I think the skills and potential are there).

17) Washington - Kylie Wright, MF, UCLA (Another player with U-23 experience gives the Freedom a solid midfielder).

18) Philadelphia - Ashlee Elliott, D, Florida (A center back with some experience at forward. Her height makes her an ideal target on corners and free kicks).

19) Boston - Rachel Givan, D, Boston (More depth at outside back for the Breakers).

20) Western New York - Tanya Taylor, F, UC-Irvine (11 goals and 12 assists in her senior year).

21) Sky Blue FC - Omolyn Davis, MF, George Mason (Could we see the first Jamaican player in WPS?)

22) Washington - Vendula Strnadova, MF, Memphis (A good attacking player that has played somewhat under the radar at Memphis).

23) Philadelphia - Jackie Carron, D, Michigan (First team all-Big Ten, can play defender or midfielder).

24) Boston - Lisa Kevorkian, F, Boston University (Big time offensive threat for the Terriers after spending three seasons with California).

Other Players to Watch:
Goalkeepers: Nikki Weiss, Notre Dame; Katie Fraine, Florida.
Defenders: Cassie Dickerson, Ohio State; Caitlin McDowell, Maryland; Megan Monroig, Penn State; Erica Campenelli, Texas; Kacey Richards, Connecticut.
Midfielders: Tiffany Yovino, Hofstra; Kendra Chandhoke, Portland; Bianca D'Agostino, Wake Forest; Colleen Flanagan, Virginia; Courtney Jenkins, Ohio State; Chelsea Regan, Boston College; Rachel Shipley, Texas A&M; Brittney Steinbruch, Miami (F); Alyssa Mautz, Texas A&M; Gina DeMaio, Rutgers.
Forwards: Amy Caldwell, Boston College; Whitney Hooper, Texas A&M; Brooke Knowlton, Boston College; Megan Ohai, USC; Anessa Patton, Santa Clara; Alysha Bonnick, Missouri.