Ottawa And Washington Pair Up In W-League Final Four

Ottawa Fury Opening Playoff Week
JEFFERSON, IN — The Ottawa Fury Women are returning to the W-League semifinals for the first time since 2006 after a 2-1 road victory over FC Indiana in a rematch of last year’s Central Conference Final.

“It was a very good team efforts,” said an extremely proud Fury coach Craig Smith. “I had a good feeling about this game – the girls were focused, played their game and we did what we wanted to do.”

Ottawa found themselves trailing early for the second straight game when Nikki Lyons gave the reigning Central Conference Champions a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute.

Just like they did against Chicago Friday night, the Fury responded a short time later when Amber Hearn sprung free Michelle Evans, who crossed for Katie Bethke only to have FC Indiana’s Corrie Moore redirect the cross into her own goal, pulling the Fury even in the 14th minute.

Possession Was the key to the Fury’s game, which gave them control of most of the first half to end all square at 1-1.

The Fury continued to control play to start the second half and almost pulled into the lead in the 61st minute when Jennifer Hance deflected a Michelle Evans free kick painfully wide of the far post.

Four minutes later on an almost identical play Evans picked out Jennifer Hance again on a free kick, which was touched by Hance and deflected into the FC Indiana goal off a defender for yet another own goal.

FC Indiana had allowed just two goals during the regular season, but now trailed after two own goals.

Carrying a 2-1 lead late into the game, it almost seemed like deja-vu as the Fury led by the same scoreline in last year’s Conference Final before FC Indiana pulled even and won in extra time.

This year, however luck was on the Fury side late in the game as a shot struck both the crossbar and post and stayed out preserving the 2-1 victory a the Central Conference crown for the Fury.

The Fury now advance to the W-League Semifinal where they will face a familiar foe in the Washington Freedom. Game date, time and location to be announced Monday.

LAFAYETTE, IN — The Ottawa Fury Women put themselves one step closer to that elusive W-League title with a 4-2 victory over the Chicago Red Eleven in the Conference Semifinals.

Two goals, assist for Hearn in win

The Fury found themselves down 1-0 early, but Michelle Evans and Amber Hearn got them back on track before halftime and Ottawa added two more in the second half before Chicago tallied late sealing a 4-2 win and a place in Sunday’s Conference Final against the 2008 league finalist FC Indiana Lionesses, who blanked the Buffalo Flash 3-0 later in the evening.

Ottawa returned to Indiana for a second straight year, but found themselves trailing after 11 minutes when Gemma Davison notched her seventh of the season putting the Fury on notice early.

Michelle Evans responded in the 20th minute direct from a free kick that pulled Ottawa even with her seventh of the season.

Building on the momentum from the tying goal the Fury continued to press and were rewarded in the 31st minute when Amber Hearn tallied from close range putting the Fury ahead going into halftime.

The second half opened with both teams battling to set the tone. With scoring chances sparse Amber Hearn blasted home her second of the night from 35 yards out giving the Fury a two-goal cushion after 76 minutes.

Six minutes later Hearn continued her dominance of the Chicago defence this time passing to Tina Romagnuolo, who hammered home the cross for a 4-1 Fury lead.

A Fanta Cooper cross in the 90th minute deceived Fury keeper Jasmine Phillips at the far post cutting the lead to 4-2, but that was all the damage that Chicago would be able to muster against the Fury, who are hoping that the third time is the charm as they look to win the conference title for the first time in three years.

Quebec City Amirals Opening Playoff Week
ORCHARD PARK, NY — Buffalo Flash (10-2-3) beat Quebec City Amiral (9-5-1) 5-0 in a second versus third divisional playoff match at the first round stage of the USL W-League postseason to move onto the conference tournament.

Ruiz guided Flash onto next round (Mark Novak)

The dominant win was the third time the Flash have been victorious at home by a 5-0 scoreline and the seventh time this season that they have scored four or more goals in a game.

In front of comfortably their biggest home attendance of the season – over 500 – the Flash lived up to expectation and put on a performance of some repute, playing in front of their home crowd for the final time this campaign.

And it was Buffalo who came out of the blocks early, with top goalscorer Maria Ruiz lofting her effort just wide, after an impudent through ball from left winger Pamela Conti. The two Mediterranean attackers, along with home debutant and recent Japanese signing Rie Sawai, were putting on a clinic in passing and movement, and the home fans were enjoying the show.

After 17 minutes, good team passing resulted in Erika Sutton hitting the post with a left footed strike.

However, the Flash faithful didn’t have to wait much longer to see their new heroines open the scoring.

In the 25th minute, Ruiz headed home Sarah Wagenfuhr’s corner, from close range, to notch her 10th goal of the season. Nine minutes passed before Sutton’s cross deflected and looped over goalkeeper Marie-Pier Bilodeau, and landed inside the back post, to double the scoring.

The Flash were well worth their 2-0 halftime lead.

In the second half, the goal action intensified further. On the hour, Ruiz bent a curling 20-yard shot which was tipped onto the crossbar, before bouncing down and out, only for the advancing right midfielder Sutton to tap home her second of the game and sixth of the season.

With 12 minutes remaining, substitute Jacquelyn Lacek was on the spot to pick up the pieces and slot away her second goal of the season, after a Jamie Craft run had beaten the Amiral offside trap.

In truth, the Flash could have come close to double figures, but they had to settle with Craft’s breakaway finish on 82 minutes, rounding off the scoring for the evening, to end 5-0, and give the Flash fans a joyous farewell until next season.

Another stellar defensive display from the Flash back four of Alexandra Sahlen, Kimberly Brandao, Katarina Tarr and Lena Mosebo, meant that Amanda Becker, was once again, well protected in goal, and an eighth shut out of the season was achieved.

Buffalo will now travel on Thursday to take on undefeated FC Indiana Lionesses, who host the Central Conference Final Four, in a Friday evening conference semifinal match-up at Jefferson High School in Lafayette, Indiana.

The Lionesses are coming off the back of a 9-0 win over West Michigan Firewomen in their last Midwest Divisional game and a 10-0-2 regular season in which they’ve scored 63 goals and conceded only two. Their perfect home record saw them score 38 goals, while remarkably conceding none, in their six games.

The match-up between the only two full time professional USL W-League teams should be a mouth-watering one.

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2009 W-League Semifinals
The 2009 W-League Semifinals, which will be hosted in two locations for the first time in league history.

The regular season champion Hudson Valley Quickstrike Lady Blues will play host to the defending champion Pali Blues Friday July 31 at Academy Field in Newburgh, NY. Kick off is set for 7:30 pm ET.

The following night, August 1, the Washington Freedom will play host to the Ottawa Fury at the Maryland SoccerPlex. Kick off is scheduled for 6:00 pm ET.

For the first time in league history, the W-League title will be decided in a single-game event the following weekend when the two semifinal winners meet Friday, August 7 at 7:30 pm ET. The match will be shown live on Fox Soccer Channel.

The W-League championship was originally decided via a six-team tournament in its first three seasons from 1995-1997 and was a four-team event from 1998 through last year.