D.C. United Women News Release - www.dcunitedwomen.com
Sunday, May 27, 2012
BOYDS, Md. - D.C. United Women scored three second-half goals and played stellar defense in a 3-0 blanking of the Northern Virginia Majestics on Sunday night in a lightning-delayed match at the Maryland SoccerPlex. The second win in two weekends for United Women put them atop the Eastern Conference, Atlantic Division standings with the Fredericksburg Impact, but ahead on goal difference during the young W-League season.
Though the scoring came late, the territorial and statistical dominance of the the Black-and-Red was evident from the start. The hosts tallied an amazing 26 total shots, while the back four limited their cross-Potomac opponents to just two second-half shots, neither of which were on goal.
The United Women offense peppered Majestics goalkeeper Emma Kruse throughout the first half, launching 14 shots, seven of which were on target, but finished the first 45 with nothing to show for the effort. Kruse made several key saves to keep her team in the game, and though she recorded an impressive 12 saves on the official stats report, it was her own-goal-saving fingertip parry that won’t show up on any stat sheet that was the most impressive.
The teams headed into a lightning delay in the 43rd minute, but when they resumed, Head Coach Mike Jorden’s group made some key adjustments and began firing on all cylinders in the second half.
“It took a while, but it was good to finally get it in,” said midfielder Holly King, who scored her first goal of the season in the 83rd minute on an assist from central defender and team captain Marisa Abegg. “It was pretty frustrating in the first half, but in the second we came out and connected a lot better. We kept telling each other we needed to finish and we finally did in the second half.”
King scored the third goal of three that came in a span of 13 second-half minutes for D.C. United Women. The former Broad Run High School and Loudoun Soccer standout who now does the same at University of Florida, scored after making a play on a ball high in the air, knocking it down with her chest and launching it past the extended hands of Kruse.
“I thought she was the best player on the field tonight,” Jorden said of King, who also made significant defensive contributions. “She had a great game and I was happy for her to get that third goal. Defensively she was tremendous, winning balls all over the field and distributing as well. She worked really hard and had a great game.”
Georgetown’s California girl Sam Baker opened the scoring for D.C. United Women in the 71st minute, corralling a phenomenal aerial pass from Mikaela Howell - the two-goal hero last week for United - and sending the ball into the net from the far left side of the box. Howell got in on the action herself just three minutes later, beating Kruse to the left side on a penalty kick. Howell’s goal was her team-leading third of the season, and her seven points are among the W-League leaders. http://wleague.uslsoccer.com/stats/
Defensively, it was another stellar night for D.C. United Women, which meant an uneventful night for goalkeeper Danielle DeLisle. The University of Virginia keeper in her first start did not face a shot the entire evening, as the Black-and-Red back four conceded two off-target shots for Northern Virginia.
“I didn’t need to tell her anything, other than maybe pat your defenders on the back,” said Jorden on DeLisle’s quiet evening. “On a couple occasions they did get dangerous, and just like we have all season we defended really well.”
Jorden used all of his allowed six substitutions in the match, and kept his defensive unit fresh throughout the night. D.C. United Women veterans Abegg, Katie Menzie and Jerica DeWolfe anchored the back four along with newcomer Molly Menchel, who played with tenacious hustle the full 90 minutes. They were aided by defensive midfield cover in the debut of Carolyn Blank, as well as King’s massive work rate on both sides of the ball all night.
“We haven’t even had our national team defender Becky [Sauerbrunn - who was officially named to the 2012 Olympic Roster today, and was a sub in tonight’s 4-1 winning effort by the U.S. Women’s National over China] in yet, but we have so much versatility and the people stepping up playing in the back four have done a great job,” Jorden added.
D.C. United Women have yet to allow a goal in two matches this season, and will look to continue that trend on Thursday when they travel to Dayton, Ohio to face the Dutch Lions in their third W-League match of the summer. The two teams will square off again just two days later on June 2 in Dayton, which just happens to be the home town of both Jorden and assistant coach Cindi Harkes. Jorden will being coaching against his niece, who is a player for the Dutch Lions, in the matches.
Sauerbrunn is making the trip to Dayton with the team, and is expected to see her first action in a United inform. The road trip is also expected to see the debut in official W-League play of both Lianne Sanderson and Joanna Lohman, who each have been awaiting the processing of international paperwork and a mandatory 30-day waiting period before being allowed to suit up as amateurs in league play for United Women.
Fans can follow coverage of the matches on Twitter @DCUWomen and visit www.dcunitedwomen.com for exclusive updates from the team.
United Women’s home match at the SoccerPlex will be Friday, June 15 at 8 p.m. in a non-league exhibition against the "Women’s Pro SUPERGROUP" a collection of current and former pro players who train and tour with the two-time WPS coach of the year. Tickets for that match, as well the rest of D.C. United Women’s home season can be purchased online at www.tickets.dcunitedwomen.com or by calling 240-813-2695.